Hands-On Learning with the Letter G
Today in our pre-K through first grade classroom, we studied the letter G. Because G is for glue, we used our letter study as an opportunity to dive into two exciting hands-on projects: three-dimensional puffy paint and stained glass made with glue. The kids will be able to take both their puffy paint and stained glass creations home next week after they fully dry.
The Science Behind 3D Puffy Paint
These projects were not just art activities; they were also a fun way to explore real science. Glue is a protein and a polymer, while shaving cream is an emulsified aerosol. Shaving cream contains tiny air bubbles, and when mixed with glue, the glue surrounds those air bubbles. As the glue hardens, those air bubbles become trapped inside, creating raised, three-dimensional puffy paint.
Chemistry and Stained Glass Art
For our stained glass project, we used glue and food coloring. Normally, food coloring will not dissolve in glue on its own. However, soap has a special molecular structure: one side of a soap molecule dissolves in nonpolar molecules, while the other side dissolves in polar molecules.
Creating Beautiful Patterns
You can imagine soap acting like a matchmaker. It brings the food coloring and the glue together, allowing the color to disperse through the glue. Once the soap is present, the food coloring spreads out to create super cool stained glass patterns that remain preserved as the glue dries.
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