Watch #Annedroids on #AmazonPrime and This Week is National Recycling Week #Sponsored

Watch Annedroids on Amazon Prime and This Week is National Recycling Week

I am not sure why but for this particular episode of Annedroids on Amazon Prime she had to go put her winter clothing on (she even has snowpants on) while sitting in the living room viewing the episode… She totally cracks me up – she takes everything so seriously…

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Guess what? This week is National Recycling Week and that always brings about some major excitement for my kids and I.  We are always recycling stuff for projects! On any given day you can find out making something out of toilet paper rolls, scratch paper, empty water bottles, bottle caps, can tabs etc… We can just about find a use for anything.  We literally think twice before we throw out a cereal box, oatmeal container, drink mix bottle etc… They all provide us with a world of opportunities and possibilities.

We are also a family that utilizes Amazon Prime very heavily.  There are so many great shows out there and Annedroids is available on Amazon Prime and a great show – rated G.  This is a great show for our entire family.  Anne from Annedroids allows my autistic son to start to dream and create on his own.  She makes him understand that he can do just about anything.  Just yesterday I found him pulling some of my lumber and PVC piping to make his own treehouse!  There is so much inspiration in this show and it is definitely a family favorite.

Just as Anne uses things found in her junkyard to create new inventions, help celebrate National Recycling Week by creating your own fun experiments and projects using recyclable treasures found around your home!  Check out some of our experiments and recycling projects.

Here are some experiments and projects we have done –

My kids LOVE experiments and this one does not disappoint. It is a lava jar.  (Episode 6 – how can we create a chemical reaction for bubbles to rise like lava)

First you need a bottle – I chose a LifeWater bottle because it is clear and plastic but a thicker plastic – not the flimsy water bottle plastic.  Water bottles can be used for so many different projects!

Fill it about one quarter of the way with water then add vegetable oil up to within one inch of the top. Add about fifteen drops of your favorite color food coloring.

Then you need your catalyst. In this case we used Alka Seltzer broken into quarters.

Then add your Alka Seltzer one quarter at a time.  Sit back and watch – add more Alka Seltzer when you are ready – please make sure you keep the caps off until the Alka Seltzer stops bubbling.

When done – put the cap on and reuse when you want to by simply adding more Alka Seltzer.

Or how about Elephant Toothpaste (Episode 6 – Eyes Up – how can we make this elephant toothpaste rise)

There are several different versions of this “recipe” science project out there.  This is the one we did:

3 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide 6% (we only had 3% so the results were not as good as we wanted but still plenty good to keep the kids entertained and learning)
Squirt of dish soap
An empty 16 oz water bottle or soda bottle (cleaned out and empty)

Mix the warm water and dry yeast in a small bowl and put off to the side.
Pour the dish soap, food coloring and hydrogen peroxide into the bottle.  Set the bottle in the middle of a baking pan or large cookie sheet.  To be safe – put on safety goggles before the next step!

Use a funnel to make this easier – pour the contents of the small bowl through the funnel into the bottle.  Then watch the bubbles grow and grow for about a half hour.  The bottle will also be warm to the touch.

Each tiny foam bubble fills with oxygen.  The yeast acts as a helper and removes the oxygen from the hydrogen peroxide very fast – creating tons and tons of bubbles.  The heat is created as a result of the exothermic reaction.

The foam is safe – it is just water, soap and oxygen – it can be simply cleaned up and poured down the drain.

Use that left over Heavy Whipping Cream to make butter and buttermilk (store in a recycled bottle) – (Episode 3 Helping Hand – helping me re-use heavy whipping cream and turn it into something entirely different)

This is something I make frequently at home.  If I can get Heavy Whipping Cream on sale – I do and we make butter.  First you need Heavy Whipping Cream.  Then you need – oh nevermind – you only need Heavy Whipping Cream…

Pour some into a leak proof container.  One that is sturdy enough to handle a great deal of shaking.  This time I used a Nalgene wide mouth bottle – I can tell you that was not the best choice.  Generally I use a large recycled spaghetti sauce jar but my daughter was helping me and glass would not have been the best option.  Fill your container less than half full.  Anything more than that will become problematic.

Then just start shaking ALOT for a LONG TIME!  This time I have the help of my trusty assistant…

Poor thing worked up a sweat and she isn’t even halfway there.  As an adult – you would need to shake aggressively for about ten minutes.  The process will take you through several stages.  Initially is the liquid stage.  Then you will be shaking like crazy and feel like nothing is moving.  At that point the consistency is exactly like whipped cream – and you are about three minutes from completion.  And just when you think it will never form into butter – the liquid separates from the butter and you can feel the liquid splattering all around.  Shake for one more minute.  The last minute will pull as much liquid out of the butter as possible.  In this photo I poured the result into a bowl in order to photograph.  But what you should do is strain the liquid from the butter (which I ended up doing). 

And what about those old blue jeans – Never throw those away (Episode 3 – Reduce, Reuse, Robocycle)

Disregard the chaos in the craft room!

As part of Sephora’s recycling fun she decided to cut up an old pair of jeans and make a bag/front facing set of pockets that can also be worn on her back.  See the book of scrapbook paper on the floor?  She tired of that really quickly and switched to sewing.  Don’t judge me on my craft/sewing room.  It is an organized mess and the kids are allowed to help themselves to anything except my sewing machine/serger.  They can use those only with my close supervision.  It is kind of like when I used to play the piano – as soon as I tickle those ivories they come running and I never get to actually play anything. Now whenever I enter my craft room they immediately sniff me out and want a sewing project.

 

See how proud she is!

 

And my favorite project – the tornado in a jar! (Episode 10 – the Power of Love)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.