Uh, Oh, Cheerios

The great thing about trying to get your toddler to engage in something STEM is that the curiosity is already there. They are trying to figure things out; it just helps to have a little guidance and then application.

Such an example was yesterday. The boys pulled out these formula-holding container thingies and had more fun running around the house, flipping the lids up and down (and ignoring the mounds of endless toys awaiting them in their playroom). On the kitchen floor, from another activity, the boys had some Cheerios left over on the ground (yes, I admit, some found their way into their mouths)... 

Anyway, they simultaneously started carefully filing the Cheerios into the narrow mouth of the formula containers, one by one, watching them pile up inside. Once finished and proud of what they had accomplished, they both started shaking the containers, expecting their contents to just come spilling back out and were understandably frustrated when they didn't. With a little guidance, they were shown how, to get them out, they needed to turn them upside-down, lean the containers a little to the side, and shake gently.

As they gleamed with excitement to have their whole-grain treasures back in their possession, the game started all over again. Suddenly, I realized my first mistake. In case it could lead to my undoing, it might be prudent to think an activity through before providing a revelation of mechanical insight. Second, now that these two have either learned it or worse, filed it away for a surprise attack later, what objects in the house must now be added to the growing list of contraband we already have?  I quickly flipped through my mental file of poison, heights, and sharp objects, and since nothing related to “dumping from an accessible container” came to mind, I calmed myself down and finished the activity. 

I need to pull the containers out again to see if they retained the engineering solution for reacquiring lost cereal. From there, I’ll try translating to a different object where we similarly manipulate something to empty its contents. Thinking to my advantage, maybe they'll help me find some money lost in my purse.