Making Light-up Bugs

Gloria touching the antennae of the "bug" together to make its nose light up.

A key is a good conductor.

JB touching the antennae of his "bug" together.

-Cute little electrical bugs.

Today we decided to do an experiment with electricity - partly because they didn't get to go to the Pinnochio play in Montgomery...a paranoid mom story (there's at least one confirmed case of swine flu in Montgomery public schools and others being tested and I didn't want to bring all three kids plus pregnant mom to a theatre full of kids from both homeschooling families and Montgomery public schools...not worth the risk even though Pinnochio would have been a fun play to watch).

Max helped us by soldering the light bulbs to the D size batteries and the electrical wire as well. I tried with poster tack to secure, but it just wasn't working. We have a book of fun science experiments to do and they had these batteries, bulbs, and electrical wires turned into bugs with light-up noses, so we did the same thing.

The kids are having fun testing out which things cause the light bulbs to light up by touching the two antennae of the bugs to various metal things...paper clips, safety pins, and keys are great conductors.