How to make a sand clock
How to Make a Sand Clock Lesson For Kids
One of the first experiments that a lot of kids make when growing up is a sand clock. If you have ever seen those clocks that you turn over and watch the sand drip to the other side, you have seen and handled a sand clock. Fortunately, they are very easy to make and a lot of young kids have plenty of fun doing it. Below, you will find clear and simple instructions on how to get your class to participate and build their very own sand clock!
Before Beginning The Project, Make Sure You Have These Materials:
- Stopwatch
- Dry sand, or salt
- Two baby food jars, or jars of a small, same size
- Scissors
- Heavy paper
- A hole puncher
- Masking/Duct tape
The first thing you do is pour sand, or salt if you are not able to locate sand, into one of the baby food jars. Secondly, use the scissors to cut a piece of heavy paper that goes over the mouth of the jar. You then punch a hole in the center of the paper using the hole puncher. Thirdly, place the paper over the mouth of the jar. Make sure that the second jar is on top of the first jar that has the sand inside. The mouths of the two jars should now be touching together with paper in between them. Fourth, tape the mouths of the jars together so they cannot be moved. Fifth, when you turn the jars over the sand should fall through the hole and into the other jar! And that is the basis on the construction of the sand clock! When the sand starts to fill, start your stop watch so you know how long your sand clock actually is. If you notice that the sand changes, or doesn’t, get kids involved by asking them what can be changed in order to adjust the time accordingly, such as adding more sand, removing it, or changing the shape of the jars.
The possibilities are endless, in terms of what a kid can do, in order to make alterations to their sand clock. This is a very fun experiment that teaches a lot of different aspects of science at the same time and can be very fun for them to even do at home and get the whole family involved. Sand clocks have been around for a very long time and will always be a staple in helping kids learn different aspects of time and science.
