In the spirit of the upcoming Melbourne Cup, we have a horse race as our activity this week, using whiteboard marker horses and some aluminium foil. This is a really simple activity, with the ability to surprise.
What you need:
- whiteboard markers
- aluminium foil
- water
- straws (optional)
- “horse trainers” (eg. kids – optional)
What to do:
- Get a large piece of foil and fold the edges up on each side.
- Draw a few horses on the foil, one underneath the other, at one end of the foil.
- Gently pour some water around the horses – watch how they start floating!
- Get your “horse trainers”, each with a straw, and have them gently blow their horse after you say “Go!”. Which horse will win your race?
Alternatively, you can draw other shapes on foil or a plate and make them dance.
What happens:
Whiteboard marker is insoluble, meaning it doesn’t break down in water. It doesn’t stick firmly to surfaces, so whiteboards can be cleaned easily. Whiteboard marker is also less dense than water. Together, all this means that the whiteboard marker is easily removed from the surface by the water, and it then floats, due to its (low) density. It might be necessary to go over your drawings with marker a few times to make them nice and thick, or try and do your drawing without lifting the marker off the foil, as sometimes limbs can be detached. You’ll also need enough water so that the entire drawing starts floating.