SHOW, don't just TELL

I try my best to implement the "show, don't just tell" theory that we worked so hard to achieve as teachers, in my best practices while at home with Ava. It's difficult to practice this theory day-to-day because sometimes it seems like it's just easier to say "because I said so" or "it is what it is", but what will that really teach her? (Again, I'm not saying I haven't done this....I'm just really cognisant of trying NOT to do that).

Here are some questions she has posed and some "experiments" we've tried.

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Ava: "Is this washable?"
She asked me this in the car on our way home from Chik-fil-A, regarding her nugget container. We made guesses (hypotheses) as to what would happen if we washed it and got it wet.

Ava's hypothesis: It will tear.
Mommy's hypothesis: The container will get soft.

Experiment: A bowl of water and the paper container. I just let her go with it. She started out by washing it with a paper towel.
Then, just submerging the container in the water.
Discovered that the container is like paper and will tear if it gets wet.

Had fun tearing!

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Ava: "What does cinnamon taste like?"

Experiment: Let the curious toddler make her own cinnamon concoction to decide whether or not she likes it. Result? Not so much.

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Ava: "What are raisins?"

Experiment: Set out grapes in the sun for about 2 weeks......VOILA! Raisins!