Kindergarten News

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WE STILL HAVE SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR OUR 3 YEAR OLD KINDER GROUPS FOR 2025!  

Please book a tour via charlotte.tay@education.vic.gov.au

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BLOOMING BANKSIA

This week at Banksia, we explored a colourful science experiment using white flowers, jars of water, and bright food colouring in red, blue, yellow, and green. We wondered what would happen if we placed white flowers in the coloured water. By the afternoon, the transformation could be seen. Flowers in the red water turned pink, those in the blue water turned blue and so on. We learned a new science word: capillary action—when water travels up the stem, like juice moving through a straw, and into the petals.

Fascinated, we tried another capillary action experiment – Blooming Paper Flowers. Each child coloured their own paper flower with bright, beautiful patterns. After folding the petals inward to create a tight “bud,” we carefully placed the flowers on shallow dishes filled with water. It was magical, when the petals began to slowly unfold and open up. We discussed capillary action again — how water moves up through tiny spaces, like a straw inside the paper, pulling water into the petals and causing them to open. This helped the children understand how plants drink water through their stems and how this helps flowers bloom in nature. We drew similarities with the earlier colour-changing flower experiment. This activity successfully blended creativity with science, encouraging children to observe cause and effect while making personal connections to the natural world. The opportunity to decorate their own flowers reinforced creativity and fine-motor skill development.

The next day we took our science fun outdoors, exploring the colourful chemical reaction between bicarb soda and vinegar. Using pipettes, the children added vinegar to trays of bicarb soda dotted with drops of food colouring, encouraging agency and self-directed learning. Excitement grew as the mixture bubbled and fizzed, with colours emerging, blending, and transforming into new shades. To finish, we pressed sheets of cardstock onto the trays, capturing the vibrant patterns as beautiful imprints.

Would you like to find our more about our Kinder?

We would love to invite you to tour our kindergarten.  For tours, please contact Charlotte Tay (kindergarten director) on 98971265 or register here (via our website).

The link to our central enrolment system to enroll for 2025 is below: