Learning Science with CONNETIX

One way we’ve used our rainbow CONNETIX is to capture and observe flowers, viewing them in natural light. To do this we pressed the flowers between tiles to encase them, which is a great way to discover the parts of a flower and pollination process up close. Using a light-box would be great to enhance observation and discovery, a way we haven’t tried yet but know would look amazing.

We have made lifecycle diagrams for a butterfly and a bird. Using a magnetic whiteboard and removable marker to add on the stages. (Note: All markers are different! Make sure to spot test removable markers first.) Children can identify the different stages before deciding which order they should be placed in.

One of our most recent activities was to create an anatomical model of the heart. We identified the different parts, observed how they fit together, and discussed each part’s amazing role in the mechanical functions of the heart. Other anatomy-related recreations you can try are the digestive system, the skeleton and the respiratory system!

We have used CONNETIX as platforms as a base to sort animals into differing categories. Some we’ve tried are land vs sea animals, or nocturnal vs diurnal. There are a multitude of ways you can use this set up to classify categories. Try including healthy and unhealthy foods, as well as vertebrate groups, such as fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

We’ve used CONNETIX to make refractions with both artificial and natural light and even combined them to demonstrate colour mixing of primary colours to make secondary colours. Refractions occur when a wave of light passes through different mediums or objects, the speed of this wave changes which causes the direction to change. As light travels from the air through the tile, it’s bent as the density of the two mediums are different. This creates a coloured image on a surface.

We’ve enjoyed looking at CONNETIX patterns using a mirror and want to extend this activity by creating half of an object that is symmetrical (such as a butterfly) and using the mirror to complete it. The children could then challenge themselves to create the other half using actual tiles too. Reflections occur when light bounces off an object. If the object is smooth and shiny like glass or water then it will reflect at the same angle, like when you use a mirror. You will also notice colours bouncing around the room when light reflects off the smooth bevelled tiles.

We used this in class as a secret message decoding activity. It works best with blue and red tiles and pens. Try writing an overlapping message in either colour, then view them under each tile to reveal what’s written. Wondering how it works? White light contains and reflects all colours, making the paper appear the same colour as the filter it’s viewed through. The colour of the text absorbs all other colours. So, when looking at blue text through a red filter, it appears dark blue or black, and can be seen. The red text, however, disappears almost completely as it reflects the red of the filter. The same happens with the blue filter. By allowing different words to be viewed clearly through different coloured filters, revealing the secret message!

The domino activity is a popular one for us with CONNETIX, lining up tiles like dominoes before knocking them down. You can take some measurements doing this to calculate the speed. You will need to record the distance and the time to finish. Speed (m/s) is calculated by dividing distance (m) by time (s). This works best when the domino track is linear.

This is a great activity I’ve practised to use in my science class. I created a model of elements where the tiles are all the same, compounds where two or more are joined together and mixtures where there’s a combination of the two. The students will be able to recreate these on my whiteboard. An example of an element would be oxygen, a compound could be water or H2O, and a mixture is sea water.

This is a great activity I’ve practised to use in my science class. I created a model of elements where the tiles are all the same, compounds where two or more are joined together and mixtures where there’s a combination of the two. The students will be able to recreate these on my whiteboard. An example of an element would be oxygen, a compound could be water or H2O, and a mixture is sea water.

I hope these examples inspire you, and I would love to hear even more ideas for other scientific uses. We love to share in your play!



Make sure to tag @mylittlebrightsparks and @connetixtiles on your social accounts if you try any of these ideas!



Inspired and keen to know more? Check out our other blogs on how you can encourage learning through play!



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