Fun Sparks: A little bit of Sparkle

Welcome back to Fun Sparks! This week we have another Christmas-themed post!

Today we are going to look at shiny and matte surfaces and how we can tell the difference. A really simple activity that is perfect for this time of year!

Basically shiny surfaces reflect light well, and matte surfaces don’t.

You will need:

A flashlight

Shiny items, for example:

• tinsel
• foil wrapping paper
• ornaments
• metallic ribbon
• bells
• metallic Christmas cards
• glittery items.

Dull items, for example:

• felt Christmas stocking
• flat-toned wrapping paper
• miniature Christmas wreath
• candle
• ornaments made of fabric
• ribbon

Method
Mix the objects up on a tray and create two piles…shiny and dull. Shine the flashlight onto each of the objects and see how well it reflects light (the light bouncing off) to see which is shiny and which is dull. It is really a very simple preschool sorting activity, but the importance of shiny and matt surfaces links into thermal radiation and absorption of heat later on in teaching, and we will do a practical in the new year to look at this!

So have a go and Have fun!

Last Updated on February 20, 2023 by Emma Vanstone