Junior Is Bored

Here are a couple fun tricks to keep your kids entertained.

Magic Bucket
Round and round it goes, but it doesn't get you wet.

You will need: A rubber bucket, some water. Optional: a long rope, gloves.

Do this one outside and at a safe distance from the kids. Fill the bucket halfway up with water. Grab it by the handle and start swinging it around your body. Once you have it going pretty fast, start swinging it at more of an angle so that it goes over your head.

If you are swinging it fast enough, no water will come out. That's because the force of the swinging pushes the water toward the bottom of the bucket. (This is called centrifugal force.)

If you want, you can tie some rope to the handle so that the bucket can swing further, making the whole scene more dramatic.

WARNING! Do not ever "kick the bucket"! This is instantly fatal, and results in death,too.

Upside Down WA-WA
It doesn't seem like this would work. It does!

You will need: A cardboard square (between 3 and 5 inches), a full glass of water.

Do this trick over the sink, just in case. Slip the piece of cardboard over the glass of water. Hold it in place and flip the glass upside down. Let go of the cardboard. Ta-dah! It stays put! Don't tell the kids you're babysitting that it's just air pressure holding it there - say it's magic.