This morning we discovered that sound can travel through a tube.        Kate set the boys a challenge- how could they talk to someone in the far away playhouse without having to shout.  They tried stretching the tube they had. It didn’t work – it was too short.  “We could join two tubes together!” said Max.  They ended up joining 3 tubes together.  “Maybe the noise won’t reach the end?” thought Struan.  We decided to try anyway – Kate helped the boys duct-tape the tubes together.  Scott nipped off to the playhouse with the end of the big, long tube.  Struan said,”Scott – can you hear me?” down his end of the tube.  The windows of the playhouse popped open, like a cuckoo clock and Scott popped his head out and shouted “Yes!!”  It took a wee while to master the idea that one had to listen if the other was talking, but it was mastered as soon as we discovered that very loud noises down the tube could give the person at the other end a fright.  So much for making the  playground quieter!

Next, we might investigate how else we can communicate across a distance using other things we can find in the nursery.  I’m feeling a strong urge to collect tin cans and string, but who knows what else we might come up with!