We asked our PRO Club childcare experts and preschool teachers for some of their favorite at-home activities that provide great learning opportunities for children. Join us every week as we share more fun learning activities that will help shake up your cabin fever.
This week, we are taking one activity and showing how it can be done for each age group.
Will it Sink or Float?
Infants and Toddlers
Infants and toddlers do not necessarily understand the science behind whether an item sinks or floats. They are however able to notice the differences in objects and are able to decipher that one is on top of the water and one is below. As you do this activity with your child, notice the differences in their expressions as they noticeably see the differences between the actions of the objects. This simple activity helps your child understand that some things sink, and some things float.
Materials: Bathtub, Clear Cup, Various objects of different densities
Getting Started: During bath time, play with your child using different items that may sink or float. When an item floats, talk about the item floating across the water. When an item sinks, say things like “the _____ is going down, down, down, down under the water.” You can take an item that typically floats and submerge it under the water, when you release the object say “the ___ is going up, up, up, up on top of the water.” For smaller objects, use the cup so that your child can see something sink all the way to the bottom.
Preschoolers (3-5 years-old)
Words like density and buoyancy are pretty foreign for most preschoolers, but sink or float is right on their level. As you move through this activity you will explain to your child that something that floats “sits” on top of the water, and something the sinks goes down below into the water. You will also introduce the early skills of graphing and using scientific critical thinking to make predictions about which items will sink or float.
Materials: Large bucket, container or sink of water, various objects of different densities, paper, pencil
Getting Started: Fill your container with water. Next go on a hunt with your child for objects that can be put in the water. Using the paper and pencil, make a list of the objects that you have collected. Create a chart using this list so that your child can mark their predictions about each object. Ask your child if they think each object will sink or float. Then have them mark the correct spot on the chart. (see below) After you are finished making predictions, test your theories and make note of which ones you have guessed correctly.
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Elementary School Age
With this activity your child will explore different objects and how their weight, size, shape, and density play a factor in whether or not it will float. Additionally, your child will use their critical thinking by making observations, inferences and predictions about what will happen when certain objects are put into a tub of water.
Materials: Large bucket, container or sink of water, various objects of different densities, paper, pencil
Getting started: Fill your container with water. Next, go on a hunt with your child for objects that can be put in the water. Using the paper and pencil, encourage your child to make a list of the objects that you have collected. Using this list, have your child create a chart with three columns so that they can state their predictions about each object. (The headings for the chart should be object, prediction/reasoning, result) Ask your child if they think each object will sink or float and why? Then have them mark the correct spot on the chart. (see below) After you are finished making predictions, test your theories and make note of which ones you have guessed correctly.
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