Let’s talk science! Children, especially preschoolers, love seeing how things work, a fact evident on their faces as that “a-ha” moment shows in their delighted body language. That split second, when your child understands, is the true essence of childhood.
Nurture the childhood wonder of discovery with these five simple and safe science experiments for your preschooler.
Dancing Rice in Jar of Liquid
We’ve all heard about the exploding volcano school science project using the reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Dancing rice uses that reaction to delight preschoolers as the rice appears to dance near the top of the liquid. The starches forming the rice kernels react to the energy released by moving – cause and effect!
Hot Water Rises, Cold Water Falls
This science experiment about density shows how hot water is not as dense as cold water. First, make ice cubes using blue food coloring, then drop a blue ice cube into a large clear rectangular container full of room temperature water. Next, take a small bottle of hot water colored with red food coloring. The blue ice cube went to the bottom. When you put the bottle, it rests on top of the water, the cold water from the ice cube stays on the bottom, and the red hot water stays on top.
Wait, Water Has Surface Tension?
Pour some milk into a shallow bowl or saucer. Your preschoolers might not be impressed, given milk is common in their lives. But drop a few drops of food coloring and dish soap into the bowl, and science magic starts. Of course, it’s the chemical reactions breaking the surface tension as the enzymes in the milk react to the soap.
A Paper Weight?
Here’s another water surface tension experiment that should make your preschoolers scratch their heads in amazement. If you put a small piece of paper on top of the water in a bowl, the paper floats even though it gets soggy. But why doesn’t a paperclip sink if you put it on top of the soggy paper in the bowl?
Prepare For Preschooler Questioning
Hopefully, your preschoolers start questioning why things work on a deeper level, one that forms a foundation for a lifetime of learning. Make sure you can answer the questions even if you need to Google the answers.
