Preschool Science Experiments
Have a kid who is curious about science? Here are some excellent preschool science experiments, including the walking water trick, and how to build an erupting volcano.
Little ones have curious minds. The preschool age is the perfect time to put intrigue into activities that engage children and make them want to learn more about science. You don't have to be a chemist to make some scientific magic happen; you just have to be a little creative!
Before you begin your experiments:
- Lay out the materials. This will ensure you've prepared all the necessary pieces so you can just run down the process list and get to work. If you've missed something, you'll catch it now, rather than finding out half-way through the experiment that you need to run to the store.
- Create a Hypothesis. Before any of the magic starts to take place, have your child explain what he or she expects to happen. Why are you doing this experiment? What is the expected outcome? Write down a few notes so you don't forget this conversation when all of the excitement ensues.
- Explore the Conclusion. When all is said, don't forget to explore the occurrences that just took place. Compare the hypothesis with the actual outcome. Did your science team get it right? Should you have done things differently? Is there a reason something occurred that you didn't expect?
Here are some excellent preschool science experiment ideas to get you started!
The Walking Water Trick
What happens when forces collide? With this experiment, you can literally watch change take place before your very eyes.
You don't need many materials for the Walking Water Trick. A few simple household items will give you an entire sphere of your in-home science laboratory. The goal of this experiment is to see what happens when water from two different sources and two different color schemes come together. How long will it take? What will the final product look like? Will you have a rainbow of colors on your ribbon, or will everything blend together to form a new hue?
Gather the following ingredients:
- Water
- Test tubes or a few cups
- Food coloring
- Paper towels
- Scissors (or you can rip the paper towels with your hands)
- A timer
Fill each receptacle with water, then add a few drops of food coloring, using just one color per container. Gently stir each vessel so the color is evenly distributed. Cut or tear even strips of paper towels so you have a uniform set of testing papers. When you're ready, conjoin pairs of cups by putting each end of a paper towel into its own cup, forming a chain-like pattern. Start the timer, and get ready to watch water walk across the cups!
Erupting Volcano
Every little scientist should make a volcano at some point in his or her life. Why not start now? Check out this classic experiment, highlighted by Little Bins for Little Hands, and get ready for a ‘wow factor' to take place on your kitchen counter.
In this experiment, your preschooler will use completely safe ingredients to learn what happens when chemical compounds create an explosive combination.
All you need are the following ingredients:
- Test tubes or cups
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dish soap
- Food coloring
- Spoon & measuring cup
Align a series of cups such that you have them side-by-side. One side gets the dry goods, the other is for wet substances. The narrower your vessel, the better the effect. When you're ready, combine the two sides, and get ready for a scientific study!
All Saints Episcopal Day School is a private school located in Phoenix, Arizona. At All Saints', we encourage learning on many different levels. We know how important science is, and we want our students to be excited about this field from a very young age. We make things fun, but learning is at the forefront of everything we do. We invite you to learn more about the All Saints' Way! To learn more about enrolling your child in our preschool program, contact us today.