Preschool Science Activities — Easy and Fun Experiments for the Early Years

The idea of planning preschool science activities and experiments may sound daunting but setting up opportunities to explore science in the early years doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated. There are so many benefits to introducing the concepts of experimentation and scientific thinking in the early years.

Science activities will:

• help your child nurture their sense of curiosity.
• Encourage problem solving and lateral thinking.
• Help them develop an understanding of how things work.
• Introduce the concepts of predicting, testing and evaluating.

Preschool Science Activities are Important to Early Years Development

Why is it so important to introduce early years children to science? Studies have shown that preschoolers given opportunities to investigate a new device actually showed less inquisitiveness and critical thinking after an adult explained how to use the device (Bonawitz et al 2011; Buchsbaum et al 2011). Children want to explore and experiment and allowing them to be part of the “figuring out” process encourages this. Science forces them to not just accept that things are the way they are, it allows them to think critically.

Recently, there has been a strong emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills in education. Schools today recognize that the world is changing at a fast rate and many industries are beginning to value these skills so therefore it is necessary to prepare students for the future. By harnessing a child’s natural curiosity in the early years and experimenting with preschool science activities, children will want to learn more and explore on their own.

Preschool Science — Where to start?

You don’t need to have a degree in science to help your children become better scientific thinkers. Start by modelling your own curiosity by observing the world around you and verbalizing this in simple terms to your children:

“I wonder why the roots of the plant are so long? What do you think?”

Asking questions and trying to figure out “why” is part of childhood curiosity — we need to harness the idea of not only asking questions but finding out the answers as well.

The best place to start is a topic that your child already knows something about. Or perhaps they have been curious about a topic and asking questions. Children are more likely to learn when they are given many opportunities to think about the same idea (Gelman and Lucariello 2002; Winnett et al 1996). Topics such as seeds and plants or the life cycle of animals are familiar topics and a good starting point.

Use these science activities to permit kids to explicitly teach the scientific method. Use the correct vocabulary with simple and straightforward explanations and your child will soon catch on to the idea of scientific thinking. Introduce the concepts of:

• PREDICTING (what do we think will happen)
• OBSERVING (what do we see)
• CONCLUDING (what did we find out).

3 Fun and Easy Preschool Science Activities:

1. Float or Sink?

Science Concept: density
Materials: tub of water, variety of items which will float and sink

For this activity, children will determine whether various objects sink or float in water. There are two main factors at play here – density and buoyancy. At the preschool level, students do not need to explain why objects sink or float, but they should be encouraged to observe that the same objects will sink or float every time. There is consistency in the way the objects behave and this can help us to predict what will happen with each object. Children will soon come up with their own ideas about common characteristics of the objects and how they can be used to separate them into two categories.

Fill a large bowl, kiddie pool, or water table with water. Collect a variety of objects that sink and float. Make sure to collect objects that are similar in size but have vastly different densities, like a rock and a tennis ball. Ask your child to predict whether the object will sink or float and let them drop it in the water. Let your child classify them into two different categories, the “Floaters” and the “Sinkers.”

Remember to make predictions before each object it dropped. After you are finished, use key questions to try and discuss why the object either floated or sank. When all objects are finished, talk about common qualities of the “Floaters” and the “Sinkers”.

Use the Junior Scientist Worksheet  to record your experiment.

2. Make Fizzing Lemonade

Science concept: acid-base reaction
Materials: glass, fresh lemons, bicarbonate of soda, sugar

This experiment is an off-shoot of the classic volcano eruption (with baking soda and vinegar) experiment. It explores the chemical reactions that occurs when there is an acid and a base present. When these two substances are combined, they produce carbon dioxide and this create bubbles. Discuss the key terms before hand – acid, base and reaction.

Make a prediction of what will happen before mixing.

It is best to use fresh lemon juice for this one. Strain the juice into a glass. Add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Stir and watch the reaction. Add another ½ teaspoon to add to the reaction. Discuss the reaction. What was the acid and what was the base?

Add some sugar to the experiment and taste the results. How does it feel in their mouths? Can they feel the bubbles? Fill in the Junior Scientist Worksheet with their predictions, observations (through drawing) and conclusions.

Thanks to www.learnwithplayathome.com for this great idea!

3. Making Rain

Science concept: condensation, water cycle
Materials: glass jar, boiling water, bowl, ice

It is easy to introduce the water cycle and show your child how rain is formed on a simple level with this hands-on activity. Visible clouds form when water vapor rises into the air and condenses onto small particles of dust. The cold temperatures higher in the atmosphere cause them to release heat and change back into liquid.  When water droplets grow heavy enough, gravity pulls them down as raindrops.

Boil water and pour into glass jar. Put a bowl over the top of the jar, trapping the steam. Fill the bowl with ice cubes to cool down the temperature. Watch droplets of water form on the bottom of the bowl and drop back down into the jar.

Remember to predict what will happen when the ice is placed in the bowl. Observe and draw what happens during the experiment using the Junior Scientist Worksheet. Talk about condensation in simple terms, and how the same process happens in the sky.

Have Fun with Preschool Science Activities!

Science compliments perfectly with our young children’s natural curiosity about the world around them. It allows children to think critically about how and why amazing and surprising things happen all the time. By learning to make predictions and reflecting on their discoveries through scientific play, children will begin to generate ideas, make decisions and to use evidence to understand key issues. Most importantly, by making science activities for preschoolers fun and engaging, you will be instilling a lifelong love of learning and exploring.

References:

Bonawitz E, Shafto P, Gweon H, Goodman ND, Spelke E, and Schulz L. 2011. The double-edged sword of pedagogy: Instruction limits spontaneous exploration and discovery. Cognition. 120(3):322-30.

Buchsbaum D, Gopnik A, Griffiths TL, and Shafto P. 2011. Children’s imitation of causal action sequences is influenced by statistical and pedagogical evidence. Cognition. 120(3):331-40.

Gelman R and Brenneman K. 2004. Science learning pathways for young children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 19:150-158.