How to Do Simple Science Activities
Science teaches children how things develop and grow and is a way for children to learn about nature and the world around them. Since science is such a broad topic for children to comprehend, there are simple activities one can teach children to help develop their scientific knowledge. Simple science activities can teach children about life, and how things change and develop as well.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Large glass or plastic bowl
- Bottle cork
- Small rocks
- Two paper plates
- Marker
- Paper kite
- Magnets
- Paper clip
- Paper or Styrofoam cups
- String
Instructions
-
Floating and Sinking
-
1
Teach children about floating and sinking. Fill a large bowl with water. Make sure the bowl is see-through. Use glass or a clear plastic bowl, which may be safer to use with children in case of spills.
-
2
Gather various objects of different weight, such as a bottle cork, small rocks, and other objects that float and sink. Put two paper plates on the side. Mark one plate with the letter S for sink, and the letter F for float.
-
-
3
Ask the children which objects they think will sink or float. Have the children place the objects onto the surface of the water, one object at a time. Discuss what happens to the object if it floats, or sinks.
-
4
Separate the objects into sets after removing them from water on the plates. Put the sinkable objects on the plate marked S, and the floating objects on the plate marked F. Have the children write down their recordings on the paper.
Magnets
-
5
Use magnets to show the force of gravity. Take a paper kite, and attach a paper tail to the kite with a large paper clip. If the kite already has a tail, attach paper clip to the top of the kite.
-
6
Take a medium to large hand magnet, and hold it over the paper clip. Watch the kite rise, and explain to children how the magnet attracts the metal of the paper clip, and how gravity works similarly in that way.
-
7
Have children lift the kite with the magnet themselves, so they can see how the paperclip is attracted to the magnetic force.
Sound Travel
-
8
Make earphones to show children how sound travels. Use large paper or Styrofoam cups. Poke a small hole in the bottom of two cups with a pencil, making sure that the cup doesn't split on the bottom. Poke the hole in the center of the cup. Have children decorate or paint the cup if they like.
-
9
Take string, and poke it through the bottom of the cup hole, from the bottom up. Tie the string so it holds securely and does not slip back through the hole in the cup. Repeat steps with the other cup. Have two children hold each cup and walk away slowly, until the string is taught.
-
10
Have one child listen through the cup, while the other child talks in one end. Have them take turns talking and listening. Have them observe how the cup vibrates, making sound travel.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit IT Stock/Polka Dot/Getty Images
