Sink or Float: A Science Experiment

What You Do:

1. Label one piece of construction paper with the word “Sink” and the other piece with the word “Float.” Gather a bunch of small everyday items, such as the examples listed above, and put them on a table covered with newspaper.
2. Show your child the objects you’ve collected and tell her that you’re going to conduct an experiment to find out which objects will sink in water and which will float. Make sure she’s clear on what these words mean before you get started, then ask her to predict which of the items will sink and which will float. Hold up each item, one by one, and as your child makes her prediction, place it on the appropriate piece of paper. For example, if she guesses that the penny will float, put it on the construction paper marked Float. Once she’s made guesses for all of the items, give her the blank paper and ask her to write each item’s name (or draw its picture if she’s not writing yet), to document her predictions.
3. Time for testing! Fill the plastic dishpan with water and put one item in at a time. Discuss the result. Then dry it off and lay it on the appropriate piece of construction paper, either Sink or Float. Once all the items have been tested, give your child the spiral bound notebook and ask her to record the results of her experiment. Then talk about the results.

The great thing about science is that it can surprise us. Ask your child if any of the objects did something she didn’t expect. Talk about the experiment. Then clean up your lab space and tuck that notebook away for a future day of experimentation!