Simple Science
by Rae Pica
Unless the wind is blowing, we don’t tend to think much about air. Because we can’t see it, it’s easy to take air for granted. But with a couple of simple activities, you can introduce your child to the scientific concept of air resistance (the fact that air has weight and moving air pushes things) and buoyancy.
Give your child a balloon and invite him to toss it into the air and watch it float. Can he make the balloon go higher by throwing it harder? How else can he make the balloon go higher? How can he keep the balloon in the air longer? (Because hand-eye coordination does not fully develop until age 9 or 10, your child may not yet be able to volley—strike in an upward direction—his balloon successfully, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have fun trying.) Can he change the balloon’s direction by blowing on it?
Next, invite your child to catch her balloon as it floats down to the ground. Have her try to catch it at four different points: while the balloon is still high in the air, when it’s at shoulder-height, when it’s at her knees, and when it’s are almost touching the ground.
Later, you might want to read Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon, a classic balloon story that makes a perfect accompaniment to this activity. Another book possibility is Jamie Lee Curtis’ Where Do Balloons Go?
To help your child understand that things are moved by air, to strengthen his powers of observation, and provide an opportunity to get some exercise, take an “air walk!” Simply go for a walk with your child, challenging him to find everything he can that’s moved by the air. Possibilities include flags, trees, leaves (both on and off the trees), clothes on a clothesline, flowers, and litter, which you can collect and deposit in a trash bag you’ve brought along for the purpose! The latter has the additional benefit of helping your child understand the importance of caring for the environment.
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