Category: <span>Science</span>

Science activities for preschoolers – where experiments meet fun! Preschool is an excellent time to teach your little ones about the exciting world of STEM: Science, technology, engineering and math. Keep reading to discover great resources for your budding scientists that are the perfect mix of fun, creativity, and of course - learning! Also, while your littles are likely not yet at the age to be filling out paper worksheets themselves, I've created a simple "Scientific Method Worksheet" that you can complete together! You can download my preschool science worksheet template for free on Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking here. It’s also super handy to fill these out in case they absolutely love the activity and want to recreate it later! Need ideas for your next craft or activity time? Be sure to check out my article, “Summer Activities For Toddlers: Ideas To Help Preschoolers Beat The Heat” for some more great ideas meant for hot summer days. 1. Water-Based Science Activities For Preschoolers Water science- the perfect medium for warm weather experiments. These science activities for preschoolers will not only keep your young ones entertained but will keep them cool as well! Float or SinkLet your little ones gather a variety of small items from inside and outdoors. Then, test which ones will float or sink together! Like with all of these experiments, it's best to ask your preschoolers what they think is going to happen - then take the opportunity to explain what "buoyancy" is as the experiment is happening. Simply fill up a tub or bucket with lukewarm water, place the items inside, and see what happens! For added fun - Let them create little tinfoil "boats" to carry the items. See how many items you can pile on before the ship sinks.Ice-ExcavationYes, archaeologists usually dig in the earth to discover ancient fossils... But why not let your children experiment with uncovering treasures of their own? Simply place some small items into a container with water and stick them in your freezer! This can be anything you have on hand - or create a themed experiment by buying packs of dinosaurs or marine toys at the dollar store. Even frozen lego could be fun! Once frozen, place the ice block in a bin or on a cookie tray filled with "excavation tools" (shovels, pre-filled water bottles, etc). Let them use their imagination to uncover what's inside!Walking WaterTeach your children the wonders of how water can travel via capillary action with just some cups, paper towel, and food coloring. Follow along with this video by Ryan's World and re-create the experiment with your children at home. This preschool science activity is so much fun that your young ones will probably forget they're practicing science. 2. Solar Experiments Sun-based learning is so much fun! Here are some simple ways to learn about solar energy through hands-on activity play. Shadow Drawing Simple, easy, yet engaging - my favorite! Ask your children to gather a few of their favorite toys, grab some scrap paper, and let them trace away along the edges of the shadow! Be sure to experiment with moving the items around the page. This will show them how the sun's orientation impacts the size and shape of the shadows. This is an awesome blend of science and art! Homemade Sun Dial Teaching young ones about telling time can be a hard task. It's not exactly something tangible, after all. Explaining the way the sun moves throughout the day, however, is a little easier! Have them create and set up the super-simple sun dial of their own. Next, let them see for themselves how the sun moves throughout the day. This is one science activity that your preschoolers can revisit on different days to see how it changes.Make sure to explain that before using clocks, this method was used to tell time. Using just a circular object and a "gnomon" (a vertical stick), our ancestors would tell time by looking at which number the shadow was pointing to throughout the day. Tracing the shadow line themselves will help them grasp these concept a little more deeply, too. Use PBS' guide here to learn how to make this yourselves.S'mores Solar Oven No campfire to cook this yummy treat? No problem! Make a DIY s'mores oven, like the one from Little Passports, and get to cooking! Combining science and cooking has likely never been so fun. But, be sure to pack extra napkins - these treats are delicious but super messy! Melting Rates with ColorsAgain, simplicity is key here. Grab some colored construction paper, including black if you have it, and a tray of ice cubes. Ask your little ones which color they think will make the ice melt fastest. For more detailed notes - set up timers and track how long each one takes to melt! This is an excellent opportunity to use those scientific method worksheets that I linked above. 3. Wind Science Activities For Preschoolers Harness the natural power of wind at home with these exciting and easy science experiments for preschoolers! DIY KiteWhich kid doesn't love flying kites outside?! Store-bought kites are great, but why not try making them at home? If you have multiple kids participating, compare which flies better while hypothesizing about why that could be. The best part about this is that you only need some string, sticks, string, and glue! PBS has a great tutorial worth checking out here. Create your own AnemometerAnemome-what? Isn't that a mouthful! While preschoolers may struggle to say this fancy name for an instrument that measures wind speed and pressure, the activity itself is actually quite easy. Watch DIY Project's video, then create your own anemometer and set them up outside to watch them spin in the wind!Wind-Power Boat I am simply in love with Clearway's simple yet exciting tutorial about building your own renewable energy powered boat! Click this link to have a read for yourself, and check out their prompts for scientific conversations to have with your young learners. Once it's created, take your new boat out on the water - whether it's in the tub, your pool, or maybe even to the lake (as long as it isn't forgotten on the water, of course)! 4. Earth-Based Experiments Growing up, our favorite kinds of games and activities were the ones that let us get our hands dirty! If your little one is as hands-on as my siblings and I were, these are great activity choices for you and your little scientists. No-Bake FossilsIs your young one a budding archaeologist? Maybe they have a fascination for all things fossilized? Check out this tutorial for no-bake fossils that they can create themselves by Crafts by Amanda - If they weren't into fossils before, they likely will be now!Color-Changing VolcanoesCheck out this super-cool volcano experiment by Preschool Inspirations. With a short supplies list of only a cup, water, baking soda, dish soap, food colouring, and vinegar, this one is sure to be a new favourite! Perhaps if you have sand in your outdoor space you can encourage your little ones to make this look even more realistic by building a sand volcano around the cup?! 5. Chemical Reaction Activities For Preschoolers This is perhaps the most exciting science-activity category, for myself and preschoolers! Watching them shout in delight as they get to watch chemical reactions boil, fizzle, and explode is always so much fun! Build Your Own Lava Lamp This activity is so much fun, and inspires such interesting conversation! Plus - It's cheap to make, easy to find the materials, and provides opportunity for great conversation about chemical reactions, the way different mediums interact (oil and water), and how "new" colours can be created by mixing together primary colours. For this, simply fill your jars with 2/3 oil and 1/3 water, drop some food colouring in, and add in alka seltzer tablets. Start with half of one, then let them choose how many to put at a time! Experiment with different water temperatures, too, to see if this changes the reaction. Self-Blowing Balloons Why not teach your young ones about releasing stored energy by helping them visualize what this looks like?! While the concept itself will be better grasped at an older age, this is a super-fun introduction to the concept. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland created a great video, Self-Inflating Balloon Experiment, and I'd highly suggest you check it out!Melting Salt & IceSounds simple, right? It is! With some quick planning ahead, you can make frozen ice blocks that will fascinate your little ones while teaching them about freezing points in different mediums. Paging Fun Mums has an awesome article on this activity - just click here. See - Isn't science so fun?!