Sink or Float Experiment

Here's another fun and easy science experiment-- Sink or Float?  It's perfect for the beginning of the preschool year because it teaches important, familiar vocabulary (many students know the word float from swimming) and requires very minimal preparation.  That's my kind of science experiment!

We began by talking about the vocabulary (sink and float).  The students made a prediction on the pocket chart.  We counted the number of people who thought that the apple would float (6) and the number who thought it would sink (2).

Then we took our apples outside to the buckets of water to test our predictions.

I was pleased to hear one student comment, "I knew it would float.  I went bobbing for apples last year."

The next step was to extend our learning.  We challenged the students to go back inside the classroom and find something else that would float.

And then, of course, we went in for a second time to find things that would sink.  This actually proved to be a bit more challenging.  Many of the heavy things in the classroom (blocks, for example) that the students thought would sink are made of wood.  We learned that wood floats!

I think that sometimes preschool teachers are intimidated by planning science lessons because it sounds like a big and complicated project.  Preschool science does not have to be that way, though.  Just exploring the world around them is absolutely fascinating.

Have fun playing and learning with your children today.