Simple Science Activities for Kids

How about some Preschool science activities? Sharing the world and all it has to offer with the preschool set can be such a joy! To watch their little eyes explode in wonder can warm anyone’s heart. One way that adults can share the awe of our universe with preschoolers is through science projects. And it is definitely one of the best preschool activities! STATIC ELECTRICITY Take a balloon, rub against your shirt, and place it on a wall. Observe how it sticks. EVAPORATION Make some salt or sugar water in a clear glass and have the kids taste it. Even though you cannot see the salt or sugar, it is still there. Place the water in a warm location until evaporation begins and have the children watch as it disappears, teaching them where rain and snow vanish to. DRIED FRUIT TASTE TEST Use both fresh and dried fruit of the same species (grape/raisin, etc.). Have the kids taste each so they can see the similarities and differences between the two. Squeeze the juice out of the fresh fruit to allow them to see that water is a main ingredient. HOMEMADE BAND 1. Chimes: create chimes by filling the same type of glasses with different amounts of water. Have the children strike the glasses with a pencil to see how each has a different sound.rn2. Drums: Different sized pots of the same material can make different sounds when struck, as well as pots of different materials.rn3. Guitar: Wrap one thick and one thin rubber band around a shoebox or jewelry box so that the children can achieve different chords.rn4. Maracas: Take a paper towel roll and tape one end closed with plastic wrap. Fill the roll with rice, and close off the other end. Shake away to that salsa tune! DINOSAUR BONE HUNT Boil and clean chicken bones and bury them in sand so the kids can participate in an archaeological dig. GEOGRAPHY Using clay or play-dough, have the children create valleys, mountains and hills to form a landscape. Teach about the different topographical features. Painting can be added in, as well. THE MAGICAL ICE CUBE 1. Fill a glass with water.rn2. Place in one ice cube.rn3. Let the preschoolers lay a piece of string across the ice and try to pick up the ice with the string.rn4. Sprinkle some salt on the ice cube and count to 10.rn5. Try picking up the ice cube now. Point out to the children that the salt actually melted the ice cube a little bit so that the string could attach itself to the cube. This also shows the children in colder climates how the roads are kept safe in the snowy winters. THE SENSE OF TOUCH Have someone sit down (and the kids can take turns at this) and have the child close his or her eyes. With two toothpicks, touch him or her on the back of the neck. Touch them both close together and far apart. See if the child knows how many toothpicks are touching him. Try the same thing on the fingers.rnThis shows the children that touch is relative. It also explains why a small cut might hurt more and longer than a larger cut. GEOLOGY Take the children out and go rock hunting. Let them see the different textures, sizes, and shapes. Help them observe the mixture of ingredients in the rocks they find. This experiment/exercise can teach the preschooler the fundamentals about how the earth was formed. BUTTERFLIES This would need to be a seasonal experiment. Catch some caterpillars and put them in a jar or can that you can see into. Put a lid on top and poke some breathing holes inside. Feed the caterpillars grass and leaves so that they stay alive. Watch the cocoons form and butterflies emerge. This is an excellent tool to teach metamorphosis and how time has an effect on all creatures. rnNo matter what you do, just remember to have fun, and don't worry about the mess!