Sink and Float

This is a great exploration for Little and Really Little Kid Scientists!

Materials: Plastic tub, sink or other water source, toys and little stuff

Procedure:

• Fill the container or the sink with warm water
• Give your Little Scientist all kinds of stuff
• Depending on the age, ask your Kid Scientist, "Will it sink or float?" before each object is placed in the water.  Making predictions is an important aspect of developing scientific thinking. 
• Kids will be developing an understanding of concepts like density and buoyancy with this activity

This is a great activity to keep busy kids engaged while you're cooking or doing something else that requires part of your attention.  It's also a fun game to play when you out at a river or a lake. 

My Kid Scientist Aiden, has always been fascinated with water.  Many Children's Museums and Science Centers have water play tables for this very reason.  Play with thinking is a very important part of developing scientific reasoning.