Whoa, this month has flown by and I can hardly believe there are just a few more days until Christmas! My toddler is on overdrive and is definitely feeling the holiday spirit.To keep my sanity in check I make an effort to do some "calming down" activities with him whenever I can. 

I find most of my ideas for activities on the internet but every now and then something around the house inspires me and I come up with a creation of my own. This week's hit was a "sink or float" activity we did with Christmas ornaments, fun, educational and we got to cool down with water too!

"Sink or Float" Christmas Themed Science Activity

 

The idea of this activity is to one, have fun, but it is also a great way to introduce kids to the concept of  density & buoyancy (which are physics concepts) . You can modify this activity for older children so that it is a little more challenging. For instance, you could get them to make predictions on what will sink and what will float and then analyse the outcomes.

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What you will need: 

• A clear bucket or vase 
• Water 
• An assortment of Christmas-related items, for example: ornaments, cypress leaves, cherries, ribbon, pine cones. 

Instructions: 

1. Fill your vase or bucket with water. 
2. Get your child/children to add an item one at a time, ask them if they think it will sink or float. 
3. Explain why some things sink and why some things float. 

Whether an object sinks or floats depends on its density. Everything is made of molecules. Molecules are tiny particles that can only be seen with a microscope. Some objects have molecules that are packed closely together. Others have molecules that are packed more loosely. This is density. Objects with tightly packed molecules are denser and sink. A paper clip or a penny is dense. Objects with more loosely packed molecules are less dense and float. Wood, cork or sponges float. - http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-sink-and-float/  

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Source Link: https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/holiday-science-experiment-for-kids

This very simple activity not only has the potential to keep your little ones busy for a good amount of time, but it really is an awesome way to help encourage them to grow a love and appreciation for science. It can be done at home with your own kids or as a class activity at school that accompanies a theory lesson. Enjoy! 

Much love - @sweetpea

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