Looking for fun and educational activities to engage your preschooler in science? We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 67 easy and fun science activities for preschoolers designed for little scientists. These activities will spark their curiosity and help them develop important skills and knowledge in the fascinating world of science.
Science activities for preschoolers are entertaining and educational, promoting hands-on learning, problem solving and creativity. Allow your child to develop scientific concepts and critical thinking skills. Explore STEM concepts in a way that is both accessible and enjoyable.
By engaging in science activities for preschoolers, preschoolers will discover the wonders of nature, learn the basic principles of physics and chemistry, and explore the mysteries of their world. This comprehensive list offers many ideas to keep your little one entertained for hours. These science activities can be easily accomplished with simple household items, making them accessible and affordable.
What Are Important Preschool Science Concepts?
- Observing: Observation is the first step in scientific discovery. Encourage children to use their senses to explore the world around them. Ask questions like, “What do you see?” or “What does it smell like?” to foster curiosity.
- Comparing: Teaching children to compare involves recognizing similarities and differences. Simple activities like comparing the sizes and shapes of leaves or the colors and textures of different rocks.
- Classifying: Have children group objects based on characteristics through observation and comparison. It helps them understand how things are related and improve organizational skills.
- Measuring: Introduces basic measurement concepts using tools like rulers and measuring cups. For instance, children can measure ingredients while cooking or track the growth of plants over time.
- Communicating: Encourage children to share their observations and results with others. Activities like drawing pictures of what they see or discussing their findings in a group.
- Inferring: Inferring involves drawing conclusions based on observations. Teach children to make educated guesses about what they see. For example, if a plant is wilting, they might infer it needs water.
- Predicting: Prediction is about anticipating what will happen next. Engage children in activities where they can make predictions, such as what will happen if you mix specific colors or plant seeds.
Why Play-Based Science Activities Are Important for Preschoolers?
Using play to introduce science to preschoolers stimulates their curiosity about the world, lays the groundwork for future STEM learning, and supports crucial areas of their development.
Encourages Natural Curiosity
Play-based science activities tap into children’s natural curiosity. By allowing them to explore and experiment freely, we foster a love for discovery and learning.
Develops Critical Thinking
Children learn to ask questions, make predictions, and test their ideas through play. This critical thinking process is essential for scientific inquiry and problem-solving skills.
Enhances Social Skills
Group activities and experiments require children to collaborate, share ideas, and communicate effectively. These social interactions are crucial for developing teamwork and collaboration skills.
The Role of Play in Learning
Play is a natural and essential part of learning for young children. It allows them to explore concepts and ideas stress-free and engagingly. Children make sense of the world through play and develop critical cognitive and social skills.
Promoting Cooperative Learning
Many play-based science activities are collaborative, requiring children to collaborate, share materials, and communicate with peers. This helps them develop important social skills like teamwork, cooperation, and empathy.
Builds Confidence
Completing experiments and activities builds children’s confidence. They learn that they can make discoveries and solve problems, which boosts their self-esteem.
Promotes Creativity
Science activities often require creative thinking and innovation. Children are encouraged to develop new ideas, try different approaches, and think outside the box.
What Types of Science Activities Are Suitable for Preschoolers?
Science activities for preschoolers are a great way to engage their curiosity and introduce basic scientific concepts in a fun, hands-on way. Here are some types of science activities suitable for preschoolers:
- Exploring Nature: Activities like nature walks, collecting leaves, rocks, or shells, and observing animals can help children learn about the natural world.
- Water Play: Experimenting with floating and sinking objects, water transfer using sponges or pipettes, and playing with water wheels can teach basic principles of physics.
- Kitchen Science: Simple experiments using kitchen ingredients like vinegar and baking soda (for volcano eruptions), mixing colors with food coloring, or making slime can introduce chemical reactions and color theory.
- Weather Watching: Observing and talking about the weather, making a rain gauge, or a simple wind vane can help children learn about weather patterns and the environment.
- Growing Plants: Planting seeds and watching them grow helps teach children about plant biology and the life cycle. This can be coupled with measuring the growth of plants or comparing how plants grow in different conditions (like in light vs. dark).
- Magnet Exploration: Playing with magnets to discover what is magnetic and what is not helps children learn about magnetic forces.
- Bubble Science: Blowing bubbles and observing their colors, shapes, and how they pop can teach properties of liquids and gases.
- Seasonal Change Observations: As the seasons change, you can guide children to observe changes in nature. For example, in the spring, you can observe and record the opening of flowers; in the fall, you can collect fallen leaves of different colors and discuss why the leaves change color. This type of activity helps children understand how seasons affect our environment.
- Holiday-related science activities: Based on different holidays, design related science activities. For example, on Halloween, do a pumpkin volcano experiment, or try making crystallized snowflakes to explore the concepts of dissolving and crystallizing during Christmas.
Preparing for Preschool Science Activities
Before diving into science experiments, it’s essential to create an environment that fosters curiosity, exploration, and safety. Hereโs how to set the stage for successful preschool science activities.
Creating a Good Learning Environment
Children learn best when they feel safe, engaged, and encouraged. To create an ideal space for science experiments:
- Choose a dedicated learning area free from distractions.
- Keep materials easily accessible to encourage hands-on participation.
- Set up a mess-friendly zone by covering tables with newspaper or using trays.
- Encourage questions and exploration to spark curiosity.
Choosing the Right Experiment
Preschoolers thrive on simple, hands-on experiments that allow them to observe and interact with science directly. The best activities should:
- Be age-appropriate and safe for young learners.
- Use everyday materials found at home or school.
- Have a clear, observable result to keep children engaged.
- Involve minimal setup and cleanup for convenience.
Materials and Safety
Safety is crucial when conducting science experiments with young children. Always follow these guidelines:
- Adult supervision is required for all experiments.
- Use non-toxic, child-safe materials like baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring.
- Keep small objects away from children who may put them in their mouths.
- Have a clean-up plan ready, including wipes and paper towels.
Making Sure Children Are Involved
Hands-on learning is the best way for preschoolers to absorb scientific concepts. Encourage participation by:
- Letting children pour, mix, and observe during experiments.
- Asking open-ended questions like, โWhat do you think will happen next?โ
- Allowing them to record their observations with drawings or simple words.
Science Activities for Preschoolers
1. Milk Painting
Milk paint is a fun and colorful science experiment that teaches children about chemical reactions. Pour milk into a shallow dish, add a few drops of food coloring, and dip a cotton swab in dish soap. Touch the milk with the soapy swab and watch the colors swirl and mix. This activity demonstrates the interaction between the fat in the milk and the soap.
2. Oil and Water
Fill a glass with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Slowly pour oil into the glass and observe how the oil floats on top of the water. Discuss why oil and water do not mix and how they form distinct layers due to their different densities.
3. Invisible Ink
Write secret messages using lemon juice as invisible ink. Dip a cotton swab in lemon juice and write on white paper. Let it dry completely. To reveal the message, heat the paper by holding it close to a light bulb or candle (with adult supervision). The heat causes the lemon juice to oxidize and turn brown, making the message visible.
4. Homemade Slime
Making slime is a hands-on way to learn about polymers. Combine glue, baking soda, and contact lens solution to create stretchy, gooey slime. Add food coloring or glitter for extra fun.
5. Sink or Float
Teach children about buoyancy with a sink or float experiment. Gather various objects (like a toy car, a sponge, and a rock) and predict whether each will sink or float when placed in water. Test each item and discuss the results, helping children understand the concept of density and why some objects float while others sink.
6. Make a Rain Cloud in a Jar
Fill a clear jar with water and top it with shaving cream to represent a cloud. Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream and watch as the “rain” falls through the cloud and into the water below.
7. Lava Lamp Experiment
Make a homemade lava lamp to explore the principles of density and chemical reactions. Fill a glass with water, add food coloring, and then pour in oil. Drop in an effervescent tablet (like Alka-Seltzer) and watch the colorful blobs rise and fall as the tablet reacts, creating a lava lamp effect.
8. Walking Water Science Experiment
Demonstrate capillary action with the walking water experiment. Arrange six cups in a circle, fill every other cup with water, and add food coloring. Place a folded paper towel strip between each pair of cups. Over time, the colored water “walks” up the paper towels and fills the empty cups, showing how water can move through materials.
9. Water Xylophone Fun
Create a musical instrument and learn about sound waves with a water xylophone. Fill several glasses with varying amounts of water and arrange them in a row. Tap each glass with a spoon to hear different pitches.
10. Inflate a Balloon with Baking Soda and Vinegar
This classic experiment teaches children about chemical reactions and gas production. Pour vinegar into a bottle and add baking soda to a balloon. Stretch the balloon over the bottle’s mouth and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar. The reaction produces carbon dioxide gas, inflating the balloon.
11. Floating Dry Erase Marker
Create floating drawings with this simple experiment. Draw shapes on a smooth, non-porous surface (like a plate) using a dry-erase marker. Slowly pour water onto the plate and watch the drawings lift and float on the surface.
12. Fireworks in a Jar
Fill a jar with warm water. Mix a few tablespoons of oil in a separate bowl with several drops of different food coloring. Gently pour the oil mixture into the jar of water and watch as the colors slowly descend, creating a fireworks effect.
13. Catapult STEM Activity
Build a simple catapult using craft sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon. Let children experiment with launching small objects like cotton balls or marshmallows.
14. Make Oversized Bubbles
Create giant bubbles with a homemade bubble solution. Mix water, dish soap, and a little glycerin or corn syrup. Use a large loop from a string or a wire hanger to form oversized bubbles. This fun activity demonstrates the properties of liquids and surface tension.
15. Baking Soda and Vinegar Reactions
Place baking soda in a container and add a few drops of food coloring. Pour vinegar over the baking soda and watch the colorful fizzing reaction. This classic experiment teaches about acids, bases, and gas production.
16. Watch Rice Dance in Water
Fill a glass with water and add a few tablespoons of baking soda. Drop in some grains of rice and then add vinegar. The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar creates carbon dioxide bubbles that attach to the rice, causing it to dance up and down in the water.
17. Learn What Dissolves in Water
Gather different substances like salt, sugar, sand, and flour. Predict which substances will dissolve in water and which will not. Test each one by stirring it into a cup of water and observing the results.
18. Blow Bubble Towers
Mix water, dish soap, and a bit of glycerin or corn syrup to make a bubble solution. Give children straws to blow bubbles on a flat surface, encouraging them to create tall towers.
19. Grow a Paper Towel Rainbow
Fill several small cups with water and add different food coloring to each. Place a strip of paper towel with one end in each cup. Over time, the colors will travel up the paper towel and blend, creating a rainbow effect.
20. Seed Germination
Learn about plant life cycles by germinating seeds. Place a damp paper towel inside a clear plastic bag and add a few seeds (like beans). Seal the bag and tape it to a window. Observe the seeds over several days as they sprout and grow. This hands-on activity introduces children to botany and the conditions for plants to grow.
21. Build an Apple Toothpick Tower
Encourage fine motor skills and engineering concepts by building structures with apple pieces and toothpicks. Children can experiment with different designs and see how high they can build their towers.
22. Stack Up Plastic Cups
Teach balance and coordination by having children stack plastic cups into various formations. They can create pyramids or other shapes, learning about stability and gravity.
23. Make Pretend Snow
Create a winter wonderland indoors with pretend snow. Mix baking soda and shaving cream until it reaches a snowy consistency. Children can mold and play with the snow, learning about texture and the properties of materials.
24. Melting Ice
Freeze small toys in ice cubes and let children experiment with different ways to melt the ice, such as using salt, warm water, or just their hands.
25. Skittles Rainbow
Create a colorful rainbow with Skittles and water. Arrange Skittles in a circle on a plate and pour warm water over them. Watch as the colors spread and blend to form a rainbow. This experiment introduces concepts of solubility and diffusion.
26. Magnetic Discovery Bottles
Fill plastic bottles with different objects, some magnetic and some not. Provide children with magnets to see which objects are attracted to the magnet.
27. Balloon Rocket Science
Demonstrate the principles of propulsion with a balloon rocket. Attach a balloon to a straw threaded through a string. Tape the string across a room and let the air out of the balloon to see it race along the string.
28. String Telephone
Make a simple telephone using two cups and a piece of string. Punch a hole in the bottom of each cup and thread the string through, tying knots to keep it in place. Children can talk to each other through the cups and learn about sound waves and communication.
29. Static Comb
Teach static electricity using a comb and small pieces of tissue paper. Have children rub the comb on their hair to create static, then hold it near the tissue paper to see how it attracts the pieces.
30. Glowing Water Experiment
Create glowing water using tonic water and a black light. Pour tonic water into clear containers and shine a black light on them to see the water glow.
31. Shadow Play
Use a flashlight to create shadows on the wall. Discuss how the light source’s position changes the shadows’ size and shape. This introduces concepts of light and shadows.
32. Bug Observation
Use magnifying glasses to observe insects in their natural habitat. This hands-on activity teaches about different species and their roles in the ecosystem.
33. Plant Dissection
Carefully dissect flowers or plants to study their parts. Discuss the function of each part, such as petals, stems, and roots. This helps children understand plant biology.
34. Cloud Dough
Make a dough using flour and baby oil. This soft and fun moldable dough teaches children about mixtures and sensory experiences.
35. Sand Play
Provide different tools for children to dig, scoop, and mold sand. Discuss how sand changes when it is wet versus dry.
36. Scent Jars
Fill jars with different scents (vanilla, lemon, coffee) and let children guess the scent. This activity develops the sense of smell and descriptive language skills.
37. Leak-Proof Bag
Fill a plastic bag with water, then carefully poke sharp pencils through the bag. Observe how the water doesn’t leak out. This activity demonstrates the properties of plastic and water tension.
38. Floating Egg
Teach density with the floating egg experiment. Fill a glass with water and place an egg in it to see if it sinks. Then, gradually add salt to the water and observe the egg float.
39. Color Changing Flowers Experiment
Show how plants absorb water with the color-changing flowers experiment. Place white flowers in jars of water mixed with different food coloring. Over time, observe how the flowers change color as they absorb the colored water.
40. Elephant Toothpaste
Mix hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and yeast in a bottle. Watch as the mixture rapidly foams up and overflows like toothpaste for an elephant.
41. Butterfly Life Cycle
Use caterpillars (from a kit or found in nature) to watch them transform into butterflies. Complement this with craft activities like creating paper butterflies to reinforce the stages of metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
42. Color-Changing Milk
Pour whole milk into a shallow dish and add drops of different food coloring. Dip a cotton swab into dish soap and lightly touch the milkโs surface. The colors will swirl and mix as the soap breaks the surface tension. This experiment helps preschoolers understand the concept of molecules and how they interact.
43. Water Absorption
Place different materials like sponges, paper towels, plastic wrap, and fabric in a tray. Let children pour small amounts of water onto each material and observe which absorbs water the fastest. This experiment introduces the concept of absorption and helps kids differentiate between porous and non-porous materials.
44. Observe What Melts in the Sun
Collect items such as chocolate, ice, butter, and a small plastic toy. Place them on a tray and leave them in direct sunlight. Check back every few minutes to see which items melt and which remain unchanged. This activity teaches children about heat, temperature changes, and the properties of different materials.
45. Grow Grass in Eggshells
Fill empty eggshells with soil and plant grass seeds inside. Lightly water them and place them near a sunny window. Over the next few days, preschoolers can watch as tiny green sprouts begin to grow. This experiment introduces them to plant life cycles and the importance of sunlight and water for growth.
46. Ocean in a Bottle
Fill a clear plastic bottle halfway with water and add blue food coloring. Slowly pour in vegetable oil, leaving some space at the top. When the bottle is shaken, waves form inside, demonstrating how oil and water do not mix. This teaches kids about liquid density and ocean movement.
47. Disappearing Eggshells
Place a raw egg in a jar filled with vinegar and let it sit for 24โ48 hours. The vinegar will dissolve the shell, leaving a translucent, rubbery egg. This experiment demonstrates chemical reactions and the effects of acids on calcium.
48. Make an Aluminum Foil Boat
Give children a square piece of aluminum foil and challenge them to shape it into a boat. Then, place the boat in water and slowly add pennies to see how much weight it can hold before sinking. This introduces the concepts of buoyancy and engineering.
49. Measure the Water Content of Snow
Collect a cup of fresh snow and bring it indoors. Mark the initial level of snow on the cup, then let it melt completely. Observe how much water is left after the snow melts, helping children understand how much air is trapped in snow.
50. Make a Springy Egg
Soak a hard-boiled egg in a cup of vinegar for 24 hours. The vinegar will dissolve the shell, leaving behind a rubbery, bouncy egg. Kids can gently bounce it on a table to test its elasticity. This experiment introduces acid-base reactions and osmosis.
51. Grow Delicious Rock Candy Crystals
Dissolve a large amount of sugar in boiling water and pour the solution into a jar. Tie a string to a pencil and suspend it in the liquid. Over the next few days, sugar crystals will form on the string, creating homemade rock candy. This teaches children about crystallization and saturation.
52. Make a Scale
Use a coat hanger and attach two small paper cups to each side with string. Balance the hanger on a doorknob or stick and place different objects in the cups. Kids can compare the weight of different items, learning about balance and weight distribution.
53. Make Ice Grow
Chill a bottle of purified water in the freezer for about two hours without letting it freeze solid. Carefully pour it over a small pile of ice cubes, and the water will start freezing instantly, forming a growing ice structure. This activity demonstrates supercooling and the process of freezing.
54. Learn About Animal Habitats
Create a miniature animal habitat in a shoebox using leaves, rocks, sand, and small toy animals. Discuss where different animals live and why certain environments suit them best. This hands-on activity teaches preschoolers about ecosystems and biodiversity.
55. LEGO Volcano
Build a volcano structure using LEGO bricks. Inside, place a small container with baking soda. When ready, pour vinegar and red food coloring into the container and watch as the volcano erupts! This fun experiment demonstrates chemical reactions and gas formation.
56. Homemade Compass
Magnetize a sewing needle by rubbing it against a magnet for a minute. Place the needle on a small piece of cork or foam and float it in a bowl of water. The needle will align itself with the Earthโs magnetic field, pointing north. This introduces preschoolers to magnetism and navigation.
57. Step on Raw Eggs
Carefully place a dozen raw eggs in their carton and have the child stand on them barefoot. The eggs will not break because their shape evenly distributes the weight. This activity demonstrates physics concepts like weight distribution and force.
58. Pepper and Soap Experiment
Sprinkle black pepper on water in a shallow dish. Ask the child to dip their finger in without soapโit wonโt affect the pepper. Now, dip a soapy finger in and watch the pepper scatter away instantly. This experiment demonstrates surface tension and how soap breaks it down.
59. Nature Collage
Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, flowers, and small twigs. Glue them onto a piece of paper to create a nature collage. This activity allows children to explore textures, colors, and patterns in nature.
60. Oxidation of Apples
Cut an apple into slices and treat each slice differentlyโleave one exposed, coat one with lemon juice, cover another with plastic wrap, and place one in water. Observe which slice turns brown the fastest. This demonstrates oxidation and the effects of different substances on fruit preservation.
61. Bags of Ice Cream
Fill a small bag with cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, then place it inside a larger bag filled with ice and salt. Shake vigorously for a few minutes, and the mixture will turn into ice cream! This teaches children about freezing points and phase changes.
62. Homemade Bouncy Balls
Mix white glue, borax, cornstarch, and water to create a polymer-based homemade bouncy ball. Shape it and let it dry before testing how high it bounces. This experiment introduces preschoolers to chemistry and elasticity.
63. Cleaning Up Old Coins
Place old pennies in small cups filled with different liquids such as vinegar, soda, ketchup, and water. Let them sit for a few minutes, then compare which liquid cleans the coins best. This demonstrates chemical reactions and oxidation removal.
64. Extinguishing Fires with Carbon Dioxide
Light a small candle and mix baking soda and vinegar in a cup nearby. Tilt the cup over the candle (without pouring the liquid) and watch as the COโ gas extinguishes the flame. This introduces children to gas formation and fire safety.
65. Creating a Tornado in a Bottle
Fill a plastic bottle with water and add a few drops of dish soap. Swirl the bottle in a circular motion, and a mini tornado will appear inside. This activity teaches children about vortex formation and movement patterns.
66. Building a Solar Oven
Line the inside of a shoebox with aluminum foil and place a piece of black construction paper at the bottom. Cover the top with plastic wrap and set it in the sun with a marshmallow inside. After some time, the marshmallow will melt, demonstrating solar energy and heat absorption.
67. Homemade Parachute
Use tissue paper, string, and a small toy to create a parachute. Drop it from a height and observe how the parachute slows the toyโs descent. This introduces children to air resistance and gravity.
Incorporating science activities into preschool is crucial to developing a child’s intellect. Not only do these activities make learning fun, but they also foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. The key to successful science education is to make it interactive, fun, and relevant to children’s everyday experiences.
For more detailed guides and resources on preschool science activities, contact us at Xiha Montessori.
Effortlessly Source Preschool Furniture Solutions
