25+ Science Activities & Experiments for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners
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These hands-on science activities and experiments are the perfect partner for your child’s natural curiosity.
Science for preschoolers and kindergarteners is all about tapping into their desire to explore and learn about the world around them. At this stage, science typically focuses on observing, questioning, and experimenting as children go about their daily activities. Whether they’re watching ants march across the sidewalk or mixing colors while painting, young children are constantly engaging in basic scientific processes.
While beginning scientific concepts surround preschoolers and kindergarteners, adding in meaningful science activities can help young children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and build a foundation for more advanced science concepts, such as cause-and-effect.
Tips to Encourage a Scientific Mindset
Fostering a scientific mindset in young children begins with encouraging their natural curiosity and providing opportunities to explore, experiment, and learn. By guiding children through the process of asking questions, making predictions, and analyzing results, parents can help their little ones develop critical thinking skills and a love for discovery.
1. Encourage Children to Ask “Why” and “How”
- Prompt your child to ask questions about the world around them, such as, “Why do leaves fall?” or “How do birds fly?”
- Respond to their questions with enthusiasm, even if you don’t know the answer—explore it together through books, videos, or experiments.
2. Document Their Findings in a Simple Science Journal
- Provide a notebook for your preschooler to record or draw their observations during experiments or nature walks.
- Include prompts like “What did you see?” or “What happened when we mixed these?” to help them articulate their thoughts.
3. Teach Them to Make Predictions and Compare Results
- Before starting an experiment, ask your child what they think will happen. For example, “Do you think this will sink or float?”
- After the activity, compare the prediction with the results and discuss why things turned out the way they did.
4. Show That It’s Okay When Experiments Don’t Go as Planned
- Explain that not all experiments will work perfectly and that unexpected results are part of the learning process.
- Celebrate the effort and use it as an opportunity to ask, “What can we try differently next time?”
By providing opportunities for hands-on learning and scientific inquiry, parents can help young children build a strong foundation for scientific exploration.
Simple Chemistry Experiments
Introducing preschoolers and kindergarteners to chemistry through fun and safe experiments allows them to begin exploring basic chemical reactions. These activities also aim to make complex concepts more approachable for little learners.
1. Make a Glitter Volcano
Add some sparkle to a classic science experiment by creating a Glitter Volcano. Wrap a small plastic bottle with textured paper to mimic a volcano and prepare a mixture of vinegar, dish soap, glitter, and food coloring. When poured into the bottle with baking soda, it creates a stunning, sparkling eruption. Get step-by-step instruction for creating a Glitter Volcano here.
Science Concept: This activity demonstrates how baking soda and vinegar produce carbon dioxide, creating the bubbly reaction that kids love to watch.
2. Make a DIY Lava Lamp
Craft a mesmerizing lava lamp using a clear jar, water, cooking oil, food coloring, and an effervescent antacid tablet. Watch as the tablet reacts with the water, creating bubbles that rise and fall through the oil, mimicking the signature “lava” effect. Watch a video on creating your own lava lamp here.
Science Concept: This activity introduces concepts like density (oil and water separation) and chemical reactions, sparking curiosity and delight. Shine a flashlight underneath for added fun!
3. Make a Melting Monster Science Activity
Combine water, cornstarch, and food coloring to create a gooey substance called oobleck. Add googly eyes and craft features to form a spooky “monster.”
Watch as the monster “melts” when left on a smooth surface, demonstrating how oobleck acts as both a solid and a liquid depending on pressure. Find more detailed instruction creating a Melting Monster here.
Science Concept: Explain how this happens due to the unique behavior of non-Newtonian fluids, or fluids that change their viscosity (thickness) when force is applied to them.
4. Blow Up Balloons Using Baking Soda and Vinegar
Use a funnel to pour baking soda into a balloon and vinegar into a plastic bottle. Stretch the balloon over the bottle’s neck and lift it to release the baking soda. Watch as the balloon inflates!
Science Concept: Explain that the vinegar reacts with the baking soda, forming a gas called carbon dioxide. This gas fills the balloon.
5. Color-Mixing with Ice Cubes
Freeze water mixed with food coloring in ice cube trays. Place the colorful cubes in a clear bowl and pour warm water over them. Observe how the colors melt and mix together.
Science Concept: Discuss how the ice changes states from solid to liquid and explore how primary colors combine to create new ones.
Nature-Based Activities
Outdoor science activities are a wonderful way for young children to connect with nature and learn about the environment. These hands-on experiences help children observe, explore, and understand the natural world while sparking curiosity and fostering a love for science.
6. Make Silly Seed Animals
Combine creativity and science with this fun activity. Fill a piece of hosiery with grass seeds and soil, tie it into shapes, and decorate it with googly eyes and pom poms to create a “silly seed animal.” Place it in a sunny spot, water it regularly, and watch its “hair” grow over the next week! Learn to make Silly Seed Animals here.
Science Concept: This activity teaches young children how plants grow and provides ongoing fun as they care for their sprouting creation. Learn how to make silly seed animals here.
7. Collect Leaves and Learn About Photosynthesis
Take a nature walk to collect different types of leaves. Examine their shapes, sizes, and colors.
Science Concept: Use simple language to explain how leaves turn sunlight into food for the plant through photosynthesis. As you observe the veins in the leaves, note that they transport water and nutrients within the tree.
8. Build a Mini Compost Bin
Create a small compost bin using a clear container. Add layers of food scraps, leaves, and dirt, and observe how organic matter breaks down over time.
Science Concept: Explain how composting helps recycle nutrients back into the soil, teaching the importance of reducing waste.
9. Observe a Butterfly Life Cycle
Use a butterfly kit or visit a local garden to observe the life cycle of a butterfly. Look under leaves for caterpillars or chrysalises and explain that they’ll eventually transform into butterflies.
Science Concept: Discuss the stages of metamorphosis and how butterflies contribute to pollination.
10. Create a Weather Journal
Help your child observe the weather each day and record their findings in a simple journal. They can draw pictures of sunny, rainy, or cloudy days and note any changes they see.
Science Concept: Over time, look for patterns in the weather, teaching them basic observation and data collection skills. For more ideas, check out Preschool Weather Activities to inspire even more weather-related learning!
Sensory-Based Science Activities
Help your child observe the weather each day and record their findings in a simple journal. They can draw pictures of sunny, rainy, or cloudy days and note any changes they see.
11. Freeze Flowers in Ice and Explore Melting
Place small flowers in an ice cube tray, fill it with water, and freeze. Let your child explore the frozen cubes, feeling the cold surface and watching how the flowers are trapped. Try adding warm water or salt to speed up melting.
Science Concept: Talk about how ice changes from solid to liquid and how different things, like salt and warmth, can speed up its melting.
12. Sink or Float Experiment with Household Items
Fill a large container with water and gather various household items (e.g., spoon, plastic toy, sponge). Ask your child to predict whether each item will sink or float, then test it out.
Science Concept: Discuss why some objects sink and others float, introducing the concept of density (objects that float are less dense than water, while those that sink are more dense).
13. Explore Smells with a Scent Matching Game
Collect small jars or containers and fill them with items that have distinct smells (cinnamon, coffee, lemon peel). Cover the jars with breathable fabric or paper. Let your child smell each container and match it to the corresponding item or guess what it is.
Science Concept: This activity sharpens children’s sense of smell and encourages descriptive language. Use it as an opportunity to discuss how smell is one of the five senses.
14. Create Sensory Bins for Magnet Exploration
Fill a bin with materials like paper clips, flat screws, metal washers, and small non-magnetic items like plastic buttons, pom poms, and dried beans. Provide a kid-friendly magnet wand and let your child explore what it can pick up.
Science Concept: Teach them about magnetism by encouraging them to sort magnetic and non-magnetic items.
15. Explore Sound Waves with a Rubber Band Guitar
Stretch rubber bands of different thicknesses around an open tissue box or shoebox to create a simple “guitar.” Let your child pluck the rubber bands and observe the different sounds they make as they vibrate.
Science Concept: Note that thicker rubber bands produce lower sounds (pitches) while thinner ones create higher pitches. Experiment with plucking the bands softly versus firmly to explore how volume changes with force.
Physical Science Activities
Stretch rubber bands of different thicknesses around an open tissue box or shoebox to create a simple “guitar.” Let your child pluck the rubber bands and observe the different sounds they make as they vibrate.
16. Build a Simple Ramp to Test Rolling Objects
Create a ramp using a sturdy piece of cardboard or a wooden plank. Gather objects like balls, toy cars, and blocks to roll down the ramp.
Science Concept: Observe which items roll faster or slower and discuss the different factors (ramp incline, weight of the object) impacting their speed and distance.
17. Explore Gravity with a Homemade Parachute
Use a plastic bag or fabric square to create a parachute. Attach strings to the corners and tie them to a small lightweight object like a toy figure.
Science Concept: Drop the parachute from a height and watch how it floats down. Talk about how gravity pulls the parachute down (and how air resistance slows its descent).
18. Make a Rocket Car
Build a self-propelled rocket car using cardboard, plastic bottle caps, skewers, and a balloon for power. Once assembled, inflate the balloon and release the air to watch the car zoom across the floor. Find step-by-step instructions for making a rocket car here.
19. Experiment with Domino Chain Reactions
Set up a line of dominos and let your child knock them over to see the chain reaction. Encourage them to create different patterns or longer lines.
Science Concept: Explain how energy is transferred from one domino to the next, causing the sequence to fall.
20. Design and Fly Paper Airplanes
Fold paper airplanes with your child and test how far they fly. Experiment with different designs and techniques to see which one goes the furthest or stays in the air the longest.
Science Concept: Introduce concepts like lift, thrust, and drag as they explore how small changes affect the flight.
Space and Weather Activities
Introduce young children to the wonders of space and weather with these engaging activities. By exploring the skies above and the forces of nature, children can develop a sense of curiosity and begin to understand the world around them.
21. Create a Model of the Solar System
Use foam or rubber balls of various sizes to represent the planets. If you’d like, you can paint them to match the appearance of planets, otherwise a variety of balls in different colors and sizes will do. Arrange them in order around a central “sun” (a larger yellow or orange ball).
Science Concept: Teach your child the names of the planets and their positions in the solar system, explaining how they orbit the sun.
22. Explore Shadows and the Sun’s Movement
Spend a day outside observing shadows. Trace your child’s shadow in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and compare how it changes.
Science Concept: Discuss how the sun’s position in the sky affects the length and direction of shadows, introducing basic concepts of astronomy.
23. Make a Simple Rain Gauge to Measure Rainfall
Use a clear container (like a plastic cup) and mark measurements along the side. Place it in an open area during a rainstorm.
Science Concept: Measure how much rain falls, and keep a weather journal to track patterns. Discuss how rain supports plants, animals, and people.
24. Use Flashlights and Balls to Learn About Moon Phases
Use a flashlight to represent the sun and a ball to represent the moon. Move the ball around a larger object (Earth) to demonstrate the moon’s phases.
Science Concept: Show your child how the light changes as the moon orbits Earth, introducing concepts like full moon, crescent, and new moon.
Everyday Science with Household Items
Science doesn’t require fancy equipment—many experiments can be done with everyday items you already have at home! These simple, hands-on activities are easy to set up and offer preschoolers and kindergarteners the chance to explore key scientific concepts through observation and play.
25. Test Different Liquids for Freezing Times
Fill small containers with different liquids like water, juice, milk, or soda, and place them in the freezer. Check at intervals to see which freezes first.
Science Concept: Talk about how the properties of each liquid, such as sugar or fat content, affect freezing times.
26. Build a Tower with Marshmallows
Use marshmallows and toothpicks or pretzel sticks to build simple structures like towers or bridges. Challenge your child to make their creation taller or stronger.
Science Concept: Discuss what they noticed about the structures that were more stable, introducing basic engineering concepts.
27. Observe How Water Moves Through Paper Towels (Capillary Action)
Place the ends of a folded paper towel into two glasses, one filled with colored water and the other empty. Watch as the water travels through the towel into the empty glass.
Science Concept: Explain how capillary action allows water to move through the fibers of the paper towel, just as it does in plants.
28. Make Your Own Bubbles and Study How They Form
Mix water, dish soap, and a little sugar or glycerin to create a bubble solution. Use a straw, a loop of wire, or your hands to blow bubbles.
Science Concept: Observe the bubbles’ shapes, colors, and how they pop. Talk about how soap molecules trap air to form the bubbles.
29. Create a Moving Liquid Rainbow
Pour whole milk into a shallow plate and add drops of food coloring. Dip a cotton swab in dish soap and gently touch it to the milk’s surface to create swirling, vibrant patterns. Learn how to make Color in Motion here.
Science Concept: Explain that before the soap is added, all the little bits of milk are holding onto each other really tightly, letting the food coloring float on top of it. When the dish soap touches the milk, all the bits of milk get “slippery” and break apart, causing the food coloring to scatter. In other words, the dish soap reduces surface tension and reacts with the fat in the milk.
ABCmouse is here to support your child’s learning journey with interactive tools, games, and lessons designed to make science and other core subjects come alive for young children. Try it today!
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