18 fun science activities for preschoolers

Need some simple science activities for preschoolers? You’re in the right place. This guide provides hands-on experiments that are perfect for young children. These activities make learning fun and help preschoolers explore basic science concepts easily.

Key takeaways

• Water science experiments like ‘rain cloud in a jar’ and ‘sink or float’ introduce basic scientific concepts and enhance problem-solving skills in preschoolers.

• Exciting chemical reactions, such as the ‘baking soda and vinegar volcano,’ captivate young kids while teaching them fundamental science concepts through engaging, hands-on activities.

• STEM activities, including building catapults and aluminum foil boats, encourage critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork among preschoolers, making learning fun and interactive.

Engaging water science experiments

Science activities involving water are an excellent method for introducing young kids to basic scientific concepts. These interactive experiments not only develop problem-solving abilities but also inspire creativity in young learners. Activities such as forecasting whether items will sink or float, or producing a vibrant rainbow, may be straightforward but they never fail to engage and stimulate curiosity. This kind of simple science instills a passion for learning in preschool-aged children.

Think about engaging in three exciting water-related science experiments: simulating the formation of a rain cloud within a jar, executing an experiment where water appears to walk between cups, and investigating which objects will stay buoyant during the classic float test. Each one of these easy-to-do science experiments is designed to prompt discovery and introduce preschoolers to fundamental scientific principles through direct hands-on experience.

Create a rain cloud in a jar

To simulate a rain cloud in a jar, one will need shaving cream, colored water, and pipettes for dispensing just a few drops. This activity illustrates how clouds become saturated and the process by which rain descends from them.

Children can enhance their fine motor skills by employing pipettes to spray the colored water onto the shaving cream that symbolizes the cloud.

Walking water science experiment

The walking water science experiment offers a visually engaging method to teach children about the concept of capillary action. By utilizing colored markers, paper towels, and dyed water, youngsters can observe a rainbow-like phenomenon as the water seems to “walk” across from one cup to another.

This traditional activity serves as an ideal introduction for preschoolers to fundamental scientific principles and the marvels of capillary action with an easy-to-conduct experiment.

Sink or float experiment

The timeless sink or float experiment challenges children to anticipate whether various objects will stay afloat or if they will be submerged in water as cold water tends to sink. This practical activity promotes critical thinking and provides an introduction to essential principles of buoyancy and density.

This easy and captivating task requires only some water along with different items for testing, making it perfectly suited for young preschoolers’ engagement.

Fun chemical reactions for preschoolers

Chemical reactions are a thrilling way to make science accessible and fun for young kids. These experiments combine different substances to create something new, captivating preschoolers with exciting fizzing, bubbling, and foaming reactions. From baking soda and vinegar volcanoes to magic milk experiments, these activities introduce preschoolers to basic science concepts in a fun way.

Explore three captivating chemical reaction experiments: the magic milk experiment, the baking soda and vinegar volcano, and the vinegar experiment with dancing raisins. Each activity uses simple household items to create visually stimulating outcomes that enhance learning and encourage exploration.

Magic milk experiment

In the magic milk experiment, captivating colorful swirls are created for young learners by combining milk with food coloring and dish soap. This engaging activity demonstrates solubility as well as how surface tension is decreased by dish soap, which in turn makes the food coloring move around and create patterns within the milk.

Baking soda and vinegar volcano

Children are consistently thrilled by the traditional experiment involving a volcano made from baking soda and vinegar. This activity allows them to construct their own volcanic eruption with these everyday household items, providing an engaging and instructive pastime.

When vinegar comes into contact with baking soda, it triggers a chemical reaction that liberates carbon dioxide gas, resulting in the explosive effect of an erupting volcano.

Dancing raisins experiment

The experiment with dancing raisins is a charming way to show how gas is produced via chemical reactions. When baking soda and vinegar react, they create carbon dioxide bubbles that make the raisins move up and down.

By conducting this experiment, preschool children can learn about the formation of gases and witness the tangible outcomes of chemical reactions firsthand.

Hands-On STEM activities

Engaging in STEM activities is crucial for cultivating scientific thinking, honing problem-solving abilities, and improving fine motor skills among young learners. Through these hands-on experiments, preschool-aged children gain the chance to independently tackle challenges while boosting their creative capacities and strategic planning skills.

Dive into three captivating STEM endeavors: crafting a catapult, embarking on the aluminum foil boat challenge, and erecting lofty towers. These pursuits call for basic materials but are instrumental in prompting critical thinking — transforming science education into an enjoyable and participatory journey for little ones.

Build a catapult

Creating a catapult from popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon offers an engaging hands-on experience that develops fine motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination in children.

This project fosters engineering abilities and motivates children to strategize their constructions, rendering it a captivating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activity.

Aluminum foil boat challenge

The challenge of creating an aluminum foil boat is a science experiment centered on water, which educates children regarding buoyancy and the principles of physics. In this task, kids use tinfoil to construct a robust vessel capable of holding as much weight as possible without succumbing to submersion.

Such an endeavor promotes analytical reasoning in terms of design and assembly, providing both an entertaining and instructive encounter for young learners.

Constructing tall towers

Working in groups to build high structures from simple blocks promotes cooperation and conversational skills in young children. This shared task urges preschoolers to join forces, exchange concepts, and strategize their constructions, turning it into an enjoyable and instructive STEM activity for young learners.

Seasonal science activities for preschoolers

Engaging preschoolers with seasonal science activities provides a delightful opportunity to acquaint them with the cycles of nature and their surroundings via suitable exercises for their age. These pursuits not only foster critical social abilities like resource sharing, listening to different perspectives, and valuing collaborative efforts, but also enhance educational growth.

Delve into three thrilling science endeavors that align with the seasons: crafting faux snow, monitoring the breakdown of pumpkins, and cultivating grass within eggshell planters. All these projects are fashioned to spur investigative curiosity while imparting fundamental scientific principles through direct interaction.

Make artificial snow

Creating artificial snow through a fun science experiment is possible by combining baking soda and shaving cream, which results in a substance similar to snow. This experiment offers children the opportunity to evaluate the water content within the faux snow, thereby gaining insight into the amount of water that actual snow comprises.

This activity serves as an outstanding method for acquainting preschoolers with both cold water’s attributes and those of snow.

Observe pumpkin decomposition

Children can learn about the natural process of organic matter decomposing by keeping an eye on a decaying pumpkin. Post-Halloween, put a carved jack-o’-lantern in your garden and make daily observations to see how it changes.

By recording their observations regularly, children will gain insights into the decomposition of organic materials and become more familiar with this essential ecological phenomenon.

Grow grass in eggshells

Growing grass in eggshells is a simple yet rewarding activity that teaches kids about plant growth. Using eggs, soil, grass seeds, and water, preschoolers can watch the grass grow and personalize their eggshells with a permanent marker.

This fun science experiment is easy to do and helps children understand the basics of plant growth and the importance of nurturing plants.

Exploring nature and the environment

Introducing preschoolers to the environment and nature is essential as it familiarizes them with the life processes of organisms and unveils the wonders of our natural surroundings. Engaging in tactile activities such as gardening, taking strolls through nature, and conducting experiments like observing how flowers change color can enlighten children about botanical development, wildlife dwellings, and underscore the significance of sharpening observational capabilities within preschool science.

Delve into a trio of environmental pursuits: embarking on a scavenger hunt for leaves during a nature walk, constructing avian homes out of craft materials, and witnessing seed sprouting within transparent jars. Each exploration-based endeavor not only aids in expanding their understanding, but also fosters linguistic growth among young learners by offering enriching experiences with their surrounding ecosystem.

Nature walk and leaf collection

A nature walk is a wonderful science activity that allows children to explore the outdoors and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Preschoolers can collect different types of leaves they find and categorize them by size, shape, and color. This activity enhances observation skills and teaches children about the veins in leaves that transport nutrients from the stem to the tips.

Craft bird nests

Engaging preschoolers in creating bird nests from sticks, leaves, and various natural elements is a captivating way to teach them about animal habitats. This hands-on activity includes organizing animals on a Venn Diagram as well as playing matching games that improve young children’s understanding of diverse animal habitats while fostering an appreciation for the environments inhabited by different creatures.

Seed germination jar

The seed germination jar project offers preschoolers an engaging science experiment where they can monitor the development of seeds as they sprout and expand. By employing a jar, moistened with water and lined with paper towels, children are given a visual learning experience about the plant life cycle while also learning valuable lessons in patience and care.

Simple physics experiments

Engaging preschoolers in elementary physics experiments is an excellent method for acquainting them with ideas such as motion, energy, and forces through hands-on activities. Utilizing readily available materials, these exercises illustrate fundamental principles including gravity, friction, and air resistance.

Delve into three thrilling physics projects that include dropping balls to exemplify the force of gravity, examining the effect of friction on a slide at the playground, and using air pressure to propel pom-poms. These interactive activities foster curiosity while assisting youngsters in grasping foundational scientific concepts in an enjoyable manner.

Drop balls to show gravity

Dropping balls of different sizes and weights from the same height is a fun science experiment that demonstrates gravity effectively for preschoolers. As the balls fall similarly regardless of their weight, discuss how gravity pulls all objects toward the ground and what that reveals about this fundamental force.

Explore friction on a playground slide

Investigating the interplay between gravity and friction on a playground slide offers an interactive experience for preschoolers to grasp these concepts.

As children glide down, they can witness firsthand how these forces affect their motion, promoting a hands-on approach to learning physics that stimulates children’s cognitive processes.

Move pom-poms with air pressure

Utilizing a straw and a sealed plastic bag, kids can conduct a simple science experiment to show the manipulation of air pressure in moving lightweight objects by blowing into the straw to inflate the bag. This process will cause pom-poms inside to move around, offering an entertaining and instructive experience.