18-24 Months
FromBaby Steps to STEM,
Jean Barbre
What to have
- magnifying glasses
- eyedroppers
- small container of water
- plastic tray
- materials to test absorption, such as paper towels, small white paper plates, white coffee filters, cotton balls, aluminum foil, wax paper, sponges, plastic storage lids, small plastic toys
- clipboard
- towels for cleanup
What to do
Getting Ready
Collect items for testing and examining. Demonstrate to the children how to use a magnifying glass and an eyedropper.
How To
Fill a plastic container with water. Select a variety of different materials, such as small white paper plates, white coffee filters, cotton balls, aluminum foil, wax paper, and plastic storage lids, to test to see if they will absorb water or not and place on a plastic tray. Let the children examine and discuss each of the materials prior to testing. Share with the children how the different objects feel. Have the children use a magnifying glass to examine the objects up close. Ask the children which objects they hypothesize will absorb the water. Document the children’s predictions and findings on the clipboard. Invite the children to use the eyedroppers to drip water on the objects. Invite the children to investigate how water changes or doesn’t change the surface of the object. Line all the different materials on a table and discuss what children experienced. Count the number of objects that absorb water and those that did not. Document the children’s comments and findings on your clipboard.
Hint: Be sure to closely supervise young children to make sure they don’t place small objects in their mouths.
Why
Children will have opportunities to explore how different materials absorb water and the rate at which the water is absorbed.
For more activities check out
Baby Steps to STEM: Infant and Toddler Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Activities
By Jean Barbre Copyright 2017 18-24 Months