Summer Enrichment: Water Experiments

What better time than summer to dive head first into water? While your there why not make it educational AND fun? Since water covers about 70% of the earth it makes a great subject for exploring and experimenting with.In our second week of summer enrichment I have gathered up some really simple and fun water experiments to cool their bodies down and heat up their minds while on summer break. But really they are great for year round and help curb the repetition of “Moooom I’m booooored!”. All you will need is just a few household items, some water of course, and a willing professor and the experiments can begin.

Leak Proof Bag- This one is definitely for the outdoors. You will need: a gallon ziploc bag, sharp pencils, and water. Fill bag 3/4 full with water and close, gently stab pencils from one side of the bag through the other- no leaking!! Here is our version of this cool experiment we found on Steve Spangler Science.

Walking Water- I remember this one myself from elementary science and it still doesn’t fail to fascinate children. This one has the added bonus of being able to teach color mixing for the little ones. Place 3 cups in a row, fill each of the two outer cups 3/4 of the way full with water, add food coloring. Place 2 folded paper towels in the empty center cup and arch one of each into the colored water. Watch as each draws water up and through the paper towel to the empty cup in the center (capillary action) and all three end up equally filled.

Salt Water Density- In 2 containers place 1 cups of very warm water in each. Stir 1/4 cup of salt into one of the containers (stir a lot, it will take a bit of work to dissolve it). Grab eggs, toys, etc. and experiment to see what items float in salt water that would otherwise sink in fresh water due to to the density in salt. See the egg on the right? Salt water allows heavier items to float.

Melting Ice- I have frozen toys in ice many times over just for the fun factor but it can be easily turned into an experiment by making a hypothesis (an educated guess) and trying different things to see which melts the ice fastest. We tried – water, salt, sugar, and nothing.–

Floating,Density and Buoyancy- A quick, fun experiment that even your littlest scientists will love. Craft boats from aluminum foil, wine corks, popsicle sticks made into rafts, etc… test their buoyancy, add pennies or small toys and see how much they can hold.

Books:

Add these to your collection of enrichment books.

Super Simple Things to do With Water