Sink or swim
Kids test whether their toys sink or float.
This is a really good introduction to the concept of buoyancy. Before dropping the toy in the water, I made them guess whether it would float or sink. Then we can talk about some of the similarities of the things the float and the things that sink. For example, plastic toys seemed to float and metal toys seemed to sink. I did this experiment indoors, but it's probably best to do it outside if you have concerns about getting your floors wet. It was also fun (as a parent) to see what my kids decided to test.
Materials:
A large container (clear is best, but any will do),
Random household objects
What I do:
I asked the kids to collect some toys that they wanted to test (no batteries, and no stickers). Before they dropped their toy, I asked them whether they thought it would sink or float, and why. Then we tested their hypothesis. If you want to make it seem more like a science experiment, have the kids write down their guess and their results in a "lab notebook"
What this activity teaches:
Scientific Method. It's important to have your kids guess (make a hypothesis) about whether their toy will sink or float. For older kids, its easy to have them keep track on a sheet of paper as to which items sunk or float. Then, ask them for their conclusion as to why something might sink or float. (Hint: buoyancy is based on whether an item is heavier than the amount of water it displaces)
Buoyancy. This can be deceptively easy concept. It's easy to say light things float and heavy things sink, but then why would a heavy boat float while a penny would sink? It's all about density and weight vs volume. This activity is a good introduction to this concept, and gets kids thinking about what makes something float.
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