Learning Fun for Children and Families
Explore videos, experiments, and activities for children that you can do with a few basic supplies from home.
Float Your Boat
Grades K–5
What floats, and why? How does the shape and size of an object affect whether it will sink?
Supplies:
- Water
- Cups, bowls, or tubs to fill with water
- Foil or silly putty to construct boats
- Rocks, eggs, etc. to experiment with buoyancy
- Coins, beans, or other small “cargo” for your boat
SALTWATER + CARGO SHIPS
Grades K–5
Captains need to know how deep to load their vessels for each journey, but ships float differently in saltwater than in freshwater. How does salinity affect the buoyancy of a ship?
Supplies:
- Water
- Salt
- Clear drinking glasses or plastic cups
- Labels for your cups
- Cherry tomatoes, grapes, or similar objects