Sink or Float: A Student Favorite Science Activity
Make a splash in your students’ science education with Sink and Float.
This is such an easy-to-prep activity that is hands-on and gets young ones thinking about the world they live in.
I’ve had a blast conducting this experiment in early childhood classes, kindergarten, and special needs classes.
Let’s Get Ready!
Find a clear and colorless tub or a large tall vase.
Plastic is best but carefully guarded glass will do.
Fill the container about three-fourths of the way up with water.
Gather the objects you want to test. I use a paperclip, a pencil, a rock, a pen, a piece of paper, a crayon, a ring, a penny, and a drinking straw.
Have a poster ready to go with all the supplies that you’re using and a matching copy for the students to record their guesses and actual results on.
I have my poster laminated and write on it with a wipe off marker for easily clean-up and year after year use.
Make your little scientists aware that they need to record their data and have record keeping sheets printed for each student.
Splish Splash – Let’s Sink and Float!
Fill your chosen container about three-fourths of the way up with water.
I like to put the water-filled container on the floor and have the students circle around the activity.
If you have a large group of students, you can make one row of kids that are seated on the floor and have a row behind them of students who pulled up chairs and are sitting directly behind.
Then, one at a time, pull out the objects in the order of your record keeping sheet.
Have the students guess what will happen when it’s placed in the water and why they think so.
Then drop and release the object into the water.
After it either sinks or floats discuss why and have the students record this on the sheet.
Do this for all the activities on the page.
If time allows have the students find other objects in the classroom to test that weren’t included on the page.
Time Saving Tip!
Find all of the supplies you need for Sink and Float and then KEEP THEM TOGETHER!
Put your printables, your laminated group poster, and a plastic baggie filled with your items in a file folder and you are ready to go the next time around.
Whole Group, Small Group, & Even Center Time
I love doing this activity in whole group, but the problem becomes that not every student gets a turn dropping items into the water.
After doing this together as a class, keep the fun alive and move it to a smaller group activity.
Using small group time or rotational centers gives everyone the chance to experiment and really get into the activity.
If you are lucky enough to have a water table in your classroom, stick it in that center and pat yourself on the back for getting kids a solid start in loving science.
Keep Sink & Float Going ALL YEAR LONG
Want to add a flare of fun or spice this activity up for holidays?
Just add food coloring or watercolor paints to your water.
Maybe you have two tubs of water for Christmas time: a red tub and a green tub.
Or for Valentine’s Day you have a pink water container.
AND this is so much fun to do after your group has completed Sink or Float and the Color Mixing Activity.
You can combine both of these activities and boom: a whole new, fun-filled science activity.
Get your ready-to-print
Sink and Float
