Exploring what will float or sink in preschool

We have been exploring transportation and of course, boats were on the list.

I didn’t have any toy boats but no worries – we discovered that there are other materials that can float across the water.

Making Our Boats

The children used Styrofoam trays for their “boats”. Our “river” was quite congested at times with all the boating traffic.

Before adding our Styrofoam boats, we talked about what might float and what might sink in the water. I set out some of our “math tokens” for the children to test in the water.

Oh and in case you are wondering what the white stuff is floating around in the water – that is “snow” that we had leftover in the tub from our snow globe sensory.  The kids didn’t want to wait for me to rinse all the snow out so we had snowy water.

Discovering What Floats and Sinks

We discovered that our plastic lids can float but our cars and the seashells sank to the bottom of the tub.

To help the cars float across the river, we discovered that the cars could be placed on top of our boats and they wouldn’t sink.

I’m glad I never stopped to pick up any toy boats because these Styrofoam trays actually made great boats and they were great for exploring what sinks and floats!

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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