Experiments for children with water have always been popular because they are easy to carry out and understandable for a child. And in the summer experiments with water especially relevant, since it’s hot outside, and all “wet” activities can be taken out into the fresh air. In one of the articles we already talked about, today I suggest you conduct several summer experiments:
— Extraction of fresh water from salt water
— Outdoor washbasin made from a plastic bottle
— Tricks with soda
— Optical experiments with water
— Amazing funnel
— Leaky sippy bag
— Movable toothpicks
Extracting fresh water from salt water
We all know that you should not drink salty sea water. But not everyone knows that from sea water you can get fresh water suitable for drinking. For this we need a bowl of salt water. , you can use sea water, if not, then add table salt to fresh water and stir. At the bottom of the basin in the center we place a fairly heavy cup that will not float. The water level in the basin should be lower than the neck of the cup. Cover the top of the basin with a transparent, clean film and place a small weight above the cup. In our case it is a pebble. We take the basin of water out into the sun and wait.
The meaning of the whole design is as follows: the sun's rays, passing through the transparent film, heat the water, and it begins to evaporate intensively. Since the basin is covered with film, droplets of water collect on the film and flow into the cup (this is why you need to make a depression, otherwise the water will drip back into the basin). Only pure water can evaporate, while salt and other impurities will remain as sediment at the bottom.
We took the basin out onto the balcony for 4 hours from 14.00 to 18.00. During this time, we collected 50 ml of water.
Outdoor washbasin made from a plastic bottle
They learned how to get fresh water. Now you need to take care of the cleanliness of your hands. For this we need any clean plastic bottle with a cap, a needle and a rope. We make several holes in the bottom of the bottle with a needle or awl, as shown in the photo. We close the holes with our fingers, fill the bottle with water and screw on the cap. After this, you can safely remove your fingers from the holes, since water will not flow out of them.
We tie a rope to the neck and hang the bottle upside down. To wash your hands, you need to unscrew the lid a little - water will flow out of the holes in the bottom. The more you unscrew the lid, the more water will flow.
For a child, this will be like a magic trick, and he will definitely ask why a bottle with holes doesn’t leak? Tell him about atmospheric pressure, which affects all objects on Earth. The atmospheric pressure is much greater than the pressure of the water in the bottle, so the water does not flow out. When the cap is unscrewed and air begins to flow into the bottle, the pressure in the bottle becomes greater than atmospheric pressure and the water pours out.
Soda tricks
Carbonated water and drinks are not healthy for children, so we use them for experiments. So, pour sparkling water into a glass and throw a few beans into the bottom (you can use rice, peas, small grapes, cherry pits, etc.). Now we watch how the beans begin to rise and fall. This will happen for a long time as long as carbon dioxide remains in the water.
Do you want to play with your child easily and with pleasure?
It's all about the gas bubbles that cling to the beans and lift them to the surface. The bubbles at the top burst and the beans sink back into the water. In a similar way, a submarine rises and falls, either filling the external tanks with air, or pumping out the air and compressing it.
Optical experiments with water
The Vanished Coin
Pour water into a jar and place it on a coin. Ask your baby to look from the side and ask: “Where is the coin?” My daughter told me that it was a trick, and I quietly hid the coin. Indeed, if you look from the side, the coin is not visible. If you look from above (through the neck), the coin will be visible very clearly. 
This effect is explained by the fact that water is a different optical medium, and a ray of light passing from one optical medium to another is refracted, which distorts the real image. This is how the coin becomes invisible.
broken spoon
An experiment similar to the previous one in its scientific explanation, but no less visual. Place a spoon in a glass of water and look at the side of the glass. The spoon at the water-air interface looks broken. This is because the light beam is bent as it passes through the air, the inclined wall of the glass and the water, causing the image in the water to shift and the spoon to appear broken. 
Please note that there is no similar effect if you dip a spoon into a jar of water. The wall of the can is smooth, and such distortion does not occur.
Amazing funnel
Everyone knows that a funnel is needed to carefully pour water into a bottle or other container with a narrow neck. Let's surprise our experts with the fact that the funnel will refuse to let water inside the bottle! To do this, we need preliminary preparation: insert the funnel into the bottle and carefully cover the joint with plasticine to prevent air from leaking through this gap.
Now pour water into the funnel. It is important to pour water not in a thin stream, but in a large stream of water, so that the air from the bottle does not escape through the narrow part of the funnel. Some water will spill into the bottle. But as the pressure inside the bottle and in the funnel equalizes, the process will stop. The bottle will remain half empty, and the funnel will be filled with water, but it will not allow water to flow into the bottle.
If you insert a cocktail straw into the bottle through the narrow part of the funnel, then as the air escapes, the water will flow back into the bottle.
Leaky sippy bag
We take any not very thin package. It’s more convenient, of course, to use a zip-lock bag. Pour water into the bag and tie it. We sharpen the pencils sharply and carefully begin to “punch holes” in the bag of water. Much to the surprise of the baby and other adults, the water does not spill out.
The polyethylene from which the bags are made is quite elastic, and at the puncture site it firmly covers the pencil, preventing water from leaking out. Depending on the size of the package, you can insert 3 pencils or more, but we limited ourselves to five.
Movable toothpicks
Another simple experiment with water that you can do if you need to keep your baby busy with quiet play for a while. For this we need toothpicks or matches and some water.
We lay out the broken toothpicks as shown in the picture and drip a little water onto the folds. The tree begins to swell and is no longer able to bend like that, so it straightens a little. The outer ends of the toothpicks move and close together to form a star. When the baby understands the principle, he will be able to independently come up with other figures and patterns.
The last two experiments are very simple and at the same time quite effective. Therefore, your child, if he is 4 years old and older, with a little training, will be able to show his tricks to relatives and friends, developing creative and artistic abilities.
Plus, any of these water experiences can be part of your exciting or fun adventure.
Interesting experiences and fun games for you!
Another experiment for children with water: how to make water flow upward?
What kind of summer experiments do you conduct with children? Tell us in the comments!
Did you enjoy summer experiences for kids? Save it to your wall to experiment with with your kids!
Who didn't believe in miracles as a child? To have a fun and educational time with your baby, you can try experiments in entertaining chemistry. They are safe, interesting and educational. These experiments will answer many children's “whys” and awaken interest in science and knowledge of the world around us. And today I want to tell you what experiments parents can organize for children at home.
Pharaoh's snake
This experience is based on increasing the volume of mixed reagents. During the burning process, they transform and, wriggling, resemble a snake. The experiment got its name from a biblical miracle when Moses, who came to Pharaoh with a request, turned his rod into a snake.
For the experiment you will need the following ingredients:
- ordinary sand;
- ethanol;
- crushed sugar;
- baking soda.
We soak the sand in alcohol, then form a small hill out of it and make a depression at the top. After this, mix a small spoon of powdered sugar and a pinch of soda, then pour everything into an improvised “crater”. We set fire to our volcano, the alcohol in the sand begins to burn out, and black balls form. They are a product of the decomposition of soda and caramelized sugar.
After all the alcohol has burned out, the pile of sand will turn black and a wriggling “black pharaoh’s snake” will form. This experiment looks more impressive with the use of real reagents and strong acids, which can only be used in a chemical laboratory.
You can do it a little easier and buy a calcium gluconate tablet at the pharmacy. Set it on fire at home, the effect will be almost the same, only the “snake” will quickly collapse.
Magic lamp
In stores you can often see lamps, inside of which a beautiful illuminated liquid moves and shimmers. Such lamps were invented in the early 60s. They work on the basis of paraffin and oil. At the bottom of the device there is a built-in conventional incandescent lamp, which heats the descending molten wax. Part of it reaches the top and falls, the other part heats up and rises, so we see a kind of “dance” of paraffin inside the container.
In order to carry out a similar experience at home with a child, we will need:
- any juice;
- vegetable oil;
- effervescent tablets;
- beautiful container.
Take a container and fill it more than halfway with juice. Add vegetable oil on top and throw in an effervescent tablet. It begins to “work”, the bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass capture the juice and form a beautiful bubbling in the oil layer. Then the bubbles reaching the edge of the glass burst and the juice falls down. It turns out to be a kind of “circulation” of juice in a glass. Such magic lamps are absolutely harmless, unlike paraffin lamps, which a child can accidentally break and get burned.
Ball and orange: experience for kids
What will happen to a balloon if you drop orange or lemon juice on it? It will burst as soon as the citrus droplets touch it. And you can then eat the orange with your baby. It's very entertaining and fun. For the experiment we will need a couple of balloons and citrus. We inflate them and let the baby drip some fruit juice onto each one and see what happens.
Why does the balloon burst? It's all about a special chemical - limonene. It is found in citrus fruits and is often used in the cosmetics industry. When the juice comes into contact with the rubber of the balloon, a reaction occurs, limonene dissolves the rubber and the balloon bursts.
Sweet glass
You can make amazing things from caramelized sugar. In the early days of cinema, edible sweet glass was used in most fight scenes. This is because it is less traumatic for actors during filming and is inexpensive. Its fragments can then be collected, melted and made into film props.
Many people made sugar cockerels or fudge in childhood; glass should be made according to the same principle. Pour water into the pan, heat it up a little, the water should not be cold. After this, add granulated sugar and bring to a boil. When the liquid boils, cook until the mixture gradually begins to thicken and bubbles strongly. The melted sugar in the container should turn into viscous caramel, which, if lowered into cold water, will turn into glass.
Pour the prepared liquid onto a previously prepared baking sheet greased with vegetable oil, cool and the sweet glass is ready.
During the cooking process, you can add dye to it and cast it into some interesting shape, and then treat and surprise everyone around you.
Philosophical nail
This entertaining experiment is based on the principle of copper plating of iron. Named by analogy with a substance that, according to legend, could turn everything into gold, and was called the philosopher's stone. To conduct the experiment we will need:
- iron nail;
- a quarter of a glass of acetic acid;
- table salt;
- soda;
- a piece of copper wire;
- glass container.
Take a glass jar and pour acid and salt into it and stir well. Be careful, vinegar has a strong, unpleasant odor. It can burn the baby's delicate airways. Then we put copper wire into the resulting solution for 10-15 minutes, after some time we lower an iron nail, previously cleaned with soda, into the solution. After some time, we can see that a copper coating has appeared on it, and the wire has become shiny as new. How could this happen?
Copper reacts with acetic acid to form a copper salt, then the copper ions on the surface of the nail exchange places with iron ions and form a coating on the surface of the nail. And the concentration of iron salts in the solution increases.
Copper coins are not suitable for the experiment because this metal itself is very soft, and to make the money stronger, its alloys with brass and aluminum are used.
Copper products do not rust over time; they are covered with a special green coating - patina, which prevents it from further corrosion.
DIY soap bubbles
Who didn't love blowing soap bubbles as a child? How beautifully they shimmer and burst merrily. You can simply buy them in the store, but it will be much more interesting to create your own solution with your child and then blow bubbles.
It should be said right away that the usual mixture of laundry soap and water will not work. It produces bubbles that quickly disappear and are difficult to blow out. The most accessible way to prepare such a substance is to mix two glasses of water with a glass of dishwashing detergent. If you add sugar to the solution, the bubbles become stronger. They will fly for a long time and will not burst. And the huge bubbles that can be seen on stage by professional artists are created by mixing glycerin, water and detergent.
For beauty and mood, you can mix food coloring into the solution. Then the bubbles will glow beautifully in the sun. You can create several different solutions and use them in turns with your child. It's interesting to experiment with color and create your own new shade of soap bubbles.
You can also try mixing the soap solution with other substances and see how they affect the bubbles. Maybe you will invent and patent some new type of yours.
Spy ink
This legendary invisible ink. What are they made of? Now there are so many films about spies and interesting intellectual investigations. You can invite your child to play secret agents a little.
The point of such ink is that it cannot be seen on paper with the naked eye. Only by applying special influence, for example, heat or chemical reagents, can you see the secret message. Unfortunately, most recipes for making them are ineffective and such ink leaves marks.
We will make special ones that are difficult to see without special identification. For this you will need:
- water;
- spoon;
- baking soda;
- any heat source;
- stick with cotton on the end.
Pour warm liquid into any container, then, stirring, pour baking soda into it until it stops dissolving, i.e. the mixture will reach a high concentration. We put a stick with cotton wool at the end there and write something on paper with it. Let's wait until it dries, then bring the sheet to a lit candle or gas stove. After a while, you can see how the yellow letters of the written word appear on the paper. Make sure that the leaf does not catch fire while developing the letters.
Fireproof money
This is a famous and old experiment. For it you will need:
- water;
- alcohol;
- salt.
Take a deep glass container and pour water into it, then add alcohol and salt, stir well until all ingredients dissolve. To set it on fire, you can take ordinary pieces of paper, or if you don’t mind, you can take a banknote. Just take a small denomination, otherwise something may go wrong in the experiment and the money will be spoiled.
Place strips of paper or money in a water-salt solution; after a while they can be removed from the liquid and set on fire. You can see that the flame covers the entire bill, but it does not light up. This effect is explained by the fact that the alcohol in the solution evaporates, and the wet paper itself does not catch fire.
Wish-fulfilling stone
The process of growing crystals is very exciting, but labor-intensive. However, what you get as a result will be worth your time. The most popular is the creation of crystals from table salt or sugar.
Let's consider growing a “wishing stone” from refined sugar. For this you will need:
- drinking water;
- granulated sugar;
- piece of paper;
- thin wooden stick;
- small container and glass.
First, let's make the preparation. To do this we need to prepare a sugar mixture. Pour some water and sugar into a small container. Let the mixture boil and cook until it becomes syrupy. Then we lower the wooden stick there and sprinkle it with sugar, this must be done evenly, in this case the resulting crystal will become more beautiful and even. Leave the base for the crystal overnight to dry and harden.
Let's start preparing the syrup solution. Pour water into a large container and add sugar, stirring slowly. Then, when the mixture boils, cook it until it becomes a viscous syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
We cut out circles from paper and attach them to the end of a wooden stick. It will become the lid on which the wand with crystals is attached. Fill the glass with the solution and lower the workpiece into it. We wait for a week, and the “wishing stone” is ready. If you add dye to the syrup during cooking, it will turn out even more beautiful.
The process of creating crystals from salt is somewhat simpler. Here you just need to monitor the mixture and change it periodically in order to increase the concentration.
First of all, we create a blank. Pour warm water into a glass container and gradually stir, add salt until it stops dissolving. Leave the container for a day. After this time, you can find many small crystals in the glass; choose the largest one and tie it to a thread. Make a new salt solution and put a crystal there; it must not touch the bottom or edges of the glass. This may lead to unwanted deformations.
After a couple of days you can notice that he has grown. The more often you change the mixture, increasing the concentration of salt, the faster you can grow your wishing stone.
Glowing tomato
This experiment must be carried out strictly under the supervision of adults, as it uses harmful substances. The glowing tomato that will be created during this experiment should absolutely not be eaten, as it can lead to death or severe poisoning. We will need:
- regular tomato;
- syringe;
- sulfuric matter from matches;
- bleach;
- hydrogen peroxide.
We take a small container, put pre-prepared match sulfur there and pour in bleach. We leave all this for a while, after which we take the mixture into a syringe and inject it inside the tomato from different sides, so that it glows evenly. To start the chemical process, hydrogen peroxide is needed, which we introduce through the trace from the petiole from above. We turn off the lights in the room and we can enjoy the process.
Egg in vinegar: a very simple experiment
This is a simple and interesting ordinary acetic acid. To implement it you will need a boiled chicken egg and vinegar. Take a transparent glass container and place an egg in its shell in it, then fill it to the top with acetic acid. You can see bubbles rising from its surface; this is a chemical reaction taking place. After three days, we can observe that the shell has become soft and the egg is elastic, like a ball. If you shine a flashlight on it, you can see that it glows. It is not recommended to experiment with a raw egg, as the soft shell may break when squeezed.
DIY slime made from PVA
This is a fairly common strange toy from our childhood. Currently it is quite difficult to find it. Let's try to make slime at home. Its classic color is green, but you can use the one you like. Try mixing several shades and creating your own unique color.
To conduct the experiment we will need:
- glass jar;
- several small glasses;
- dye;
- PVA glue;
- regular starch.
Let's prepare three identical glasses with solutions that we will mix. Pour PVA glue into the first, water into the second, and dilute starch into the third. First, pour water into the jar, then add glue and dye, stir everything thoroughly and then add starch. The mixture needs to be stirred quickly so that it does not thicken, and you can play with the finished slime.
How to quickly inflate a balloon
Is there a holiday coming up and you need to inflate a lot of balloons? What to do? This unusual experience will help make the task easier. For it we need a rubber ball, acetic acid and regular soda. It must be carried out carefully in the presence of adults.
Pour a pinch of soda into a balloon and place it on the neck of a bottle of acetic acid so that the soda does not spill out, straighten the balloon and let its contents fall into the vinegar. You will see a chemical reaction take place and it will begin to foam, releasing carbon dioxide and inflating the balloon.
That's all for today. Don’t forget, it’s better to conduct experiments for children at home under supervision, it will be safer and more interesting. See you again!
Setting up an equatorial sundial at your dacha or site is not at all difficult. A gnomon - the future hand of a sundial - can be made from a stick, cardboard or a shovel handle. If you want to do everything exactly according to science and determine not solar time, but Moscow time, the angle of inclination of the gnomon should be equal to the latitude of your area. The dial is divided into 24 parts. You can very beautifully mark the divisions with shells or lay out numbers from pebbles.
You need to cover paper or fabric with a special photosensitive solution, then lay out silhouettes cut out of paper, dried blades of grass and flowers, leaves, lace on it, cover with glass and leave for 3-4 minutes in bright sun. On top of the glass you can place small objects (keys, shells), glass marbles. And then rinse with water. A chemical reaction occurs, and white silhouettes and outlines of blades of grass remain on a beautiful blue background. To prepare the solution, you need ammonium ferrocitrate (III) - (25 g per 100 ml of distilled water) and red (blood) salt - potassium ferrocyanide - (10 g per 100 ml of distilled water). The solution is made one time at a time and applied to paper under red light. Ready-made kits for cyanotype are sold in photo stores.
By the way, if the sun is a frequent visitor to the balcony, you can place any objects on a sheet of ordinary colored or tinted paper and place them in a sunny place. The paper will fade, but the silhouettes of the objects will remain.
Solar tattoo
For older children who love to sunbathe, or for dad who sleeps soundly, you can create a sunny surprise. Stick an image of a butterfly or flower on your arm or back (the outline can be cut out inside) or tie a stencil bandage with an image cut out inside. A white image will appear against the background of tanned skin.
You can see a homemade rainbow by using a hose or flower sprayer in sunny weather. And an experiment with seven glasses, citric acid and soda will help you play rainbow. Learn the treasured rhyme about pheasant hunting with your child, pour paint or food coloring of the appropriate color into each glass, then add soda and citric acid, add water. The rainbow river is ready. It’s very cool to conduct the experiment on A3 size watercolor paper; you’ll get a beautiful background for the painting.
Sand Volcano
The experiment with soda and vinegar, beloved by many, can be improved by making a volcano not from plasticine, but from sand, placing a plastic container inside. An option for older children is to dig a real volcano out of damp sand, put dry grass inside and set it on fire. Real smoke is pouring out, the delight of the children is guaranteed.
Try to slightly modify the bitter experience of the inquisitive Emil from Lenneberga and use a magnifying glass and a sunbeam to burn out not a hole in a hat, but a beautiful pattern on a wooden tablet as a gift for your grandmother.
Put an old sock on a bottle with the bottom cut off and secure it with an elastic band. Pour some water and dish soap into a bowl and blow into the neck of the bottle. A garland of soap foam appears, resembling a snake or a beard.
catch the wind
To “catch” the wind, you can make a comet ball out of fabric by sewing a tail made of felt or corrugated paper onto it. Or you can make a net from a wire ring and T-shirt bags and, tying it to a stick, run down the hill with it with a wild whoop or watch the direction of the wind. Or ask the wind to play on old forks and spoons, painted with acrylic and hung on an apple tree. Wind chimes can also be made from small-diameter flower pots, beads, ribbons and bells.
Even a six-year-old child can make such a rocket. The bottom of a plastic cup needs to be cut off. Inflate a long balloon and put it in a cup, and then place an inflated small round balloon underneath. Untie the string from the little ball and the rocket will take off!
In this case, you cannot do without your dad or grandfather. It is better to launch a rocket in an open field. The rocket requires a 1.5-liter bottle, a bicycle nipple, a wine bottle pump and cap, or a sports dispenser from a plastic bottle. The nipple is installed in the plug; to ensure a tight seal, you can coat the parts with superglue. The launch pad acts as a stand to hold the bottle in a vertical position. When starting, one adult holds the bottle, the other pumps it up. The cork flies out, the rocket soars into the air to a height of 6-9 floors! Warn children to stand back during launch and never lean over the rocket.
Surely, in any child’s household there will be a lower part of a car with wheels. Many people's favorite mentos + soda experience will turn unwanted debris into a jet machine if you attach a bottle to the platform and throw the mentos inside when it is in an upright position. When the reaction begins, plug the neck of the bottle with your finger and put the car on wheels. She will go, leaving a sweet fountain behind her.
To clearly show children how important plants are and the dangers of soil erosion, take three bottles cut in half. In one, sow seeds or place soil with growing grass, in another - pour soil with leaves, in the third - sand. Hang an inverted bottle neck or bottom on a string to the neck. When watering the earth, the water in the bottle will flow out, and the child will see how the roots of plants protect the earth from destruction and the water from pollution.
Plumbing maze
Setting up a real labyrinth for water from pipes, ladles and old pots is not at all difficult. A fence, an old door or a wooden panel will be suitable for the base. Nails or screws, ropes cut along the bottle, old hoses and your imagination will be used. Children can pour water and come up with new combinations for the water maze endlessly.
Experiences and experiments with preschoolers on a walk in the summer
Experiments with water on a walk with children 3-7 years old.
Proshina Vera Ivanovna – teacher of the MADOU CRR kindergarten No. 60 “Fairy Tale”, Likino-Dulevo, Moscow region.I would like to bring to your attention a number of experiments that can be carried out during a walk with preschool children in kindergarten. What are the benefits of children's experimentation? Search and cognitive activity opens up a new world for the child, full of mysteries and wonders. Children deepen their knowledge of nature - living and inanimate, they expand their horizons, learn to think, observe, analyze and draw conclusions. Children develop contact with objects, which allows them to understand their qualities and properties. And, of course, children's experimentation allows children to feel that they have independently discovered some phenomenon, and this affects their self-esteem.
The described experiments can be carried out with children 3–7 years old.
This material will be of interest to educators, additional education teachers, and parents.
Target: developing children's interest in search and experimental activities.
Tasks:
To form dialectical thinking in preschool children, that is, the ability to see the diversity of the world in a system of relationships and interdependencies.
Develop observation, thinking, memory, the ability to analyze, compare, generalize, establish cause-and-effect relationships, draw conclusions, enrich children’s vocabulary, and develop speech.
Develop an emotional and value-based attitude towards the world around you.
Children are very inquisitive people. They are interested in everything. A mobile and active child of 4-5 years old asks about 400 questions a day. And not all questions can be answered in such a way that the child understands. Sometimes one answer is not enough, there is a need to experiment - to show and tell how this or that action occurs in nature, to clarify knowledge about the properties and qualities of objects, their changes. Each experience helps to find solutions to various problems and makes it possible to understand why everything happens this way and not otherwise, to see the patterns with your own eyes. Experimental and research activities provide great opportunities for the comprehensive development of children. Children are introduced to the ability to reason, draw conclusions and conclusions, which ensures the formation of the child’s worldview and contributes to the development of personal growth. This type of activity allows each child to realize his inquisitive and cognitive activity, develops thinking, enriches knowledge and vocabulary. Children are encouraged to create rather than destroy.
Types of experiments in preschool educational institutions.
Experimentation can be demonstrative and frontal.
Demonstration observation- this is a type of activity in which there is only one object of observation; it is located with the teacher, who conducts and demonstrates the experiment to children. This type has its pros and cons. In this case, the personal initiative and involvement of children is minimized. Only if the baby is already interested in the experimental activity will he carefully observe the progress of the experiment, otherwise a passive reaction from the group is possible.
Frontal observation- This is a type of activity that uses several objects that children explore independently. Of course, this type of experimentation is more suitable for activating the work of all the children, arousing their interest and curiosity. However, it can be difficult for one teacher to monitor a whole group: children work at different speeds, and there is a risk of non-compliance with safety rules when performing some experiments. Therefore, it is better if several teachers are present at the frontal observation. You can conduct experiments with a subgroup of children.
This form of work ensures personality-oriented interaction between an adult and a child as partners - together, on equal terms. The activity of children is in one way or another connected with the activity coming from an adult, and then becomes the property of the child himself. In the process of such activity, various intellectual skills are formed, which are very important for learning at school - the ability to analyze, compare, generalize, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Experimentation is an activity that allows a child to model in his mind a picture of the world based on his own observations, answers, and established patterns.
Children's experimentation in kindergarten is a way to awaken interest in science, therefore, how bright and interesting your experiments are will determine how the child's cognitive interest will develop in the process of search and research activities.
It is necessary to select experiments in accordance with the age of the children. In the younger group, complex experiments with glass objects, microscopes, etc. should not be given. Before starting the experiment, it is necessary to interest the children, using surprise moments, the presence of various characters (Dunno, Why, Grandfather Knowing, Curious, etc.), introducing attributes: droplets, clouds, etc., asking riddles, reading poetry. It is necessary to remind children about safety rules in different situations with different objects.
Rules for conducting experiments:
1. Establish the purpose of the experiment: why we are conducting the experiment.
2.Select all the necessary materials for the experiment.
3. Establish a research plan.
4. Clarify life safety rules during experiments.
5.Distribute children into subgroups.
6. Analyze and summarize the results of the experimentation obtained by the children.
7.Display the results of the experiment in one of the development environment projects.
Conducting experiments with preschoolers should become the norm. They should be considered not as entertainment, but as a way to familiarize children with the world around them. Experiments allow you to combine all types of activities and all aspects of education, develop observation and inquisitiveness of the mind, the desire to understand the world, the ability to invent, work in a team, use non-standard solutions in difficult situations, and allow you to create a creative personality.
Experiments with water.
To conduct experiments with water, you can use the following equipment:
1. Transparent and opaque vessels of different shapes and volumes: Plastic basins, bowls, bottles, cups.
2. Products: milk, salt, sugar, lemon, vanillin.
3.Plastic spoons and beakers, funnels of different sizes.
4.Rubber bulbs of different volumes.
5.Pipettes with rounded ends, plastic syringes without needles.
6.Cocktail straws.
7. Dyes: Easter paint for eggs, gouache paint, brilliant green, potassium permanganate crystals.
8. Natural material: leaves, twigs, cones, seeds, pebbles, shells, shells, pieces of bark, fur, etc.
9. Waste material: paper, pieces of leather, foam rubber, corks, wire.
10.Toys: plastic, rubber, wood.
11. Hourglass, mechanical.
12. Scales, steelyard.
13. Sand and water mills.
"Water is a liquid."
Task: identify the property of water - fluidity.
Pour water from one glass to another.
Conclusion: liquid water. It can flow; this property of water is called fluidity.
"The water is clear."
Task: identify the property of water - transparency.
Place small objects of different colors into a glass of water.
Conclusion: water has no color, it is colorless, transparent, an object is visible through it.
"Water can change its color"
Task: reveal the properties of water: it can be painted in different colors.
Dip potassium permanganate crystals into water and drop in brilliant green.
Conclusion: water can change color depending on what substance is added to it.
"Water has no smell."
Task: determine that the water has no odor.
Smell the water. Does the water smell anything?
Conclusion: the water does not smell of anything, it has no odor
"Water takes shape."
Task: reveal that water takes the shape of the vessel into which it is poured.
Fill the vessels with water.
Conclusion: water takes the form of a vessel.
"Water has weight"
Task: measure the amount of water using measuring spoons.
Water can be poured into a narrow neck through a funnel, then it will not spill. Measure 10 spoons, pouring into containers of different shapes, and then pour into identical glasses.
Conclusion: water has weight.
"Life-giving properties of water."
Task: know who needs water and why (plants, animals, birds, humans - all living things). Show the important property of water - giving life to living things.
Place one branch in a vessel with water and the other without water.
Conclusion: the twig withered without water. All living things die without water.
“Water can make things stick together.”
Task: introduce children to the adhesive properties of water.
We take two pieces of paper, connect them and move them in different directions (moves freely). Dip sheets of paper into the water, connect them, try to move the sheets - they don’t move.
Conclusion: water has a gluing effect.
“Let’s drop a drop into the flour”
Task: introduce children to the method of forming clouds using the example of flour.
Pour flour onto a tray and spray it with a spray bottle - flour-coated balls will form.
Conclusion: dust particles around themselves collect small drops of water, forming one large drop. Cloud formation occurs in the same way. Water glues flour - the principle of kneading dough.
"Drowning - not drowning."
Task: give children an idea of the buoyancy of objects, that buoyancy does not depend on the size of the object, but on its heaviness.
Place objects of various weights into a bowl of water.
Conclusion: If an object is light, water holds it on the surface. If an object is heavy, it puts pressure on the water. She cannot hold it - the object drowns.
"Fountains".
Task: Explain the principle of operation of the fountain.
Make holes in an empty bottle using nails with heads and leave them in the bottle. Pour water into this bottle, pull out the nails - water flows out of the holes with pressure, you get a fountain.
Conclusion: water finds a hole and flows out of it, but it does not flow through plugged holes.
“Why don’t ships sink?”
Task: Identify the dependence of the buoyancy of objects on the balance of forces: the correspondence of the size and shape of the object with its weight.
Make boats from different objects (from a matchbox, from an egg carton, from a plastic tray, from a cheese box, from a nut shell.
Conclusion: an object floats on the surface of water due to the balance of forces. If the weight of an object corresponds to its size, then the water pressure balances its weight and the object floats. The shape of the object is also of great importance. The shape of the ship keeps it on the water. There is a lot of air inside the ship, thanks to which it is light, despite its size. It displaces more water than it weighs.
“We fill the syringe with water”
In a Montessori group, learning is conducted from the concrete to the abstract. Experiments in a Montessori environment are therefore the first introduction to science. A distinctive feature of Montessori experiences is that children must participate in the implementation, and not just watch from the sidelines. Therefore, all experiments for children from three to six years old are understandable and easy to perform. They can be done at home and in the classroom.
Experiments with children 3–4 years old
- What attracts a magnet?
A large magnet is placed on the tray and a basket with metal and non-metal objects is placed.
An adult takes a magnet and checks what it will attract. They start with a metal object: they bring it to a magnet, it is attracted, and it is put aside. They take a non-metallic thing: it is not attracted, it is put aside in the other direction. Then the child is asked to sort on his own.
Older children may conclude that a magnet attracts metal.
- Floats or sinks.
A box with 12 objects, half of which sink, half of which float, a bowl and a jug of water is placed on the tray.
Fill the bowl with water. Take a thing from the box, name it, look at it with your child. Discuss whether it is big or small, heavy or light. Gently lower the object into the liquid to see if it floats or sinks. Depending on the result, set it aside. Now do the same with the “contrasting” item and put it aside. Sort out all the contents of the box, asking your child to guess in advance whether this or that item will sink. Finally, ask why some things sink while others float. Lead to the conclusion that the material is important.
You can do this exercise with plasticine: in the form of a ball it will sink, and the plasticine cake will stay afloat. Conclusion: shape is also important.
- Experiment with salt and fresh water.
Two identical containers are filled two-thirds full with water. Place a spoonful of salt in one, stirring each time, until it stops dissolving and begins to settle as a sediment.
Take two eggs. One is placed in a container of fresh water - it sinks. The second egg is placed in a container with salted water - it floats near the surface.
Conclusion: salt makes water denser. This density prevents objects from sinking. It is easier for us to swim in the sea than in fresh water.
- How do plants drink?
Pour water into a glass and add food coloring to create a rich color. Place a stalk of celery in a glass and leave overnight. In the morning, cut off part of the stem. You will see that the stem has absorbed the paint and is colored when cut.
If you replace the celery with white flowers, children can clearly see how the plants drink.
Experiments for children 4–5 years old
- How to raise the water level.
Fill the glass to the very top. Tell the children that without adding a drop you can make the liquid overflow. Take the stone and carefully lower it into the glass. Invite your child to lower the stones. Pay his attention to how the liquid rises above the edge of the container, as if forming a bubble. Continue until the glass is overflowing.
Conclude that a solid body displaces water, raising its level.
- Mixing colors.
You will need six small glasses, water, a pipette, blue, yellow and red paint, and stir sticks.
Pour some water into a glass, add a few drops of blue paint, and stir. Repeat with the other two cups, adding yellow paint to one and red paint to the other.
Take a glass with blue liquid and pour some into the empty one, pour the other part from the glass with yellow. Mix and thus create a green color. Repeat with yellow and red, and then with red and blue.
Invite the children to record the results of the experiment on paper. Draw three circles on the sheet: two next to each other are the colors being mixed, one below them is the result.
- Condensation.
Fill a glitter tin can halfway with water and add ice cubes or snow. Place in a warm place and watch: small droplets appear on the walls.
A similar experiment can be done by heating water in a pan and then filling it with ice cubes. Take the lid and hold it over the pan. Water vapor will rise and condense on the lid and then flow back into the pan.
- Monitoring the rate of evaporation.
Pour water into a bottle with markings and place in a warm place. Mark the level for the next day. Conclude that the level has decreased. Fill two bottles with the same amount of liquid and place one in a warm place, the other in a cold place. Offer to measure the fluid amount the next day. Draw a conclusion about the effect of temperature on evaporation.
Experiments for children 5–6 years old
- Fireproof ball.
You will need two balls. Inflate the first balloon and ask your child to bring it to a burning candle. The ball will burst. Pour water into another ball. It will absorb the heat of the candle, and nothing will happen to the ball.
- What burns and what doesn't.
This experience is always carried out under the guidance of an adult. Take a large bowl, a thin long candle and various materials: paper, wood, iron, wax. The child puts an object in a bowl and sets it on fire, watching what happens to the material: it burns, melts, or simply heats up. Carry out the experiment with an ice cube - it will put out the candle. Make a conclusion about what materials burn.
These fun, Montessori-inspired experiences introduce children ages three to six to the basics of science.
