With all the new water play apparatuses on our playground there has been a lot of water exploration and inquiring. We have observed the toddlers using buckets, shovels, cups and many more items to collect the water from the wooden stumps lever and maneuver the collected water sources across the playground. In doing this they have watched cups fill up and be dumped out. They also have played in large puddles where they scoop and manipulate the water around.
While thinking of all the different water play ideas we have done so far, we realized we haven’t had a chance to fill large containers full of water and test out the fun learning ideas of sink and float! So, we excitedly started by first exploring explored the idea of, “floating.”
After filling up three large buckets, the toddlers began throwing different items into them. To grasp the idea of just floating and not sinking quite yet, we made sure all the items were buoyant. After a quick explanation about how items, if they sink, will sink all the way to the bottom of the bucket. Vice versa, if things float they will stay on top of the water. We then held up different items and would ask the toddlers which item they thought would, “sink or float?”
Ford threw in a boat and yelled out, “float!” he was right!
Then Charlotte, Benjamin, Annie, Rose and Penny F began throwing in pinecones. “It’s float,” Penny yelled out excitedly! This started a game in which each child would find different items outside around the playground to test in the water.
Hannah had a great idea, and took off her crocks, she threw them into the water and excitedly screeched and pointed. “Do they float?” Sarah asked Hannah. Hannah nodded her head yes with a smile of happiness.
Some of the children tried to push the objects down into the water but were surprised when they popped back up to the surface unable to sink to the bottom.
A couple days later we explored the concept of sinking. We again collected objects we thought would sink when placed into the water. Objects such as metal utensils, cars and plastic animals were tested. To our surprise the plastic animals actually float and didn’t sink to the bottom.
Austin enjoyed placing the spoons into the bucket and watching the big splash as they quickly sank to the bottom.
Benjamin found a large rock and threw it into the bucket. “It’s falling,” he exclaimed excitedly.
The toddlers are always exploring their environment around them naturally. These two activities enabled them to start developing deeper critical thinking during their play. It got them to ask more questions and develop trial and error skills.
I wonder what other activities we could do to explore more of these two ideas?
