Is there a shortage of ‘Vinegar’ in the market?
There might just be, because it’s one of the ingredients used for just one of the several amazing science experiments with water!
Luckily for us, the ingredient for ‘all’ water experiments, is none other than Water itself! Namely, something that is responsible for covering a whopping two-thirds of the Earth’s surface! No wonder, then, there’s no shortage of this one, at least.
In this article, we at Kangaroo Kids propose to showcase to you eager parents, some fun science experiments using only water. Ready to unleash a ‘torrent’ of water experiments for kids?
Let’s get the ‘flow’ started, then!
Water Experiments for Kids: 6 Fun Science Experiments with Water
Presenting some fun science experiments that don’t necessitate much – other than that central ingredient that is Water’, of course!
- Hot and Cold Water that doesn’t Mix Experiment
- Take a glass, and fill it almost to the brim with cold water. Then add some drops of food colouring to the glass.
- Now, fill another glass, but this time with hot water.
- Now take a piece of cardboard, and place it on top of the glass of cold water. Pressing it down firmly, turn the glass upside down. Then, place this glass on top of the glass of hot water.
- Gently slide the cardboard out and see the waters not mixing!
- Pepper Surface Tension Experiment
- Pour some water into a paper plate. Note: You don’t want to pour too quickly, or it will overflow!
- Taking some white pepper, sprinkle it gently over the surface of the plate.
- Add a drop of detergent to the center of the plate. Then watch, as the salt gravitates towards the edges of the paper plate!
- The Balloon that doesn’t burst!
- Have your child fill up a balloon, and hand it over to you.
- Then place it over a candle, and watch their delight as it bursts.
- Help them to fill another balloon, but this time with water.
- Now, place this water balloon over the candle flame, and see the look of awe on your child’s face as it doesn’t burst!
- The Do-Not-Open Bottle
- Taking an ice pick, punch a hole in the side of an empty plastic bottle.
- Covering the hole with your finger, fill the bottle with water from a tap.
- Put the cap of the bottle back on, and remove your finger after placing the bottle on the kitchen counter. Your child will be amazed to see no water coming out!
- Magic Plastic Bag
- Fill three-fourths of a zip-lock bag with water, before sealing it.
- Take three or four pencils, and have your child poke them through the bag all the way through the water and out through the other side. They will be thrilled to see that no water leaks out!
- DIY Lava Lamp
Imagine a river flowing into the sea, but their waters are not mixing!
How to:
How it Works: The hot and cold water don’t mix, because they have different densities. The cold water is of a lower density than the hot water – hence, it floats on top of it.
Your kids will be fascinated with this cool science experiment that involves the use of pepper – talk about adding ‘spice’ to life!
How to:
How it Works: The detergent molecules serve to reduce the surface tension in the middle of the plate, while the higher surface tension at the paper plate’s edge pulls the pepper towards it.
Probably the only thing that’s more exciting for kids than a ‘balloon that bursts’, is a ‘balloon that doesn’t burst’!
How to:
How it Works: The reason the balloon doesn’t burst here is because the water absorbs most of the heat. Hence, the balloon itself doesn’t get too hot!
Science experiments with water are great for teaching several cool concepts. In this case, ‘pressure’ and ‘force’!
How to:
How it Works: The air pressure in the bottle is equal to the pressure of air outside, so no water comes out of the bottle!
Bonus: Get your child to lift the bottle. They will be amazed to see water gushing out now! This is, of course, because of the extra force of their hand.
This one’s similar to the above experiment, but different at the same time!
How to:
How it Works: The zip-lock bag is made of plastic materials called ‘polymers’, that are known for their stretchiness. When the pencil is thrust through the bag, that stretchy plastic ‘hugs’ the pencil, thereby creating a watertight seal!
Talking about ‘hot’ examples of fun science experiments, this one’s the perfect example!
How to:
- Take a plastic water bottle and fill a third of it with water.
- Then, fill the rest of the bottle with oil.
- Add some food colouring to the water. See your child’s surprise, as they witness the colour falling right through the oil, and mixing only with the water.
- Finish off by breaking up a fizzy water tablet, and adding it to the top of the bottle. The bubbles of air that are formed will get the colour to ‘swirl’ through the oil, and your child will have their very own ‘lava lamp’!
How it Works: The food colouring is denser than oil – hence, it falls right through. Of course, it’s the carbon dioxide ‘bubbles’ that cause the food colouring to rise, but when the bubbles pop, it will descend once again!
At Kangaroo Kids we believe that there is no better way to drill important concepts of Science into the minds of young children, than with these cool water experiments for kids. We hope they have sparked an element of interest in you, too, and that you will waste no time in getting your child to perform their very first Science experiment with Water!
