5 Enjoyable STEM Activities Preschoolers Will Love
By the time young kids enter preschool, they are developing their motor skills, learning to communicate and socializing with peers. A 2022 study shows preschool is also the perfect time for kids to begin their first forays into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The STEM concepts kids learn as early as age three can stick with them throughout their lifetimes. Organizing imaginative and enriching STEM activities for preschoolers can provide them with a jumpstart in their education, and foster early interest and enthusiasm for science.
From a Sink or Float game to self-inflating balloons, here, we’ll explore five age-appropriate activities for preschoolers that ignite curiosity and cultivate essential STEM-based skills, from a Sink or Float game to self-inflating balloons!
#1 The Sink or Float Game
Let’s start things off with a simple experiment. Sink or Float is exactly what it sounds like: an engaging game where young children guess which objects will stay atop the water and which will fall to the bottom.
To play, all you’ll need is:
- A variety of items that you don’t mind getting wet; rocks, plates, plastic containers, pencils and other basic household objects work well
- A large basin to fill with water, such as a fish tank or sink
Before you start, introduce your preschoolers to the concept of buoyancy by having them hold a heavy object (such as a rock), and then a light one (like a plastic food storage container). Then, drop both items into the water and explain that the rock sinks because it’s more dense, and the container floats because it’s less dense.
Now you’re ready to kick off the main event! Grab two items from your collection (one that will sink and one that will float) and have your children guess what will happen to each of them. To make it a bit easier, you can have them hold the items to decide which is heavier. Then, drop the items in the water and observe the results.
The Sink or Float experiment not only introduces kids to the concept of buoyancy, but also gives them a sneak peek into the scientific process. Scientific experiments have predictable, repeatable results—for example, the rock will always sink in the water. Soon enough, your preschooler will have a better understanding of density, and why certain objects sink while others float.
#2 Color-Changing Flowers
This experiment takes a little longer to unfold, but the end results will be well worth the wait! The Color-Changing Flowers experiment teaches preschoolers the essentials of plant life— for instance, that plants feed on water. This experiment also introduces the idea that what we eat can impact our bodies and the way we look.
To bring this experiment together, you’ll need:
- White flowers—carnations in particular work wonderfully
- Clear plastic cups
- Different colors of food coloring
- Water
Start by ensuring your flowers are trimmed and free of thorns, twigs and other pointy parts that can poke tiny palms. Then:
- Fill your plastic cups about halfway with water.
- Add 10 to 15 drops of food coloring to each cup and swirl them around until you reach a consistent shade.
- Place a single flower in each cup.
- Wait.
You should start noticing changes to your flowers’ petals within a few hours, but sometimes this experiment takes a day or two to show its true colors. Be sure to check on your cups every few hours to watch their gradual shift from neutral to vibrant colors.
Alongside monitoring the color changes, note the water level in your cups; explain to your preschoolers that the water gets lower as time goes by because the flowers are drinking it up. Likewise, you can use the opportunity to discuss some of the basics of horticulture, like how plants get energy and nutrients from sunlight and water the same way humans get energy from food.
#3 Fireworks in a Jar
Don’t put that food coloring away yet! The Fireworks in a Jar project uses liquids with different densities to produce a dazzling display of color that reinforces the same STEM concepts learned in the Sink or Float experiment—and introduces to some new ones, too.
To get this magical mix going, gather:
- A clear jar or large glass
- Food coloring—preferably multiple shades if you have them
- Water
- Cooking oil such as vegetable or canola
- A bowl
- A fork
The point of this experiment is to illustrate how liquids of different densities (such as water and oil) don’t mix. To start:
- Fill the jar about three-quarters full with water and add three to four tablespoons of oil to your bowl.
- Squeeze three to four drops of each food coloring into your oil and stir gently with your fork.
- Slowly pour the oil and food coloring mixture into your jar.
- Watch the fireworks come to life.
The food coloring will rain down in magical, vibrant wisps as it falls to the bottom of the jar. Throughout the process, the oil will separate from the coloring (which is water-based), and rise to the top of the jar. If you did the Sink or Float experiment from earlier, have your child explain what’s occurring inside the jar. If not, it’s a great opportunity to teach them about the concept of density.
Fireworks in a Jar is also your chance to introduce your children to the idea of solubility. Point out how certain liquids blend together (like the food coloring and water) while others remain separate (such as the oil and water/food coloring). Once the lesson is over, you can close the jar and shake it up for one last epic color show!
#4 Sugarcube Towers
Kids love to play with blocks, Legos and other similar building materials almost as much as they love sugar; the Sugarcube Towers project combines the two to put a unique spin on the age-old playtime activity of building tall towers. Just make sure they don’t eat the construction materials first!
To get started, assemble:
- Cubes of sugar
- Water
- An eyedropper
- A plate or other surface to work on
Just like other building activities, it’s best to show your preschoolers the basics of how to put pieces together, and then let their imaginations run wild. To build a sugar cube tower:
- Start with your base. Arrange a few sugar cubes on your plate in whatever shape you’d like.
- Add a drop or two of water to the sides of each cube to stick them together. If you don’t have an eyedropper, you can dip your finger in a bit of water and carefully apply it to the sides of your cubes to achieve the same effect.
- Add water to the tops of your cubes then stack them up to build the tower higher.
Encourage your child to experiment with different shapes, heights and approaches to building. Show them how towers with larger bases tend to stand stronger and grow taller, while thinner bases tend to topple as they rise in height. Let them explore their inner architect until they’ve had their fill, then show them the wonders of dissolution by pouring warm water over their final creation.
#5 Magic Balloons
We’ve all heard of the baking soda and vinegar volcano experiment; while it’s an enduring classic, the Magic Balloons project puts a unique spin on it to really elevate the fun.
The “magic” in these magic balloons is their ability to seemingly inflate on their own. However, the process isn’t actually unexplainable–It’s science!
For this experiment, you will need:
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- A plastic bottle
- A balloon
Once you have gathered your materials, follow the instructions below to see the magic happen right before your eyes:
- Pour about two ounces of vinegar into the bottle.
- Scoop two teaspoons of baking soda into the balloon.
- Stretch the balloon’s opening over the bottle so the top (with the baking soda in it) is hanging off to the side.
- Lift the balloon from the end so the baking soda falls into the vinegar.
- Swirl the bottle around until the two substances combine.
- Watch your balloon magically inflate.
Explain how mixing the vinegar and baking soda creates a gas that rises and fills the balloon. Pop the balloon off the top to let your preschooler hear the fizzing– and if you want a real show, dump in extra baking soda and vinegar and let it burst out of the bottle like a geyser!
More Exciting STEM Activities Await at Camp Galileo
These engaging STEM projects are excellent ways to introduce your preschooler to scientific concepts, and even more exciting activities are on the docket this summer at Camp Galileo.
At Camp Galileo, we encourage our campers to creatively and collaboratively explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and put the lessons they learn toward improving the world around us. Through a plethora of engaging activities that enhance the traditional summer camp experience, we inspire kids to be confident and resilient out-of-the-box thinkers.
Camp Galileo can help your preschooler bridge the gap to kindergarten through unique, play-based STEM activities like building model cars, exploring coral reefs and more. From kindergarten to 8th grade, Camp Galileo provides kids with hands-on, educator-led STEAM activities, outdoor adventures and more. We also provide a Counselor In Training program for 8th-10th graders at select locations. With more than 70 locations across the United States, find a camp near you and enroll before summer rolls around to give your little one a fun headstart in the sciences.
Sources:
- Alexandre et al. “Informal STEM Learning for Young Children: A Systematic Literature Review”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 7 July 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9320717/
- American Chemical Society. “The Secret Science of Self-Inflating Balloons”. ACS. 21 September 2023 https://www.acs.org/education/activities/the-secret-science-of-self-inflating-balloons.html.
- C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “Color Changing Flowers”. University of Michigan Health. 2023.
https://www.mottchildren.org/posts/camp-little-victors/color-changing-flowers. - National Association for the Education of Young Children. “What do Children Learn in a High-Quality Preschool Program?”. NAEYC https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/what-do-children-learn-preschool-program.
- Ontario Science Centre. “Making Fireworks in a Jar”.Ontario Science Centre. 26 June 2020
https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/science-at-home/diy-science-fun/make-fireworks-in-a-jar. - Science World. “Sugar Cube Towers”. ASTC Science World Society. https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/sugar-cube-towers/
- University of Alaska Fairbanks. “Sink or Float?”. Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. 2011. https://outreach.gi.alaska.edu/aksci/physical-science/sink-or-float