Activities / Play
Sink or float guessing game
Guess first, then test. A bowl of water and whatever is in the kitchen drawer.
- Ages3+
- Time10 minutes
- A grown-up helps withChoosing safe things to test
How to make it
- Draw two columns on the paper: sink and float.
- Hold up the first thing. Everyone guesses out loud: sink or float?
- Put it gently in the water and watch.
- Write it in the right column and give a point to everyone who guessed right.
- Keep going. The player with the most points picks the next round of things.
Why it works
Whether something floats is not only about weight. It is about how tightly its stuff is packed, which is called density. A heavy log floats because wood is less dense than water. A tiny coin sinks because metal is more dense.
Try next
- Can you make a ball of foil sink and a flat boat of foil float?
- Does an orange float with its peel? And without?
Safety note. A grown-up stays next to the water the whole time, even if it is shallow. A grown-up should be nearby for the whole activity.
Watch it
The video for this activity is on its way. It will be on our YouTube channel first.
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