Montessori preschool children are just as capable of learning at home as they are at school. Science subjects are easy to display and exciting for small kids, and there are plenty of things around the house to make science a fun activity. As a starting point, here are a few home science activities to get you started.
Drinking Glass Lava Lamp
From Montessori preschool through elementary, children will get a kick out of this experiment. Pour water in a glass until it is about one-fourth full. Add a drop or two of food coloring and mix well. Now fill the glass three-fourths full with vegetable oil. Mix water and oil and watch how the two behave! You can use multiple colors by mixing the colors in separate containers and pouring them slowly into the glass of oil.
Soda Bottle Volcano
Baking soda and vinegar are the basic ingredients to make a backyard volcano using a soda bottle. Make sure to add the baking soda first so that the vinegar can be poured in quickly. You can add food coloring to the vinegar for a colorful display. As an added, bonus, “pour” the air remaining in the bottle after your volcano on a lit candle. The gas in the bottle will extinguish it!
Fly a Kite
Flying a kite teaches small children a lot about things like airflow and the basics of lift dynamics. It is also a great way to improve muscular control and has the potential of creating many hours of self-fueled outdoor playtime. If your child shows an interest, delve into the origin and history of kites, or help her design her own.
Magical Expanding Soap
Place a bar of Dove soap in a shallow dish and put it in the microwave. As the waves penetrate the bar of soap, it grows to a much larger size. If you would rather make it a delicious experiment, substitute marshmallows for the soap and let your little one eat the exciting results.
Learning about science with hands-on experiments gives small children a direct connection to the science they are learning about. Keep in mind that small children need constant supervision when using household substances. The important thing is to make science fun and something she can hold in her hand.