Activities for Kids

Sink, Swim & Float! 6 Sensational Science Experiments

Take their love of boats to the next level with these cool experiments you can easily do right at home.

By Shelley Massey June 1, 2020

When you’re a parent—especially during COVID—sometimes, “absolutely not” becomes “whatever floats your boat” a little more frequently. And, because they’re kids, you’d better be prepared for their millions of questions about what that really means, exactly. So teach them with a fun at-home scientific activity! A day of boating science is as fun as it is educational, and we’ve got six simple science experiments for kids that are bound to make some waves!

Weight and Buoyancy

Not all light things float, and not all heavy things sink, but why? Try this experiment by Rockabye Butterly to test various household objects and toys for buoyancy. Sort the ones that float by size, shape, and weight. Do the same for the ones that sink. You'll be amazed when your piles of objects that sink look similar to the one of those that float.

Scientific Principal
An object's size may play a factor in whether something will float or sink, but it's not the only factor. Density, how solid something is—or how tightly packed together its molecules or atoms are—is a better predictor of whether it will float or sink.

All photos by the author.