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!

Density and Hull Design

Riddle us this: when you drop a steel screw into a bucket, it sinks. But plop a two ton cruise ship on the open water, add a night club and a midnight buffet, and voila! Vacation! But why? Find out how the hull design of a boat allows it to bear load in this awesome experiment by Scientific American that explains how the waterways can be used for shipping (and vacationing).

Scientific Principal
If a boat is more dense than water, it will sink. But design a boat to be less dense—by manipulating hull design—and you've got yourself a floater!

All photos by the author.