After a rain shower, have you ever noticed how puddles slowly disappear? It’s not just magic—it’s science! This week, join us in a fascinating STEAM activity for kids that turns preschoolers into budding rain detectives. It’s time to solve the Mystery of the Vanishing Puddle.
Dive Into Discovery
Rainy days bring more than just the pitter-patter of drops on the roof; they leave behind mysteries waiting to be solved. What happens to those glittering puddles that gather after the rain stops? With a simple and engaging investigation, we can guide our young learners through the cycle of water, from splashy puddles back into the air.
Become a Rain Detective
This exploration is not just about watching; it’s about doing! Here’s a sneak peek at what our little detectives will be up to:
- Observation: Start by observing the size of a puddle right after the rain. What does it look like? How big is it?
- Prediction: Where do we think the water goes? Let’s make guesses and draw our ideas.
- Investigation: Over time, we’ll check back on our puddle. Is it getting smaller? Can we see it disappear?
Through this playful STEAM investigation, children will not only learn about evaporation and the water cycle but also sharpen their observational skills, practice making predictions, and explore basic scientific concepts—all while having fun!
What is evaporation?
Evaporation occurs when water turns into vapor and rises into the air, like when a puddle dries up in the sun.
Materials: A Bowl of Water, Pipette or Eye Dropper, Crayons, Watercolor Paint, Watercolor Paper, Cookie Sheet, Painter’s Tape, Timer, Sunny Window
Step 1: Tape your paper to the cookie sheet. (The cookie sheet or plastic tray will help minimize the mess for clean up).
Step 2: Use the pipette or eye dropper to create a puddle of water on the middle of your paper. Using the crayon, draw around the puddle of water and place in a sunny window.
Ask the children to predict what they think will happen to the puddle of water.
Step 4: Set the timer for a set period of time (we checked after an hour). Pick a different color of crayon and draw around the puddle.
How did the puddle change?
This is a slow process, so I recommend checking throughout the day. Factors such as how sunny it is and how big your puddle of water is will determine the rate of evaporation.
Most likely, your child will bump the paper and the water will move, it’s okay, just draw around it.
Keep checking throughout the day.
We made a color key on the side of our paper to remember what order we drew the colors around our puddle.
Observe what happens to the shape of your puddle.
Step 5: Use your puddle documentation to create your own puddles of color with water colors. The crayon drawings will resist the paint creating a puddle inspired work of art!
Ask your child what they think will happen to the puddles of watercolor paint?
STEAM activities like observing vanishing puddles and understanding the water cycle through hands-on experiments cultivate a sense of wonder and stewardship in young learners, inspiring them to cherish and protect our precious water resources. Together, let’s celebrate the rain and its role in the never-ending, wondrous water journey.
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