Activity Idea: Does It Float?

Kindergarten QuickSource® tells us that "When math is presented in a fun and creative way, teachers provide children with the opportunity to develop abstract reasoning skills, learn complex math concepts and create solutions to real-life problems."

Here's a great activity idea called Does It Float? that presents math in a fun way and teaches children to sort or group objects according to the similarities or differences in their attributes.

Before you start: For this activity you will need: a water table or large container filled with water; a tray of assorted materials, some that float and others that do not (only use materials that are appropriate for placing in water); a sheet of paper with a line drawn down the middle for each child - On the top of one side write, "Yes" and on the other side write "No"; crayons & pencils.

Let's Get Started!

1) Play a game of "Does It Float?" by giving the child a tray of objects to place in the water.

2) Provide a sheet of paper, divided as described, for the child to record results.

3) Have the child place each object, one at a time, in the water. If the object floats, have the child draw a picture of the object on the "Yes" side of the paper. If it does not float, have the child draw a picture of the object on the "No" side of the paper.

4) Have the child continue until he/she has tried every object on the tray.

If using POCET™, this activity correlates to Developmental Guideline: MA3: Clasifies and Sorts by Attributes

For more developmentally-appropriate activities, visit Teacher QuickSource® and browse through all age areas, including Preschool, Kindergarten, Infant & Toddler, and Head Start. Don't forget to explore activities promoting environmental awareness at Environmental QuickSource®, too!