Preschool science activities at home: predict, try, notice

The short answer

For a young child, science is mostly asking "what will happen if...?", trying it and talking about what they saw. You do not need a kit. A tray on a cushion, a sheet of paper or a pile of clean fabric is enough. Ask your child to guess first, try it together, then notice what happened and whether it matched the guess. A result that differs from the guess is not a mistake; it is often the most interesting part.

About these ideas. The four activities and the Predict, Try, Notice sheet in this guide were written by SunnySeeds Academy for families to try at home with an adult. They are not our lesson plans or class routine, not a test and not scored.

Predict, try, notice

• Predict. Before you start, ask "what do you think will happen?" Any answer is welcome, including "I don't know".
• Try. Do it together, slowly. Try it again if your child wants to.
• Notice. Ask "what happened?" and "was it what you thought?" Your child can say it, point or draw it on the sheet.

UNICEF's parenting guidance on introducing science to toddlers describes young children exploring with an adult nearby, and adults encouraging their questions and observations. We use that as general background only. It does not describe our curriculum, and the activities below are our own.

Four supervised activities

Each one takes a few minutes. Stay with your child the whole time, from setting up to tidying away, and stop while it is still fun.

1. Rolling down a ramp

You need: a tray, a large chopping board or a big hardback book, one or two cushions, and two or three balls too large to fit in your child's mouth, such as a soft foam ball and a large plastic ball.

Rest one end of the tray on a cushion on the floor so the slope is gentle, and clear the space in front of it. Ask your child which ball they think will roll the furthest. Let each ball go from the top without pushing, and see where it stops. Then add a second cushion to make the slope a little higher and try again. Keep the ramp on the floor.

Notice: Which ball went furthest? What changed when the slope was higher?

2. Paper shadows

You need: a sheet of thick paper or card, cut by an adult into a large simple shape such as a circle or a star, and daylight.

On a bright day, stand near a sunny window or outside in the morning or late afternoon, with the sun behind you. Never look at the sun. Hold the paper shape up and find its shadow on the floor or ground. Ask your child what they think the shadow will do, then hold the shape close to the ground, lift it higher, and tilt it.

Notice: Were the shadow's edges sharp or fuzzy? What happened to its shape when you tilted the paper?

3. Paper bridges

You need: two books of the same thickness, a few sheets of plain paper, and one light thing such as an empty paper cup.

Place the books on the floor with a gap between them, narrower than the paper is long. Lay one flat, wide sheet across the gap. Will it hold the empty cup? Set the cup on gently and see. Then fold another sheet back and forth like a fan, lay it across and try again. Keep the load light: this is about noticing how folding changes paper, not about piling things on.

Notice: Which bridge bent? What did folding change?

4. Fabric textures

You need: three or four large, clean, button free pieces of towelling, cotton, denim and fleece. No small scraps, buttons or loose threads.

Lay the fabrics out on the floor. Ask your child which one they think will feel the softest and which the roughest, then touch each one with open hands. Fold each one and talk about which is easiest to fold. Words such as soft, rough, smooth, bumpy, stretchy, thick and thin all help.

Notice: Was the softest one the one you guessed? Which words fit each fabric?

Keeping it safe

• An adult stays with the child for every activity.
• Use only large objects that cannot fit in a mouth. Leave out marbles, beads, small balls, buttons and other small parts.
• Leave out magnets, button batteries and other batteries, heat, flames, hot water, chemicals, cleaning products and anything to taste or eat.
• Keep the ramp and the bridge on the floor, and clear the space so nobody trips.
• Never look at the sun, directly or through anything. Look at the shadow on the ground instead.
• An adult does any cutting and puts the scissors away afterwards.

Questions that keep children thinking

• "What do you think will happen?"
• "Why do you think that?"
• "Was it the same as you guessed, or different?"
• "What could we change next time?"

Your child can answer in English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin or the language you speak at home. If your child asks something you cannot answer, "let's find out together" is a good reply.

Every child explores at their own pace

These activities are not a test, and there is no answer a child should reach by a certain age. Some children want to repeat the same thing many times; that is part of exploring. If you have questions about your child's progress, ask their teacher what they see in class.

At SunnySeeds

Science is part of the programme we publish for preschool and kindergarten, and our curriculum includes STEAM for preschool and kindergarten, through age appropriate exploration and experiments. This guide does not describe how those lessons run, so ask your child's teacher. See where science fits on our curriculum page. For more home ideas, our guide to shapes and patterns has six printable activity cards, and fine motor play has six supervised activities.