Pint-Sized
Science: Learning About Air
By Sandy Fleming
Air is all around us all
of the time, but young children often have a great deal
of difficulty with the concept. Maybe it's because air can't
be seen,
tasted or smelled, but kids often need proof that air is indeed
there. Here
are some great ways to prove that air exists and learn about
how it acts.
Have fun!
Make a Pinwheel
Use a piece of paper, a pencil with an eraser, scissors, and
a straight pin
to help your child make a pinwheel. Cut the paper into a square
and allow
your child to decorate both sides with bright colors. Geometric
designs will
work better than pictures, if you can convince the artist! Find
the center
of the square and trace a one-inch circle around the center point.
Now, cut
inward from each corner to the circle that you drew. You'll see
four
triangles. Starting on the left, pull the bottom corner of the
triangle into
the center and hold it there. Rotate the paper and repeat until
all four
corners are being held in the center. Poke the pin through all
four layers
of paper and the center of the circle in back. Push the pin into
the
pencil's eraser. If the point comes out of the other side of
the eraser,
simply bend it downwards or put a small bit of tape or clay over
it. Now,
blow! You may need to adjust the distance between the layers
of paper on the
pin in order for the pinwheel to spin freely, but with just a
little bit of
patience, you will be able to demonstrate how air can move things.
Float a Ball
You'll need a ping pong ball and a plastic drinking straw for
this activity.
Have the child put the straw in his or her mouth and point it
straight up.
If your youngster is having trouble, try having him or her lie
on the floor.
Now, blow through the straw and carefully put the ping pong ball
into the
center of the air stream. If the ball stays in the center of
the moving air,
it will float! And, in any case, your young scientist will have
fun trying.
Discover Air Has Weight
You can show children that air has weight with this simple experiment.
Gather up a ruler, a pencil, some tape and string, and two identical
balloons. Tape the pencil to a table so that part of it sticks
out over the
edge. Tie identical lengths of string to each end of the ruler,
then balance
it on the pencil. Mark the balance point so you can find it again
easily.
Now, tie an uninflated balloon to one string and an inflated
one to the
other. Put the ruler back on the pencil at your marked balance
point and see
if it's still balanced. You'll find that the inflated balloon
will tip your
balance, because air has weight.
Twirl a Spiral
Help your young scientist learn how warm air rises with this
demonstration.
You'll need a circle of tissue paper about three inches in diameter,
some
thread, scissors, tape, and an incandescent light. Your child
may enjoy
making a design on both sides of the circle. Now, cut from the
outside into
the center with a spiral cut. Tape the thread to the center,
then hold the
spiral over the warm incandescent light. Be careful not to touch
the paper
to the bulb; it can catch fire. Supervise young children so no
one gets
burned fingers. Hold the spiral over the warm light, and the
rising warm air
currents will spin the toy. Try the same thing over a cold light
bulb where
there are no drafts or breezes, and the spiral won't spin.
Sandy Fleming
is an educator, author and workshop facilitator. She resides
in southern Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
Sandy leads workshops for daycare providers and parents
in the region, tutors students, volunteers for Girl Scouts
and her church, and teaches online classes for adults and
children. She loves to make new friends, so please drop
her an e-mail at kids@busyparentsonline.com
