Bubbles Make Raisins Dance
Bubbles are exciting for kids and this bubble math and science activity just pops with fun. It’s simple and easy to do, combining play and learning.
Find a clear jar or bottle. Because spills can happen with kids, we used one with a lid. With your child, count out 10 raisins and place them all in a row—that’s the math. The old, dry ones in the bottom of the baking supplies work great.
Pour some clear soda pop into the container. Can you hear the fizz? That’s the sound of the bubbles coming to the top and popping. Take a minute just to look at the action of the bubbles.
Before doing the next step, ask your child what might happen when s/he puts the raisins in too. Will the raisins float? Will they drop to the bottom? Will they swell up and explode?
Once your child has made a guess, what scientists call a hypothesis, let your child drop the raisins in one at a time. Count them again as they go into the soda pop.
Now, what’s happening? Do you see the raisins going up and down? Ask your child to tell you what s/he sees.
Kids may notice the bubbles sticking on the outside of the raisins. The bubbles attach onto the raisins and float up. As the bubbles pop, the heavier raisins sink back down until more bubbles carry them up. Up and down go the raisins. Are there still 10? It’s hard to count with the raisins dancing up and down.
Surprisingly, this all lasts for several minutes so kids can watch for a good stretch of time. That’s another action of scientists, to observe. Besides the science and the math, kids are also using lots of language. They are exercising their concentration skills as they pay attention to the raisins and the bubbles.
After a few minutes of fun with this bubble math and science activity with raisins, kids may want to play on their own. They may have some ideas of different items they can use. They might want to try stirring or taking the raisins out and putting them in again. That’s another thing scientists do; they explore and children’s play is certainly a form of exploration. Will this activity add some bubble fun to your child’s day?