Backyard STEM: Kiddie Pool Sink And Float

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One of the trickiest things about summer is the fact that both Malone and I have sensitive skin. He gets the “itchies” so bad in the summer that it makes this mama’s heart burst. I try my best to keep them at bay, but the combination of the heat and sunscreen make it hard. I’ve tired a lot of different things because at the end of the day, I want Malone to be free to be a little kid who can enjoy summer without worry. Kiddie pool sink and float is a really popular activity at our house. With his skin, this means I have to wash bathing suits when we’re done instead of hanging them to dry and reuse again. But, I don’t mind….. I’ve got all® free clear in my sensitive skin tool box.

Malone LOVES to try out different objects in the pool… testing them to see if they sink or float. In terms of STEM, it is really easy to weave in conversations about buoyancy (the force of gravity pulling an object downward verses the force of water pushing up on the object) with older kids. With toddlers like Lola, you can easily talk about what it means to sink (something goes all the way down the bottom of the water) verses float (something stays on top of the water). This activity has been on repeat this summer at my house, mostly on account that my kids are fighting like cats and dogs but will stop the second the kiddie pool is put out. It doesn’t really take any special materials… chances are you’ve got everything you need already at home!

How to Play Kiddie Pool Sink And Float.

Fill your kiddie pool with water from the hose. Gather your supplies. For this round of kiddie pool sink and float we used toy cars, coins and plastic bowls. The sky is the limit in terms of what use experiment with. Next time we play, Malone said that he’d like to try Legos and toothpicks. You really just want to use objects that are small enough to fit inside whichever material you’re going to use as your floating device. After you’ve gathered your supplies, it is time for the hypothesis. Every great science experiment starts with a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess about what is going to happen. To ask your kids about their hypothesis, you can literally just ask them to predict what they think will happen. Malone thought for sure that both the cars and coins would sink because they were heavier than the water. Start the experiment by placing the objects in the kiddie pool and observing what happens. In our case, Malone was right… both the cars and the coins sunk to the bottom of the pool. Next, add your flotation devices. I grabbed three different sized plastic bowls from our play kitchen. You could also try plastic cups, cereal bowls, plastic tea cups… really the sky is the limit. Which is part of the reason why this is always a hit at my house, we never use the same materials but we always use what we’ve already got on hand. Now the real fun can begin! Start experimenting with how much of a load the “boats” can handle before they sink. Will it be two cars? Three coins? Who really knows for sure! Eventually, one of the boats might start to sink. We’ve found that the boats don’t sink because they’ve got too many cars in them, but because they take on water. What is really fun about this is that it is so open ended. Eventually, the boats start to race or a new game is invented between siblings. When the fun is over, don’t forget to wash those bathing suits and towels. Learn from my mistake, don’t let them rot in a corner for a week! Now that I’ve shared one of Malone’s favorite #FreeToBe summer activities, I want to share something that’s making his sensitive skin (and seasonal allergies) more manageable, all® free clear. It’s the #1 detergent recommended by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for Sensitive Skin. It is the #1 sensitive skin brand and it’s hardworking too. all® free clear detergent fights tough stains, whitens whites, and brightens colors all while having no dyes, perfumes, certain chemicals, and irritating residues (it was awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the National Eczema Association for this). all® free clear dryer sheets reduce static to help make clothes more comfortable. This is really important to Malone, he wants his clothes to be as perfectly cozy as possible! all® free clear products can be found at most major retailers. I found ours in the laundry aisle at Stop & Shop.