Inspired-by-Dr. Seuss Preschool "Fish" Science Experiment

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Read a book. Do a science project.  Dr. Seuss and a science experiment are the perfect preschool learning combination!


This month (and the first two days of next month) we're celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday with science activities that can be tied to some of his classic books.  Today's project is so simple that you probably have the supplies in your cupboard, and yet still so engaging that your children will want to repeat it...over and over and over...

To set up this preschool science station, you need to prepare:

1- a clear cup, vase, or bowl with oil
2- another bowl (or 2) with colored water.  We used blue and green food coloring.
3- a pipette and straw

One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss starts out with fish doing different silly things as they splash in the water.  It is delightful, fun, and easy to read.  For this preschool inspired-by-Dr. Seuss science activity, we are pretending to make fish float the "water."  To make your fish, put a squirt of colored water into the oil-filled cup.

A small squirt (or fish!) will float on top of the water while a large squirt will sink to the bottom.

This is wonderful fine motor exercise!



Now for the really fun part!  Use a straw to blow into the "ocean!"  All the fish will get stirred up and "swim!"  Because oil and water do not mix, when you stop blowing bubbles the fish will settle back down. This time, most of them will settle on the bottom of the cup since oil is less dense than water.


I'm working on a little video for you showing each of the steps above--hopefully I'll finish soon!  In the meantime, your kiddos will probably want to squirt in more fish and send them for a swim...again, and again, and again...


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Do you love inspired-by-Dr. Seuss science projects and activities?  We do!  We've been celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday this year by doing science activities with some of the classic Dr. Seuss books!  Some are geared more toward older kids (like tomorrow's) and some are geared more toward younger kids (like today's), though you will probably find all of your children loving all of the science and STEM projects!  You can see the growing collection here!

And if you love science and STEM activities and projects you will definitely want to check out my collection of over 150 different science experiments and STEM activities and challenges!  This list just keeps growing!




I may share at any of these parties!



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