Through this science experiment, children are able to see how water is transported up the stem of a flower to its bloom. Fill clear glasses with water and allow the kids to place a few drops of food coloring in the water. Have the children place a white daisy or white carnation in the water and ask them to predict what will happen as the flowers sit in the water. Over the span of a few days, invite the children to examine the flowers and observe any changes that occur. As the water travels up the stems of the flowers, it brings with it the food coloring, dying the bloom. Discuss with the class the importance of water to flowers and why the flowers are changing colors.
Many kindergarten-aged children may not believe that ice is just water in another state. Explain this to them with a science experiment. Create one ice cube for each child. Distribute the ice cubes in small bowls and ask children if they can guess what the cubes used to be. Provide them with magnifying glasses to allow them to examine the cubes. Explain to children that the ice cubes were once water. Clarify that water is a liquid and when the liquid gets cold enough, it turns into a solid, or ice. Invite children to watch as their ice cubes melt back into water. Have children fill ice trays with their water and place the trays back into a freezer. Remove the trays when the water freezes and show them how the liquid turned back into a solid.
Allow children to examine buoyancy with this water experiment. Fill buckets with water and set out a variety of objects that will float or sink when placed in the water, including feathers, foam pieces, paper clips, blocks and clay balls. Ask children to predict whether the items will sink or float before placing them in the water and have them write down their predictions. After testing their predictions and proving or disproving them, have a discussion about buoyancy with your class.
Water is known to be a good conductor of sound because sound waves move faster under water than they do through the air. This experiment allows the children to investigate this phenomenon. Fill clear plastic jugs with water and provide the kids with tuning forks. Invite children to strike the tuning forks on the surface of their desks and hold them up in the air. Ask them what they hear and whether the sound is loud or soft. Ask them if they think the sound the forks make will be louder or softer when they are placed in the water. Have the children place the forks in the water and press their ears against the side of the jugs. Ask them if they notice a difference between the sound of the forks in the air and in the water. Discuss what is happening.