Asking your preschooler to separate a given set of objects into different categories can introduce basic properties. For example, you can give your preschooler a box of miscellaneous buttons and have her divide them by characteristics such as shape, size color, or texture. These types of lessons can introduce new vocabulary words to your preschooler, including new verbs, such as what it means to “classify,” or adjectives used to describe objects.
You can also have your preschooler describe the differences he sees between objects. A great way to encourage these descriptions is to take a nature hike and ask your preschooler to describe specific objects in the landscape. You could, for example, have him look at different types of tree bark or leaves, encouraging his recognition that, while the surfaces and shapes are different, they are still both trees. By describing such differences found in the natural world, your preschooler will both reinforce new vocabulary and develop an understanding of how objects, though different at an individual level, can nevertheless be grouped together in a more general category.
Another way to reinforce the properties of objects is to engage your preschooler in prediction activities. To introduce the concepts of waterproofness or buoyancy, for example, you could place a series of objects in front of a tub of water and ask your preschooler to predict which she thought would float or sink, and her reasoning. Then, as your preschooler places each object in the tub, she can observe what actually happens and perhaps adjust her prediction for subsequent objects. Activities such as this not only develop your child’s understanding of characteristics such as “floating” versus “sinking” or “heavy” versus “light,” but they also engage your preschooler in scientific exploration that fosters thinking about the relations between objects in their daily environment.
Closely related to prediction activities are those that explore cause and effect relationships between objects. These activities ask your preschooler to employ everyday actions, such as pushing or pulling, to observe how different objects respond. You could, for example, ask your preschooler to try to roll a set of different shaped objects to see how each reacts. You could also explore the cause and effect relationship of using light and shadow, asking your preschooler to observe how objects create different shadows when placed in front of a flashlight or other light source. A final option using color would be offering your preschooler two or three paint colors at an easel, asking him to see what colors are created when he mixes them on the easel paper in different proportions.