Water and Ice Experiments

One of the most incredible compounds on earth is water. There are many great science experiments you can do with your preschooler that involve water and ice. All of these experiments teach preschoolers about chemical reactions, mixtures and how even though ice is frozen water, it behaves differently than water does. 

Add a few ice cubes to a glass of water. The ice cubes will float. Ask your preschooler, if ice is frozen water, why does it weigh less than water?

Fill a clear or paper cup half-way full of with water. Mark the water line with a marker. Add an ice cube and mark the new water line. Wait for the ice to melt. Did the water line change at all?

Fill a small plastic bag with water (don’t make it too full or it may pop). Using a piece of string, measure the circumference of the bag. Make a note on the string with a marker. Put the bag into your freezer and wait for it to completely freeze. Remeasure the frozen bag. The bag should be slightly bigger.   

Put an ice cube into a few different paper cups. Put the paper cups in various locations around your house. Some examples include outside, in the sun, in the shade, in a hot car, in the snow, in a pantry, in a bathroom and in a refrigerator. Using a timer, time how long it takes for each ice cube to fully melt. Have your preschooler run around your house trying to find the one that melts the fastest. 

Add a few drops of various food coloring to a frozen ice tray. You should have at least two different colors of ice cubes—the more the better. Let the ice tray freeze and take out the colored ice cubes. Combine different colors of ice cubes to different cups. Watch the ice cubes melt and the colors combine. What kinds of colors can you and your preschooler make with ice?