Preschool Science and Nature

Preschool Science Experiment - Age Coins with your Preschooler

Posted: 12/28/06

So what's the point of making up science experiments if I don't have my sons try them out at home? We did the Preschool Science Experiment - Age Coins with your Preschooler, late one afternoon. It didn't take very long, though it was a little messier than I thought it would be. My sons were very excited while doing this experiment and over the course of the evening, kept asking me to note any changes in the coins. The next morning, (remember it's only a few days after Christmas) they ran over to the bowls to see if there were any changes to the coins.

What We Discovered:

Acetone tarnished the penny the best, changing the color to a greenish-black.
Vinegar tarnished the penny a bit, but not a lot.
Salt water tarnished the penny a little less than the vinegar did; it a hardly noticeable change. But the salt water did leave a white crust on the penny that my sons loved.
There was no change to the penny or the silver coin in the egg.
There was no change to the silver coins in any of the substances, other than a salty crust on the silver coin from the salt water.

What I Would do Differently:

I wish I'd given the coins more time to change; I only gave them about sixteen hours to change. Over the course of a few days to a week there would probably be a greater change to the coins.

I'd love to hear from you about this preschool science experiment. Let me know what your coins did and if you tried any other substances. Every time I do a preschool science and nature activity with my boys I'll post the results here on my blog. Keep checking back and have a wonderful time teaching your preschooler about science and nature.