Toddlers and preschoolers are curious little beings. Their natural desire to explore everything around them is such an important part of their growth and development. A couple of years ago, I noticed my preschooler started to show an increased interest in the seasons, weather and changes around him. I took his lead and began offering him some simple play-based science activities for preschoolers to encourage his interest.
RELATED: Looking for ways to incorporate more science at home? Here are my favorite STEM toys for kids.
Why play-based science activities are important
Play-based science is not only simple to set up, but fun for kids and guaranteed to keep their little brains wanting more!
If you are looking for ways to help encourage your preschooler’s daily investigative exploration, this list is just what you’ve been looking for! In this post, I will share 17 of the best simple science activities for preschoolers.
Gain the confidence and direction to kickstart your morning routine with play.
PDF Startup Guide – This insider’s manual gives you a road map for executing mornings anchored in play, discovery, and learning.
PDF Activity Cards Set One and Two – Breakfast Invitations are play-based, hands-on, and designed with an intentional introduction to learning through play.
What are some preschool science concepts?
Science concepts for preschoolers are all around us. Your child is likely already engaged in so many of these basic science concepts in their everyday play.
Why are science activities important for preschoolers?
Much like sensory bins for kids, everything related to science is prompted by curiosity. So much of what your child naturally does throughout the day is simply based on their curiosity of exploration (AKA science!). And if we know one thing is true, preschoolers are curious!
One of my favorite books, The Curious Kid’s Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities by Asia Citro, offers an incredible overview of science teachings with young children and includes so many easy, creative, and fun science experiments for your kids.
RELATED: Here is how to introduce the sensory play to toddlers.
17 Science Activities for Preschoolers
This all-encompassing list includes 17 of our favorite science activities for preschoolers: fun chemical reactions, STEM activities, open-ended sensory ideas, plus so much more to keep your preschooler engaged and excited about science!
Who knew that freezing baking soda could have such a cool reaction? This fun spin on the traditional baking soda and vinegar experiment is a refreshing way to cool off in the summer.
This science experiment combines 2 of any preschooler’s favorite things: balloons and candy! Your kids will love observing this sweet chemical reaction.
This science experiment requires a bit of patience (which is always a good thing for preschoolers to practice), as kids observe how flowers magically change colors overtime!
Another classic science experiment to get your curious preschooler engaged in mixing colors and chemical reactions!
A fun introduction to creating, observing, and exploring different kinds of sounds and vibrations.
Help your kids measure, mix and observe this wildly large and colorful chemical reaction!
Another awesome and simple measuring and mixing activity that can help to build and improve your child’s fine motor skills.
Blowing bubbles in the freezing temperatures is such a cool way to observe what happens to bubbles as they freeze and pop!
A magical way to repurpose and recycle old markers to make watercolors for all sorts of creation and art.
A fun STEM building project that will get your kids working together to experiment and explore gravity and momentum with their cars, marbles, balls, etc.!
Watch your preschooler’s face light up with this colorful hands-on science experiment that involves observing chemical reactions with milk.
Repurpose those car tracks with this creative water dumping STEM activity! Move the tracks outside and let your kids build and experiment with velocity, gravity and momentum.
A great activity that invites your kids to work together to design a plant maze (complete with a hole for sunlight) to see if the plant can successfully grow towards the sun.
Looking for a creative way to use up all that old play dough? Let your kids build a play dough volcano and observe this amazing chemical reaction with their dinos!
This sensory activity helps to teach kids about quantities, measuring, and making observations.
Such a fun, sparkly and stretchy science experiment that will leave your kids with a new favorite sensory material to create and play with!
You only need 3 simple supplies to create this classic experiment that will make your toddler curious about mixing colors and reactions.
Favorite Science for kids resources
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Ada Twist, Scientist
Have you read this children’s book? This picture book reminds me to be patient with my child’s questions and desire to figure out how things work.
Smithsonian Animal Book
We love, love, love this entire Smithsonian collection of books. Take your pick with a topic of interest. You will not be let down!
The Curious Kid’s Science Book
This was one of my first activity books with the boys, and we still thumb through it. Easy ideas that spark creativity.
Science is everywhere!
Preschoolers are curious and constantly exploring. Mixing colors, observing weather changes, and measuring ingredients in the kitchen are all ways your child is probably already engaged in everyday science. You can help to guide their curiosity and start to teach them science concepts with all of these simple (structured and open-ended) science activities for preschoolers!
There are so many different kinds of science activities for preschoolers. Baking soda and vinegar is a simple, yet crazy cool, chemical reaction that can be done in many different ways. Any kind of activity that gets your preschooler involved in measuring, mixing, comparing and observing is science-based.
Science is everywhere! Your child’s curiosity and yearning to explore and learn is just the start of introducing science concepts to preschoolers. Encourage your child to observe, make guesses and notice the changes they see around them! A simple everyday science observation (that requires zero set up) is talking about the weather.
Any type of activity that involves visual changes in color or material through reactions will excite your child and leave them wanting more!