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40 Simple Water Science Experiments for Kids

April 16, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

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Warmer weather means lots of water play and, for us, that means plenty of  simple water science experiments to try with the kids!

Since we’ve been homeschooling, I’ve learned that science doesn’t have to be a complicated subject to teach.

Many scientific concepts sound complicated (and really are amazingly intricate), but showing kids how they work doesn’t have to be complex.

Turns out that you can use a few household supplies and demonstrate how scientific principles work in a kid-friendly way!

And that’s why I’ve rounded up 40 easy water science experiments that would be great to share with kids – either indoors or outdoors!

Don’t miss our list of science experiments that you can do in just 15 minutes too!

1. Simple Light In Water Refraction Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Milk Jug Water Wheel Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

3. Float Vs Sink Experiment – Teach Me Mommy

4. Leak-Proof Bag Science Experiment – Fun Learning for Kids

5. How to Make a Lava Lamp – Coffee Cups and Crayons

6. Measuring Water Beads – Blue Bear Wood

7. Water Balloon Parachute – Fantastic Fun and Learning

8. Food Coloring Fluid Mechanics Experiment – Mama Smiles

9. Measuring Buoyancy Experiment – KC Edventures

10. Color Mixing Experiment – Science Sparks

11. Tide Pool Science Experiment – Buggy and Buddy

12. Floating Peep Boats – Sixth Bloom

13. Traveling Water Experiment – The Wise Owl Factory

14. Simple Water Displacement Experiment – Life with Moore Babies

15. Ripple Water Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

16. Why Does Water Rise STEM Experiment – STEAM Powered Family

17. Make a Rain Cloud In a Jar – Coffee Cups and Crayons

18. Water Xylophone Sound Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

19. Growing Mint in Water – Sloely

20. Sticky Ice Experiment – Capri Plus 3

See more of these awesome simple water science experiments on page 2!

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Water Experiments for Preschoolers: How to Make Science Simple

Many teachers tell me that they are not comfortable teaching science to young kids. They just don’t know where to begin. You don’t have to be a science expert to teach simple science concepts to preschoolers.

Simple Science Activities

Many teachers tell me that they don’t have supplies to teach science to their kids. I’m here to tell you that you can teach science concepts with some common household items.

In fact, I’m going to show you several investigations, easy science projects , or experiments you can do with water. They will be a great addition to your science center . You can even use the scientific method to conduct these simple water experiments for preschoolers.

Do you want the Free Printable Guide? All of the printables pictured below, along with the directions are currently available in my Fun & Easy Experiments with Water guide. Scroll to the bottom of the post to request your guide.

Experiment #1: What Holds Water Experiment?

This activity will help your kids learn about the properties of liquids in a fun way.

A liquid is a form of matter. When you pour a liquid into a container, it moves to form the shape of the container. Your kids can test the effectiveness of containers to hold a liquid (water).

Provide a variety of containers. Be sure to provide some containers that hold water and some that do not. Here are some suggestions:

• small paper bag
• plastic condiment cups
• plastic cups – deli containers (some may have cracks)
• muffin liners
• coffee filters
• plastic bags (some may have holes)
• plastic bottle caps
• small cardboard box
• a juice box with the top cut off

You will also need a pitcher of water and a small tub to hold water that will leak out of some of the containers.

Begin by pouring water into a container and telling your kids that water is a liquid. When something is a liquid, it doesn’t have a set shape. Instead, a liquid forms the shape of the container that holds it.

Some containers do an excellent job of holding a liquid, and others do not. Today, we are going to investigate to find which containers are the best at holding water.

Make Observations

Let your kids look at the different containers and discuss which ones will hold water and which will not.

Form Questions

What makes a container suitable for holding liquids? What makes a container bad for holding liquids? How will we conduct a test? How will we know if a container is effective?

Develop a Hypothesis

Before testing the containers, kids can make predictions about whether they will hold water effectively. Use the sorting mats to sort them.

Experiment to Test Hypothesis

Place a container in a plastic bin and then pour water into it. Was the prediction correct?

Some containers like this cardboard box may hold water in the beginning but may fail over time. Discuss this with your kids. They may want to classify the container as being effective or they may want to check them next day to see if they are still holding water.

Record, Share, & Discuss Results

After testing all of the containers, sort them again on the sorting mats. Where there any surprises? Are there similarities between the effective containers? Are there similarities between the ineffective containers?

Experiment #2: Does the Boat Sink or Float?

This activity put a bit of a twist on the traditional sink or float test. Your kids will be able to investigate the properties of matter as they conduct an experiment to see if their boats will sink or float.

Begin by filling some small plastic containers with a variety of materials. The containers should be seal tightly so that the contents inside do not get wet. Small containers from the dollar store or small reusable plastic food storage containers work well.

Be sure that you provide some materials that will float and some that will sink. Want some ideas for materials to use? You can find lots of ideas in this article about comparing weights with a balance scale .

You will also need a clear plastic tub filled with water. The water should be deep enough so that the small containers will be underwater when they sink.

Explain to your kids that you will pretend that each of the containers is a boat, and you are going to figure out which boats will sink and which boats will float.

Let kids examine the boats and talk about the materials they see inside each container.

Do you think that all of the containers will float? Why or why not? Do you believe that all of the containers will sink? Why or why not? What makes a boat sink or float?

Before adding the containers to the water tub, ask kids to make predictions by sorting the boats on the sorting mats.

Kids can test their hypothesis by placing each boat into the tub of water. Does it sink, or does it float? Did any of the results surprise you?

After testing the hypothesis, sort the boats again. Why do you think some of the materials caused the boats to sink?

Experiment #3: What Dissolves in Water?

Some materials dissolve in water, and some do not. Substances that dissolve in water are called soluble, and substances that do not dissolve in water are called non-soluble.

When a substance (the solute) dissolves, it forms a transparent (see-through) liquid called a solution. Your kids will test a variety of substances to determine which ones dissolve and which do not.

Begin by supplying 4 clear cups filled with water for each child or group. Provide a bowl of salt, sugar, flour, and sand.

Explain to your kids that some materials dissolve in water and some do not. When a substance dissolves, it kind of looks like it has disappeared, but actually, it has just mixed with the water to make a transparent or see-through liquid that we call a solution.

Today, we are going to test several materials to see if they dissolve in water.

Let your kids look at the materials that you will mix in. Let them feel them and smell them. What do you notice about the materials?

How can we tell if the materials dissolve? Do you think all of the materials will dissolve? Why or why not?

Ask kids to predict which materials will dissolve.

Help kids add a spoonful of each of the materials to a glass of water. Stir the mixture and then let it sit for a minute or two. What happens? Does the material dissolve?

Save one set of mixtures and let them sit overnight, and examine them the next day. Do you notice any changes?

Use the recording sheet to record the experiment results.

Get the FREE Printables Today

Are you ready to get started on some water experiments for preschoolers?

All of the printables pictured here, along with the directions are currently available in my Fun & Easy Experiments with Water guide. Click the button below, complete the form , and I’ll send it directly to your inbox.

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Water Activities For Preschoolers: Experiments, Model Building, Sensory Bins, Games, And More

November 14, 2023 //  by  Brittney Hallmark

Water play is a great pastime for preschoolers to explore, create, and enjoy! Water play can happen year-round, with a variety of preschool water activities to use to keep your little ones busy!

These are 23 of our favorite water activities for you to try with your preschooler! Whether learning, practicing motor skills, or just having fun, these will quickly become some of your favorite preschool water activities!

1. Pouring Station 

Simple and easy, this homemade pouring station is a fun way to get hands-on with water play indoors or outdoors. This is a great way for preschoolers to experiment with water and work on hand-eye coordination through pouring from one container to another. Just a tub of water and some random containers can pair together to provide tons of fun!

Learn more: Busy Toddler

2. Water Wall

Another fun water activity for a steamy summer day is the water wall! This activity would be ideal for a bored toddler or preschooler. Making a homemade water wall is quick and easy and only requires household items and water. Preschoolers will enjoy watching the paths the water makes down the water wall.

Learn more: Happy Hooligans

3. Floating Boats 

Floating boats are fun ideas for indoor play! This science activity is a fun way to let preschoolers build their own boat out of marshmallow peeps or sponges and toothpicks and paper. You could bring out other items to try to determine if the boats sink or float in containers of water.

Learn more: Make and Takes

4. Fishing in a Pool

Hot summer days are great for outdoor water play! Add cold water to a kiddie pool and let your little one practice catching floating foam fish with a small net. This is definitely preschooler and toddler approved and can provide lots of fun for them as they splash and play. But beware, they may have a water fit and not want to get out!

Learn more: I Can Teach My Child

5. Water Bead Sensory Bins

Water beads are all the rage right now! Little ones love touching these little gel beads and feeling them move in their hands. Fill a tub with these water beads and add objects that will help with fine motor practice, like spoons or strainers. Children will enjoy moving these water beads around and feeling them squish against their skin. This is a fun and simple water activity for preschoolers!

Learn more: One Lovely Life

6. Pom Pom Scoop

Little ones will enjoy this activity and will be provided with several learning skills. They can practice color recognition skills, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Super simple to set up for parents and teachers is a big bonus too! Just get a bin and fill it with water, dump in some colorful pom-poms and hand them a spoon to scoop up pom-poms. Add the element of counting in by having them use the number on paper cups to add that same number of pom poms that they scoop up.

Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime

7. Muddy Car Wash

Let little ones engage in realistic play by setting up a muddy car wash. Let them muddy the cars and play in the dirt and then take the cars for a spin through the car wash. Kids will enjoy using soapy water to clean the cars.

8. Colored Water Experiments

Adding food coloring to containers of water gives the containers of water a new color and allows for lots of fun when mixed or observed by children. They can use the colors to mix them to create new colors.

9. Water Balloon Math

Water balloon math can be great for kids of all ages. You can use different operations to create math facts and let students practice. They could write the facts after they solve!

Learn more: Virtual Book Clubs for Kids

10. Water Gun Painting

This water activity is fun for kids of all ages! Fill the water guns with water and squirt watercolor paintings or fill the water guns with paint. Either way, you'll end up with colorful artwork and tons of fun!

11. Ice Boats

Ice boats are fun and easy to make! Some ice cubes, straws, and paper are all you need to build your boats. Children could track how long they float and see how fast they can melt them!

12. Rainbow Water Xylophone

This STEM activity is always a big hit! Students will enjoy watching the colors and playing sounds on the glass jars. They can even make their own songs. Students could even add the food coloring to the water to tint the shades.

Learn more: Mama, Papa, Bubba

13. Pool Noodle Water Wall

Pool noodles are great for the pool, but they are great for a water wall too! You could cut the noodles or leave them their original length and have them twist and turn down the wall. Kids will have fun using funnels to pour water down the water wall and catch it in a container.

Learn more: Teaching Mama

14. Rainbow Bubbles

Soapy water plus a little food coloring make for some magical rainbow colors! Students can play in the suds and blow the colorful bubbles! Different sizes and shapes of bubble wands will add to the excitement of rainbow bubbles!

Learn more: Gift of Curiosity

15. Phonics Water Balloons

Water balloons can make all studying and learning a little more fun! Use them to build CVC words and have students practice blending. You could also do water balloon tosses to see if they can read and hit the words.

Learn more: Mess for Less

16. Pumpkin Washing Station 

The pumpkin washing station is fun and practical. Letting students practice using brushes and watering cans to clean objects like pumpkins. You could substitute other items for the pumpkins. This could be done indoors or outdoors in a sink or a container.

17. Sponge Water Bombs 

Water sponge bombs are fun alone or for a group of little ones! They can squeeze the water bombs and transfer water or have a water sponge bomb playtime. Preschoolers could even help make these little water sponge bombs.

Learn more: Messy Little Monster

18. Water Balloons 

Water balloons are fun for learning but fun for playing too. Water balloon fights are fun, safe, cheap, and easy. Let little ones help make the water balloons and get a little extra fine motor practice as well.

Learn more: Artsy Momma

19. Feed the Ducks Sensory Bin

Rubber ducks are always a hit when there is water. Add them to the bath or add them to this sensory bin ! Practice catching items to transfer or pretending to feed the ducks are good fine motor skills for practice. Students can also count the ducks.

Learn more: Toot's Mom is Tired

20. Water Transfer Pipettes 

Water transfer is a fun and easy activity but try this twist: do it with different tools! Try using a pipette or a turkey baster. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination will get good practice as well. Students can also count the drops!

Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

21. Pencil Water Bag Experiment

Fill a gallon size bag with water and do this pencil experiment. Push pencils through and let students see that the bag won't leak. This is a fun experiment that will get students thinking, wondering, and asking more questions as their curiosity sparks.

Learn more: Paging Fun Mums

22. The Shapes of Water

Water transfer is fun but using different shaped containers will add a different dimension to their thinking. You could add food coloring to the water to help them distinguish the visuals better!

Learn more: Stir the Wonder

23. Sink or Float

Making a sink or float bin will help students learn to make predictions test out their hypothesis, and they could even document it through an observation journal. Let students pick which items they want to test or have them collect items from nature.

Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn

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30 Easy Water Experiments For Kids

Water experiments aren’t just for summer! Water is easy and budget-friendly for science learning with preschoolers, elementary-age kids, and even middle school science. Check out our list of our favorite science experiments with water and look for the free printable water themed science camp week guide!

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS WITH WATER

What do all these science experiments and STEM projects below have in common? They all use water!

These water experiments, using simple household items like salt, are perfect for at home and in the classroom. Also, check out our science experiments with baking soda.

Let’s dig in if you want to explore science with water as the main ingredient! While you’re at it, make sure to check out more kid-friendly science experiments.

Easy Water Experiments For Kids

Click on each link below to explore cool experiments with water! Easy water experiments for elementary through middle school include concepts like the water cycle, buoyancy, density, and more.

This age group is beginning to learn about core concepts in chemistry , including states of matter, how different substances mix or interact, and the properties of different materials.

ICE IS NICE SCIENCE

Explore the solid forms of water and ice. Three great ice experiments perfectly highlight the scientific method!

ALKA SELTZER REACTION RATES

How does temperature affect reaction rate? All you need is different temperatures of water, and Alka Seltzer tablets for this quick experiment.

ALKA SELTZER BOAT EXPERIMENT

This experiment is a fun way to explore physics and chemistry with Newton’s Third Law of Motion. When the Alka Seltzer tablet reacts with water, it produces carbon dioxide which will propel the mini boat.

BENDING WATER

Can you bend water? Yes, you can with static electricity. Grab a balloon and some water to set up this easy experiment.

CANDLE IN WATER EXPERIMENT

Can you make the water rise by burning a candle under a jar? Grab a few simple supplies and find out.

CELERY EXPERIMENT

Here’s a simple explanation of how osmosis works with celery and water and a fun science demonstration!

COFFEE FILTER FLOWERS

Water is the main ingredient in this gorgeous but super easy combined science and art activity. Make a bouquet of colorful, coffee-filter flowers and explore solubility too!

COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS

This engaging color-changing flower experiment explores the concept of capillary action as your flowers magically turn from white to green. Easy to set up and perfect for a group of kiddos to do at the same time or as an interesting water science fair project.

CRUSHED SODA CAN EXPERIMENT

What happens when you heat and cool water inside a soda can?

DISSOLVING CANDY

There are all kinds of fun things you can dissolve in water!

DRY-ERASE MARKER EXPERIMENT

Is it magic or is it science? Create a dry-erase drawing and watch it float in water.

FREEZING WATER EXPERIMENT

Will it freeze? What happens to the freezing point of water when you add salt? Check out this easy water experiment to find out.

GROW A RAINBOW

A fun and colorful experiment that uses a paper towel, markers and water to demonstrate the process of capillary action.

GUMMY BEAR OSMOSIS LAB

Learn about the process of osmosis when you try this easy gummy bear osmosis experiment. Watch your gummy bears grow as you investigate what liquid makes them grow the biggest.

HOT AND COLD WATER EXPERIMENT

What happens when you mix hot and cold water? Learn about how changes in temperature affect the density of water.

HOW DO SHARKS FLOAT?

Explore buoyancy with this simple oil and water experiment.

HOW MANY DROPS OF WATER ON A PENNY?

All you need for this experiment are a few coins, an eyedropper or pipette, and water! How many drops fit on the surface of a penny? What else could you use? A bottle cap turned over, a flat LEGO piece, or another small, smooth surface! Take a guess at how many drops it will take and then test it out.

ICE FISHING

Did you know you can go fishing indoors with salt, string, and ice! Kids will have a blast!

ICE MELT ACTIVITIES

Playful hands on science and learning which is perfect for our preschoolers. Explore water science with one of these fun theme ice melt activities.

LEGO WATER EXPERIMENT

Build a dam from Lego bricks and explore the flow of water.

OCEAN CURRENTS

Build a simple model of the ocean currents with ice and water.

OCEAN LAYERS

Just like layers of the earth, the ocean has layers too! Have you ever wondered how you could see them without going scuba diving in the ocean? Explore the layers of the ocean with a liquid density tower experiment for kids. 

OIL AND WATER EXPERIMENT

Do the oil and water mix? Explore the densities of liquids with this simple oil and water experiment.

PAPER TOWEL TEST

Set up an experiment to investigate which brand of paper towel will absorb the most water.

POTATO OSMOSIS LAB

Explore what happens to potato when you put them in concentration salt water and then pure water. Learn about osmosis when you try this fun potato osmosis experiment with the kids.

RAINBOW IN A JAR

Can you make a rainbow in a jar? This neat rainbow water experiment explores water density with just a few materials. Instead of salt we use sugar and food coloring to stack the colors of the rainbow.

PENNY BOAT CHALLENGE

Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks in the water. How many pennies will it take to make your boat sink?

MAKE A PADDLE BOAT

Fill the kiddie pool or tun with water and make this DIY paddle boat for fun physics!

SALT LAVA LAMP EXPERIMENT

Explore what happens when you add salt to oil and water.

SALTWATER DENSITY EXPERIMENT

Can you make an egg float? Will different items sink in freshwater but float in saltwater? Compare saltwater to freshwater with a fun experiment with salt and water. Make your predictions and test your results.

SINK OR FLOAT EXPERIMENT

Check out what you have in the kitchen for an easy science experiment with water   with some very interesting results!

SKITTLES EXPERIMENT

A super simple water science experiment with everyone’s favorite candy! Did you know you can try it with M&Ms too? You can also you those red and white mints, old candy canes, and even jelly beans!

SOAP POWERED BOAT EXPERIMENT

Explore surface tension as kids observe firsthand how soap influences the movement of a small boat on the water’s surface.

SOLID LIQUID GAS EXPERIMENT

Learn about the properties of solids, liquids and gases with this simple water experiment. Have fun observing how water changes from a solid to a liquid to a gas.

STRAW BOATS

Design a boat made from nothing but straws and tape, and see how many items it can hold before it sinks in the water. Explore buoyancy while you test out your engineering skills.

SUGAR CUBE EXPERIMENT

With this easy-to-setup experiment, investigate what materials will best absorb water and stop the sugar cube from dissolving in water.

TOOTHPICK STARS

Make a star out of broken toothpicks by only adding water. Learn about capillary action with a totally do-able water experiment.

WALKING WATER EXPERIMENT

Can water walk? Make a colorful rainbow with a little color theory mixed in too! This walking water experiment is super easy and fun to set up! Mason jars, plastic cups, or bowls will also work just fine for this experiment. Also try this walking rainbow variation.

WATER CYCLE IN A BOTTLE

Make a discovery bottle all about the water cycle. One of the best water science activities is one where we can learn more about one of the most important and necessary cycles on Earth, the water cycle!

WATER CYCLE IN A BAG

The water cycle is important because it’s how water gets to all the plants, animals and even us!! Learn about the water cycle with this easy water cycle in a bag experiment.

WATER DISPLACEMENT EXPERIMENT

Add this simple water displacement experiment to your science lesson plans this season. Learn about water displacement and what it measures.

WATER EVAPORATION EXPERIMENT

Dive into the evaporation process (a liquid changes to a gas) with this simple water evaporation experiment. Investigate how temperature, airflow, and surface area affect the evaporation rate.

WATER REFRACTION EXPERIMENT

Why do objects look different in water? A simple water experiment that shows how light bends or refracts as it moves through water.

WATER XYLOPHONE

A homemade water xylophone is perfect for exploring physics and sound science!

WATER ABSORBTION EXPERIMENT

This is a very simple and fun water experiment which is great for preschoolers. My son had a blast exploring what materials absorb water and what don’t.

WHAT DISSOLVES IN WATER

This is super simple chemistry using common items around the house to explore mixtures and discover which items dissolve in water !

Compare how fast different everyday items melt in the sun, including ice cubes. A fun experiment to do in the summer!

WATER WHEEL

Hop on this engineering project and design a water wheel that moves! Use our idea as a springboard to create your own or follow the step-by-step directions.

WATER CLOCK

Find out how to use water to tell the time with this water clock project .

Plan a Water Summer Science Camp

Grab this free guide and plan a day or two of water theme science camp activities . We have 12 free guides, each with a different theme! Use them all year long.

More Easy Science Experiments with Water

• States of Matter Experiments
• Surface Tension of Water Experiments
• Chemistry Experiments
• Physics Experiments
• Fizzing Experiments
• Physical Changes
• Capillary Action Experiments

Printable Science Projects Pack

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
• Science Fair Project Pack with experiments to try!

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