Simple Science Activities to Spark Curiosity in Your Preschooler
- Genesis Childcare 1989 - Tampines
- Aug 9, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
If we were to ask a group of children what their favorite subject is, Science would most likely top the list. It’s not surprising — Science is full of wonder, fun, and discovery! Children love hands-on experiences, especially when they can see real results right before their eyes. Science is also deeply relatable since it helps them understand the world around them — how things move, change, and react.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, we believe that curiosity is at the heart of every young learner. Our Tampines infant care, Tampines child care, and Tampines preschool programs are designed to spark that curiosity and turn it into meaningful learning. Science plays an essential role in developing children’s cognitive, sensory, and problem-solving skills — all while keeping learning enjoyable and engaging.
Today, let’s explore some fun and simple science activities that parents can do with their children at home. These activities use common materials you can easily find around your house or at the supermarket — and they’re great for both bonding and learning. Many of them involve water and food coloring, which are safe, affordable, and versatile learning tools.
1. Exploring Different Densities
Children are naturally fascinated by how things float, sink, or layer on top of one another. To explore this, you’ll need a clear container and a few liquids of different densities.
Here’s the secret: every liquid has a different density, which means some are heavier and will sink to the bottom, while others float above. Try layering these liquids in order — honey, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, whole milk, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, and baby oil. For visual appeal, add a few drops of food coloring to each liquid so your child can clearly see the colorful layers forming.
This simple activity encourages your child to make predictions and observe results — both important scientific skills. You can also add solid objects such as marbles, fruits, dice, ice cubes, or small toys to see where they settle in the layers.
For an advanced version, experiment with liquids containing different sugar levels. Mix water with various amounts of sugar
and color each solution differently. Or use real beverages like fruit juices, soda, or syrup drinks. It’s a great way to teach children about how sugar content affects density — and a creative way to reinforce learning through play.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, our educators often use similar hands-on science experiments during our Tampines preschool and Tampines nursery programs. Activities like this help children develop logical thinking, fine motor coordination, and early STEM awareness.
2. Mixing Colors
One of the most exciting things for preschoolers is discovering how colors mix to create new ones. In art class, they may do this with paints, but you can also do it at home using food coloring and water.
Start with the primary colors — red, blue, and yellow — and encourage your child to mix them in small transparent cups. They’ll be amazed to see green, orange, and purple appear before their eyes!
You can take it a step further by experimenting with how different proportions of color change the outcome. For example, what happens if you add more yellow than blue? This activity teaches not only color theory but also measurement and cause-and-effect thinking.
Such interactive learning moments mirror the approach used at Genesis Childcare 1989, where our Tampines child care educators blend play with structured learning to make abstract concepts tangible and fun.
3. Dyeing Experiments
Once your child finishes mixing colors, don’t pour them away — turn them into a dyeing project!
If you have white flowers at home, place them in colored water and observe how the petals slowly change color over a few hours. The process demonstrates capillary action, where water travels up the stem.
Alternatively, try tie-dyeing old white clothes. Soak them in a vinegar-water mixture (1:1 ratio) for about an hour. After wringing them out, twist or tie the fabric and apply the colored water using a spoon or squeeze bottle. Leave the fabric for a day before rinsing and drying. The result? Beautiful, one-of-a-kind patterns your child will be proud of!
This activity promotes creativity while subtly introducing scientific ideas such as absorption and chemical reactions.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, we love incorporating creative science into our Tampines nursery sessions. Children learn best when they can see real-world results — and dyeing activities perfectly combine art and science in a joyful, hands-on way.
4. Watch Colors Dance in Milk
Here’s a classic experiment that will leave your child amazed. Pour whole milk into a shallow dish — the fat content is essential for this to work. Add a few drops of different food coloring onto the surface.
Now, dip a cotton bud into dishwashing liquid and touch it gently to the surface of the milk. The colors will swirl and move dramatically! This happens because the soap reduces the surface tension and reacts with the fat molecules in the milk.
It’s a great way to teach your child about chemical reactions and molecular movement, even if they don’t yet know the scientific terms.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, our Tampines preschool educators love guiding children through similar experiments, where wonder naturally leads to curiosity — and curiosity fuels learning.
5. Make Music with Cups
Science and music make a great pair! Gather several glass cups or bowls and fill each with varying amounts of water. When you gently tap them with a spoon or run a wet finger around the rim, you’ll hear different musical notes.
Encourage your preschooler to notice how the water level affects the sound. Less water makes a higher pitch, while more water produces a lower one. Challenge your child to play simple songs or nursery rhymes using the cups.
This experiment blends physics and art, helping children understand how vibrations create sound waves — a core concept of science taught in playful ways at Genesis Childcare 1989’s Tampines child care program.
6. Create Your Own Rainbow
While we often see rainbows after rain showers, you can also create one at home! Fill a glass with water, place it near sunlight, and let the light shine through. A beautiful rainbow will appear on your table or wall.
If sunlight isn’t available, use a flashlight and a small mirror inside the glass to reflect the light and produce the same effect. For an outdoor option, spray water from a hose with your back facing the sun — your child will see a magical rainbow form in front of them.
This is a wonderful way to introduce the concept of light refraction and color dispersion. Children learn that white light is made up of many colors — just like the rainbow.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, activities like these align with our teaching philosophy in our Tampines preschool and Tampines nursery classes — encouraging children to observe, predict, and marvel at natural phenomena.
Simple Science Activities: Encouraging Scientific Thinking
Beyond the fun and excitement, science activities teach children how to think like little scientists. Before starting each experiment, ask your child:
What do you think will happen?
Why do you think so?
What might change if we try it differently?
These questions help them form hypotheses, make observations, and analyze results — all essential skills that build critical thinking.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, we apply this same inquiry-based learning approach in all our programs, from Tampines infant care to Tampines preschool. Our nurturing educators guide children to explore, question, and learn from their surroundings in a safe and supportive environment.
Science Learning at Genesis Childcare 1989
Learning science doesn’t have to be confined to classrooms or labs. With the right environment and encouragement, every home and every child care center can become a mini laboratory of discovery.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, we integrate science play into our Tampines child care, Tampines nursery, and Tampines preschool programs through interactive lessons, sensory activities, and exploration projects. Our teachers ensure that children not only understand concepts but also develop a genuine love for learning.
We believe every child is born a natural explorer — and it’s our role to nurture that curiosity, one experiment at a time. Whether your little one is discovering colors, sound, or light, our caring educators at Genesis Childcare 1989 are always ready to guide them through exciting learning journeys that inspire lifelong curiosity.
At Genesis Childcare 1989, learning goes beyond books — it’s about unlocking young minds through hands-on exploration, play, and discovery.
If you’re searching for a Tampines infant care, Tampines child care, Tampines preschool, or Tampines nursery that values creativity, curiosity, and care — Genesis Childcare 1989 is the perfect place for your child to grow and thrive.
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Genesis Tampines Childcare 1989 is one of the best preschool and childcare in Tampines. Our Preschool Tampines have over 30 years of experience in nurturing thousands of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. At our Tampines Childcare, we advocate that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished.
As a leading early childhood center in Singapore since 1989, we are committed to nurturing our early learners holistically through various learning areas and positive learning dispositions. We place a strong emphasis on the way our teachers facilitate and interact with the children.
Our Childcare Tampines believe that every child is unique and precious who needs to be loved and cherished. Hence, our holistic curriculum aims to create meaningful learning experiences for each and every one of them!
Our Playgroup Tampines provides parents with the confidence that their children are in the good hands of our trained and caring teachers.
Our professional team of preschool teachers has a good understanding of child development and learning principles. We apply them efficiently and set the stage to create a meaningful learning experience that supports your child's discovery.
We consistently create a positive and cozy environment that will give your child a sense of security which builds their self-confidence to explore the world around them.
If you are looking for a good Tampines infant care or Tampines preschool or Tampines childcare near Tampines Central, do consider Nurture Infant House or Genesis Childcare 1989.
Located alongside our childcare in Tampines is our Nurture Infant House. If you are looking for Tampines infant care or infant care in Tampines, do visit Nurture Infant House. It is for infants aged 2 months to 18 months old. You can learn more about our infant care Tampines here.
Lastly, would you like to visit our Genesis Childcare 1989 to find out more about our environment and setup as well as understand our operations by talking to our teachers and supervisor?
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 S(520433)
Nurture Infant House (2 to 18 months Infants)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 S(520433)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (7am to 7pm) & Saturday (7am to 2pm)
Public Bus services: 8 / 21 / 28 / 29 / 293
Tel: 96664141
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