Balancing Nature

Sep 12, 2018

00:00

Beginning at an early age, children can use their senses to compare objects and notice similarities and differences. They may notice if two blocks are different colors or different shapes. Children who are a little bit older may notice that rocks can be small or large, smooth or rough, heavy or light. In this activity, help your child learn observation skills by taking a more scientific approach: make predictions, use a simple tool to compare and contrast two objects and talk about the results.

Materials

Clothes hanger, preferably with strap slots, but any type of hanger will work
2 pieces of string or yarn, each approximately 24 inches in length
Hole punch or scissors
2 plastic drinking cups OR 2 plastic fruit/applesauce cups
Natural materials that will fit in the cups - Ideas include rocks, sand, soil, small sticks, leaves, water

Directions

Help your child think about measurement by comparing two objects. For example, if you look at a circle and a square, what do you notice that is the same or different about each? Now, when it comes to weight, ask, “What are some ways that we can compare the weights of two objects? Can we use a scale? What kind? Can we hold an object in each hand and estimate which object is heavier?”

Using a hole punch or a pair of scissors (adults), carefully punch one hole on opposite sides of a plastic cup slightly below the top lip of the cup.

Loop one string through both holes in the first cup so that the center of the string ends up crossing the top center of the cup. Tie the two loose ends of the string together. Repeat the process for the second cup.

If your hanger has a slot for clothing straps, hang one string in each clothing slot. If your hanger does not have a slot for straps, shorten your string a little and tie each string to the bottom bar of the hanger with one cup hanging from the right side and one cup hanging from the left side.

Hang the hanger on a doorknob or other surface that allows the two empty cups to hang level with each other.

If you and your child look around the neighborhood, what kind of objects from nature could you find to observe, weigh and compare? Gather natural materials to weigh in your balance scale and then make predictions about the weight of the objects.

Which object do you think is the heaviest?
Which object do you think is lightest?
Do you think there are two objects that weigh about the same?

Put one or more objects in each cup. If one cup hangs lower than the other, then the object in the lower cup is heavier and the object in the higher cup is lighter. Which objects are heavier? Which are lighter? Did any two objects weigh about the same? For an extra challenge, can your child add more items to the cups to make the scale balance?