Fun experiments for kids

In Aeiou children’s party entertainers we see the fun in everything we do, so when can it be a better time to teach the kids some science than while they are having fun? We are interested in contributing to the development of children, so that’s why we thought about giving you some fun experiments for kids that could help to motivate all children to learn.

One of the experiments that kids like the most is The Magnetic Boat. This experiment can motivate kids to learn a little bit about physics, using simple concepts of magnetic attraction between two objects. It’s an activity that also works as a craft, allowing the child to use different colours to decorate their boat.

For the physics part of the experiment you would only need:

A horseshoe magnet
A large needle
Pins

The first thing you need to do is to pick the side of the magnet you are going to use (north or south). Rub about 50 times the large needle with the pole of your choice, from the eye of the needle to the tip, always in the same direction. One of the fun things to do is to check if the needle got magnetized by using the pins; if they get attracted by the needle it worked!

To build the boat you would need:

A piece of thick cardboard 4×4 in
A pencil
Scissors
A piece of foil 10×10 in
A piece of wrapping paper to do the sail of the boat (the kids can choose their design)
A bowl of water
And the magnetized needle we did on the first part

To begin , carefully cut the cardboard in the shape of the boat you like the most. Cover the base of the boat with the foil, trying to cover all the areas, paying a lot of attention to the edges.

For the sail of the boat you would use the magnetized needle, so rub the needle with the same side of the magnet another 50 more times (remember to do it in the same direction everytime). Put the needle into the wrapping paper and nail it on the base of the ship.

Finally, put the finished boat in the bowl of water and use the poles of the magnet to move it.

Another way to do it is by using a metal paper clip. You can put it inside the needle while you are doing the sail to have more force in the movement of the ship with the magnet. You can use the coloured paper clips that you can find in any store. Remember: the bigger the clip the better.