This STEM activity explores the Rub a Dub Dub nursery rhyme them with objects that you can find at home. Rather than floating in a tub or float these objects were dropped into a large tub of water.
Why aren’t the objects floating on raft or boat? We found that when we only put three of each of the objects into a plastic bowl they all floated.
Rub a Dub Dub Sink and Float Activity
You can put the Rub a Dub Dub activity out for your children to explore on their own. You can have them do a guided discovery where you provide guidance and ask questions as they test out each object.
Using the Experiment Recording Sheet
Regardless of what you decide to do, you can use the Rub a Dub Dub 3 Objects in a Tub recording sheet to display the results of this experiment. Your children can write or draw each of the objects that they experiment with. Then they can predict if each set of objects will sink or float by circling the word yes or no.
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After testing out each set of objects, children will need to circle whether the object sank or floated. If you would like, you can have them use a dot markers. Children can place a dot over the word sink or float.
Rub a Dub Dub Activity
You will need to gather five set of objects for your children to explore. A few objects will need to float and a few will need to sink. We used rocks, blocks, MegaBloks, erasers, and farmanimals
Children will drop in one of each type of objects at a time. The first drop is the test. The second is the confirmation. The third is to try a fun way to drop it.
If you like this science activity, here are some more wonderful experiments we have done.
You Can Make Water Flow
How to Make Things Sink
Make a Boat with Recycled Materials
STEM Activities-How to Make a Balloon Boat
How Long will a LEGO Boat Float?
