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ooking at fun experiments to do with the whole family during the school holidays? Who knows, you may be raising a future scientist! We’re taking a page out of Dr Marlene Hao’s book on raising little scientists. Her own dad was a research scientist who showed her the joys of science early in her childhood. Now that she’s a brilliant researcher herself, she makes sure the love of science continues to pass on to her daughter Isabella by involving her in fun experiments. “For example, we fill a bowl of water, and try to predict what will float and what will sink. This is a great play activity and also can have surprising results for example, fresh blueberries sink, but frozen blueberries float.” And no surprise, little Isabella is starting to think like a scientist already. “My daughter is coming up to four, so she’s at the age where everything is accompanied by a tonne of ‘why does this happen?’ questions! We really try to turn this back in her direction and ask her what she thinks, and how she can answer her own question. Of course, this is much harder in practice than in theory, particularly when you’re at the end of a long day!”
Dr Marlene Hao
Floating/sinking blueberries
Bowl of water
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Fill a bowl of water. 2. Try to predict which blueberries will float and which blueberries will sink.
Frozen and fresh blueberries (as many as you like!) 42 Peninsula Kids –Summer 2023/24
3. Place fresh blueberries in water what happens? 4. Now do this again, this time with frozen blueberries.
