Not only is this Huff and Puff science activity a fun way to teach about air, but it is also a great way to increase and strengthen oral coordination.
* Children with difficulties coordinating oral movements may demonstrate problems with more complex tasks (eating mixed textures, producing words and/or sentences).
Materials Needed: various sized straws and tubs (you could use toilet rolls or paper towel rolls like we did... or just roll up a piece of paper and tape it together).
Several objects of different weights from around the house to blow- bells, marshmallows, blocks, marbles, small rocks, M&Ms, jelly beans, cotton balls, scrunched up paper, etc.
We also used two pieces of paper to classify our objects once we were done blowing them.
Directions:
1. Bring out one object at a time and have your child try and guess if they can move the object or not by blowing it (make a prediction).
2. Next, have your child test out their prediction.
3. Talk about the words heavy and light. Have your child decide if the object they blew was heavy or light. Have them place the object on the correct paper that corresponds with their opinion.
(we had fun enlisting help from dad with this activity!)
4. Try having your child use their own mouth (without straw or tube) to see if they can move objects as well.
5. Go through all of the objects, classifying them and talking about their characteristics.
We saved some of the candy ones for last. Once we blew them, we got to eat them!
Info to share with older kids: When air is forced through a straw it moves quickly and has strength. The air then has the power to move lightweight objects.
Have your child decide (after trying out the straw, tube, and own mouth), which method works the best to move objects.
We continued our discussion about air as we read the story of The Three Little Pigs (by Steven Kellogg) and watched this fun Disney Silly Symphony about the Three Little Pigs... followed by an episode of Max & Ruby (Max and the Three Little Bunnies... which is based on the three little pigs story).
Here's the Disney silly symphony so you can check it out!
Idea modified from The Best of the Mailbox Preschool- Huff and Puff science activity.
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