Catch the Rolling Seeds

1. 1

   Pour a little water into a shallow plate. Set out sesame seeds and a small amount of dish soap.

2. 2

   Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the water with your child. Say, “The little seeds want to travel. How can we make them move farther away?”

3. 3

   Let your child try their own ideas. They might stir the water with a hand or an object, or blow across the surface.

4. 4

   After they have explored, show them the dish soap: “Here’s one more thing to try.” Let your child put a tiny amount on one fingertip and gently touch the surface. Watch what the seeds do and talk about the change.

5. 5

   Try touching a different spot: “Where will you touch this time? Will the seeds move away again?”

6. 6

   The science of surface tension is still too abstract to teach at this age. The useful experience is making a prediction, trying an action, and closely watching what happens.

What to notice

• Describes what happens to the sesame seeds after your wet finger touches the water Perception
• Tries different actions to make the sesame seeds move or change Initiative and Curiosity

Tips

• You can replace sesame seeds with another light, familiar material, such as ground pepper.
• When the experiment is over, discard the wet materials and clean the plate for its next use.

Developmental benefits

• Movement: Touching the sesame seeds and watching them move helps your child connect their finger movements with changes in nearby objects.
• Cognitive: Seeing the sesame seeds move in response to their touch encourages your child to try different actions and look for more effects.