Just keep swimming! Add some science to your day with this simple swimming fish experiment using dish soap to make one fish or two fish swim!
How to Set Up Swimming One Fish, Two Fish Experiment
Grab a shallow dish and fill the bottom with a small amount of water.
Cut out some small fish shapes from yellow, green, red and bleu foam sheets. To make the fish swim further put a little dip in its tail like a V shape.
Place the fish on top the water.
In a small dish, pour out some dish soap. I used Dawn but any dish soap should work. Grab a q-tip and dip one end into the dish soap.
Place your fish at one end of the shallow dish facing forward and lightly press the q tip with the dish soap into the water behind it. Watch the fish shoot forward to the other side!
Want to try it again? Remove the water and add some fresh water. The experiment can only be done once using the same water. Repeat as many times as you like replacing the water each time!
Science Behind Swimming Fish Experiment
The reason why the fish can swim is because of surface tension.
When you place the paper fish in the dish it floats. This is because the surface tension of the water is acting on the fish from all sides evenly.
What happens when you add some dish soap behind the fish?
It changes the surface tension by lowering so that the fish is not pulled as hard in one direction and it moves in the opposite direction.
Looking for more Dr Seuss Crafts & Activities? Check out these amazing posts:
Age Suitability
This activity is good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up. My kids are 5, 5 and 8 years old.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is medium.
Difficulty to Create
Low.
Skills Developed
Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.
Supplies
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- Water
- Dish soap (Dawn)
- Q-tips
- Foam sheets
- Scissors
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to finally share my new crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched July 1 at on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY MAKING THIS ONE FISH, TWO FISH SWIMMING EXPERIMENT INSPIRED BY DR SEUSS WITH YOUR CHILD? PIN IT FOR LATER.
