Air is all around us all of the time, but young children often have a great deal of difficulty with the concept. Maybe it's because air can't be seen, tasted or smelled, but kids often need proof that air is indeed there. Here are some great ways to prove that air exists and learn about how it acts. Have fun!
Make a Pinwheel
Use a piece of paper, a pencil with an eraser, scissors, and a straight pin to help your child make a pinwheel. Cut the paper into a square and allow your child to decorate both sides with bright colors. Geometric designs will work better than pictures, if you can convince the artist! Find the center of the square and trace a one-inch circle around the center point. Now, cut inward from each corner to the circle that you drew. You'll see four triangles. Starting on the left, pull the bottom corner of the triangle into the center and hold it there. Rotate the paper and repeat until all four corners are being held in the center. Poke the pin through all four layers of paper and the center of the circle in back. Push the pin into the pencil's eraser. If the point comes out of the other side of the eraser, simply bend it downwards or put a small bit of tape or clay over it. Now, blow! You may need to adjust the distance between the layers of paper on the pin in order for the pinwheel to spin freely, but with just a little bit of patience, you will be able to demonstrate how air can move things.
Float a Ball
You'll need a pingpong ball and a plastic drinking straw for this activity. Have the child put the straw in his or her mouth and point it straight up. If your youngster is having trouble, try having him or her lie on the floor. Now, blow through the straw and carefully put the ping pong ball into the center of the air stream. If the ball stays in the center of the moving air, it will float! And in any case, your young scientist will have fun trying.
Discover Air Has Weight
You can show children that air has weight with this simple experiment. Gather up a ruler, a pencil, some tape and string, and two identical balloons. Tape the pencil to a table so that part of it sticks out over the edge. Tie identical lengths of string to each end of the ruler, then balance it on the pencil. Mark the balance point so you can find it again easily. Now, tie an uninflated balloon to one string and an inflated one to the other. Put the ruler back on the pencil at your marked balance point and see if it's still balanced. You'll find that the inflated balloon will tip your balance, because air has weight.
Twirl a Spiral
Help your young scientist learn how warm air rises with this demonstration. You'll need a circle of tissue paper about three inches, some thread, scissors, tape, and an incandescent light. Your child may enjoy making a design on both sides of the circle. Now, cut from the outside into the center with a spiral cut. Tape the thread to the center, then hold the spiral over the warm incandescent light. Be careful not to touch the paper to the bulb! It can catch on fire. Supervise young children so no one gets burned fingers. Hold the spiral over the warm light, and the rising warm air currents will spin the toy. Try the same thing over a cold light bulb where there are no drafts or breezes, and the spiral won't spin.
