A Math and Science Experience — Estimations and Experimentation!

3 min readOct 2, 2020

Hello! My name is Mary Pollard, today I am going to be explaining/teaching you all about a math and science experience that is perfect for kindergarten age children. This experience uses aluminum foil, water, a sink/tub/somewhere that holds lots of water, and 50+ of one small material (i.e. marbles, clothespins, or buttons). For this experience, I chose a big jar of pebbles! First, have your child create a “boat” out of aluminum foil — it does not need to be super big but big enough to hold at least 50 of your supplies! Then, have them create a prediction of how many of your “pebbles” it will hold, the goal is for it to hold at least 50 before it sinks! If your first creation does not hold 50, that is okay! Have your child create a new “boat! This experience is all about trial and error and problem solving! It took me two tries to hit 50 pebbles, and the second attempt my creation ended up holding 135 pebbles! This science experience also helps children learn about math and science in a fun and exciting way! They are able to make predictions and estimations about their “boat” and how many materials it will hold. Then, they have free range and creative control of how they design their aluminum foil creation which is so important to engage their creative skills. Exploration of the materials they are using and experimentation of said materials is important for their curious minds! Children learn best through hands-on learning, and this project will provide them with that experience. Children are very curious and capable learners who are full of potential, and thrive with learning through exploration and curiosity. I hope they enjoy completing this science experience and if you want to try something other than aluminum foil, have them test other materials to see if they will float and hold 50+ materials (i.e. sponges, playdough, or wood).