Science Projects for 2- to 3-Year-Olds

Observation Experiments

• Until babies learn to communicate, they grow in the the world using their senses. Children between the ages of 2 to 3 will get into everything. They are curious and will learn best by seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling. Incorporating these elements will make for a successful learning experience. Examples of observational science projects for 2- to 3-year-olds include: filling a sink with water and asking the child to predict if different items will sink or float; learning about temperature by having the child touch different warm and cold objects; and measuring a child's growth against a permanent household feature, like a door frame, over a period of time.

Communication Experiments

• There are many communication experiments that are perfect science projects for 2- to 3-year-olds. Testing different games using communication ideas can be fun for a young child. Utilizing silence and communication -- oral, written and pictorial -- can be a great way to teach a child about proper communication theories and devices. Consider making a telephone out of a string and two cans to show 2- and 3-year-olds how a telephone works.

Comparison Experiments

• Incorporating the use of comparison into science projects for 2- to 3-year-olds can be done using measurements, weights, capacity and quantity as well as the senses. Examples of comparison experiments include: distinguishing between running and walking; having a child smell and taste different foods; distinguishing the difference between how fast different balls roll; testing fastest times performing a daily task over a period of time; or any use of a memory game.

Organizational Experiments

• Organization experiments are great science projects for 2- to 3-year-olds. Conducting simple experiments using key ideas of organization can teach a child about data gathering, sequencing, grouping and classifying. Examples of organizational science projects for 2- to 3-year-olds include: having the child organize the pieces of multicolored cereal into different colored groups; organizing oversized puzzles, which can teach organization skills as well as problem solving; and grouping or counting anything (from coins to building blocks). These can all teach a child key components of organization, making them more adept to grasping the concepts.