Science
Foam mountain
- Builds: How foam forms
- 15 min
- Ages 2–5
- Calm
- Messy
From the house
- Dish soap or bubble bath
- A little water
- A whisk
- A big bowl or baking dish
- Spoons, cups and small toys
How to play
- Put a squirt of soap and a little water in the bowl.
- Take turns whisking until it’s a mountain of foam.
- Scoop it, pour it, and hide toys in it.
- Draw in the foam with a finger.
Fit it to your child
- Easier: You whisk while they pat, scoop and squeeze the foam with their hands.
- Harder: Whisk one bowl of plain water and one with soap, and they guess which will make foam.
Words to use
- whisk
- foam
- bubbles
- air
- soft
- hide
Why it helps
Whisking traps air in the soapy water, so they discover that foam is just lots of tiny air bubbles, light enough to scoop and pile high.
Grown-up eyes: Stay within arm’s reach, keep the foam away from their eyes and mouth, and wipe the floor after.