Children will enjoy this simple demonstration of water displacement.

Step 1: Fill a container almost to the top with water, and place it on a tray (or in the tub or sink). Have your children gradually add pebbles or marbles to the container until the water overflows.

Step 2: Making the connection. Using a toy pitcher, act out Aesop’s fable “The Crow and the Pitcher.” Turn your finger into a crow by drawing eyes on a knuckle and a beak on the ngernail. Say: "A thirsty crow found a pitcher of water sitting on some pebbly ground. Unfortunately, the water was too low in the pitcher for the
crow to reach. How could that clever crow solve the problem and get a drink?" Encourage children to think about the experiment they just did, and to suggest or act out solutions. After you’ve talked about it together, finish the story.

Step 3: Taking it to the next step. Continue experimenting with water displacement using sponges, measuring cups, and spoons.

Download the "Water Experiment" activity in a PDF format.

Arthur
Weekdays at 4:30 PM

Connecting the activity with the program:
When Buster opens his detective agency, he has no idea his first job will involve Arthur. Is Arthur really a thief? If not, then what happened to that bag of quarters Arthur was collecting for the fire department? The answer has something to do with Mrs. MacGrady (the lunch lady), a blender, and a big bowl of brownie dough. The basis of an Arthur chapter book.