Teaching the Scientific Method to Preschoolers

Yes, I love science.  I admit it.  If there were enough hours in the day, it might be fun to take an online class or two in science. I love teaching my son neat things about it, too.  Science can be so much fun for preschoolers and they never know they are learning, but you are building a great foundation for future understanding of basic terms.  Like the scientific method.
To demonstrate the scientific method we had a liquid race.

                            
I grabbed an empty cookie tray (this tray just might happen to be from Oreo’s  :-P) and some liquids of different viscosity (thickness).  I propped up one end of the cookie tray and we poured the different liquids in the lanes.

                   
I asked as we poured which one my son thought was going to win the race.  He told me the red one was going to win.  When I asked him why, he told me that red was one of his favorite colors and that is why. 

       

So we felt each liquid with our fingers.  We compared the textures (stickiness) and thickness.  We talked about if really thick and sticky syrup would go fast or slow.  Then we talked about the differences between the Kool Aid, the syrup, and the barbecue sauce.

My son then decided that the Kool Aid would win.  When asked why, he told me that it was runnier and more like water.  Yipee!

                 
So we did the race.  He was so excited to see the red win and be right.  I was excited to be there as he learned the scientific method, whether he knew it or not.  :-)  Try it.
Are you a science geek like me?  Or do you loathe it?
This post was linked up with Science Sunday over at Adventures in Mommydom.
Kim