Are you planning a Vacation Bible School this summer? Have you ever wanted to combine teaching science with teaching religion with your kids? Then you must check out this book of science activities that illustrate Bible lessons!
I found this gem when I was preparing to give a talk to my church’s moms group. The topic is how to teach your kids about science and God’s creation. And of course I had to plan a talk to include a hands-on experiment! I think this cotton ball experiment will be perfect to do with a large crowd (and inexpensive!)
So of course I tested it out with my kids and they LOVED it! The object is to see how many cotton balls you can place in a glass of water without it overflowing. The bible verse the book pairs with it is “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20)
Check this out. I just love how her expression changes from skeptical to magical.
What is the science?
Cotton is made of a plant fiber called cellulose. Cellulose under a microscope would look like tiny tubes filled with air. A cotton ball is made up of many tubes of cellulose. A cotton ball itself has a volume that is mostly empty space filled with air. So when you place the cotton ball in the glass it will mostly absorb the water instead of displacing it. Who knew a cotton ball is basically an air ball?
Q: How many cotton balls you can place in a glass of water without it overflowing?
A: We had to stop at 30 because I ran out of cotton balls. How many can you do?
What is the Bible lesson?
The cotton ball is surprising in it’s properties just as God capacity to love us is beyond our imagination.
I hope you enjoy sharing God’s creation with your little scientists!
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