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🎈 Play and toys

Why do some balloons float up? Simple, true play and toys facts for young children, each with a fun fact, a tiny activity and a question to talk about together.

Tap a question to reveal the answer, share the fun fact, try the tiny activity, then talk about it together.

schedule2 minstarEasygroupTogether

Why do some balloons float up? Revealexpand_more

A balloon floats when it is filled with a special gas called helium that is lighter than the air around it. Lighter things rise through heavier air, so the balloon drifts upward. A balloon you blow up with your breath is full of heavier air, so it falls instead.

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Talk about itIf you had a balloon that could lift you, where would you float away to?

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Did you know?Helium is so light that it even floats up and away into space if it escapes high enough.

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Try itCompare a helium balloon with one you blew up yourself. One rises, one sinks, all because of what is inside.

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🎈✈️How do planes stay up in the sky?🫧How do bubbles form and pop?🧲Why do magnets stick?

🤖Still curious?Why does a helium balloon slowly sink after a day or two?arrow_forward

schedule2 minstarEasygroupTogether

Why do magnets stick? Revealexpand_more

A magnet has an invisible pulling power around it that grabs onto certain metals, like iron. You cannot see this force, but you can feel it tug when a magnet snaps onto a fridge or a paperclip. Magnets also have two ends that either pull together or push apart.

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Talk about itWhat things in your home do you think a magnet would stick to?

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Did you know?The whole Earth acts like a giant magnet, which is how a compass finds north.

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Try itMove a magnet slowly toward a paperclip and feel the moment it suddenly jumps and sticks.

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🎈💡How does a light turn on when you flip a switch?🎈Why do some balloons float up?🛝What makes a swing go higher?

🤖Still curious?Why do two magnets sometimes push each other away?arrow_forward

schedule2 minstarEasygroupTogether

What makes a swing go higher? Revealexpand_more

A swing goes higher when you pump your legs and lean at just the right moments. By kicking out as you swing forward and tucking back as you swing back, you add a little push to each swing. Timing it right with the swing's rhythm is the secret to going higher.

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Talk about itWhat does it feel like at the very top of a big swing?

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Did you know?A swing always takes the same time to go back and forth, whether it swings big or small.

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Try itOn a swing, try pumping your legs in time with the motion. Notice how good timing lifts you higher.

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🎈🧲Why do magnets stick?🫧How do bubbles form and pop?🎈Why do some balloons float up?

🤖Still curious?Why does a swing slow down and stop if you sit still?arrow_forward

schedule2 minstarEasygroupTogether

How do bubbles form and pop? Revealexpand_more

A bubble is a very thin skin of soapy water wrapped around a pocket of air. The soap lets the water stretch into a smooth ball, and air trapped inside holds the round shape. A bubble pops when its thin skin dries out or gets touched and finally breaks.

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Talk about itWhat is the biggest bubble you have ever made?

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Did you know?Bubbles are always round because that shape holds the air with the least amount of skin.

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Try itBlow a bubble and watch the swirling colours on its surface, then see how gently you can hold it before it pops.

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🎈🎈Why do some balloons float up?🛝What makes a swing go higher?🏔️Why do you hear an echo?

🤖Still curious?Why do bubbles show rainbow colours?arrow_forward

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