Poke 1, 3, or 5 small holes in the bottom of a plastic cup. Child fills the cup and watches water stream through. Make several cups with different hole patterns. Compare: more holes = more streams but less pressure per hole. Occupies very young children for extended periods.
What you need
- plastic cups
- skewer or nail for holes (parent prepares in advance)
How to do it
- 1Ready to make a waterfall with these cups?
- 2Give the cups to the child. Fill from the bath. Watch the streams.
- 3Compare the cup with one hole against the cup with five. Which streams go further?
- 4Try different heights. Does higher make the streams stronger? Let them find out.
Variations
- Korb-Tür: If they won't pour — just hold the cup and watch you pour. They can direct where it goes. Pouring is optional.
- Ausstieg: Stack the cups. 'Fill the top one and watch it travel all the way down.' One final chain, then done.
💡 Parent tip
Prepare the cups before bath time. Holes should be small (2mm) so the cup doesn't drain immediately. This turns a 30-second craft into a 30-minute activity.
What your child develops
- Fluid dynamics — water pressure, hole size, and height all affect stream behaviour
- Cause and effect — changing one variable changes the outcome
- Sustained attention — immediate feedback of water behaviour keeps young children engaged
Safety notes
- Adult makes the holes. Never leave young children unattended in the bath.
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