Science with kids is always so fun! Adding simple science to our Christmas theme in preschool is going to be a great way to bring keep the few weeks before break from getting too full of must-get-these-things-done items and keep the time fun for my 3 year-olds.
We use jingle bells at Christmas time for different things…many beyond jingling for music and decorations!
The best thing about these awesome Dancing Jingle Bells is that there was huge doubt that the whole thing would even work.
Isn’t science and experimenting just amazing?! (Even for grown-ups.)
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Dancing Jingle Bells
Simple supplies for this simple Christmas science!
- clear glass container
- jingle bells
- carbonated soda (we used Sprite)
The first time we did this experiment, the condensation was tough to see through on the side of the jar and I had to keep wiping it clean. Because of this, I would recommend using room temperature sodas so that there is no issue and your kids don’t miss a thing!
The temperature of the soda didn’t seem to make the jingle bells dance faster or slower.
My preschooler and I ended up doing this experiment a few times and then redid it for my big kids when they got home from school!
We added a bunch of jingle bells to the glass jar. Our jar was nothing fancy, just one I grabbed and took the label off from the recycle bin!
Then we poured a can of soda into the jar.
Within seconds, the jingle bells started dancing!
If you have enough bells in the jar, the jingle bells will even hit each other with a clink sound and at times even jingle!!!
I love to do these kind of activities during circle time and leave them out for my preschoolers to observe all morning.
You would be surprised at how long these jingle bells will dance!
Density plays a part in this Christmas science fun! The jingle bells are on the bottom and do not instantly begin floating in the soda because they are more dense than the liquid. Air bubbles begin to surround the jingle bells and causes the bells to float up. When the air bubbles pop, the bells sink down again.
Ta-da! Dancing Jingle Bells!
I won’t ruin your fun though, but I will let you know that we experimented with other bells too…different sizes AND different colors.
The smallest jingle bells were our favorite for sure!! How fun is this Christmas science?!
Continue the Christmas and Santa learning and add in literacy, math, and fine motor into the fun this December!
We all know how important building fine motor skills are. Intentionally add practice into your daily routine. You won’t be disappointed!
Hurrah it worked!! Just love this Nicole. Can't wait to try it out.
Thanks Alice! It is really a lot of fun!
I love this! I have been a preschool teacher in kindergarten picture for 30+ years. I absolutely love this and have never done it……until now! Thank you!
I hope your preschoolers loved it!
Sigh. I have tried it twice and it didn’t work either time. I have basic jingle bells. Sprite. A clear glass.
So disappointed.
But as the preschooler said – sometimes experiments work and sometimes they don’t. There is No reason to get upset.
Oh no! We did this again this past week and it worked in 2 different jars. Are you using a can of Sprite? I wonder if a can versus a bottle of soda works better. And maybe start with just one or 2 jingle bells to see what happens??
We couldn’t get it to work with soda, probably because we were using soda from a bottle that had been open a couple days. We tried Alka Seltzer, and that didn’t work either. Finally, we had success with water, baking soda and vinegar. We poured the vinegar in a little at a time, to keep it from overflowing and to keep them dancing for a while. Tomorrow, I’ll try to get a can of soda to see it work again. Thanks for this great idea!