Museum of Science, Boston

Capillary Action at Different Ages

Books for Kids

  • A Drop of Water
    , by
    Walter Wick
  • Butterflies and Moths
    , by
    Dorling Kindersley
  • EyeWitness Butterfly & Moth
    , by
    Paul Whalley
  • The Ultimate Bubble Book
    , by
    Shar Levine

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Capillary Action Butterflies: Older Children & Adults






  

    

  Capillary Action Butterflies can be a fun science activity for people of all ages. We provide these generalizations as guidelines about what children at different ages might do during Capillary Action explorations at the Discovery Center’s Experiment Station, in the kitchen at home, or at school.


Listed below are science and technology process skills that children may be practicing during their explorations. Please remember: each child develops at a different rate, so some children in each age group may be able to do some of the things described in the age group before or after their own. 


How might older children explore Capillary Action?



  

      


  

    
Scaffold




Adults can help young children get the most out of this activity by encouraging children to pause, think and notice as they create their butterflies.


Helping children get the most out of this activity:


•We recommend using only primary colored markers for this activity, that way, as the children color, you can challenge them to think about how to make a new color using only the colors available. As children add water, talk about the new colors they made by mixing primary colors together.


•When adding water using a pipette, show children how to squeeze the bulb, dip the tip in the water and release their squeeze to fill the pipette with water. Encourage children to only release a few drops at a time and describe to you what’s happening.


•Most children want to assist in turning their colored filters into butterflies. Some children can perform the needed steps more independently than other children. Show children how to bend the pipecleaners into a ‘v’ shape and twist the pipecleaner around the coffee filters to secure the butterfly.


•Help children compare and contrast their butterfly to pictures or models of real butterflies and moths.  


At the Museum


You can see and compare mounts of real butterflies and moths in the Natural Mysteries Exhibit.


You can visit the Butterfly Garden Exhibit.  Separate admission required.