Discovering Air by Blowing
You can't see it, you can't touch it, and yet it makes the feather move.
Discovering Air by Blowing is a Montessori activity for a child aged 2 to 3 years. Area: Science and Nature. Time: 10 min.
What the activity builds
Become aware of air through its effects, and control the strength of their own breath, which also builds toward speech.
The materials
- A feather, a small cotton ball, a cork, a marble
- A wide straw
- A smooth table, or a tray with a rim
- Optionally a folding fan or a piece of cardboard
How to do it, step by step
- Line the four objects up on the table, from lightest to heaviest.
- Sit facing your child, pick up the feather, and blow on it gently.
- Do the same with the cotton ball, then the cork, then the marble, without commenting on the result.
- Hand them the straw and let them try it on all four objects.
- Look together at what moved and what didn't.
- Finish by blowing on each other's hand, to feel the air without seeing it.
The parent's role
Show once, then step back. This is an experiment, not a contest, don't encourage them to blow harder. The control of error is in the marble, which won't move no matter what they do, teaching them that air has a limit. One straw per child, never shared.
Safety
A marble and a cork are choking hazards: constant presence is required, and put them away up high as soon as you finish. Show clearly that you blow INTO the straw and don't suck air in. Stop if your child blows very hard several times in a row, it can make them lightheaded.
You remain the sole judge of what is right for your child. These activities are offered for educational and recreational purposes: they do not replace medical advice or the guidance of an early childhood professional.
Ways to adapt the activity
- Easier: the feather alone, blown with a full breath, no straw.
- Harder: move the cotton ball all the way across the table without letting it fall off.
- Extension: outside on a windy day, let go of a feather and watch where the air carries it.
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