Absorption Experiment

Diapers have always been a beautiful mystery to me…how CAN they hold so much? I thought it would be fun to do a little science experiment with the boys to see if we could get to the bottom {get it?} of this mystery.

Absorption Experiment

This is a really fun and versatile experiment because it could incorporate all sorts of math depending on the level of the child’s math skills. You could have the child use the mL side of the cup, if subtraction is desired or make it more complicated by using the cup measurement side for manipulation of fractions.   If you have a pre-formal-math level child, this is still a lot of fun by just guessing what is going to happen. I had the kids cut three samples of materials into same size squares. We used a washcloth, a diaper and a paper towel. We noted what the water level was and then dipped the first material into the water. Using tongs, we then moved the soggy material to another location and noted the AFTER measurement. We repeated this with the paper towel and then the diaper. The diaper reacted much differently than the other two materials. I scooped out the diaper covering and what was left was diaper snow! As we watched, more and more of the water was absorbed. I wanted to isolate the left-over water for our experiment so we strained the diaper snow to see how much water remained. We definitely had a winner!   There was only a few drops of water. At this point, there are several things you could do with the experiment results:

• Find the amount of water absorbed by each material.
• Chart and graph the results.
• Find the differences between each material.
• Estimate what amount would be absorbed if the size of the material was smaller.   Or larger.
• Find another material and guess where in the absorption spectrum it would lie.
• Play with the diaper snow.

The diapers we used for this activity was Seventh Generation.   Seventh Generation has Overnight Diapers, Free & Clear Diapers and Free and Clear Training Pants that are all free of chlorine processing, free of fragrances and latex, free of petroleum-based lotions, and hypoallergenic.   You can see from our experiment {and with a trial on your diaper-wearing child} that they have premium absorbency! One lucky Kids Activities Blog reader will win a Green Your Home pack from Seventh Generation! Seventh Generation and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax have joined forces to inspire families to save the earth’s resources with conscious consumption. Created with our little ones and the environment in mind, Seventh Generation is the natural choice for high-quality and effective products that make a difference.   Seventh Generation is now offering free shipping for orders over $50. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” How do you live like the Lorax? Tell Seventh Generation below and be entered to win the Green Your Home prize pack!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Seventh Generation. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.