Learning Through Wonder: Our Float & Build Nature Science Day
There’s something beautiful about watching kids learn with their hands in the water and their feet in the grass.
For years, the first lesson for our Wild School class is a science lesson that takes us outdoors for a hands-on exploration of buoyancy, density, and engineering—all through simple materials we found in nature. We called it our “Float & Build” challenge, and it was just the kind of messy, creative, joy-filled learning that reminds me why we homeschool in the first place.
✨ Setting the Stage
We start with a simple question:
“Why do some things float while others sink?”
The kids made guesses, tossed around ideas, and then we got to testing. They dropped rocks, bark, pinecones, and leaves into a big tub of water and charted their observations. Some of their predictions were spot-on; others got a few giggles when the “sure thing” sank straight to the bottom.
🧠 Learning Without the Desk
We talked about how weight isn’t the only thing that affects floating—shape, structure, and density matter too. And just like that, we were in the middle of a full-blown science lesson, without ever opening a textbook.
The highlight of the day was the boat-building challenge. Using only what they could gather from the yard and woods, each child built their own little raft or boat and then tested to see how many coins or pebbles it could hold before sinking. There were shouts, splashes, and some sinking ships… but also a whole lot of laughter and problem-solving.
💬 What They Said
“This stick boat is gonna hold, like, a million coins!”
“Look! It floats… wait… oh no—wait! It’s tipping!”
“I’m rebuilding mine. I need better balance.”
Moments like these? They’re golden. This is where real learning happens.
🧡 Why This Matters
The beauty of this kind of lesson isn’t just in the science—though it was definitely there. It’s in the confidence they build, the creativity they stretch, and the connections they make with the world around them.
We’re not just teaching facts—we’re nurturing curiosity, resilience, and a deep sense of wonder.
And as we watched the kids marvel at what floated and what sank, I was reminded of this beautiful truth:
“Ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?”
— Job 12:7–10
We are learning from the earth—just like Scripture says we can.
🪵📸 Scroll down for photos from our Float & Build adventure!
📝 Want to try this at home? I’ve linked the full lesson plan and printable worksheet below.
Let me know if you try it—I’d love to see what your little learners create!
