You'll need

  • Empty, clean squeezy bottle (like an old chocolate sauce bottle or ketchup bottle)
  • Feathers (or small bits of paper will also work)

 

What to do

  1. Stand the empty bottle on a flat surface.
  2. Hold your finger over the top of the bottle. Squeeze the bottle and feel the air come out.
  3. Place a feather or a bit of paper on top of the bottle and see what happens when you squeeze the bottle.
  4. Now squeeze all the air out of the bottle and hold it squeezed.
  5. Put the feather on the top and let go of the bottle. Watch what happens.
  6. To get the feather out again, just tip the bottle upside down and give it another squeeze.

Questions to ask

How high can you get the small feathers or bits of paper to fly? Try using different things from around the house.

Blow on your hand. What can you feel?

What’s happening

Air can be hard to understand because you can’t see it. This activity helps kids realise that although air is invisible, it is all around us and can be used to move things.

Did you know

Birds use air to help them fly. They also have light skeletons, which also helps them fly. Some birds even have hollow bones.

Even if you had wings that were as big on you as a bird’s wings are on it, you still wouldn’t be able to fly. Your bones are just too heavy.