"Why?" can be the start of a small investigation rather than a request for a perfect answer. These three everyday questions give families something to predict, discuss and check. The printable leaves room for a first idea and a revised explanation, so changing your mind becomes part of the activity.
Make your prediction
Choose an answer for each question, then check. You can change answers and try again.
The interactive activity needs JavaScript. Use the downloadable printable pack instead.
Begin with a prediction
Ask, "What do you think might happen?" and write down the answer without marking it right or wrong. A drawing, a few words or an adult recording a spoken idea is enough. Then decide whether you can observe it safely or need a reliable explanation.
Keep observation and explanation separate. "The ice stayed at the top" describes what you saw. "Ice is less dense than the water" explains why. Both are useful, but seeing one result does not prove every possible explanation.
Why is the sky blue?
Sunlight contains different colours. Tiny molecules in the air scatter shorter blue wavelengths more strongly than longer red wavelengths, sending light in different directions. Some of that scattered blue light reaches your eyes when you look across a clear daytime sky.
It is not simply the sea reflecting upwards. Ask your child whether the sky can look blue over places far from the sea. Observe the sky from a safe shaded position and never look directly at the Sun. NASA's child-friendly explanation linked below gives more detail.
Why does ice float?
Ordinary ice is less dense than liquid water. When water freezes into ordinary ice, its structure occupies more space for the same mass. A cube therefore floats with part of it above the water.
An adult can put an ice cube in a clear, unbreakable cup of cool water on a tray. Predict whether it will sink or float, then look from the side. Keep the cube out of mouths and wipe spills. This observation does not mean every solid floats in its own liquid; water has an unusual change in density on freezing.
Where does a rainbow come from?
A primary rainbow appears when sunlight is bent and separated into colours as it enters water droplets, reflects inside them and bends again on leaving. For the usual view, the Sun is behind you and droplets are ahead.
You cannot walk up to a rainbow as though it were a coloured object hanging in one place. Its appearance depends on your viewing position and the light reaching your eyes. Look for one only from somewhere safe; never aim your eyes at the Sun. The Met Office explanation below shows the light path.
Record what changed
Use the quiz before or after reading. Its explanations are there to discuss, not to rank children. Finish the recording sheet with "I used to think…" and "Now I think…" if that wording helps.
For the next question, it is fine to say, "I do not know yet." Write it on a question card and decide where you could check it. Books, museums and relevant scientific organisations can help; a confident answer on a website still needs evidence.
