Easy Science Experiment: How Blubber Works

Back in December we learned about the Antarctic by reading My Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal by Sophie Webb (read aloud during Circle Time), and The Penguin Who Wanted to Find Out by Jill Tomlinson (read independently by the twins, age 5.5).  One common theme was how animals who live in cold climates require blubber to keep them warm.  We explored this concept further with a simple but fun science experiment...

I left some butter out to soften and then invited the kids to make a ball of "blubber" and wrap it around one of their fingers.  Then we prepared some icy water (cold water with ice cubes) and the girls dipped two fingers in the water - one with the 'blubber' on it and one without.

They compared how the two fingers felt, and learned that blubber is a great insulator from cold temperatures.  Easy peasy!

I also just had to share this wonderful picture that E drew of the penguins we were learning about.