Quite often the task of teaching science to any child let alone one with special needs can sound daunting. But learning science concepts can be fun and easy. The best method to teaching any child science is to challenge the concepts they have already developed. It not only heightens their curiosity to understand but increases their concentration and development of language to ask questions or explain why.

One simple activity I found that is quick and easy to prepare for and won’t break your school or home budget is this one. All you need is a balloon, sticky tape, a pin or toothpick. (You know where I’m going with this one already aren’t you!?) I like this activity because the low cost means ALL the children in your class can participate in experimenting and not just watch. ‘Doing’ is the best way to cement the learning for many children,  especially when it comes to challenging their concepts.

Once you have blown the balloon up and tied a knot so it doesn’t go down, place 2 pieces of sticky tape at the top as a cross. With a pin, stab in the centre of the cross. Most of the children will get quite excited that their balloon hasn’t burst at this point and it is a great time to stimulate language from them by asking open ended questions such as:

• Ask them what did they think was going to happen?
• Why didn’t it burst?
• Can they hear the air coming out slowly?
• Can they see their balloon getting smaller?

In some cases the balloon may pop due to the sticky tape tearing. This is only going to help them understand what actually makes the balloon burst. It isn’t the pin that causes it – it’s the split in the balloon’s surface and the pressure of the air within that causes the balloon to burst suddenly.

You can also watch this video I found that explains another science activity you can do with a balloon. You will need skewers and petroleum jelly for this one. It’s also a great video to share with your children in helping them understand or reinforce why a balloon doesn’t pop.