Pine Cone Science

We had a fun time playing with pine cones in a tub of water and experimenting whether or not they sink or float. 

Ask your child what happened or give it a try at home.

 The children were thrilled to learn that pine cones float. 

 The water tubs sat idle for about 15 minutes.

The pine cones closed up tight! 

HOW did this happen and 

WHY?

This lead us to a simple pine cone science 

inquiry over the next few days to figure out 

what makes the pine cones open and close. 

We discovered that the pine cones that 

were shut tight were VERY wet.

We set the pine cones on the window ledge and let them dry out for a day and low and behold they opened up again. 

Hmmm... what happened?! 

We learned that the pine cones hold the tiny seeds.

We also noticed that the seeds were similar to 

maple seeds in that they have little wings 

and float like a helicopter when tossed into the air. 

This is how they are dispersed with the help of the wind.

We compared different types of pine cones. 

The thick, fatter cones took longer to close and dry out.

We guessed that the pine cone could 

protect the seeds by closing up tight.

 This is a wonderful example of adaptation.

If you're looking for a fun little experiment, go find a few pinecones and toss them into a bowl of water. 

Watch. Wait. Be amazed:)