Floating Plastic-Cup Stack & Tumble Bath Fleet

20 mins Ages 1-3 Indoor

A playful, screen-free adventure designed to spark curiosity, sensory exploration, and fine motor skills for kids aged 1 to 3.

Materials Needed

  • • Plastic nesting cups or stackers (4 cups)
  • • Bathtub with warm water (1 tub)

Pro Tips

  • → Stacking cups on floating surfaces introduces toddlers to unstable equilibrium.
  • → Show your toddler how an upside-down cup traps an air bubble underwater and bobs up when released.
  • → Poke a small pinhole in the base of one cup to turn it into a gentle shower sprinkle cup.

Safety First

Never leave a toddler unattended in or near a bathtub.

How was this activity?

Your anonymous feedback helps us recommend better activities.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Step 1

Place 4 colorful nesting plastic cups into a warm bath with your toddler.

2

Step 2

Float two cups upright on the water surface and show how they bob along like boats.

3

Step 3

Stack a smaller cup directly inside or on top of a floating cup to observe how weight changes buoyancy.

4

Step 4

Fill one cup to the brim and pour warm trickles over your toddler’s hands and tummy.

What they are learning

Hydrostatic displacement balance Gravity and water drainage buoyancy Fine motor stacking and pouring