blubber ice water experiment

Science Fun

Polar Bear Blubber

• 2 gallon sized zipper lock bags
• 4 tablespoons of shortening
• ice (crushed/cubed)
• 1 gallon bucket

Instructions:

• Fill bucket halfway with the cold water.
• Add enough ice to make water chilly.
• Add 4 tablespoons of shortening in one of the ziploc bags.
• Put empty ziploc bag inside of the ziploc bag with shortening in it. Put your hand in the empty ziploc bag, this way your hand stays clean during the experiment.
• With other hand spread shortening all over the outside of the inner bag.
• Now fold the top of the inner ziploc bag over the top of the outer ziploc bag. Now the shortening is stuck between the two bags. To make sure the shortening stays secure duct tape this fold.
• Finally, stick your hand in to the into your new blubber glove and dip it into the bucket of ice cold water.

VIDEO COMING SOON BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THESE AWESOME EXPERIMENTS!

How it Works:

Shortening is a fat just like blubber is, and fat acts like an insulator. An insulator stops energy from flowing the way that it usually does, from things that are hot to things that are not. So the body heat that polar bears create is trying to flow from the body to the outside chilly temperatures, but because of the flubber, it stops it from escaping.

Extra Experiments:

• Try to use other types of insulators such as butter, cotton balls, or sand. Which one works as the best insulator?
• Try using one hand in the glove and the other had in the water. Make observations using touch describe how it feels.
• Try using room temperature water or water that is 100 degrees Fahrenheit (Be careful with hot water when you are testing it). Does the glove work in these situations?

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Last updated by Linda Kamp on December 10, 2022 • 3 Comments

Arctic Animal Adaptations: Blubber Science Experiment for Kids

In this post, I’ll show you a simple and fun blubber science experiment for kids as they learn about arctic animal adaptations. It’s easy to do in the classroom and demonstrates how arctic animals adapt to their environment.

Arctic Animal Adaptations

When teaching second graders about habitats and ecosystems, we spend a bit of time learning about adaptations; ways plants and animals adapt to their habitats to survive. This simple blubber experiment demonstrates how arctic animals stay warm in their icy water habitats.

Blubber is a thick layer of fat just under the skin of all marine mammals. It covers the entire bodies of animals like polar bears and penguins, whales, seals, and walruses. These mammals have adapted to live in cold waters. They survive because their blubber acts like insulation, trapping their body heat in.

The science behind it is pretty simple: The further the blood is from the skin’s surface, the less body heat is lost. Blubber creates a thick, protective layer, much like a blanket,  that provides a barrier between the animals’ blood and the surface of its skin.

Blubber Science Experiment for Kids

This activity is really a demonstration. It recreates the layer of fat that keeps an animal warm. During the demonstration, students compare the cold they can feel with and without wearing a “blubber glove”.

To get started, you will need a few inexpensive items that are readily available at any grocery store.

Blubber science experiment & lab sheet source: Habitat s Science Unit

Materials per small group of students:

• 3 gallon size Ziploc bags
• 1 can of shortening
• large cup of ice
• large bowl or bin
• metal spoon for scooping shortening
• student lab sheet

Prepping the glove:

I recommend preparing the blubber glove ahead of time using the following steps.

1. Fill a gallon zipper bag about 2/3 full of shortening.

2. Place your had inside a second, empty zipper bag and carefully push it into the bag with the shortening.

3. Holding the top edges of both bags, roll the top edges of both bags over about an inch.

4. Tape down the fold with duct tape to seal the shortening inside between the two bags forming a “glove”.

5. With your hand inside the glove, press and smooth the shortening to distribute it as evenly as possible around the center bag. The inner bag should be surrounded by shortening.

Demonstrating the Adaptation

Conduct the test by first having students describe on their lab sheet how the materials are used to replicate blubber. Once students finish, they start by placing their hand inside the bowl of ice water.

Next, students place their hand inside the blubber glove and into the ice water again.

Students compare what they feel and document it on their lab sheet. Lastly, students explain in writing on their lab sheets how the shortening insulated their hand from the cold temperature of the water comparing it to the way blubber keeps an arctic animal warm.

This blubber science experiment video by Steve Spangler science gives a visual on how to prep your glove.

CLICK HERE   for an in-depth, ready to use unit on Habitats and Ecosystems for second grade.

This comprehensive, 3-week unit includes a 7-lesson teaching PowerPoint, experiments, science journal, and much more.

Click here to see the entire 2nd grade series.

I hope you’ll try this simple blubber science experiment for kids as your students learn about habitats and arctic animal adaptations. Be sure to pin this post for later so you have it when you plan!

Find more high engagement science activities for kids in these posts:

Hands-On Properties of Matter Activities & Experiments

Habitats Activities for Second Grade Scientists

Milk & Cookies and the Scientific Method

Happy teaching!

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Polar Bear Blubber Experiment

How do polar bears stay warm with those freezing temperatures, icy water, and relentless wind in the Arctic? What keeps a polar bear warm when its natural habitat is so harsh? This simple but classic polar bear blubber experiment will help kids feel and see what keeps those big guys (and gals) warm! Simple winter science experiments help to shape kids’ minds!

HOW DO POLAR BEARS STAY WARM?

POLAR BEAR BLUBBER EXPERIMENT

To start this experiment, you need to ask your kids a few questions and get them thinking Ask your kids how they think polar bears stay warm when swimming around in the icy arctic water. What about them keeps them warm if they don’t wear clothes like us. Why don’t polar bears start to freeze in the water? Hint: there’s a thick layer of fat included! Brrr…

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• Large container or bowl
• Lots of ice cubes
• Vegetable shortening
• Two plastic baggies (Ziplock Bags)
• Food Coloring (optional)

HOW TO SET UP YOUR BLUBBER EXPERIMENT

Before you begin, you may want to pair this lesson with the scientific method . You can use this with younger and older students with simple alterations that you can read about here .

Check below for another option to extend the learning or to lessen the mess!

STEP 1. First, you need to fill a large bowl with a good amount of ice and water. Add blue food coloring if desired.

STEP 2. Next, have your kid place his/her hand briefly in the water. It’s cold! There’s no need to linger in the water for safety.

STEP 3. Now, for the messy part, fill one plastic bag with shortening.

STEP 4. Have your kids place one hand in another bag and the other hand inside the blubber/fat-filled bag. Seal the tops with duct tape so water can’t get into the bags. Make sure to move the fat around, so it covers your hand completely.

NOTE: For a less messy version, see below!

Fun Fact: Polar Bears have 4″ thick layers of blubber to keep them toasty and store nutrients when there isn’t much food available.

STEP 5. Put the bag-covered hands in the freezing water. What do they notice? Does the water feel less cold or not?

ALTERNATE BLUBBER GLOVE

You can use two gloves with vegetable shortening for a less messy way. For a less messy version, go ahead and cover the outside of one bag with shortening, place that bag inside another bag, and seal everything tightly! This way, your hand stays clean inside the bag, and the shortening is sandwiched between two bags.

This also allows older students to test different kinds of insulators because of the sandwich method. What else can be used between the two layers of bags? This turns it into a true science experiment for kids in older grades. Make sure to write out a hypothesis before getting started. Read up on the scientific method here.

• Cotton Balls
• Packing Peanuts

If your kids haven’t already guessed what keeps polar bears warm, they will have a better idea once they make their own polar bear blubber glove! Blubber or a thick layer of fat keeps them warm. Polar bears are warm-blooded mammals like us! What the heck are they doing in the Arctic?

The blubber also stores nutrients needed for survival in this harsh climate. Learn more about the Arctic with Biomes of the World !

Of course, polar bears aren’t covered in cooking lard like Crisco, but they have their own kind of lard called blubber that helps out. The fat molecules in shortening work in a similar way to that of blubber! However, several special adaptations work together for maximum heat retention.

POLAR BEAR ADAPTATIONS

Polar bears use a combination of fur and blubber to keep warm. Thick fur and thick fat keep these warm-blooded mammals warm in temperatures up to -50 degrees! That’s pretty cold.

They have two types of fur. These bears have long, oily, hollow hairs that help keep water away but also help trap heat. The second type of fur consists of short insulating hairs. These hairs keep heat close to the skin.

Oh, and did you know these magnificent creatures with whitish fur, actually have black skin? This also helps to keep polar bears warm by absorbing the sun’s rays.

Some adaptations include small ears, so the ears don’t get too cold, “sticky” pads for gripping ice, and 42 very sharp teeth for catching their dinner!

POLAR BEAR By Candace Fleming ad Eric Rohman is an excellent addition to your winter theme library. It’s a fantastic mix of non-fiction storytelling filled with engaging text and plenty of good information! (Amazon Affiliate Link) You can also pair this with the research sheet I added at the end of the article.

ARE POLAR BEARS BUOYANT?

What’s under the black skin? The blubber, of course! The blubber is a thick layer below the skin that can be up to 4.5 inches thick! WOW! It now only helps them stay warm, but it also helps to keep them afloat. You can check out this simple buoyancy science experiment to learn more about that!

Blubber is stored up fat. It creates a cozy blanket for the polar bear when combined with different types of fur. It also has another useful property in that it can help provide life-sustaining energy when food sources are scarce. Blubber is important to the life of a polar bear!

ALSO CHECK OUT: How Do Whales Stay Warm?

WINTER SCIENCE ACTIVITY

The winter season is a terrific time to explore different science concepts and keep the excitement of science alive! Learning about animals and animal habitats is always a favorite of young kids. Use this science experiment with small groups in the classroom or with several kids at home!

So next time you want to share something fun with the kids or if you are exploring an arctic unit, break out this polar bear blubber experiment . We will share a few more fun facts with you about how polar bears keep warm, and this winter science activity is a great hands-on way for kids to feel it as well.

You may also want to make a polar bear puppet or a paper plate polar bear craft !

Read below the activity for a bit of science behind the chilly fun, and see how polar bears brave the elements in style. Oh, and make sure your kids know that polar bears and penguins don’t hang out together!

Learn what role polar bears have in the food chain .

FREE Printable Winter STEM Guide

More fun and easy winter science activities can be found here.

MORE FUN ICY ACTIVITIES

• Pingback: Winter Snow Storm In a Jar Science Activity for Kids
• Pingback: International Polar Bear Day – TeachersFirst Blog

Is there something we can use as a substitute for shortening? Because our schools is remote learning parents have to have any supplies we need available in their homes. I worry this may not be a pantry staple for all our families.

Hmm, butter is not going to be as good and may be more wasteful than picking up a tub of sshortening. Other than that maybe someone else has a good idea and can reply to you!

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~ projects to try now ~.

Make blubber gloves

Learn about polar animals' adaptations with this experiment!

Extremely cold climates are full of life. What kind of adaptations do polar animals have to allow them to thrive in these environments? Learn about one survival tool with this experiment from the Nat Geo Kids book  Try This! Extreme . 

Assemble a blubber glove by filling a plastic bag three-quarters full with shortening.

Put on your nitrile gloves and insert your hands in two plastic bags: one filled with the shortening and the other empty. Zip the bags as closed as possible and then get someone to help you tape the bags closed around your wrists.

Place your covered hands in the icy water for as long as you can stand. Which hand stays warmer?

Repeat the experiment with different insulating materials, like the packing peanuts, cotton balls, and feathers. Which material keeps your hand the warmest?

WHAT TO EXPECT

Some of the materials placed in the bag around the subject’s hand will prevent cold from reaching her hand better than others.

WHAT'S GOING ON

Fat—even a vegetable-based fat like shortening—insulates animals from cold. So the shortening provides a decent substitute for blubber, the layer of fat that seals , whales , walrus , polar bears , and other marine animals in polar climates have under their skin.

Other materials, such as foam, keep drinks warm because they don’t conduct heat, so the heat doesn’t escape through the sides and bottom of the cup.

By the way, the bucket full of icy water is similar to the temperature and texture of the water around ice floes—where animals like seals and whales tend to live.

Try This! Extreme Text Copyright © 2017 Karen Romano Young

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San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

Free activities, stream activity: blubber experiment, learn how our fellow mammals keep warm in the arctic.

Activity best for children age 2 and up

How do Arctic mammals survive (and thrive!) in extremely cold, icy water? Cold-blooded marine animals such as sharks balance their body temperatures along with the water around them. Warm-blooded marine mammals like seals, walruses, and whales have a thick layer of fat called blubber. This insulation of fat helps their internal temperatures stay warm, especially when they spend a lot of time in the freezing water. In the Arctic, some whales have blubber up to 20 inches thick! If you have ever put on a wetsuit before going in the ocean, you know what it’s like having an extra layer to keep your body temperature higher. Using some kitchen items, this activity shows what it might feel like to have a thick, insulated layer of fat like our fellow mammals.

Materials you’ll need:

2 Ziploc bags

Guiding Questions:

What is blubber?

Which Arctic animals have blubber?  

Add two or three tablespoons of shortening, or “blubber,” to one of the empty Ziploc bags.

Create your Arctic Ocean by mixing the ice and water in the bowl. As a reference, you can test how cold the icy water is here without the shortening.

Using your hand, put the empty Ziploc bag into the bag with the “blubber.” Place them in the bowl of ice water.

Test out your “blubber!” Your hand will stay completely dry and warm, just like an Arctic marine animal.

Grown Ups-Are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connections:

“The Three Snow Bears” by Jan Brett

Science Connections:

Interestingly, blubber also helps marine mammals in more ways than thermal insulation. The extra fat helps them store energy, allows for easier swimming through the water, and has low density which makes them buoyant, or float. You can play around with this experiment to see how well things float and glide in the blubber.

Share your “blubber” with us on Instagram by tagging @sdcdm320 !

Questions about this activity? Email [email protected]

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Kid World Citizen

Activities that help young minds go global

The Classic Blubber Experiment, to Learn about Arctic Adaptations

February 11, 2013 by kidworldcitizen 4 Comments

The Classic Blubber Experiment

The scientific method:.

• Ask a Question
• Do Background Research
• Come up with a Hypothesis (Educated Guess!)
• Test your Hypothesis in an Experiment
• Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
• Communicate Your Results (from ScienceBuddies )

1. Ask a Question:

How can animals survive in the extreme temperature of the Arctic and Antarctica regions?

2. Do Background Research:

There are many animals that spend time in the frigid waters of the Arctic and around Antarctica that have a special layer of fat called “ blubber :” whales (narwhals, belugas, orcas etc), seals, sea lions, elephant seals, walruses, polar bears, and even baby penguins. The blubber is right under the skin, and acts as an insulator . This means it holds in the warm-blooded mammals’ body heat, even when they are swimming in icy cold water as low as 40°.  Read about blubber and more in the National Park Service’s excellent article that details specific arctic animals and their adaptations to the extreme weather.

Blubber is a layer of fat. If we try to mimic the layer of fat that arctic animals have, could we protect our hands from freezing snow?

3. Come Up with a Hypothesis:

We think that our homemade blubber ( Crisco shortening !) will protect us from the cold temperatures from the snow. We think we can keep our bare hand on the snow for 1 minute and our hand protected in the blubber for 2 minutes in the snow.

4. T est your Hypothesis

To see if blubber would work for us, and insulate our heat, we replicated the classic blubber experiment. We scooped a bunch of Crisco into a baggie, and then put another baggie inside for our hand (to “protect” your hand from the greasiness- though feel free to just put your hand right in the shortening!). Smoosh and spread around the Crisco so you have a nice layer of blubber- fat- surrounding your hand. I have seen it where people use ziploc bags, and connect them so that no Crisco escapes- and I would recommend that if you are doing it with 20 wiggly preschoolers:).

Place your 2 hands (one protected, the other bare) on snow, or in a bucket of ice. Using a timer, see how long each hand can last in the cold temperatures. Here’s our chart:

5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion

All of the kids could have stayed outside longer with the blubber mitten, if only we were dressed for the cold:). So in conclusion: blubber works!!! Of course, the blubber only protects the part of your body it is touching! My kids said “ it’s perfectly warm! ” “ I can’t feel the snow at all, ” “ We should make snowsuits out of this! ”

6. Communicate Your Results

We reported back to our family that blubber really helps animals stay warm when the weather is freezing cold. Everyone wanted blubber mittens when we played in the snow that week:).

Extension Activity:

Here is an excellent activity from National Geographic on Arctic Adaptations that includes a video and worksheet. It suggests that it’s appropriate for grades 6-8, but younger children can most definitely do the activity with their parents.

If you’ve got cold weather this time of year, make your own blubber mitten and see if you can break our records!:)

By Category

February 14, 2013 at 1:24 am

I love this Becky! I’m pinning it to try in our homeschool. Too bad we’ll have to use a bucket of ice instead of real snow – It looks like you guys had a lot of fun!

February 15, 2013 at 10:09 am

Love this – what a fab idea to make a difficult concept ‘real’ for young children. Thanks so much for adding this to the outdoor play party this week.

February 17, 2013 at 6:18 am

Thanks! Great science experiment to take advantage of the snow if you have it! Otherwise use a big bucket of ice!:)

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Animal Blubber – Kids Experiment

How do animals that live in the Antarctic such as Polar Bears and Penguins stay warm? Let’s find out using the blubber science experiment!

• A large container (such as a bowl or bucket)
• A bag of ice
• A self-seal/zip lock bag (big enough to put your hand inside)
• Vegetable shortening or some sort of fat (such as butter or margarine)
• A timer/stopwatch

• First off, fill your large container with plenty of cold water and ice to be able to put your hand inside.
• Next up, get your timer or stopwatch ready and challenge yourself to dip your hand in the water for as long as you can.
• Don’t freeze yourself! Take your hand out if it’s getting too cold, because now we’re gonna do it again using our homemade blubber.
• Put your hand in your self-seal/zip lock bag and fill it with vegetable shortening/fat so that you have a layer of it around your whole hand.
• Finally, it’s time to challenge yourself again! Be sure to get your timer/stopwatch ready and with your new “blubber glove” and see how long you can keep your hand in the icy water this time.
• Let’s compare the two times! How did your hand feel when it was in the water this time compared to the first attempt? Let’s explore the science behind the blubber science experiment.

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Blubber Experiment

Brrr! Your preschooler will love diving into this fun science experiment with you to learn how animals in cold places stay warm without a jacket! This experiment is done with common household items.

It’s crazy to think that mammals such as whales, seals, and others live in such cold conditions such as the Arctic and Antarctica and don’t freeze! But how? BLUBBER! This is such a fun conversation starter with your preschooler. This is an experiment so take some time to discuss how they think these animals stay warm and what exactly blubber is before you dive in.

Pre-experiment Questions

• How do animals survive in cold weather areas?
• What do you do when it’s cold outside? What do you wear?
• What happens if you go outside when it is cold without a coat?
• Where do you think blubber is located on an animal?
• What is blubber made out of?

You can also watch this quick video before you do the experiment to further explain and understand how blubber works.

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The Blubber Experiment

• bowl of ice water
• 4 quart sized baggies
• crisco 
• spatula 

Step 1 Place a plastic bag over one of your preschooler’s hands. Ask them to place their hand in the ice water.

Step 2 Ask your child to describe what they feel.

Step 3 Place some Crisco using the spatula on the outside of the bag.

Step 4 Place that bag inside of a clean bag so when you submerge it into the water, the Crisco doesn’t come off.

Step 5 Have your child place their hand in the water again. Ask them what they feel this time and then ask them to let you know when it starts to get cold.

Step 6 Ask your child what might happen if you add more Crisco? Try the experiment again with more Crisco. 

You can repeat this experiment as many times as you’d like, taking time to predict what will happen if you add more crisco to the baggie.

Reflection Questions

• Do you think animals with more blubber stay warmer longer than those that don’t?
• Why might a whale need more blubber than a seal?
• How does blubber work?

Let's Connect!

We absolutely LOVE seeing your preschoolers learning through play! Be sure to share your photos and videos of your Blubber Experiment and share them with us on Facebook and Instagram !

Also, if you aren't already, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more fun activities to do at home with your little ones!

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A Fun Polar Science Experiment!

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Questions!  Oh, the questions!  If you’ve ever sat in a kindergarten or first-grade class, you know that you have a full day of questions.  Especially if you introduce a topic they are unfamiliar about.  My little learners ask so many great questions during our polar animal unit.  This polar science experiment is a great way to answer a lot of questions!

And it’s perfectly normal for their little minds to be so curious.  It would worry me a little if a day went by without multiple questions being asked.  In fact, the number of questions increases greatly when we are learning about things the students have never seen or experienced.

Curious Minds Want to Know

The best way to help those curious minds is to experience something first hand.  Sounds easy, right?  Field trips are excellent activities, but what if you can’t…let’s say….go to the Arctic?  That’s just a little too far for a day trip!

So if you can’t take your kids to experience the Arctic, what’s the next best thing?  Bring the Arctic to them!

My winter units are a perfect way to engage my learners after a long holiday break.  They’re tired.  They want to be home doing anything other than school.  It’s my job to bring in my best activities to get them back into learning mode.  And who doesn’t love arctic animals?

First, I begin with a huge collection of polar animal books in my library.  I make a point to read one book a day from my stash – a mixture of fiction and nonfiction just to keep it interesting!

Next, we go into lots of discussion about what types of animals live in the Arctic and Antarctic.  (Did you know there was a difference?  I didn’t until I started teaching! First-year teachers, BEWARE!  There is a difference!) This is even a great time to pull out our  Habitat lapbook !

Now, here is where the fun begins!  Just a few simple supplies are all you need to create an engaging experiment that your students will love!

• Ziplock bags
• observation sheet (download below!)

What’s the BIG Deal About Blubber?

As humans, we’ll never know what it’s like to have a layer of blubber to keep us warm in harsh weather conditions.  But we can create fun experiments that might give them an idea!

Before the start of the experiment, fill two bowls with ice water.

Next, put about a cup of crisco in one quart size ziplock bag.

Then, place another ziplock bag inside the crisco filled bag (this will create a pocket for your students’ hands)

After that, add a piece of duct tape along the top of the bag on both sides and fold the tape over to secure both bags in place.

Next, put another ziplock bag on the other hand.

Here is where the excitement begins! At the same time, place both hands into each bowl.  Let your students take some time to see and feel the difference in each hand. Give your students the opportunity to explain their findings while both hands are in the ice water.

To grab this  FREE   science observation sheet, click on the link below!

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Preschool Blubber Experiment

Science Projects and Research With Salt, Sugar, Water and Ice Cubes

Blubber is the fat layer beneath the skin of many sea animals, such as whales, sea lions and penguins, that helps keep them warm in frigid weather. A blubber experiment not only serves the educational needs of your preschooler, but also gives a practical hands-on experience that a preschooler loves.

Explain what blubber is, which animals have it and what its purpose is. The experiment will be much more meaningful when children learn what blubber is. Ask the children what will happen if they put their hands in icy cold water, then explain that you will make blubber for their hands and check whether it works.

Blubber Bag Experiment

This blubber bag experiment requires two self-sealing plastic bags, some Vaseline or shortening, ice cubes in a tub of water and duct tape. Turn one plastic bag inside out and insert it into the other bag and align the edges of the two bags. The reversal of the first bag will enable the edges of the bag to be zipped with the adjacent edge of the second bag. Fill the space between the two bags with Vaseline or shortening, then seal both sides. Duct-tape the ends to prevent entry of water into the pouch. Ask a preschooler to insert her hand in the pouch, then put the pouch into the tub of ice. You can insert her other hand in another plastic bag and tape the end. Insert this “control” hand in the ice tub and ask whether she feels the cold. Ask her whether the blubber protects her hand.

Blubber Glove Experiment

The blubber glove experiment uses real gloves; it is a messy but fun way to learn about blubber. You need a pair of rubber gloves, one latex surgical glove, a tub of ice water and Vaseline or shortening. Put Vaseline or shortening in all the fingers of one rubber glove. Put the latex surgical glove on one hand of a preschooler and insert the gloved hand into the shortening-filled rubber glove (make your blubber foolproof by adding more shortening to make up for any that oozes out when you insert your preschooler’s hand). Put the rubber glove with no Vaseline on the child's other hand; this would serve as the control. Put her gloved hands into the tub of ice water and ask your preschooler whether she can feel the cold in either hand. Ask whether the blubber protects her hand.

Talk with your preschoolers about other uses for blubber and why some animals need to protect themselves from the cold. For example, penguins use blubber for food storage for the lean periods when food is unavailable. Whales migrate from warm waters to cold waters and the blubber helps them keep their body temperature constant.

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• Scholastic; Wonderful World of Whales; Wendy K. Cruikshank
• Home Science Tools: Whale Blubber Experiment
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Hailing out of Pittsburgh, Pa., David Stewart has been writing articles since 2004, specializing in consumer-oriented pieces. He holds an associate degree in specialized technology from the Pittsburgh Technical Institute.

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Science Projects > Life Science Projects > Whale Blubber Experiment  

Whale Blubber Experiment

Many animals live their lives in extreme weather conditions. Blue whales, for example, migrate between warm breeding waters and cold feeding waters near Antarctica and in the Arctic. How do whales and other animals stay warm in very cold water and climates? Find out with this easy science demonstration that uses only common household items.

What You Need:

• Container of ice water
• Shortening (like Crisco) or petroleum jelly (like Vaseline)
• 4 Ziploc storage bags
• Thermometer

What You Do:

1. Turn one of the Ziploc bags inside out and place it inside another bag. Make sure you have the “zippers” lined up correctly so you can zip the two bags together.

2. Fill the space in between the two bags with a thick layer of shortening or Vaseline, then zip the edges together. We used Crisco. Zipping the bags together makes a type of glove with an opening for your hand. This is the test glove.

3. Make a “control” glove by putting the other two Ziploc bags inside each other. This will you give you the same amount of plastic, but with no extra substance shielding your hand from the cold water.

4. Fill a large container with ice water. Make sure it’s deep enough to submerge your hand. We used a glass mixing bowl.

5. Put your hand in the control glove and stick it in the ice water. Using the stopwatch timer, see how long you can keep it in there before it gets too cold. Record your results in your science notebook . Use the hand towel to dry off the outside of the control glove, if necessary.

6. Now put the same hand in the test glove and submerge it in the water. Once again, use the stopwatch timer to time how long you can keep it in the ice water. Record your results. Were you able to keep your hand in the ice water longer using the control glove or the test glove? What was the time difference?

7. Now, put a thermometer in the control glove and put the end in the water. Record the temperature.

8. Repeat step 7 with the test glove. What is the difference between the two temperatures?

Although whales migrate between warmer and cooler waters, other animals, like seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears, spend their entire lives in bitterly cold temperatures.

These animals have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber.

The blubber keeps them warm and also stores nutrients their body can use when they are in environments where there isn’t much food.

The fat molecules in Vaseline and shortening make them act a little like blubber.

Blubber helps keep animals warm because it acts as an insulator.

An insulator slows down the transfer of heat, keeping the animal’s body heat from escaping into the water and protecting it from the cold.

Can you think of any insulators you’ve used at home?

Hint : When you go outside to play on a snowy day, you probably wear some!

For further study, repeat the blubber glove project using different materials as insulators.

Try using packing peanuts, rubber bands, cotton balls, wool, sand, and feathers. Predict which substances you think will insulate well and why.

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The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Educational Learning and Play for Children 2-7

Jan 6, 2016 Ocean Theme Activities · PreK · Science · Winter Theme Activities

Arctic Animals Preschool Science: Blubber and Ice Explorations!

Thanks for sharing!

For those of you who are new to the #TeachECE Wednesday activities, WELCOME!  Each Wednesday throughout the year, we partner with the Early Childhood Educational Team  to offer you, our valued readers, playful learning suggestions for use at home or in the classroom.  This week’s activities are centered around an ARCTIC TUNDRA theme.  Come explore a simple science experiment with “blubber” and ice that will help preschoolers visualize how polar animals survive in the extreme temperatures of the Arctic!

Background Information for Parents and Teachers:   Animals that live in the Arctic region (Arctic Ocean, parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and some Nordic Countries) are known as Arctic animals.   Arctic animals have special adaptations that allow them to survive on the frozen tundra in this unique region of the world.  One of the special adaptations is BLUBBER.  Blubber is a thick fatty tissue just under the skin of many arctic animals such as seals, whales, and polar bears.  The fatty tissue not only keeps the animals warm in the extreme cold, but it serves as a fuel source when food is scarce.  To help preschoolers visualize the insulating properties of blubber, try the following simple science experiment!

BLUBBER and ICE ARCTIC SCIENCE for PRESCHOOLERS!

Disclosure:  this post and others within this blog contain affiliate and/or distributor links.  please see the about page for more information..

Show the children on a world map where the Arctic region is located in relationship to where they live.  There are also some wonderful maps online if the children have access to technology.  Ask the children if they know what blubber is?  Some of the children may already know, but many will not.  Discuss what blubber does and show the children some of the Arctic animals that have blubber.  We have several of the  Safari Ltd Arctic Toobs that are great for playful learning and Arctic explorations.

Inquiry for the investigation:   Given the same room temperature, which ice cube will melt faster – the one coated in shortening OR the uncoated ice?

Materials needed:

• Two Bowls (per student or small group)
• Timer or Digital Stopwatch
• Paper and Pencils or Markers

Invite the kids to place 2-3 ice cubes in each of the two bowls.  In one bowl, have the children surround the ice cube in a thick coating of shortening (fair warning – it is messy, but our kids did great)!  Set the bowls out on a table and start the stopwatch.  Have the kids record the starting time on a sheet of paper.   Invite the kids to periodically observe when the ice melts in each of the two bowls.  Record the time that the non-coated ice melts on the recording sheet (indoors it took our non-coated ice cubes an hour and 3 minutes to fully melt).  Come together as a group to discuss why the ice coated in shortening took longer to melt.  The shortening acts as blubber (protection/insulation) for the ice in this simple experiment.

As the children are waiting for the ice to melt, teach them a simple song about Blubber and Polar Bears:

Bear is Sleeping (sung to Frere Jacques)

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping,

Nice and warm, nice and warm.

Blubber keeps bears cozy, blubber keeps bears cozy,

When it’s COLD, when it’s COLD!

MORE Arctic Tundra Learning Activities from The Early Childhood Education Team:

Arctic Animal Sensory Writing Tray by Fun-A-Day

Home-made Books: Tundra by Powerful Mothering

Arctic Animals Writing Prompts by The Educators’ Spin On It

Why Are Polar Bears White? | Animal Adaptations on the Arctic Tundra by Raising Lifelong Learners

Tundra Animal Sharing and Halving by Rainy Day Mum Arctic Edition, M other May I Gross Mo tor Game by Tiny Tots Adventures

Arctic Animal Matching Games by Life Over C’s

Science Fun-Learning About the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Capri + 3

Arctic Preschool Letter Hunt by Learning 2 Walk

Polar Bear Sound Activity by Growing Book by Book

For more WINTER activities, please see the WINTER category here on the blog!

Some items we also use in our classroom that your children might enjoy.

Join our newsletter & receive the FREE DOWNLOAD: Explorations with ALL 5 SENSES! Enjoy in the classroom or at home!

Reader Interactions

January 6, 2016 at 8:37 am

Now this is a nice experiment. I like that the kids get to observe in case I don’t want them to touch it and get shortening everywhere.

January 6, 2016 at 11:35 am

I love the use of the toys in this.

January 6, 2016 at 9:34 pm

What a fantastic experiment! We will be trying this at home. Pinning!

January 7, 2016 at 7:56 pm

awesome science idea!

January 8, 2016 at 6:55 am

My kids will be so excited to do this science activity.

January 8, 2016 at 2:48 pm

This looks like a lot of fun! We need another science activity for next week. Thanks for helping with last minute planning.

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

[…] Animal Matching Games by Life Over C’sArctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox BlogScience Fun-Learning About the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Capri + […]

[…] Blubber and Ice  Animals that live in the Arctic region (Arctic Ocean, parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, and some Nordic Countries) are known as Arctic animals.   Arctic animals have special adaptations that allow them to survive on the frozen tundra in this unique region of the world.  One of the special adaptations is BLUBBER.  Blubber is a thick fatty tissue just under the skin of many arctic animals such as seals, whales, and polar bears.  The fatty tissue not only keeps the animals warm in the extreme cold, but it serves as a fuel source when food is scarce.  To help preschoolers visualize the insulating properties of blubber, try the following simple science experiment! […]

[…] can experience how blubber keeps animals warm in the winter with these Blubber and Ice Explorations from The Preschool […]

[…] toddler gave up on the notion of freeing his arctic animal with the warm water and pipette, so he opted to pick up the iceberg and put it in his mouth. This […]

[…] how animals stay warm in the arctic with a blubber and ice experiment or play Polar Bear […]

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! By The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

[…] Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog […]

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December 29, 2011

How Animals Stay Warm with Blubber

Explore blubber biology with Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Temperature Heat transfer Adaptation Insulation Fatty tissue

Introduction Have you ever wondered how whales and other marine mammals survive and keep warm in the cold oceans? Warm-blooded mammals can live in these chilly conditions because their bodies have some cool warmth-saving adaptations, thanks to generations of natural selection.

In other words, to pass on characteristics (via their genes), the predecessors of modern marine mammals had to overcome different challenges to reproduce, and their descendants received the genes that allowed for their survival. This kind of change in organisms over time is what fuels evolution. An important adaptation for marine mammals is blubber, a thick, insulating layer of fat beneath the skin that helps to keep body warmth in and the cold of the air or water out. Will a layer of fake blubber—in the form of shortening—help you keep from getting cold?

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Background Mammals that have evolved to live in cold waters, such as whales, seals, sea lions and polar bears, commonly have a layer of blubber. Whether they are living in cold waters near the North Pole or around Antarctica or are visiting the deep ocean, these animals' blubber is vital to their survival. During the winter, the air in the Arctic (the northernmost part of the world) is often below –40 degrees Celsius (–40 degrees Fahrenheit). Antarctica, the coldest place in the world, can be below –60 degrees C (–76 degrees F). Depending on the species, whales dive more than 400 or 500 meters (about one fourth of a mile) deep in the ocean, where the water can be colder than 12 degrees C (54 degrees F).

Blubber helps these marine mammals from getting too cold. (Cold-blooded marine animals, such as fish, sharks or crabs, do not need to stay warm and can let their body temperatures get closer to that of the water. Thus, they do not need to have this extra insulation.) Blubber is a thick layer of fat (adipose) tissue. Animals store extra digested food in the form of adipose tissue, which contains molecules called lipids. Adipose tissue has a relatively low thermal conductivity, which means that it does not transfer heat as well as other tissues and materials—such as muscle or skin. That way, it helps to insulate an animal's body.

Materials •    Two bowls •    Cold water •    Warm water •    Ice cubes •    Shortening (such as Crisco) •    Paper towels •    Stopwatch •    Thermometer •    A partner Preparation •    Put an equal number of ice cubes into each bowl without filling either bowl too full. Add cold water to each bowl. •    Measure the temperature of the water in each bowl with a thermometer. They should be the same temperature. When the temperature levels off (which should happen quickly), the water is ready for the test. Procedure •    Cover your pointer finger on one hand with a thick layer of shortening, covering the entire area that will be submerged in the water. Leave your other pointer finger clean and bare. •    Have your partner prepare the stopwatch. When he or she is ready, put the pointer finger of each hand into one of the bowls of ice water and have your partner start timing you. As soon as your finger feels too cold to keep it in the water any longer, take it out. How long did you leave each finger in the bowl? •    Let your fingers warm up and return to their normal color. If any shortening came off of the covered finger, reapply it. •    Have your partner help you pour the cold water down the sink and refill the two bowls with warm water (make sure it is warm but not hot enough to burn the skin). •    Measure the temperature of the water in each bowl with a thermometer. They should be about the same. In the warm water, do you think you'll see the same result? •    Have your partner time how long you can leave each finger in the bowls of warm water. How long did you leave each finger in the bowl? Was the time difference between the two fingers larger or smaller than when you put your fingers in the ice-cold water?    •     Extra: How consistent are your results? You can repeat this activity two or three times, recording the temperature of the different waters tested and the time each finger was in the water. Then make a graph out of your results. In which environment did the shortening "adaptation" consistently give an advantage? Observations and results When you dunked your fingers in the ice-cold water, did the finger covered in shortening stay warm longer than the finger that was not covered? Was there not as large a time difference when you put your fingers in the warm water?

Mammals that have adapted to live in cold waters—such as polar bears and whales—can stay warm largely because of their blubber, a thick layer of blubber. The blubber is evenly spread over much of their body, just as the shortening in this activity covered the surface of your finger in a thick layer. Since adipose tissue has a relatively low thermal conductivity, it does not transfer heat well compared to other tissues and materials. Humans have developed some insulating materials for our own daily use. For example, Styrofoam is another material that does not conduct heat relatively well, whereas metals conduct heat very well. This is why hot drinks are often served in Styrofoam, since it keeps the heat inside the cup, thus preventing your hands from being burned. (For the same reason, it can also keep cold drinks cool longer than, for example, a paper cup.) What other materials can you think of that work as insulators?

More to explore Sink or Swim: Muscle versus Fat from Scientific American Blubber from National Geographic Education Is Muscle a Better Insulator than Fat in Cold and Heat? from MadSci What Are You Blubbering About? from Science Buddies This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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2 Ocean themed STEM Experiments for Kids

by Emily | Mar 14, 2018 | STEAM Experiments , STEAM for Kids | 2 comments

Note: This post contains affiliate links. You may read my disclosure here .

Last week my son woke up from his afternoon nap and said, “I want to do a science experiment, Mama.” This request was completely out of the blue, and I was so proud. I’ve been trying to do anywhere from 1 to 4 science experiments per month with my son for the past 6 months. It’s so rewarding for me to see that he is enjoying the experiments and wanting to learn more.

When he asked for the experiments I didn’t have any planned, but there was no way I was going to tell my my son “no, I don’t have any experiments, sorry.” So I had to think fast.

My son has been into marine animals lately – ever since he received a bucket full of marine animals for Christmas. He loves playing with his marine and artic animals and learning about them. He often talks about where they live and how they survive in the cold. I decided to use these animals as inspiration for a few ocean themed experiments.

I remembered a fun experiment they demonstrated at our library to teach kids how the arctic marine animals survive in the cold because of their layer of blubber under their skin. I also remembered finding some pins on Pinterest awhile back about grapes floating in salt water.

These two experiments are simple, quick and use materials I already had on hand at the house. I was able to plan and set up these ocean themed experiments in minutes after my son’s request.

Let’s talk about blubber

Arctic animals can live in extreme conditions. Many of the warm-blooded marine animals who live in the arctic survive in theses cold temps thanks to blubber acting as an insulator. Blubber is a thick layer of fat beneath the skin. It covers the marine animal’s whole body except for fins and flippers.

The blubber insulates the animals from the cold water temperatures in the arctic waters, it increases their buoyancy, and it stores energy (made of proteins and fat) to prove nutrients in times where food is scarce.The blood vessels in the blubber constrict, reducing the flow of blood and reducing the energy required to heat the body, which conserves heat.

In this experiment we use shortening to demonstrate the insulating effects of blubber. Shortening is fat that is solid at room temperature. It can be made of lard or vegetable oils.

Let’s talk about why things float in salt water

Ocean water has an average salinity of 3.5%. This means that there are 35 grams of dissolved salt per liter of of ocean water. Of course there is a lot more in ocean water composition than just water and salt due to the natural chemistry of the ocean water, the plants and animals that live in it, and also from human contamination.

However, for simplicity in today’s experiment and to explain the basic concept to preschoolers and toddlers, we’re saying ocean water is salt water.

The density of an object is mass times volume. Adding salt to water increases the water’s mass without adding much volume, so this increases the water’s density.

Objects float due to buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force on an object from a fluid. It is determined by the density of the object being dropped into the fluid and the density of the fluid being displaced. If you’re dropping the same object into salt and fresh water, it will have greater buoyancy (float better) in the salt water because the salt water has greater density.

In the blubber experiment, there is an option to enclose the shortening in ziplock bags. If you choose to do this, please monitor your children while they play with the ziplock bags to be sure the bags never go near their faces. It’s always a good idea to have a talk with your children before starting to instruct them to keep plastic bags (and all materials used in the experiment, really) away from their faces.

Shortening is a food product, so it is a pretty safe material for your kids to play with, but just keep an eye on your kids, especially young toddlers, so that they don’t rub their eyes with shortening on their fingers or try to eat too much of it.

Finally, for both experiments be sure to protect the surfaces that you will be working on because you may end up with (salty and sugary) water spilled on your surface.

Both experiments are appropriate for kids age 1+. As the kids get older they can participate more independently. My 3.5 year old son could do all steps of both experiments by himself, while my 16 month old daughter could participate in both experiments with supervision and assistance from me.

Arctic Animals Blubber experiment: Can you feel the cold?

In this experiment your children will learn about how blubber protects arctic animals from the freezing cold temperatures.

Materials needed:

• Large glass bowl
• Ziplock bags
• Packing or duct tape
• Arctic or marine animals (optional)

Keep the kids clean method (both my kids were very hesitant to stick their hands in the bags as explained in this experiment):

• Fill a sandwich size plastic bag about half way full with shortening
• Place a second bag inside the first bag
• Duct tape the top of the two bags closed (now you have shortening secured between two bags so there will be no mess!)

• Fill a large glass bowl with ice water
• Place your child’s hand inside the bag filled with shortening and see how long they can keep their hand inside the ice water (they should not be able to feel the ice water at all through the layer of shortening protecting their hand)

• Have your child place their bare hand into the ice water and see how long they can keep it there Your child will discover that the “blubber” protected their hand from the cold!

Alternate messier method (of course my kids preferred this one…):

• Fill a large bowl with ice water

What happened:

When your child first touches the ice water with bare hands it will feel very cold to them. Then when their hands are protected from the cold with the shortening, they do not feel the cold. The shortening simulates the protection blubber provides to arctic marine animals. The blubber acts as an insulator keep in the body heat and protect the arctic animal’s internal organs so they can survive in freezing conditions.

Water density experiment: Does it float?

In this experiment your children will learn about how salt and sugar affect water density.

• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Cherry tomatoes, grapes, or eggs (I used tomatoes because that’s what I had on hand)
• Fill each of the 3 glasses with 2 cups of tap water

• Line up the 3 glasses of water (one tap water, one salt water, one sugar water) in front of your child on a table

• Have your child drop the tomatoes into the glasses one at a time and see if the tomato sinks or floats

The cherry tomatoes float in salt and sugar water because the salt and sugar add mass to the water making it more dense. Objects float better on a denser fluid because the force of buoyancy is greater, so the tomatoes floated best in the salt water, better in sugar water, and did not float at all in tap water.

Why did the tomatoes float better in salt than sugar water? Although 1/2 cup sugar actually weighs more than 1/2 cup salt, sugar is not as soluble as salt in water. Thus not as much sugar will dissolve into the water, so sugar water will be less dense than salt water (more salt dissolved into the water increasing the mass of the water). This means sugar water will have less buoyancy than the salt water.

I hope you and your kids enjoy learning about the ocean and the arctic animals that live in it with these simple and fun experiments. Let me know if you try them out and if your kids like them!

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What a fun way to teach kiddos how marine life survives in freezing temps!

Thanks Janelle! The kids loved it!

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Hi, I’m Emily. I’m an engineer, mom, and wife. I encourage kids to love STEAM and motivate women to find personal happiness in their career and motherhood journeys.

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