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Build a Floating Fish

Activity

How Swim Bladders Help Fish Stay Buoyant

Construct a model fish that floats using materials from your recycling pile. See if you can create a flotation device that acts as a swim bladder for your fish! Test it in your bathtub, a pool or even a tub of water. Take a photo of it to keep the memory, then recycle the materials you used to build it.

Science Seed

Most bony fish regulate their buoyancy using an internal organ called a swim bladder, a gas-filled sac that helps them float at different depths without constantly swimming. By adjusting the amount of gas (usually oxygen) inside the bladder, fish can increase or decrease their density, allowing them to rise or sink in the water column. This adaptation helps them saves energy and stay stable in the water.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Anywhere PEEP

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.