Age Group

Preschool
Kindergarten

Supplies

large bucket, rubber or latex gloves, milk, pin, cardboard or wooden cow (optional)

Description

Teach young children about how to milk a cow with this fun experiment!  First, make pin holes in the fingers of a rubber or latex glove (be aware of any latex allergies).   Fill the glove with milk and tie the opening of the glove closed.

Over a large bucket - demonstrate to the children how the fingers of the glove represent a cow's utters, and by gently squeezing them, milk will come out.  Hold the glove and allow each child to take a turn to make milk come out of the glove.  Extend the activity by having the children estimate how many "squeezes" it would take to fill up a glass of milk. 

To make this activity more life-like - construct a cardboard or wooden cow.  You can use a sawhorse to prop up the cow, and attach the glove filled with milk (or construct the "utters" using a large bucket with holes at the bottom).  Have children actually sit on a stool behind the cow like real farmers do!!

You can even explain to children that other animals produce milk as well (such as goats).


Field trip idea

-- Visit a local farm with cows or goats and see if they allow children to milk them.

-- Have in-house field trip where a local farm may bring a few animals to your location.  Photos on the right include an in-house field trip where preschoolers actually got a chance to milk a goat.

-- Cow constructed by Brittany Florio in Connecticut

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