Brief Description
Has lots of little bumps or lumps on the surface.
How to Talk About This Term with Young Children
For Forces and Motion: During explorations of surfaces such as ramps, you might overlay a bumpy material ( bubble wrap or sandy paper) on a ramp and encourage children to notice how the surface changes the movement of an object sent down the ramp. You might also bring attention to the ways in which it’s hard to ride a bike or a push a toy through grass than it is pavement.
For States of Matter and Structure and Properties: Discuss properties of materials with children through everyday experiences with objects. “Wow, this toy is really bumpy. I can feel all the little lumps as I run my finger across it.” Examples of bumpy materials for children to explore might include: Tree bark, bubble wrap, paper towel, hard dirt, rubber grip sheets, carpet, Legos.