Why do wet things stick?

3. 5 yr old asks:

The pant becomes sticky, tight and difficult to pull out when it is wet. Why does the pant stick tight to skin when it is wet?

On another instance,

DD1 measures the rice, washes, pours water and places the vessel in cooker - all of which take a total 15 minutes to complete.

She first runs her fingers in the rice can. She just loves scooping some rice, emptying it back in the can and repeat.

She then washes the rice with water. I can't even count how many times she dips her fingers into the rice+water mixture and takes it out. She keeps doing it again and again. She presses all her fingers down the vessel, takes them out, on to which she observes, there is some rice stuck. She repeats. Now, she presses just one finger, takes it out, to which there is no rice, but drops of water still dripping down the finger. So, water was stuck and then falling off the finger.

She asked me, why is the rice sticking to my hands?

Me: Isn't it? Even I see it. Why do you think it is sticking?

DD1: Because it is wet?

Me: How was the dry rice? Did it also stick to your hand?

DD1: No

Me: I think, only that which is wet seems to stick, right?

DD1: Yes

Me: So, why is it sticking? Why is something that is wet sticking?

DD1: I don't know. You say?

Me: I too don't know. Let's both together think about it?

DD1: OK.

Me: So, how can we know about it?

DD1: I'm done with washing, let's put the vessel in cooker.

The conversation has paused, definitely, not ended. I am sure she will come back to it as her mind is developing to constantly understand the world around in a better way.

Learning is a journey. Learning cannot be confined to school, college, university. Learning is a continuous process that happens all through our life.