Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Straws and small light objects. Example: feathers, beads or glitter

Preparation: Set the objects and straws on the table.

Procedure: Have each child take a straw. Then try to move the objects without touching them. Do not tell them how unless they need help.

Questions: What made the objects move? Where did the air come from? What object moved farthest?

Variations: Move a ball on different surfaces (carpet and hardwood floor) using a fan. Which surface let the ball roll farther? Try different sizes of balls too.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: A picture of a human skeleton

Preparation: Find a large picture or several small pictures of a human skeleton.

Procedure: Ask the children to find their wrist, jaw, spine and ankle bones.

Questions: What other bones can you feel on your body? What do bones do? Do you think bones are soft or hard? Why?

Variations: Print some pictures of animal skeletons. Have the children compare and contrast the different kinds of skeletons.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Slightly used books children will bring from home

Preparation: Send a notice home stating that the class is planning a book exchange. Make sure you have a few extra books on hand for parents that do not supply any.

Procedure: Have the children help you plan when is a good day for the book exchange. Talk about the importance of reusing materials. Make sure every child has at lest one “new” book to take home.

Questions: What else can we reuse? Why is it important? How can you help the planet?

Variations: Set out a tub for paper next to the trash can to have children sort their trash for recycling. Remind children to use both sides of the paper before recycling it.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Pink and yellow highlighters and papers

Preparation: Write a child’s name on a paper using the pink highlighter.

Procedure: Give the child a yellow highlighter ask him to practice writing his name on top of the one you wrote. The color will change to orange.

Questions: Why did it change color? What other colors can we use to make new colors?

Variations: Use primary color (red, blue, yellow) tempera paints to make secondary colors.

Curriculum Area: Science (Light)

Materials Needed: Direct sunlight through a window

Preparation: Make enough space by the window for everyone to see.

Procedure: Ask the children if there is dust in the air. Have them look at the sunlight coming in through a window. Have the children wave their hands in the dust and watch it dance.

Questions: What make the dust move? Is dust always in the air? What is dust made from?

Variations: Come back later when the sunlight is gone. See if a flashlight can make the dust appear again.

Curriculum Area: Science (Air)

Materials Needed: Clear plastic cups, small plastic toys and warm water

Preparation: Fill the cups with warm water. (Cold water does not make bubbles).

Procedure: Ask the children to put the toy into the cup. Have children observe the bubbles in water.

Questions: What is inside the bubbles? How did they get there? Is there air in water? What do fish breathe?

Variations: Use hot, warm and cold water in three different cups. Then notice the differences in each cup.

Curriculum Area: Science (Gravity)

Materials Needed: Unit blocks (the kind with different shapes work best)

Preparation: Set the blocks out in an open space.

Procedure: Play with the children. Stack the blocks and watch them fall.

Questions: Can you put a block on top of the semi circle block? Why not? How tall do you think we can we build the tower? Does it wobble when it gets tall? Can you stack blocks on a triangle shaped block? Do small blocks or big blocks work better on the bottom? Why?

Variations: Use plastic connecting blocks instead. Do the connecting blocks make a more stable tower than unit blocks? Why?

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Blender, stove, water, knife, small bowls, a whole fruit or vegetable; for example apple, carrot, peach, squash

Preparation: Pick one fruit or vegetable to use. Leave one carrot alone, peel the rest; cut up some into strips ¼ of an inch wide to reduce the risk of choking, cook some, and put some in the blender.

Procedure: Have kids examine the different forms of the same food. Then eat them for snack time.

Questions: Which kind of carrot do you like the best? Why? What other foods come in different forms? What texture do they have? Is it crunchy, soft, hard?

Variations: Set out small amounts of sugar and spices for the children to add flavor to their food.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Smock or old big shirt, water, cornstarch, measuring cups and a mixing bowl

Preparation: Fill a measuring cup fill of water and one full of cornstarch. Set everything you will need on the table.

Procedure: Have children put on their smocks then help make the goop by adding equal parts water and cornstarch in the bowl. Mix the goop with your hands. Give each child some to play with.

Questions: Is the goop a liquid or solid? How does it feel? What happens when we add more cornstarch?

Variations: Do this activity with sugar or flour instead of the cornstarch. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences in the different kinds of goop.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: Golf tees and thick Styrofoam

Procedure: Push or use a wooden hammer to get golf tees into the Styrofoam. Try to make a face or numbers with the holes.

Guidance Suggestions: Stay close to children that are using tools.

Variations: Tap golf tees into a pumpkin using a small hammer.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials: Ice cube tray, water, food coloring, freezer, paper and a flat tray with edges

Procedure: Fill an ice cube tray with water. Add some food coloring to make different colored ice cubes. You can leave a few untouched so they will be clear (regular ice). When the ice cubes are almost done, put a piece of paper on the tray. Then put a few ice cubes on the tray. Move the ice cubes around to make the colors blend.

Guidance Suggestions: Use enough trays and paper for each child to have their own.

Variations: Use people colored paint or try foundation makeup instead of the food coloring to promote anti-bias ideas.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: Clear plastic bottles with a screw on lid like water bottles, uncooked rice or salt, small brightly colored objects like buttons or beads, funnel, liquid glue and duct tape

Procedure: Fill the bottles about ¾ full with rice using a funnel. Have the kids add a few buttons to their bottle. Put glue in the lid to seal the bottle tight. Put tape on top of the lid to make sure it stays closed. Have children turn the bottle to find the objects. Then shake in to hide them again.

Guidance Suggestions: Have a few bottles premade for children that get impatient.

Variations: Fill bottles with a few drops of food coloring, water and vegetable oil. Half the bottle should be water, the other half vegetable oil. It looks similar to a lava lamp when you move it.

Curriculum Area: Science (Air)

Materials Needed: Sandwich bags

Preparation: Give each child and yourself a sandwich bag.

Procedure: Wave the bag in the air, then seal it closed.

Questions: Where is air? Can we feel air? Can we see air? What happens when air gets polluted?

Variations: Turn on a fan and watch the bags move by themselves.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Clear cups, water, straws or pencils

Preparation: Fill the cups half full of water and set them on the table.

Procedure: Have the children look at the straws, then put them into the water. (The straws will look bent in the water). Take the straws out to show they are still straight.

Questions: Why do you think the straw looked bent? Do you think other things will look different in water?

Variations: Put a small toy in the water. Notice how the toy looks bigger in the water.

Curriculum Area: Science (Magnetic force)

Materials Needed: Paint stirrer, string, small magnet, paper clips, duct tape, super glue, scissors, fish template for tracing, pencil and laminated construction paper or cardstock paper

Preparation: Cut some pieces of string about 1 foot in length. Super glue a magnet to each string. Tie a string to a paint stirrer, then tape in on to make a fishing pole.

Procedure: Have the children cut out some fish using the construction paper and fish template. Put a paper clip on each fish. Then catch them with the magnetic fishing pole.

Questions: Why does the paper clip attract the magnet? What other things does the magnet work on?

Variations: Write color words or numbers on the fish and read what you catch. Practice taking turns with the fishing poles. You can also cut out traditional shapes instead of fish.

Materials: A variety of boxes (shoe box size).

Procedure: Use the boxes like blocks. You can make a fort to play in or build a tower.

Guidance Suggestions: Some children like to work together and others alone. Have an area of the room for children to play alone if they want to.

Variations: Use art supplies for the children to decorate some of the boxes. If you have a box that is big enough a child can climb inside and cut out a window.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: 2 tsp borax (found in the laundry isle), 3 ½ cup hot water, ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup liquid dish soap, 32 oz spray bottle or small spray bottles, funnel, rags, measuring cups and spoons

Preparation: Mix the borax and hot water together in the big bottle, let it cool so children do not get burned. Set everything on the table.

Procedure: Add vinegar and soap to the bottle using a funnel if needed. This all-purpose cleaner is non-toxic, biodegradable and reduces indoor air pollution that can make children with allergies sick. Fill the small spray bottles with the cleaner for children to clean toys outside using rags.

Questions: How does the cleaner work? Can you smell the vinegar and see the bubbles?

Variations: Make your own window cleaner using ¼ cup white vinegar, 2 cups water and ½ tsp liquid soap. Preschoolers love to use spray bottles. They always want to help me clean the windows.

Curriculum Area: Science (Transportation)

Materials Needed: Pictures of different modes of transportation

Preparation: Set out the pictures

Procedure: Have the children move like a car, train, airplane, bicycle, boat and space ship.

Questions: How fast do you think a train goes? Is a car or space ship faster? Why?

Variations: Ask children to move like different animals; examples are bunny, frog, bird and penguin.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Celery or white carnations, water, food coloring and three vases or tall glasses

Preparation: Cut the bottom off the celery or carnations.

Procedure: Put some water in each vase. Then add a few drops of red food coloring in one vase and blue coloring in another vase. Use plain water in the last vase. Observe the celery throughout the day. (Carnations work better. The leaves will start to turn colors if you wait long enough).

Questions: Why did the celery turn colors? What happens when pollutants get into our water or garden?

Variations: Discuss pollution with the children. Have the children play in dirt or sand. Then have them clean their hands in a plastic tub. Show them how dirty the water got after they used it.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: Craft sticks, liquid glue, plastic bowls and cotton swabs

Procedure: Pour liquid glue into plastic bows. Let children dip the cotton swaps in the glue. Put the glue on the craft sticks to make them stick together. Try to make shapes when gluing the craft sticks together.

Guidance Suggestions: Use stick glue for younger children.

Variations: Cut out strips of construction paper. Glue the strips of paper together to make bracelets for the children to wear.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: A lot of uncooked pinto beans, a wide shallow tub, bottles, measuring cups, scoops, tongs, funnel, etc

Procedure: Fill the tub ½ full of beans. Put everything else inside the tub. Play with the beans. Kids like to bury their hands in the beans.

Guidance Suggestions: Put a table cloth under the tub and children or do it outside. This makes a mess if you don’t stop once in a while to put the beans back in the tub.

Variations: Do this activity with bird seed, rice or dry noddles too.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Paper, glue, a whole vegetable, seeds or uncooked beans

Preparation: Get a whole vegetable like a squash. Have some papers, glue and seeds ready.

Procedure: Show and describe the vegetable to the children. Ask them to make a picture of the vegetable using the materials.

Questions: How long do you think it took to grow this vegetable from a seed? Where do you think it came from?

Variations: Have children make other fruits or vegetables using uncooked rice or popcorn.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: A box, sandpaper, pompoms, rubber bands, whistle, kaleidoscope, air freshener, tissue paper, bubble wrap, etc

Procedure: Put all the materials in a box. Let everyone explore them. Ask questions about the objects.

Guidance Suggestions: Have enough materials for everyone to have at lest one to use at a time.

Variations: If you have enough materials use a different box for each sense. Ask the children how they could learn to read if they were blind or walk if both their legs were broken.

Curriculum Area: Science (Light)

Materials Needed: Flashlight and toys

Preparation: Set out some flashlights and toys

Procedure: Show the children that a shadow will appear when you use a flash light near a toy.

Questions: What is a shadow? Where do they come from? How can they get bigger or smaller?

Variations: Have the kids do a puppet show using shadows instead of puppets.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Some dirty pennies, plastic cups, measuring cup and spoon, vinegar, salt and rags or old tooth brushes

Preparation: Set everything on the table. Pour 2 oz of vinegar into cups.

Procedure: Ask children to look at the dirty pennies and try to clean them using the rags. Then add 2 tablespoons of salt to the vinegar. Have the children put their pennies in the cups. Later in the day take the pennies out and clean them with the rags again. The chemical reaction will take some of the dirt off.

Questions: Why do you think the dirt come off the first time? Are older pennies more dirty than newer pennies? What happens if we put the pennies in a different substance, like plain water?

Variations: Use several cups with a different liquid in each one. You can try a small amount of lemon juice, baking soda and water, dish soap and water or carbonated soda in the cups. Then see which one works the best.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Paper, pencil, a variety of objects; for example bark, paper, rocks, silverware, bowls, egg cartoons, seeds, etc and a water table or tub full of water

Preparation: Make a chart with the word “float” on one side and “sink” on the other. Fill the water table with water. Set out the objects.

Procedure: Ask the children to put some objects in the water. Have the children vote to find out if an object floats or sinks. Use tally marks on the chart to find out if there are more floaters or sinkers.

Questions: Do you think this will float or sink? What else floats? Why do you think that sunk?

Variations: Get some sinker weights and bobbers (they are found in the fishing isle). Add the weights in things that float to see if it will sink now. Tie a bobber to things that sink.

Curriculum Area: Sensory

Materials: Things with a strong smell such as vinegar, lemon juice, cinnamon, spices, air fresher, vanilla, coffee beans, coco powder, etc

Procedure: Set everything on a table. Let the children smell each item and guess what it is.

Guidance Suggestions: If you have a large group you may want to let 3 to 4 children come over at a time.

Variations: Use a blind fold to make this activity more challenging.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: None or a telescope if available

Preparation: Find a children’s book about outer space.

Procedure: Read the book to the children. Go outside and observe the sky at a few different times during the day.

Questions: What is different between night and day? Are stars in the sky all the time? Why do you think the moon changes shape? Is it always a circle? What shape are the planets? Did the sun move?

Variations: Compare and contrast a fiction and non-fiction children’s book about space.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: Plastic cups and different kinds of milk; like soy, skim, whole, buttermilk, powdered, etc

Preparation: Pour some milk in the cups.

Procedure: Have children taste the milk one at a time. Tell children about each kind of milk.

Questions: Which milk was the best? Is milk always white? What baby animals drink milk?

Variations: You could use strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavoring in skim milk and vote for the favorite flavor.

Curriculum Area: Science (Gravity)

Materials Needed: Toys

Preparation: Set out some soft toys or toys that are hard to break.

Procedure: Have all the children hold one toy then drop (not throw) it.

Questions: Why does the toy always fall down? Can the toy ever go up? How? What happens when there is no gravity?

Variations: Take two different objects and have the children vote which one will fall faster. Drop them both from a ladder to find out.

Curriculum Area: Science (Light)

Materials Needed: Flashlights, tissue paper, glass jar, book, cloth, foil, waxed paper and plastic wrap

Preparation: Set the objects out on the table.

Procedure: Have a child hold up one object. Point the flashlight at the object. Ask the children if the light went through it. Let the kids take turns using flashlights with the other objects.

Questions: Why did the light go through some objects but not others? Does the light get dimmer after passing through an object? Do somethings reflect the light?

Variations: Use a flashlights and strainers to make a pattern on the wall.

Curriculum Area: Science

Materials Needed: A water table or several large tubs, measuring cups, funnel, strainer, different-sized containers, spray bottle, syringe, baster, etc

Preparation: Fill the tubs with water

Procedure: Have children play in the water. They can practice pouring, measuring and watering plants.

Questions: Which container holds the most water? Why does water stay inside some things but not others?

Variations: Add foam letters or numbers to the table.

Curriculum Area: Science (Visual discrimination)
Preparation Needed: Set up a table with some toys on it.
Materials Needed: A table and some toys
Guidance Suggestions: Have the children study at the table for a while then turn around and close their eyes. Remove an object from the table. Ask the children to tell you what is missing.
Variations: Put alphabet cards in a row on the table. Ask the child which letter you took.