earth science

Free Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study And Easy DIY Water Filter

June 13, 2023 | Leave a Comment
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Today, I have a free Swiss Family Robinson unit study and diy water filter activity. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies page.

When I think of how I can create a Swiss Family Robinson unit study that is more than just a literature study the first thing that comes to mind is survival.

Hopefully, your children are never in a situation where they must rely solely on their own instincts and knowledge to survive the land around them.

Free Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study And Easy DIY Water Filter

But wouldn’t it be nice if they could do a few simple things which could be applied to camping, a self-sufficient homesteading lifestyle, or even just life in general?

Teaching your child a few skills and maybe learning them at the same time yourself is a fantastic way to build up confidence and basic life skills at the same time.

If you haven’t read the classic Swiss Family Robinson here is quick summary.

A family is on an uninhabited island and salvaged items from their shipwrecked ship.

They build a house, cultivate crops, and live off the land while exploring a nearby island.

It’s just the kind of adventure to bring a family together by being resourceful, brave, skillful, and nurturing a love of nature.

Facts About Johann David Wyss

First, look at a few facts about the author.

Johann David Wyss (1743–1818) was a priest in Switzerland.
Wyss and his two sons were great admirers of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, which is a story of shipwreck and survival.
He created The Swiss Family Robinson to entertain his children and Wyss wanted to write a story from which his own children would learn.
The story was completed and edited by Wyss’s son, Johann Rudolph, and published in 1813.

In addition, grab a copy of the book.

And there are many topics or themes you can investigate while reading the story.

For example, what is the best way to make a shelter.

Unit Study Theme Ideas

The family begins with a house in a tree and then moves to a cave.

Then ask what type of shelter would work in different areas and how would seasons affect a shelter.

In addition, look at more ideas.

Is it safe to keep wild animals as pets?
What type of animals would you encounter on an island?
What is the geography of an island?
How would seasons affect shelter, fire, and food you could get or grow?
What would be your top 3 priorities on a deserted island to survive?
And what are basic human needs? For example, talk about water, food, warmth and safety.

Brief Look at the Characters

Also, look at the characters in the story. There is father who is resourceful and mother who is hard working.

Father takes the lead in decision making on the island and mother is nurturing.

How does father’s skill set ranging from plant identification to carpentry help the family?

Next, how does mother’s knowledge of caring for the crops and animals help the family not just survive but flourish on the deserted island?

The oldest son is Fritz, then Ernest, Jack and Franz is the youngest child.

Additionally, Fritz matures from a young boy into a mature adult. And Ernest develops a knowledge of plants and animals like his mother.

Jack is thoughtless but is also creative and resourceful.

Lastly, Franz is 6 years when the family is shipwrecked. He spends a good amount of time helping mother and doing chores. Then matures and can help on hunts. What skills would he have to learn to hunt?

Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Hands-On Activities

Moreover, add some of these hands-on activities to your unit study.

Try this cork raft challenge to learn about buoyancy, engineering, and more just as the Robinsons built their own in the book.

Do you have a tech-loving kid?

You don’t have to eliminate the tech for learning time, incorporate it instead.

Have your child build a treehouse with other elements they would need for survival like a garden, animals, and pens to keep them contained in Minecraft.

I am pretty sure this is an assignment they will love.

Teach your child how to find North. Use a compass, physical and on your phone. Too try by orienting themselves by finding the direction from the sun.

Survival Theme Ideas

Learn some basic skills that also transfer to emergency situations like learning how to tie knots.

You can make it fun by making it a game with Knot So Fast.

Another fun thing to learn that can come in handy all the time is how to forage for food in your area.

Even your own backyard has items like dandelions, henbit, and purslane that have edible and medicinal benefits.

Grab a simple book like this to get started, it has great images to help you be sure of what it is. Then head outside and see what you can find and identify.

Even edible berries like this mulberry bush can be a great source.

Show your child some skills like how to open and close a pocketknife properly as well as how to hold it and use it.

Learn how to safely open and enjoy a coconut here.

You can find a fantastic group of flashcards for each chapter of Swiss Family Robinson to work on vocabulary and spelling as well as quizzes on the book at Quizlet.

Add a few survival books to your library to learn some basic skill.

Survive & Thrive is a small pocket guide with some basic skills like how to build a shelter, how not to get lost, use a compass, and even comes with some cards to help identify various dangerous plants and animals.

Watch some survival shows together like Bear Grylls: Survival School together and talk about what you learn, and what things you can try at home.

Too, look at some of these books and resources.

8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson

Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.

Swiss Family Robinson (Illustrated Classic): 200th Anniversary Collection

More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

Tracks, Scats and Signs (Take Along Guides)

Become a nature detective with this illustrative, engaging and fun Take-Along-Guide. You may not know where to look, or what to look for, but animal signs are everywhere and this guide will help you learn how to read them. You'll learn how to spot and identify common clues that 17 wildlife species leave behind in the woods, in the fields and along ponds.

Swiss Family Robinson Movie

The heroic tale of the courageous exploits of the Robinson family after they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. Using teamwork and ingenuity, they overcome the obstacles of nature and transform their new home into a "civilized" community.

Willy Whitefeather's Outdoor Survival Handbook for Kids

From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.

Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set

Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set: Titles In This Set: The Blizzard Challenge The Desert Challenge The Jungle Challenge The Sea Challenge The River Challenge The Earthquake Challenge The Volcano Challenge The Safari Challenge The Cave Challenge The Mountain Challenge The Arctic Challenge The Sailing Challenge

Knot Tying Kit | Pro-Knot Best Rope Knot Cards, two practice cords and a carabiner

By Pro-Knot, the number one trusted name in Knots with over 7,000 5 Star reviews! This complete knot tying KIT includes everything you need to learn and practice how to tie 23 essential rope knots. The six card/twelve page waterproof plastic card set contains 23 best all purpose rope knots
clearly illustrated and described, bound together with a no-rust brass grommet in the corner!

Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature's Edibles

Edible wild plants are nature’s natural food source, growing along roadsides, sprouting in backyards, and blooming in country fields. North America’s diverse geography overflows with edible plant species.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

Finally, look how to make this DIY water filter.

Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study – DIY Water Filter

This simple water filter uses different layers to filter out various particles.

The larger pieces at the top help to filter larger debris like dirt, leaves, sticks, etc.

The smaller pieces like the fine sand filter even smaller pieces that make it through the first few layers.

Finally, the activated charcoal can filter even further, removing some of the toxins without taking out salt and other important minerals.

You will need:

Coarse sand
Fine sand
Activated Charcoal
Small pebbles
Rubber band
Coffee filter
Cotton Balls
Old t-shirt

Before you begin rinse all your filter supplies well-charcoal, sand, and pebbles.

Grab some water in a cup, and add a few leaves, a little dirt, and a twig or two to better visually demonstrate how the filter works.

Cut the bottom 1” off a plastic water bottle.

Remove the cap and poke several holes in it.

Stuff the other end with cotton balls, gauze, or even a scrap of an old t-shirt. Replace cap.

Pour in 1” of activated charcoal.

Add 1” fine sand.

Layer in 1”-2” coarse sand.

Top with 1” of small gravel or pebbles.

Cover the larger opening with gauze, coffee, filter, or t-shirt secured with a rubber band.

Place the water bottle in a glass where you can see all the action.

Carefully pour dirty water into the homemade filter and watch it drain through.

While there may be a few small pieces that get through and the water may be the tiniest bit cloudy you will be amazed at how clean the water looks.

Check out the before and after.

You can run the water through several times to see how clean you can get it.

Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages

June 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Dandelions are a wonderful choice for a flower unit study. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies pages and Free Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook.

They have an obvious and easy to follow life cycle.

And you can usually observe all of them at the same time if you find a sizable patch.

Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages

There are so many activities, art projects, and even recipes that you can try to fill out your study.

Books, facts, and activities are already gathered for you to make your work easier.

I also have some ideas for investigating dandelions, their life cycles, and a yummy recipe for dandelion tea that will delight both you and your child with its light unique flavor.

Dandelion Flower Unit Study Facts

Dandelion seeds can float, thanks to the wind, up to 5 miles away from their start point.
The word dandelion comes from the French- “dent de lion,” which is “lion’s tooth.”
Dandelion flowers open in the morning and close in the evening.
They are wildflowers.
Though many think so, dandelions are not weeds, they are a member of the sunflower family.
Every part of the dandelion is edible from the roots to the bright yellow flowers.
Dandelions are from the Taraxacum genus, and there are about 250 different species of dandelions.
A dandelion is a perennial plant.
You can find dandelions in meadows, in cracks of sidewalks, and along roadsides.
The leaves of dandelions are long and deeply toothed.
In some places of the United States, they are considered a pesky weed and in other places they are welcomed in the garden.

All over the world, wherever dandelions grow, children love to blow the fluffy white, airborne seeds into the air to predict the number of one’s future children by counting the seeds.

In addition, add some of these books.

Dandelion Flower Unit Study Resources

Picture books are a great way to learn and this nature study idea is no different.

The Dandelion Seed: A Life Cycle Nature Book for Kids (Plants For Children

Follow the journey of a tiny dandelion seed who was afraid to let go. With a poignant, simple storytelling and gorgeous artwork, this best-selling picture book introduces plant life cycles while reminding us to let go and embrace change. A great graduation gift.

One tiny dandelion seed wants to hold onto its dandelion home, until the winter wind carries it away. The seed worries it won't be able to find its place in such a vast and frightening world. But everything is much more beautiful than it ever thought, and perhaps finding a new home isn't such a bad thing after all.

A Seed Is Sleepy: (Nature Books for Kids

Part of the incredible six-book Nature Books series from artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston, A Seed is Sleepy introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts.

Why Dandelions Grow

A rhyming story about the connection between dandelions, love, children, and God; explaining why God created dandelions to be bright, colorful, tenacious, full of love, and fun.

Little Dandelion Seeds the World

Did you know dandelions thrive on all seven continents? The cheery blooms are among the most resilient and adaptable in the world. In this lyrical book, learn how the crafty plant travels on the wind and hitches rides in all manner of ways in order to spread far and wide. Includes a map and backmatter on dandelions.

Dandelions (First Step Nonfiction ― Plant Life Cycles)

Get a close-up view of the life of a dandelion.

Also, look at some of these fun activities.

Dandelion Flower Unit Study Hands-On Activities

Head out and gather as many Dandelions as you can find to observe and study.
Paint a dandelion with watercolors.

Make Dandelion Playdough, then use the playdough to spell out vocabulary words, roll into balls to use as math manipulatives, or just enjoy the natural play dough.
Try the Dipping Dandelion STEM Challenge.
Make a Dandelion Crown to wear while you learn all about them.
Preserve Dandelion Seeds forever with Everlasting Dandelion Clocks.
Plant your own Dandelion Seeds to make teas, tinctures, slaves, and more.
Hang a Dandelion Botanical Print as you enjoy your study for art inspiration.
Work on fine motor skills with Dandelion Threading.
Paint with dandelions for a fresh new art project.
These Felt Dandelions will never blow away.
Create a Dandelion card to bring some sunshine to a friend.

Moreover, make and sip on dandelion tea while you read aloud from one of the dandelion stories suggested above.

More Flower Unit Study Activities

Additionally, look at some of these other flower unit ideas.

Flower Vocabulary

Add some of these vocabulary words to your study.

pollen – A fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower or from a male cone.
anther – The part of the stamen where pollen is produced.
stigma – The part of the pistil where pollen germinates.
ovary – The enlarged portion of the pistil where ovules are produced.
flower head – A compact mass of flowers at the top of a stem,
stamen – The male fertilizing organ of a flower, typically consisting of a pollen-containing anther and a filament.
pistil – The female organs of a flower, comprising the stigma, style, and ovary.
style – This is the name for the stalk of the pistil.

Then here are more homeschool unit studies.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

Too, do a flower unit investigation.

Flower Unit Study Investigation

Carefully pull up an entire dandelion plant from the root up, you may want to take a trowel with you to be sure that you are able to get everything.

Try to get a plant that includes a flower, buds, and a seed head.

Wash away the dirt and pat dry.

Lay the plant on a piece of paper. If you are missing sections of the plant like buds or seed heads you can add them to the bunch now.

Write out each part of the plant you want your child to identify (or they can do that part as well)

For younger children you may just choose to do flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, stem.

Older children may label every part of the plant including the various stages of the life cycle.

Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Noteboooking Pages

Have your child place the labels next to the flowers.

Next take different Dandelions in different stages and have your child place them in the order of the life cycle.

Now add a magnifying glass and tweezers and encourage them to take apart the flowers, look at them closer, and investigate it well from leaves to flowers.

Explore the seeds and talk about how they are dispersed by the wind to restart the cycle all over.

In addition, you’ll love these free dandelion notebooking pages.

I’ve created 3 notebooking pages. However, I included two sets of each one.

One set is blank so that your student can add his own ideas about the topics.

And the second set has a few facts added. Sometimes you need a reference for younger children, or some children are reluctant writers.

Moreover, you decide which set each student gets.

Lastly, the topics on each page are:

List other names of dandelions.
Describe a dandelion.
Which parts of the dandelion are useful?
Eating a dandelion.
Name and learn the 5 life cycle stages of a dandelion.

How to Make Dandelion Tea

Finally, look how to make dandelion teas.

The most important part of this recipe is that you collect flowers from an area that you know has not been sprayed with any kind of chemicals.

You will need:

Dandelions
Water
Honey or another sweetener

Gather a bunch of dandelion flower heads.

Rinse them all well.

Pull the yellow petals off, while the green won’t hurt you it can make your tea bitter.

Boil 1 cup of water.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of dandelion flowers and allow it to steep for 10 minutes.

Strain out flower petals.

Stir in honey or other sweetener to desired sweetness.

Enjoy!

How to Get the Free Dandelion Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the free dandelion notebooking pages. This is a subscriber freebie.

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

June 1, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love this fun blow painting coral reef hands-on activity. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page.

Too, June 1st marks World Reef Day, a day that is a call for everyone to reflect on our beautiful coral reefs as well as come to action to protect and preserve them.

Even if you have never visited them in person, you have surely seen their beauty in pictures or videos.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

I have a beautiful craft project to share with you which is coral reef blow painting.

It is a unique and fun activity for the kids to make and is a beautiful piece of artwork to hang up in your home as well.

This project is so fun you will probably want to make one yourself.

Coral reefs are important to us because:

they hold an abundance of life,
reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion,
provide jobs for the community around them,
they are a source of food and medicine,
and are a source of recreation for those who wish to appreciate them up close.

10 World Coral Reef Day Facts

Next, look at some facts to remember on world coral reef day.

The NOAA estimates that over 75% of the world’s reefs are currently threatened, and within the next 10 years, 90% of reefs will be threatened by human activities.
The biggest threat to coral is climate change.
Corals are animals, not plants, and are the cousins of marine animals like jellyfish and sea anemones.
Corals can move. Adult coral is attached to the ocean floor but larval or baby coral can swim to find a spot to set down anchor.
Coral supports 25% of ocean life, it is much like an underwater forest.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on Earth.
Like trees, coral has growth rings inside that can help determine the age of the coral.
There are over 800 different types of hard coral around the world.
Coral reefs only grow up to a certain water depth which is about 200 to 300 feet.
Corals eat 2 different ways- either by capturing zooplankton that floats near their polyp tentacles or by their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae.

Then look at ways to protect coral reefs.

4 Ways Kids Can Preserve Coral Reefs

1. Choose Reef Friendly Sun Protection.

Many sunscreens hurt the coral reefs causing coral bleaching and stopping its development.

Instead of using sunscreen made with toxic chemicals, focus on practicing sun management cover-up, avoiding the sun during peak hours.

And opt for non-nano mineral-based sunscreen on exposed areas. These sunscreens are made with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

2. Recycle And Dispose Of Trash Properly.

You may think tossing just one water bottle from the boat isn’t a big deal, but imagine millions of people doing that, or carelessly leaving trash on the beach.

These actions have big impacts on marine life including corals.

3. Research When Purchasing Aquarium Fish.

Avoid buying living coral instead look for imitation corals, if you purchase a marine aquarium fish, make sure that it has been collected in a sustainable way.

4. Spread the Word.

Especially if you live anywhere near these precious coral reefs, you can work together with local groups to educate everyone on how important and precious they are.

You can find a lot of information online but here are a few books that I highly recommend you use for ocean studies; they both contain a good amount of information on coral reefs as well as the marine animals that make their home there.

More Coral Reef Ideas

Also, look at these resources for studying coral reefs.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

National Geographic Readers: Coral Reefs

In this level 2 reader, young readers explore the amazing underwater world of coral reefs. Beautiful photos and carefully leveled text make this book perfect for reading aloud and for independent reading.

Coral Reefs (New & Updated Edition)

What is life like in a coral reef? What do corals eat? Why are corals more colorful at nighttime? Learn about some of the most beautiful locations in the natural worldMarine biologists believe coral reefs existed 400 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today this active environment is home to about 20,000 kinds of brilliantly colored corals, plants, and animals--more sea creatures than are found anywhere else in the world. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is so large that astronauts can see it from outer space! Children in early elementary grades will enjoy Gibbon's informative text and clear, detailed illustrations on this journey into the unique lives of coral reefs.

Coral Reefs: A Whole New World Under The Sea -

The world is keen to protect the coral reefs. Why? The coral reefs provide shelter to all kinds of sea creatures. If they die, life below the sea will become very difficult. It is important to educate the young about the whole new world under the sea. This beautiful nature encyclopedia will be just the right tool to use!

Ocean Sea Animal, 52 Pack Assorted Under The Sea Life

Sea animal toy, approximately 2 inch, creature including Octopus,hippocampus, seahorse, jellyfish, turtle,clown fish, crab,shark Otter and etc

7 Pack Artificial Coral

Use for a diorama or for play fun.

Ecosystem: Coral Reef - A Family Card Game About Ocean Animals, Habitats, and The Food Chain - Board Game for Kids

MARINE BIOLOGY GAME - Learn about underwater creatures and their habitats in this nature card game! Players use aquatic animals such as sea turtles, sharks, and clownfish in a grid formation in this ecosystem building game. Earn points by aligning ocean life with the habitats and food sources where they most flourish.

Coral Reef

Hardy adventurers ages 6 - 9 dive into a silent watery world where tiny coral animals grow together to form rock gardens of white, pink, and red-orange. In this action-packed undersea circus, jaws snap, tentacles sting, ink gets squirted, and fish suddenly glow while animals that look like plants sway gently and bashful clams hide the lively secrets inside their shells. Surprisingly dry and armed with a few pieces of equipment and their boundless imaginations, children explore this magical realm one small square at a time

Life in a Coral Reef (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Coral reefs are some of the largest natural structures in the world, and they are created by tiny coral polyps no bigger than a grain of rice. This Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book introduces readers to the amazing world of the coral reefs and the many marine animals who lived there.

WILD ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Create an Underwater Coral Reef - Science Kit

CREATE AN UNDERWATER WORLD -- Use chemical reactions to create colorful underwater scenes. Mix solutions, build an artificial coral reef and grow instant chemical coral with this coral reef kit.

Coral Reef Tin Box Magnetic Travel Game

Travel-Friendly Educational Toys: Coral Reef features 48 challenges, from easy to expert. Thanks to its compact size and new tin box portable travel case, you can put this puzzle at the top of your family's travel games list.

Finally, look how to make this blow painting coral reef hands-on activity.

Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You will need:

Straws
Liquid watercolors
Watercolor paper
Pipettes or droppers
Markers
Baking sheet
Fine point black pen

Cut straws in half to make it a little easier to blow through and direct your watercolors.

Place a sheet of watercolor paper onto a baking sheet, this can get a little messy.

Using a pipette or small paintbrush drop various sized dots of the liquid watercolor all over the bottom of the page, or you can fill the entire page for a closer up view of the coral reef.

Have your child blow through the straw spreading the watercolor droplets around.

You may wish to repeat and add more “limbs” or new coral once you see the white space.

I like to let some of it dry and do the dots again to create different shades and give it a little depth.

Allow it to dry.

Lightly add a watered-down wash of light blue onto all the white space if you like to create water.

Let your picture dry completely.

Younger children will probably want to stop here, and that is totally fine but challenge your older children to add more detail. To do this they can trace around each dried shape with a fine liner black pen to define them a bit more.

They can also use markers to add some fish in the painting. Use your books or Google for inspiration.

Once completely dry, lay your painted page under a couple heavy books for several hours to press the paper flat.

Create several paintings, each one will be completely unique just like the beautiful coral in the ocean.

7 Cool Rainforest Science Activities and Create Rainforest Floor Slime

May 27, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have some fun and simple rainforest science activities. And I have more ideas on my pages Rain Forest – Amazon, Rain Forest – Animals of the Amazon, and Rainforest Amazon Activities for Kids.

If you really want your kids to get excited about science, make it a fun hands-on activity that they can’t resist.

Preschoolers to middle schoolers love the sensory experience of slime.

You can use it for several interactive rainforest science activities starting with learning about viscosity, polymers, and non-Newtonian fluids which are neither a liquid nor a solid.

7 Cool Rainforest Science Activities and Create Rainforest Floor Slime

Add some rainforest creatures and a little color to turn your basic slime recipe into a rainforest floor creation that is a beautiful way to explore the creatures that make their home there.

Use it as a foundation for a sensory bin for dramatic play and to learn about everything from snakes to sloths.

I always like to add a good-themed book to any activity for inspiration and reference, for our rainforest science activities we grabbed Over and Under in the Rainforest.

It takes place as a young boy and his uncle (Tito) walk through the Costa Rican rainforest exploring the biome from top to bottom.

It introduces many rainforest creatures that live throughout all the layers of the rainforest with beautiful illustrations and an easy-to-read and follow story.

5 Rainforest Science Activities Facts

Then add some of these rainforest science activities to your study.

Sloths have algae growing on their fur and it serves two purposes 1) camouflage and it is believed 2) sloths consume the algae, which is rich in fatty compounds and gives them energy.
Tropical rainforests cover less than 3% of the planet, but amazingly they are home to more than half our planet’s terrestrial animal species.
A chunk of the rainforest equal to 40 football fields disappears each minute.
Rainforests get at least 100 inches of rain each year, sometimes nearly double that.
There are two different types of rainforests, temperate and tropical. Tropical rainforests are the ones that are most found.

So how is slime science?

Learning how to make slime introduces younger children to textures.

And while younger kids may not be ready for the vocabularly yet, they will be amazed at how it stretches (elasticity), flows like a liquid (viscosity) but not quite.

They will explore what happens when you mix different matters together to create a new one (a chemical change).

Then, look at these books about the Amazon Rainforest.

21 Rain Forest Animals For Kids Books and Resources

Add these rain forest animal books, games, and toys to round out your study of the animals of the rain forest.

Wildlife Animal Model Toy Red Eye Tree Frog Figure

It is a great way to expand the growth with children through physical science.

All the Way Down: Amazon Rainforest

This book explores the rainforest layer by layer and the creatures that make their home in each part of the rainforest.

Rainforest Animals (Who Am I?)

Which rainforest animal is a frog that uses its eyes to help it swallow its food? Which rainforest animal is a bird with a big, colorful bill? Let's learn more about rainforest animals such as sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and more! Read With You's Who Am I? series encourages children to be more curious about the world around them as they learn fun facts about animals from across the globe.

Over and Under the Rainforest

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series that includes Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Snow!Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world. Turn the pages of this beautiful and educational book to discover in words and mesmerizing illustration:

Animals like the slender parrot snake and the blue morpho butterfly.

The canopies where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call.

Capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms.

Wild Animal Jungle Sloth Toy Figurine

Sloth Toy Figurine

In the Rainforest (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet.

Anacondas (Rain Forest Animals)

This book introduces readers to the largest snake in the world: the anaconda. Readers learn about the life cycle, behavior, physical characteristics, and habitat of anacondas

Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals

Expanding the popular collection of animal books in the Learn to Draw Series, Learn to Draw Rainforest & Jungle Animals will teach kids how easy it is to draw a variety of exciting and exotic creatures from around the world. Each project starts with a basic shape and progresses with simple-to-follow steps to a finished realistic final colored artwork. While they’re learning, kids will also discover fun facts about each featured animal.

The Rainforest Grew All Around

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the three-page “For Creative Minds” educational section.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

While it covers more than just the rainforest this is a fabulous resource to have on your shelves. You will find plenty of great pictures and information on many animals that live there- crocodiles, harpy eagles, monkeys, tapir , sloths,Jaguarundi, and the food web.

Rainforest Glow-in-The-Dark Puzzle, Rainforest Animals, Birds, Plants and More

COLORFUL ARTWORK: Kids will love the colorful puzzle artwork showing the animals, plants, trees and birds that call the rainforest home. The storage box shows the completed puzzle artwork and is an ideal place to keep pieces safe and free from damage.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Tells a story of a man who came to cut down a kapok tree and encounters many of the beautiful and exotic native creatures who make their home in the Amazon Rainforest.

Professor Noggin's Reptiles and Amphibians Trivia Card Game

FUN FACTS: How about Reptiles versus Amphibians?! That's just one of the topic cards in this kids card game. Find out more fun facts from Eggs to the Komodo Dragon!

Rainforest Gummi Frogs Candy

How fun!

FRESH & FRUITY: Fruidles single-flavor gummies pack giant taste into one delicious flavor. After one bite of these fruity gummies, you'll taste the difference of giant fresh fruit flavors & a deliciously soft chew you won't find with other gummy candies.

Hello, World! Rainforest Animals

This bright and exciting Hello, World! board book teaches toddlers all about the amazing world of a rainforest—with easy-to-understand facts about the incredible animals who make their home there.

Where Is the Amazon?

Human beings have inhabited the banks of the Amazon River since 13,000 BC and yet they make up just a small percentage of the "population" of this geographic wonderland. The Amazon River basin teems with life—animal and plant alike.

Canopy, Card Game, Features 25 Unique Species of Rainforest Animals and Plants

Compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest! Carefully select what grows in your forest, and give rise to a thriving ecosystem.

LEGO Creator Rainforest Animals

Features a frog, a fly and a parrot with articulated wings and tail, opening mouth and rotatable eyes 3-in-1 model: rebuilds into a chameleon or a tropical fish

Afternoon on the Amazon

Vampire bats and killer ants? That's what Jack and Annie are about to run into when the Magic Tree House whisks them away to the Amazon River. It's not long before they get hopelessly lost. Will they be able to find their way back to the tree house? Or are Jack and Annie stuck forever in the rain forest?

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic Bookshelf)

NatureI n a tropical rain forest in Central America, a red-eyed tree frog spends the night looking for food while avoiding potential predators. Award-winning photographer Nic Bishop's larger-than-life, gorgeous images document the hunt, which ends happily with the frog settling down in the leaves to spend his daylight hours sleeping! Joy Cowley's simple, readable text makes the frog's story fun, interesting, and accessible to young readers.

Protecting the Amazon Rainforest (Saving Earth's Biomes)

Explores the richness of the Amazon rainforest, how humans have damaged it, and efforts being taken to protect it. Clear text, vibrant photos, and helpful infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.

Next, look at these rainforest science activities to try.

7 Fantastic Rainforest Science Activities

Investigate How do Plants Breathe?
Scroll down a bit and you will find these Rainforest Animal Matching Cards.
Littles will love studying animals with this Rainforest Animal File Folder Game.
If you have a child who enjoys or learns better with paperwork check out the Animals of the Rainforest Worksheet.
Dive into the flora and fauna with Plants and Animals in The Tropical Rainforest Biome Cards.
Learn about the two different types of Rainforests in this YouTube video.
These adorable Sloth Life Cycle Printables are a great way to learn more about these slow-moving creatures.

Then, look at more rainforest activities for kids below.

More Rainforest Activities for Kids

Also, add some fun vocabulary to learn about slime.

Rainforest Floor Slime Vocabulary

Challenge older children to define the following slime-related vocabulary words and phrases.

Slime- A thick, viscous matter.
Elasticity-The tendency of a body to return to its shape after being pulled or stretched.
Viscosity- The thickness of a liquid.
Polymer-A large, chain-like molecule made up of monomers, which are small molecules.
Non-Newtonian fluid-A fluid that does not follow Newton’s law of viscosity, meaning that it has variable viscosity dependent on stress. Viscosity can change under force to either more liquid or more solid.
Chemical change-When a new substance is formed through a chemical reaction.

Finally, look at how to make this fun rainforest floor slime activity.

Rainforest Floor Slime Activity

You will need:

1 ½ cups water
8-10 oz. white or clear glue
½ teaspoon borax
Green food coloring
Green glitter (optional)

Warm 1 cup of water in the microwave until it’s hot and stir in borax until dissolved.

In a separate container mix together glue and ½ cup of water.

Once mixed, stir in food coloring and glitter if desired to get the shade you want.

Pour the colored glue mixture into the borax mixture and stir until it starts to cling together and is no longer sticky.

You may find it easiest to mix with your hands but some people do find borax to be a skin irritant.

Once the mixture is no longer sticky you can remove it from the water mixture, and it is ready for play.

To add a little more texture and interest to it you can cut small leaf shapes and vines out of craft foam and mix into the slime.

Additionally, you could also stir in a few drops of your favorite essential oil to introduce another sensory input with a soothing or invigorating scent.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

May 11, 2023 | 2 Comments
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I have 10 sea shell activities today. And your kids will love making these fun crystal sea shells. Grab more ideas on my Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Sea shell activities are a fun way to explore one of your favorite parts of the beach.

If you find yourself with an abundance of sea shells from your beach visits or you just want to have some seashell-themed fun I have a fun learning activity.

I have dug up 10 great sea shell activities and put together one of my own for you.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

You can observe and describe seashells, identify them with a favorite guide or reference book or use them for a multitude of crafts and activities.

I am sharing a tutorial today for how to make crystal seashells.

This is an activity that can be educational as well as pretty.

Your child can place these glittery shells alongside the plainer ones on your science shelf to remember the fun they had watching them grow crystals.

Gather up handfuls of your favorite seashells and let’s see what kind of fun and learning we can do with them.

10 Stupendous Sea Shell Facts

First, look at these facts about sea shells.

A sea shell is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal that lives in the sea.
Mollusks can make their shells become different colors by eating a variety of colorful food. Eating red seaweed gives some sea animals a red shell.
There is more to the pattern of the seashell than just being pretty. Scientists believe that mollusks use the patterns and colors as engineering blueprints. The design of the shells helps the animal know where to place their mantle, ensuring they grow its shell in the right spots.
People used to use sea shells as currency, even as far back as Pompei.
90% of shells are dextral, meaning their shells open to the right.
There are over 100,000 varieties of mollusks including snails, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, and more.
The official term for someone who collects shells is a “conchologist”.
You can guess the age of shells, a scallop, for example, produces about a ridge per day.
The largest sea shell is the Australian Trumpet, weighing up to 40 lbs.
Sea shells are an excellent source of calcium carbonate making them a great choice for adding calcium to your garden beds.

10 Sea Shell Activities

Get your shell on with these fun and beachy-themed crafts and activities you can do with your sea shells.

More Sea Shell Activities and Beach Resources

Also, look at more summertime and sea shell fun.

In addition, look at these fun books.

4 Seashells Books for Kids

Add one or two of these books or resources to your unit study about sea shells.

What Lives in a Shell?

This clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom, is a fascinating exploration of the many creatures that make a home in a shell. This picture book features beautifully accurate illustrations of the many types of shells—inside and out! Young readers will love exploring the fascinating homes of creatures like hermit crabs, scallops, and turtles.

Fascinating Shells: An Introduction to 121 of the World’s Most Wonderful Mollusks

Beautiful photographs of stunning shells from London's Natural History Museum, home to one of the most significant and comprehensive collections in the world.Collected and treasured for their beauty, used in religious rituals, or even traded as currency, shells have fascinated humans for millennia. Ancient and enchanting, dazzling in form and variety, these beautiful objects come from mollusks, one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom, including snails, oysters, cuttlefish, and chitons. Soft-bodied, these creatures rely on shells for protection from enemies and their environments, from snowy mountains to arid deserts, in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the jungles of the tropics, on rocky shores, and in coral reefs.

Seashells & Beachcombing for Kids: An Introduction to Beach Life of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts

Ocean beaches capture our attention like few places on Earth—and for good reason. Two vastly different ecosystems merge here, attracting a wide variety of life forms. Become a young oceanographer. Learn all about beaches and the plants and animals found there. East Coast expert Erika Zambello and West Coast naturalist Stephanie Panlasigui present a kids’ introduction to beach life. The children’s book, ideal for early and middle-grade readers, conveys fascinating information for beginners.

Start by learning about beaches and their various habitats, as well as tips on beach safety, collecting etiquette, an

What A Shell Can Tell

Award-winning marine biologist Helen Scales introduces children to the wonders of shells (from seashells to land snails) through the art of observation. Using a friendly question-and-answer format, she explores, through a richly sensory experience, the incredible diversity of shells around the world and showcases the environments molluscs inhabit. From what a shell's shape, color, or texture can reveal about its inhabitant, to where shells are found (from the deepest seas to jungly treetops), with this book, readers can get up close with nature to observe its wonders.

Also, look at some of the science before we make this fun sea shell borax crystal.

Crystal Sea shell Science

Before we soak up the next activity let’s look at some of the science behind it.

First, it is important to know that hot water holds more borax crystals than cold or room temp.

This is because the hot water molecules move far apart and make room for the borax crystals to dissolve.

You can extend this experiment by trying the same measurements of borax and water with different water temperatures.

As the solution cools down the saturated water molecules come back together and force the particles out of the solution.

They will then land on the nearest surface (sea shells) and then they will keep building up to form crystals.

Once dried you will really be able to see the unique crystal shapes, and how they build on different surfaces like the edges, ridges, cavities, etc/

You can purchase sea shells online or even at dollar tree but how much fun is it to use the ones you found on your last beach vacation?

Finally, let’s make crystal sea shells.

How to Make Crystal Seashells

You will need:

Seashells
4 cups hot water
¼ to ½ cup borax
Shallow glass container

Directions:

Heat the water in a microwave-safe container.

You can do it in a shallow glass container or a spouted glass measuring cup is perfect for pouring later in the activity.

The water doesn’t have to be boiling but you want it hot, as it is necessary to melt and absorb the borax crystals.

Stir in the borax a few tablespoons at a time, adding more and more until it no longer dissolves.

This means the water is fully saturated.

Place seashells in the bottom of a shallow glass dish and give a little space between each of them.

Lay them down upside down and right side up to observe what happens with the crystallization.

Place the shallow dish in an area where they will not be disturbed.

Wait at least 24 hours before you check them for crystals.

Moving them around and removing them from the water will disturb the crystallization process.

Once they are done lay on a paper towel to dry.

Investigate your shells with a magnifying glass and a favorite resource book.

You can see here that the crystals started filling in the cavity of this conch.

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1. Choose Reef Friendly Sun Protection.

2. Recycle And Dispose Of Trash Properly.

3. Research When Purchasing Aquarium Fish.

4. Spread the Word.

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7 Fantastic Rainforest Science Activities

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Rainforest Floor Slime Activity

10 Stupendous Sea Shell Facts

10 Sea Shell Activities

More Sea Shell Activities and Beach Resources

Crystal Sea shell Science

How to Make Crystal Seashells

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