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earthscience

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

November 26, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for rainforest science activities for kindergarten, you’ll love this living terrarium craft. Look for my other kindergarten tips and crafts on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum. Also, look at my pages Rain Forest – Amazon and Rainforest Activities for Kids.

Are you learning all about the beautiful and fascinating rainforest habitat?

You can have your child make a diorama the old-fashioned way or try something new and end up with a beautiful living decor piece.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

This living rainforest diorama terrarium can be a great hands-on way to teach your child about the animals and plants of the rainforest and a lesson on self-sustaining environments.

This mini ecosystem becomes a self-sustaining environment with living plants once the lid is closed.

And it is a beautiful addition to your homeschool or living room. Add this idea to your rainforest science activities for kindergarten.

Nature Book

Also, I wanted to share this beautiful resource I found with you that is perfect for adding some botany into your studies.

Botanicum is an oversized book which has gorgeous illustrations that look like vintage museum prints.

There is a good section with information on rainforests including tropical trees and plants

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, beautiful, detailed pictures that are great for tracing or using as inspiration to draw your own.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, here are some rainforest facts.

Rainforest Facts

  • The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest.
  • In addition, there are two types of rainforests- tropical and temperate.
  • The average temperature in the rainforest is 82℉.
  • 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests.
  • More than ⅔ of the world’s plant and animal species live here.
  • It can take all the way up to 10 minutes for a raindrop to fall to the ground because of the thick canopy cover of the trees that slows it down.
  • 25% of medicines in production come from the rainforest regions.
  • The rainforest contains over two million types of insects!
  • Most animals and plants live in the canopy area of the rainforest.
Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

And the rainforest is made up of 4 different layers:

  1. The dark, damp Forest floor.
  2. The Understory, the part that makes up the shorter tree space between the canopy and the forest floor.
  3. The Canopy, the lush thicker tree filled area where most animals live.
  4. The Emergent Layer, the thick treetops that stretch up into the open air.

Other Kindergarten Resources

Too, be sure to not miss these other homeschool kindergarten resources.

  • Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 10 Best Homeschool Phonics Curriculum For Kindergarten
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • How to Create the Best Homeschool Schedule for Kindergarten (free printable)
  • 60 Favorite Top Homeschooling Materials for Kindergarten
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

Additionally, you love some more rainforest activities.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

You’ll love all the Amazon Rainforest resources.

More Amazon Rainforest Activities

  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
  • Rainforest Crafts for Kindergarten: Make an Easy Paper Plate Monkey
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids
  • These slithering Paper Chain Pythons.
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Amazon Rain Forest
  • An adorable Paper plate Sloth.
  • Plants and Animals in the Tropical Rainforest cards make a great resource.
  • Fun Pineapple Candle
  • 100+ Best and Free Tropical Amazon Rainforest Educators Resources

Now, let’s dive into making this amazing living terrarium.

How to Make a Rainforest Living Terrarium

First, you will need the following items.

  • Potting soil
  • A large sealing glass jar, a gallon size is perfect.
  • Small succulents-real or faux
  • Other small tropical plants
  • Small rocks or pebbles
  • Rainforest animals
  • Moss. I used dried moss from Dollar Tree and you can include live moss on the forest floor if you have some.
  • Sticks or small limbs from the yard
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • White labels

Then, here are the directions.

Add a 1” -2” layer of small rocks or pebbles carefully to the bottom of the jar, this will help with drainage.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Next, place 2” of potting soil on top of the rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Before planting the succulents spritz them well with water or give them a good dunk under water.

Now you can use real or fake succulents if you don’t want to keep up with watering but the care for succulents is minimal.

And once established, they need little care.

Plant your succulents and spread around the jar. We used a mix of real and fake succulents to fill the space.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Now to create the tall full lush trees we used some sticks we gathered from the yard.

Break them down to size so that they fit a couple inches below the lid once pressed into the dirt.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

 Make your trees by putting hot glue all around on the top of the stick.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Then, roll it around and press it into the moss.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten

You may repeat this step to fill in your tree as full as you would like.

Don’t forget to add some to your lower branches if your tree has them.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Once the glue has hardened you can press them down into the soil and rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Finally, add in some rainforest creatures to live in your habitat.

Additionally, these toob animals come in handy for so many projects. Try to spread them out among the 4 different layers.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Spritz everything well and close up the lid.

Now your habitat is also a fantastic demonstration on the water cycle as moisture will form on the inside and on the plants.

That moisture will drip down and water the soil.

The cycle will repeat itself over and over. It is good to open the lid once a month for a few minutes and allow the plants to get fresh air.

Now, to learn a bit about the 4 layers -use a white label to write the 4 layers that make up the rainforest- The Emergent Layer, Canopy, Understory and Forest floor. 

Have your child place them in the correct place on the side of the jar to label each one.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Your terrarium just needs indirect sunlight and do not place directly in the sun.

1 CommentFiled Under: Teach Kindergarten Tagged With: amazon rain forest, crafts, earth science, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, kindergarten, life science, rainforest, science

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

November 3, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for homeschool science experiments, you’ll love this easy instant ice activity. Add it to your winter season unit study.

If your kids are like mine, they prefer to get hands-on with their learning rather than just being read to from a book.

Although we love reading, we also love doing.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

Whenever you start a new unit, a new week, or a new concept consider adding something that requires a lot more of their involvement like this instant ice homeschool science experiment.

This homeschool science experiment is easy to set up, perform, and requires very little prep.

Other than a watch and wait for the bottles to almost freeze, it’s simple and fun.

Freeze extra bottles so that it can be repeated.

But don’t stop with this hands-on winter experiment, keep the learning going.

Look at how to turn simple ideas into a fun little unit for you and your curious learners.

Fun Winter Ice Facts

Check out Why Does Water Turn Into Ice and Where do Icicles Come From to learn more about incredible ice.

Read a few interesting ice facts to see what you both can learn and reinforce what they already knew.

Interesting Ice Facts:

  • Fresh water will freeze at 0 ℃.
  • Ocean water will freeze but at a colder temperature of -2 ℃.
  • The Inupiaq of Alaska have 100 names for ice.
  • There are two types of ice on the earth. Land ice consists of fresh water and sea ice is made of salt water.
  • More than ⅔ of the earths fresh water is in the form of glaciers.
  • Ice is not only on earth but it can also be found on some of Saturn’s rings, in comets, the Moon, and on Jupiter.
  • The thickest ice ever recorded was 2.97 miles thick by an Antarctica research aircraft
  • Scientists believe there to have been 5 different ice ages which are the Huronian, Cryogenian, Andean-Saharan, Karoo Ice Age and the Quaternary glaciation.
  • Glaciers do not melt in very cold areas like the arctic but continue to build up and create massive ice sheets.
  • Ice is a mineral and meets all four of the requirements to make it a mineral.

The four requirements are it’s naturally occurring, a solid, has organized crystal structure and is inorganic.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

So, technically, ice is a rock.

Ice Vocabulary Words

Next, add a few science words about ice.

  • Supercool- a liquid that is below its freezing point without solidification or crystallization.
  • Ice- Frozen water, a brittle transparent crystalline solid.
  • Freezing- When the temperature of the air falls below the freezing point of water- 0 ℃.

Then move into learning about the science behind instant ice.

Instant Ice Science

First, purified water can be chilled below its freezing point and remain in a liquid state. This is a supercooled water.

There are not enough impurities in the water for ice crystals to grow on. Hitting it on the counter or pouring it over the ice gives it a kick start.

When a new material phase begins to form that is the water changing to solid ice.

It is called nucleation. 

Nucleation is when there is an imperfection in the substance.

For instant, dust in the water that the state it is changing to (ice) can anchor to and thus create a nucleus.

Just one molecule forms an ice crystal at the nucleus.

And the molecules next to it and on top of it begin to change state due to the icy surface.

This creates a chain reaction of ice until your supercooled water forms a little tower of ice.

We used the ice cubes to help us get that process started.

Take this experiment further and use different types of water in the water bottles.

Try these different waters.

  • tap,
  • salt water,
  • filtered,
  • add coloring, or
  • sugar.

Do you get the same results?

Have your child record it in a science journal and tell them the why of the bottled water working after they have tried their different ones.

Instant Ice Homeschool Science Experiment

This experiment will amaze your kids.

You will need:

  • Ice
  • 5 or 6 water bottles
  • Sheet pan or tray
  • Small bowl or cup
Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

Open and reclose the caps.

This will help keep it at the supercooled state later without disturbing it too much when you open.

Place bottles in the freezer for an hour (set a timer so you don’t forget) how long it takes to freeze will depend somewhat on your freezer, how full it is and etc.

Check them after one hour, then after 30 minutes, and then every 15 minutes.

You want them to be close but not yet frozen.

A good way to test this is to remove one and hit it on the counter.

If you see a bit of slush form at the bottom of the bottle it’s perfect.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

Here is a quick video of me tapping it on a chair to demonstrate that kick start effect of your supercooled water.

Fill your bowl or cup with ice when you are ready.

Learn from our mistake. Put a tray or baking sheet under it to catch overflow.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

Carefully remove your bottles from the freezer and set them down gently.

Quickly remove the cap from your water and slowly pour the water over the ice from just slightly above it.

You should see an ice tower begin to grow.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

You should be able to get at least 2” to 3” before it begins to melt.

You need to be sure to work quickly because the ice will begin to melt within 30 second.

Therefore it’s a good idea to freeze a lot of bottles so you can try it over and over.

Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments

Want to see it in action?

More Winter Homeschool Science Experiments

Also, you’ll love these other winter homeschool science experiments.

  • How Does the Power of Ice Shape Mountains Activity
  • 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities
  • Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Easy Hands on Snowflake Winter Craft for Kids Who Don’t Have Snow
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

What do you think? Ready to give it a try?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, earth science, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, homeschoolscience, ice, science, winter crafts, winter season

Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study

October 27, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for a literature-based unit to do for an Arctic unit study, you’ll love Julie of the Wolves. Be sure to grab more ideas on my page Arctic and Inuit Unit Study Free Lapbook – Hands-On Ideas and also on my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George is a wonderful book for reading aloud or it can be an exciting adventure as an independent reading chapter book.

Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study

It makes the perfect addition to a winter or Arctic unit study.

Too, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite resources to go along with the Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George to help you put together your own unit study.

And I have rounded up vocabulary words, videos, additional books, and of course plenty of great hands-on activities.

About Julie of the Wolves Book

First, Julie goes by two names Miyax to her Eskimo village and as Julie to English speaking friends.

The story tells of the adventures of Julie after she runs away from a forced marriage to live in the wild Arctic fighting for survival, following the way of her people.

But will she choose to continue this way or return to civilization?

There are 3 books in the series, but we are going to focus on the original for this.

In addition, this story is a great base for a unit study as it covers Eskimo life, snow/winter, animal habits and habitats, and the emotions of growing up.

You can go in the direction of studying the book from a literary angle, diving into Inuit life and culture, studying the animals and habitats mentioned in the book, or a combination of all.

Hands-on Ideas for Learning About the Arctic

Always include some fun hands-on ideas in your unit studies to keep the kids interested and make the points really hit home.

  • Arctic and Inuit Unit Study. Free Lapbook – Hands-On Ideas. Be sure to grab my lapbook, ideas for studying animals, making snow goggles, soap carving and making a salt dough map.
  • Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Winter Season Unit Study
  • Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources
  • How to build a Milk Jug Igloo– That’s a lot of milk.
  • Arctic Region
  • How to Build an Igloo ( with real snow)
  • Inuit Soap Carvings
  • Wolf Facts & Worksheets
  • More Arctic Wolf information
  • The Inuit Way of Life lesson plan
  • Ideas for a diorama and a Miyax (Julie) doll.
  • Free Gray Wolf lapbook

Too, many birds are mentioned in the book which live in the Artic. For instance, look at this list of ones to learn about.

  • lapland longspurs
  • puffins
  • snowy owl
  • siskin
  • sandpipers

Next, add in some other reference books.

Other Arctic Books and Resources

In addition, Nature Anatomy is a go to spine for anything nature related.

Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study

In this book I found a couple pages on snowflakes, animal life like caribou, seals, fish, snowy owls, and other birds of prey that are found in Arctic regions.

Another book in the series Ocean Anatomy covers polar bears, penguins, seals, Narwhal, and whales.

But also sea ice, life under the ice, glaciers, and Icebergs.

And Safari LTD Animals may be considered for young children, older kids love them too.

Older kids can use them in dioramas, as inspiration for an art project or to create an inviting display.

Additionally, YouTube has wonderful videos.

Videos about Arctic Life

  • 20 Awesome Facts About Arctic Wolves
  • Arctic Wolves Singing
  • How Do Animals Survive in The Arctic
  • Julie of The Wolves Read Aloud
  • Julie of The Wolves Mini Documentary
  • How an Igloo Keeps You Warm
  • Eskimo Hunters in Alaska – The Traditional Inuit Way of Life | 1949 Documentary on Native Americans

Too, you’ll love this list of vocabulary words.

Julie of the Wolves Vocabulary Words

Last, here are 12 vocabulary words for each of the three sections of the book to get you started.

Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study

First, this list is for Part I.

  • Bleak- unpleasantly cold and damp.
  • Lichen-A slow growing plant that produces leaflike branching growth on trees and rocks.
  • Semaphore- a system of sending messages using arms or two flag poles.
  • Undulate-Increase of decrease of volume or pitch.
  • Carrion- Rotting flesh of dead animals.
  • Ravenous- Extremely hungry.
  • Wean- Gradually accustomed to living on something other than mothers milk.
  • Deference– Tendency to yield to another.
  • Viscera-Internal organs in the main cavities, especially abdomen.
  • Apogee-The farthest point at which the moon or a satellite is from the earth.
  • Forage- To look for and collect, as in food. Further, grab my Foraging and Feasting Unit Study and Lapbook.
  • Permafrost- Permanently frozen ground.

Second, this list is for Part II.

  • Shaman-A person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds.
  • Blubber-The insulating layer of fat underneath the skin of some animals.
  • Prance-Spring forward from the hind legs.
  • Tundra-A treeless plain where the subsoil is permanently frozen.
  • Derisive-Showing contempt or ridicule.
  • Scarce- Insufficient for the demand, food in this case.
  • Mythical-Based or described in stories rather than history.
  • Drone- A monotonous low dull sound.
  • Descent- Downward movement.
  • Foyer- Large entrance waiting area.
  • Piteous- Deserving or evoking sympathy and sorrow.
  • Seize-To grab or take hold of.

Further, here is Part III.

  • Brandish-  Move or swing objects back and forth.
  • Abeyance- State of temporary suspension or disuse.
  • Saunter –Leisurely walk with no evident aim.
  • Deviate- Change or turn away from planned course.
  • Bravado-Bold show of courage to impress or intimidate.
  • Cumbersome-Hard to manage due to size or weight.
  • Desolate- Bleak, depressing, empty, bare.
  • Larder- A storeroom for storing food goods.
  • Plaintive- Showing sorrow.
  • Totem- A person or thing considered to be a symbol of something.
  • Temperate- Mild temperatures, without extremes.
  • Resonant- Evoking powerful memories or emotions

Leave a CommentFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: arctic, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, Julie of the Wolves, life science, science, unit studies, unit study

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

October 12, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 27 amazing homeschool lapbook ideas for science. You’ll love all my homeschool lapbooks for hands-on fun science.

Using a lapbook is not just for real young children and especially lapbook ideas for science.

I am not sure why that thinking permeates in the homeschool world and I have often wondered why it does.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

We might feel that middle school or high school is supposed to be only about serious learning.

My thinking has changed and has been molded by many homeschool experiences but one thing that has not changed is the need to add a bit of fun to our everyday subjects.

Homeschool lapbooks can be as fun or as serious a hands-on tool for any child you’re homeschooling.

Free Printable Lapbooks

Also, quite a few of the lapbooks I have listed can be printed freely.

Too, when I prepare lapbooks, I created some with minibooks filled with facts.

You have the choice to print the blank form or use the prefilled minibook.

As we’ve done lapbooks throughs the years, I’ve realized sometimes we didn’t have as much as wanted to on our lapbooks.

Other times, we stayed much longer on certain topics.

Striking a balance of having some facts for the minibooks versus none is not easy, but you want to.

This encourages research and nurtures self-education.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

Too, sometimes my kids preferred a combination of lapbooking and notebooking.

Lapbook Materials

Also, lapbooks are cost effective. Your kids can create one together or create one individually.

Once you’ve printed the minibooks and place them in the lapbook, the lapbooks can last for years.

Of course, using cardstock makes all the difference in how long the minibooks lasts.

And you don’t really need an expensive printer. I’ve use a mobile printer for years. And I use acid free glue.

Lastly, new flaps about different subtopics can be added to your lapbook as your child studies the science topic again.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

Finally, look at the 27 amazing lapbook ideas for science below.

Other Homeschool Lapbook Resources

Also, look at some of these other posts for more help.

  • Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities
  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
  • Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages
  • 15 Amazing Lapbook Materials to Use Besides Glue and Paper
  • 20 Free Homeschool Science Lapbooks to Teach Hands-on
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids

Science Lapbook Ideas

Hands-on lapbooks goes hand in hand with learning about homeschool science.

The best way to learn science is through engaging activities created by the child.

Image for Famous and Historic Trees

Famous and Historic Trees

The beauty of unit studies is the ability to combine multiple subjects.

This famous and historic trees fun study combines nature, history, and geography. Add in some art and music and it’s a memorable unit study.

Image for FBI Unit Study Experiment 2 (Invisible Ink)

FBI Unit Study Experiment 2 (Invisible Ink)

So the teens gathered some supplies and printed off some of the invisible ink activities from the internet. The one they really wanted to do was the one using cornstarch.

An iodine solution is used to reveal the writing. You make a gravy using cornstarch and write with that

Image for The Inuit & Arctic Circle Lapbook

The Inuit & Arctic Circle Lapbook

The emphasis too is not just on the content or material to be researched but on presentation of the lapbook. I guess that is why I say I use my lapbooks for enrichment. We do unit studies, write some each day and like you, do math.

So I am not interested in presenting to my children or anybody else for that matter a bunch of blank uninspiring mini books.

Image for {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}

{Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}

Doing a fall season or fall unit study is a great way to brace the change in the weather.

We love this time of the year! Here in Texas as least we have some leaves that change colors not to mention how wonderful spices and sweet potato pie smell!

Image for Strawberry Lapbook

Strawberry Lapbook

Strawberries are the very first spring fruit, and one of our field trips was strawberry picking so we used this lapbook to learn about them.

Image for Apple Lapbook

Apple Lapbook

If you’re looking for an apple lapbook and apple unit study, you’ll love the ideas here. Whether you’re looking for Johnny Appleseed ideas, fun crafts about apples or ideas about Isaac Newton and his apple, you’ll find them here.
Image for Free Amazing  Winter Lapbook

Free Amazing Winter Lapbook

You’ll love this free winter lapbook for kids. Add to the other lapbooks I have here and you can create your own unit studies. In addition add it to my winter unit study.

And if you have multiple ages of children, this free winter lapbook has several minibooks with various topics.

Add the lapbook to a winter unit study or do it alone as an enhancement to your studies.

Image for 3 Free Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks

3 Free Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks

 I have three free Amazon rainforest lapbooks which go with our Amazon Rain Forest Unit Study And homeschool lapbooks make great tools for master learning about a unit study topic..

Image for Free Wildflowers Lapbook

Free Wildflowers Lapbook

When the Texas wildflowers blanket the fields here we’ve never been able to stay indoors. We’re always thinking of ways to get outside.

Sharing this wildflowers unit study and lapbook along with some hands-on ideas, I hope they’ll help your kids get excited about a fun wildflowers unit study

Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

Exploring Space and Astronomy Lapbook

Exploring space and astronomy free unit study for multiple ages is a fascinating study. It’s a glimpse into the sun, moon, stars, galaxy, and structure of the universe.

Image for Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook

Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook

Why bats are not birds fun homeschool unit study and lapbook is an easy way to do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

Image for Above & Below: Pond  Lapbook

Above & Below: Pond Lapbook

Whether you study a pond in winter or summer, a pond unit study makes for a great hands-on science project. You can add in so many different nature topics.

There are just as many things that grow above a pond as there are that live below in a pond.

Image for Free Super Seashore and Beach Lapbook

Free Super Seashore and Beach Lapbook

I can smell the beach from here! Okay, maybe not where I live now, but I feel that way since I grew up with the beach a short 30 minute drive. And we never missed a chance to go to it.

We would cook crab or gumbo, spend hours on the shoreline and build a fire. Seashore watching was an activity I loved as a kid and I made sure my kids knew about it. I think you’ll love these ideas for a seashore watching unit study.

Image for Foraging and Feasting Lapbook

Foraging and Feasting Lapbook

My kids have always loved ways of learning how to live off the land. This foraging and feasting nature unit study is not only a way to teach Tiny some basic survival skills, but a great way to sneak in tips about how to cook.

Image for From Egg to Sea Turtle Lapbook

From Egg to Sea Turtle Lapbook

We made a detour on finishing up high school for a quick nature read about sea turtles. I chose Our Sea Turtles as a spine and we weren’t disappointed. Today, in sharing from egg to sea turtle nature unit study and lapbook, I’ve rounded up some awesome links and ideas for you.

Also, I created a fun lapbook for about upper elementary to middle school for your kids.

Image for Beautiful Human Body Lapbook

Beautiful Human Body Lapbook

The completed human body lapbook. Have you been following along as we did our huge human body lapbook and unit study?

We have had a ton of fun with our unit study and today, I want to give you one more minibook about the eye and some clip art to go on the

Image for Free Earth Science Lapbook

Free Earth Science Lapbook

 I have the rest of the minibooks to go with the free earth science lapbook, which is Earth’s Structures. Too, I have a cover which can be used as a lapbook cover or for clip art to decorate notebooking pages.

Remember, for this lapbook, I am using the free middle science book that I shared with you earlier as a quick science spine.
Image for Arctic Region

Arctic Region

The Arctic is literally the end of the world. It takes its name from the Greek word for bear, arktos, because the land is under the constellation of the Great Bear.

The Arctic region is at the top of the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic Ocean is about 5.5 million square miles of water. The Arctic is really a giant sheet of sea ice that floats on top of the Arctic Ocean.

Image for Amber - Freezing Gold Lapbook

Amber - Freezing Gold Lapbook

In ancient times it was called the gold of the North. Amber has been called freezing gold, a window to the past, a time capsule, captured sunshine and a golden tear. It is all of these things.

Image for Carnivorous Plants Lapbook

Carnivorous Plants Lapbook

The term carnivorous plant may conjure up in your mind  a scene like this one where the unsuspecting victim in a swamp is being snatched up by a flesh-eating plant.  But carnivorous plants are a very interesting group of  plants that aren’t near as big as they are shown in this picture.

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Coral Reef Lapbook

Coral reefs swarm with brilliant colored fish, starfish, giant clams and sea slugs. They are not only beautiful to look at; but they are home to thousands of other species. Coral reefs can be large or small and are some of the oldest ecosystems on the planet.

Image for Peregrine Falcon Lapbook

Peregrine Falcon Lapbook

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the “Duck Hawk” in North America, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae.

Image for Toads - Amphibians Lapbook

Toads - Amphibians Lapbook

In many ways amphibians are unique with changes that are either rare or nonexistent elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Compared with other vertebrates, amphibians tend to be overlooked.

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Honey Bees Lapbook

Your kids will love this honey bees unit study and lapbook.

Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful

Image for Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook

Nature study in the winter can be fun and it doesn’t have to be complicated. We decided to add to our Arctic and Inuit Unit Study by doing an Arctic ground squirrel lapbook.

Ocean Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Oceans Lapbook

The oceans cover more than two-thirds of the earth’s surface. Though the waters on the earth are really one world ocean, they are referred to by many names: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.

Image for Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook

Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook

It’s such a beautiful and bright bird during winter and because it doesn’t migrate, it’s a great bird to study really at anytime.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbook Tagged With: earthscience, homeschoolscience, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, life science, physical science, science, sciencecurriculum

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

October 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love doing three different cocoa winter hands-on science activities to go with my winter season unit study.

And we’re taking one of our favorite winter treats and turning it into science.

Using a simple packet of cocoa, we’re going to do three fun winter hands on science activities that your kids will love.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

These activities will appeal to multiple senses and can be used to teach some basic science principles.

Adding a new sensory experience to some science activities that might be ordinary and basic can give them new life.

Too, it makes them interesting, stirs your child to ponder about science, and helps your child retain what he has learned in an exciting new way.

3 Fun Cocoa Science Activities for Kids

Grab some of your favorite chemistry books like Basher Chemistry to reference while exploring these cocoa winter science activities.

And learn some of the vocabulary and scientific terms that go with them.

Don’t forget to enjoy a delicious cup of cocoa with your little scientist while you have fun with these activities.

Don’t confuse it with one of science mixtures.

1. Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa Science Activity

First, begin with this hydrophobic hot cocoa activity.

You’ll need:

  • A clear container
  • Spoon
  • Hot cocoa mix
  • Water- hot and cold

Directions:

Grab a glass of cold water and a heaping tablespoon of hot cocoa powder.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Slowly lower the spoon into the glass.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Twist and move the spoon a bit.

Raise the spoon out of the glass. What happened? The liquid that was wrapped around the powder rolls right off.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Now heat up a cup of water. It doesn’t have to be boiling just nice and hot.

Stir another tablespoon of cocoa into the water and see how fast it dissolves.

What is the Science of Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa

Cocoa is a substance that is known as hydrophobic. This means that it repels water.

The fat in the cocoa makes it hydrophobic. Oil is also hydrophobic. Have you heard the old saying oil and water don’t mix? It’s true.

So why does it dissolve in hot water so much better than cold water? Simply put, hot water has more energy in it than cold water.

This means that the molecules move faster and break down the cocoa powder faster than cold water does. 

You can also try this experiment with cold and hot milk. It will work the same due to the amount of water in the milk.

2. Hot Cocoa Slime Science Activity

Second, slime is not just a fun sensory activity.

It can be used to learn some basic chemistry terms like

  • molecules
  • polymers
  • chemical reactions
  • and nonnewtonian fluid ( neither a solid or a liquid).

And slime is also calming. It helps with focus and builds fine motor skills. This slime smells amazing and is a great winter themed experiment.

You’ll need:

  • 1 packet of hot cocoa
  • 1 cup of school glue
  • 2 Tablespoons of contact solution
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Place glue, baking soda, and contact solution in a large bowl.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Stir in an entire packet of hot cocoa.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Remove from bowl and knead with your hands for a few minutes until desired texture is reached.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

What is the Science of Cocoa Slime

When you mix baking soda with contact lens solution the main ingredients polyvinyl alcohol and borate ion undergo a chemical reaction called an endothermic reaction

Together, these two ingredients create a non-Newtonian fluid which is a substance that is neither liquid nor solid.

Slime is a polymer.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

And polymers are made up of long chains of molecules.

Too, the glue contains polymers which can bend and slide past each other. This allows the slime to flow and to take the shape of the container it is in.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Last, this activity is the hot cocoa volcano.

3. Hot Cocoa Volcano Science Activity

This is a fantastic multi-sensory science experiment. It smells great and creates an exciting chemical reaction that kids love.

You can continue to add baking soda and vinegar to keep the reaction going indefinitely.

You’ll need:

  • Small plastic cup
  • 1 Tablespoon Hot Cocoa
  • 2 Tablespoons baking soda
  • Vinegar

Directions:

Mix baking soda and hot cocoa in a small cup.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Place your cup outside or on a surface that is easy to clean, this could WILL get messy.

Slowly pour vinegar into the cup and watch it bubble over.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Add more baking soda and vinegar to continue with the cocoa lava flow.

if you really want to get a bubbly foaming concoction that resembles lava add a bit of dish soap to your mixture.

What is the Science of the Hot Cocoa Volcano

Baking soda and vinegar react to neutralize each other.

Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is an alkali.

And the resulting reaction releases carbon dioxide which is the bubbles of gas that make it look like a bubbling volcano.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

More Winter Season Unit Study Resources

Then, here are some other winter unit study resources you’ll love.

  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
  • Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • 16 Ways to Make Homeschool Memorable During Winter
  • Arctic and Inuit Unit Study. Free Lapbook – Hands-On Ideas

And add my other unit study Arctic Region.

What do you think? Are you ready for a bit of winter fun and science?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, science, winter crafts, winter season

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