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handson

Fun Homeschool Science Ideas for K – 2

May 11, 2024 | 8 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I love sharing other tips and resources like homeschool science ideas for K – 2 that we used for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

I have some fun and creative ways to keep science fun.

It’s important to adopt a philosophy for how you are going to teach science, not just at this age but throughout your homeschooling journey.

Your method changes of course as your children grow, but some foundational things should never change.

Fun Homeschool Science Ideas for K - 2

For example, during the K – 2 years, I think books should be used as guides and for the littles to poke their nose in them after they have had their delight of hands-on activities.

Next, look at this list of fun things to do with your younger budding scientist.

6 Homeschool Science Ideas for K – 2

Science in the younger years shouldn’t be hard, but should be hands-on, fun, and engaging. Too, play learning is a huge part of the natural development of children at these stages. I think you’ll love using an idea or two I have here.

Image for National Geographic STEM Science Kit - 15+ Experiments, Crystal Growing, Volcano Kit, Dig Kits & Gemstones for Kids - Amazon Exclusive

National Geographic STEM Science Kit - 15+ Experiments, Crystal Growing, Volcano Kit, Dig Kits & Gemstones for Kids - Amazon Exclusive

I started putting together my science kits but have used wonderful science kits from the Young Scientists Series and Amazon Science Kits.

Sometimes, it’s just nice having the option when you have no time to have premade kits.

Image for Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)

Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)

Then, all of my boys read the Christian Liberty Nature Readers at this age.This colorful reader will introduce students to God's marvelous creation and reinforce phonics principles. Students will also learn beginning vocabulary skills as he is exposed to new words. A glossary of terms is also provided at the end.

Image for Great collection of Science Experiments for home and school.
Photo Credit: sciencebob.com

Great collection of Science Experiments for home and school.

Too, activities and books at this age do not have to be expensive either. Look at this website Science Bob, which have activities listed to do at home all laid out for you.

Image for the science box:
Photo Credit: www.agirlandagluegun.com

the science box:

I love how The Girl and a Glue Gun made her own science kits and used the Science Bob website.

Image for MATH/SCIENCE NUCLEUS
Photo Credit: www.msnucleus.org

MATH/SCIENCE NUCLEUS

Then also look at Msnucleus website because it has free workbooks to download along with activities listed on the site too. Nice!

Image for The Magic School Bus - Chemistry Lab

The Magic School Bus - Chemistry Lab

Great hands on learning and educational science STEM kit for boys and girls which encourages STEM learning for ages 5+.

I loved this series because they spanned a few grades and I could get my money's worth out of these activities.

More Homeschool Science Ideas for K – 2

Look at these other ideas:

  • Check out a hands-on museum.
  • Check out science picture books at the library.
  • Check out your library to see if they loan out educational toys and things like microscopes. Our library back home had all kinds of neat things to rent.
  • Check out science videos/dvds/ at the library. They may be older but still good.
  • Check out the free science coloring pages too .

Science at this age is all about examining a tree, looking under a log, investigating a pond, start a birding journal, growing a bean, going on nature walks, going to the zoo, setting up an aquarium and instead of planting a whole garden, which sounded like too much energy when I was sleep deprived, we grew a few veggies in a pot on the back porch.

Homeschool Science Ideas for K - 2

It had just the same ewwww and awwww factor as a garden when we grew tomatoes and a few other veggies in a pot.

Science at this age doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to consume their interests and stir their sense of wonder.

More Homeschool Science Ideas for K – 2

  • Homeschool Science Ideas for K – 2
  • 18 Kindergarten Science Homeschool Curriculum For Active Kids
  • Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments
  • Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study
  • 10 Favorite Science Movies and Documentaries for Homeschooled Kids
  • 18 Amazing Kids Subscription Boxes to Try Right Now
  • 10 Fun Amazon Prime Movies for the Youngest Homeschoolers
Homeschool Science Ideas for K - 2
Homeschool Science Ideas for K - 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

8 CommentsFiled Under: Science Tagged With: elementary, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, kindergarten, life science, science, sciencecurriculum

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

May 10, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re making a fun periodic table notes game with kids using a seemingly simple office supply in a great new way-sticky notes. Also, look at my post Homeschool High School Chemistry & Free Reference Sheet and Resources for more ideas.

If you are like me, you’re always trying to find fun ways to turn learning into a game.

Besides, your kids will have great memories of being piled on the couch, or around the kitchen table playing rather than hunched over textbooks.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

We are going to take sticky notes and make a fun game that can be played over and over in a few different ways to help your children learn the periodic table.

Do you remember the Jeopardy game board we made from sticky notes?

I just flipped it over to the other side and boom we have a double duty game.

And if you keep it very neutral, you’ll be able to use this for Bingo as well as Jeopardy for any topic you like.

First, look at some of these living books about chemistry for kids.

Living Books About Chemistry for Kids

12 Chemistry Books & Resources for Kids of All Ages

But first here are some resources that are a great introduction and more to chemistry for kids.

Image for Superstars of Science

Superstars of Science

Discover fun facts about the greatest scientists from history through Basher's fresh and unique illustration style.

Did you know that Marie Curie used to keep radioactive materials in her pockets? Or that Mendeleyev literally dreamed up his famous periodic table? Superstars of Science tells the stories behind the big ideas in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, cosmology, earth sciences, and engineering. Read about 40 great scientists including Newton and Einstein who produced theories that explained the way in which the Universe works, Crick and Watson who uncovered the structure of DNA, and Alexander Graham Bell who had the big idea that became the telephone. Each one of these greats of science has had some vital flash of insight that has changed the way we see the world and the way we live. Come meet the superstars of science!

Image for Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction

Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction

Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. Chemistry is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.

Image for Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry from Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission

Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry from Ancient Alchemy to Nuclear Fission

This book is a classic in the field of popular science. Standard reading since the 1930s, it is one of the few histories of chemistry to concentrate on the lives of the great chemists. Through these dramatic and human stories, it gives an authoritative and entertaining account of the great discoveries and advances in this scientific field. After many printings in three previous editions, this book has been newly revised by the author for this fourth edition. Beginning with Trevisan and his lifelong search for the "philosopher's stone," the author narrates the lives and discoveries of such towering figures as Paracelsus and his chemical treatment of disease; Priestley looking for phlogiston and finding oxygen and carbon dioxide, Lavoisier creating a new language of chemistry; Dalton and his Atomic Theory; Avogadro and the idea of molecules, Mendeleeff arranging the table of elements under his Periodic Law; the Curies isolating radium; Thomson discovering the electron; Moseley and his Law of Atomic Numbers; Lawrence and the construction of the cyclotron; and more. Probably the most dramatic chapter in the book, the account of the development of nuclear fission, ends the story of chemistry at its most monumental achievement.

Image for The Chemistry of Cola

The Chemistry of Cola

You’ll be amazed at all you can learn from this favorite drink – what’s in it, why it fizzes, what you can do with it, the containers it’s in, and more!

Image for Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.

Image for 52 Extreme Kids Chemistry Experiments Set - STEM Activities & Science Kits

52 Extreme Kids Chemistry Experiments Set - STEM Activities & Science Kits

If you want your child to be able to explore and complete some simple chemistry experiments without running around grabbing all the items an all in on kit is just the thing to add to your chemistry studies.

Image for The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.

Image for Chemistry Fluxx Card Game - Science Games Card Games for Kids

Chemistry Fluxx Card Game - Science Games Card Games for Kids

 Chemistry EditionChemistry Fluxx is the perfect compound of chance, skill and strategy-use atoms and laboratory tools to match the current goal of the game and win! The rules are always changing in Fluxx. The Keepers, Goals, Rules and Action cards determine how the game will be played.

Image for Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science)

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science)

For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work:

  • Purify alcohol by distillation
  • Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis
  • Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself
  • Analyze the makeup of seawater, bone, and other common substances
  • Synthesize oil of wintergreen from aspirin and rayon fiber from paper
  • Perform forensics tests for fingerprints, blood, drugs, and poisons
  • and much more
Image for The Joy of Chemistry: The Amazing Science of Familiar Things

The Joy of Chemistry: The Amazing Science of Familiar Things

Written for lay readers, provides an introduction to the principles of chemistry and includes quotations from popular literature to show how chemistry and everyday life intertwine.

Image for The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry (Cartoon Guide Series)

The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry (Cartoon Guide Series)

If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy.

You don't need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all: the history and basics of chemistry, atomic theory, combustion, solubility, reaction stoichiometry, the mole, entropy, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Chemistry will never be the same!

Image for Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned ... But Probably Didn't!

Air Is Not Oxygen: Essential Science You Should Have Learned ... But Probably Didn't!

AIR IS NOT OXYGEN is a fun way to brush up on essential science concepts you missed in school. (Admit it. You probably thought you had better things to do than study!) Clear, short chapters focus on mastering key concepts instead of memorizing facts. Dozens of optional hands-on activities make science come alive! In a style described as “Dave Barry meets Bill Nye with a touch of the Mythbusters,” award-winning author, Bill Morelan, debunks common misconceptions about basic science. Reflecting both the National Science Content Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN covers Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Science Methods.A fun, informative read, AIR IS NOT OXYGEN helps fill the gaps in your science education. (Never be humiliated by science geeks again!) Perfect for sharing, or as a handy basic reference tool. Makes a great book for kids, too.

Next, look at some facts about chemistry.

Periodic Table Notes Groups and Facts

There are 118 elements on the periodic table listed by symbols rather than names. Sodium for example is NA. Elements are further arranged vertically and horizontally.

The elements arranged vertically in columns are called “groups,” and elements arranged horizontally in rows are called “periods.”

There are 18 groups and 7 periods. Finally, they are arranged in the increasing order of atomic numbers. 

We are focusing on the main 8 families of elements.

  1. Alkali metals
  2. Alkaline earth metals
  3. Rare earth metals
  4. Crystallogens.
  5. Pnictogens
  6. Chalcogens
  7. Halogens
  8. Noble gasses
How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

Too, look at these hands-on chemistry activities.

11 More Fun Ways to Teach The Periodic Table

  1. Another really great game variation is this Periodic Table Game for Kids: Periodic Table Battleship.
  2. Use fun and colorful books especially for upper elementary through middle school to catch their attention and make learning a breeze like this Basher Science Periodic Table.
  3. Easy Hands-On Science: Label the Atom Playdough Activity
  4. Combine art and science in this incredible The Periodic Table: Fun Activities For Kids From You Are an Artist.
  5. 10 Popular High School Chemistry Homeschool Curriculum
  6. These Periodic Table Flashcards are free from Thrifty Homeschoolers and make a great tool for visual learners.
  7. Learn The Periodic Table Song | SCIENCE SONGS for kids that are auditory learners.
  8. Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History – Fun Hands-On Activity
  9. Atomidoodle Chemistry Game App
  10. 21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids
  11. 2 Fun Chemistry for Kids Experiments & John Dalton Notebooking Pages
How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

A variation on the periodic table notes game is below.

So, call out a material. Then have your child cover the symbol that the item is made from.

For example: table salt would be an example of sodium (Na). Gold bricks would be gold (Au).

Finding 18 different colored sticky notes for the game is going to be difficult and can get rather expensive.

So, in the interest of time and money we are going to use the older version of the periodic table of 8 to make our game.

Before you play your game let your child become familiar with the periodic table by looking it up in a fun reference book and typing out each element and the symbol on the computer (you can use this later for the game.

Periodic Table Notes Game

You will need:

  • 8 colors of sticky notes
  • Permanent Marker
  • A list of 118 elements & symbols
  • Large ruler
  • White pen or crayon
  • Marker to cover, crackers, cookies, plastic lids etc..
  • A bowl or other container
How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

It can be a little tricky finding many distinct colors of sticky notes, ours were a combination of Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Amazon. 

You could also just use construction paper cut into 3×3 squares or you can not worry about assigning each type its own color and just use a few fun colors.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

First, start by finding the center of your board and draw a line across the middle to divide the board in half for each of your two players.

Find the center of the board at either end and make a small mark using a ruler to create a 4×4 grid of 16 squares.

Make them just slightly larger than 3 in square so that your posted notes will fit inside.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

Once you’ve written or printed out each of the elements and the symbol to draw from, cut them out, fold or crumple them, and place them into a bowl or other container.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

Use a book or some other periodic table for reference and determine which color of sticky notes will go for which elements if you’re going to divide them up by color.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

Have your child write the element symbol for each of the 118 elements on the sticky notes or just for the section of the periodic table that you’re working on.

How to Make a Bingo Periodic Table Game

Once done they can choose their 16 elements and place them on to the “Bingo” board.

Pull elements out of the bowl one by one calling out the name of the element and have your child find the symbol on their bingo board and cover it with whatever marker they’ve chosen.

 I highly recommend crackers or cookies to combine snack time with science.

When they have 4 in a row in any direction of course they call out “BINGO!”.

And the game can be started new again. Just move the sticky notes around and use new ones.

How To Make A Fun Periodic Table Notes Game With Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: chemistry, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, periodic table of elements, science

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

May 2, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Renaissance inventors changed the world with its forward thinking and science and art were very much intertwined at this time. Also, look at my unit study and lapbook Renaissance 1300 to 1600.

Leonardo Da Vinci was an amazing artist.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

However, he also dabbled in architecture, anatomical studies, cartography, civil engineering, chemistry, geology, geometry, hydrodynamics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, optics, physics, pyrotechnics, and zoology.

The Renaissance is credited as being the bridge between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.

Next, look at this list of living books about Leonardo Da Vinci.

Leonardo Da Vinci Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Add a few of these books to your library about Leonardo Da Vinci and his fascinating life.

Image for Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson “deftly reveals an intimate Leonardo” (San Francisco Chronicle) in a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.

Image for Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime. They remained sketches in his famous notebooks. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions. You Can Build Yourself shows you how to bring these ideas to life using common household supplies. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies and trivia about the real-life models for each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look into the amazing mind of one the world’s greatest inventors.

Image for Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo's inventions went way beyond art. Fascinating picture book.

Image for The Art of Leonardo Da Vinci

The Art of Leonardo Da Vinci

The Art of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Image for Leonardo's Horse

Leonardo's Horse

"Filled with engaging details of Leonardo and his world. . . . Illustrations which range from utterly recognizable scenes of Florence to the ghostly horses at Leonardo's deathbed. . . . An unusual biography for young people, and one well worth poring over . . . . A unique way of picturing a unique world . . . . An extraordinary tribute."

Image for Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?

Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters.  Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to.  Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left were thousands of disorganized notebook pages.  Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating
time—Italy during the Renaissance.

Image for The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids

The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids

In The Renaissance Inventors with History Projects for Kids, readers 10 through 15 explore the period of European history from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries while focusing on the biographies of five inventors from that time and the creations they brought to the world. The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Leon Battista Alberti, Johannes Gutenberg, and Gerardus Mercator are brought to life as kids discover the challenges these men faced and the discoveries they made using their critical and creative thinking skills combined with their passion for science and engineering.

Imagine a world without inventors and scientists. How would people understand the environment around them? What new technologies would improve people's lives? During the Renaissance, inventors and other creative thinkers designed and constructed many new things, including a more accurate map that showed the spherical Earth on a flat paper, a printing press that brought books beyond just the realm of the rich, and a machine that measured the speed of the wind. In The Renaissance Inventors, readers learn about what it is to be an inventor, both now and in the past. They also discover how brainstorming and tinkering with everyday materials can lead to the development of great problem-solving skills, not to mention the creation of new inventions.

With 10 hands-on projects that use the engineer design process, kids create their own versions of many amazing inventions from the Renaissance. Activities such as making a parachute and creating a globe from an orange let middle schoolers stretch their inventive wings and learn what it’s like to be an inventor. Fun facts, primary source illustrations, fun STEAM activities, and links to online resources all spark an interest in the Renaissance. Even without a time machine, learners can experience the Renaissance!

The Renaissance Inventors is one of a set of four books in the Renaissance for Kids series. Books in the Renaissance for Kids series invite readers ages 10 to 15 to learn about the inventors, artists, explorers, philosophers, scientists, and politicians who lived in Europe and around the world during the Renaissance and who made contributions to the wealth of human knowledge and experience that have lasted far into the future. Primary sources, color photography, relevant quotes, and hands-on STEAM activities that promote the scientific method or engineering design process keep even the most curious kids satisfied! Titles in this series include The Renaissance Thinkers: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Artists: With History Projects for Kids; and The Renaissance Explorers: With History Projects for Kids.

Image for Leonardo da Vinci: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House

Leonardo da Vinci: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #10: Monday with a Mad Genius, they had lots of questions. Why was Leonardo da Vinci interested in flight? What are some of his most famous painting? Did he really keep noteboooks just like Jack? What do scientists today think of his ideas? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.

Let’s learn about some of these incredible Renaissance Inventors, what they made that changed the world.

And even make our own hands-on version of the submarine to incorporate some of our own science.

Renaissance Inventors

  • 1284- Eyeglasses were invented by Salvino D’Armate and were made of glass or crystal with a metal handle to hold them up to the eyes.
  • 1440- At this time, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press which is commonly believed to be the most important invention of the world because it gave us the ability to distribute information faster to a larger audience.
  • 1515– While not the inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, is credited with sketching a primitive submarine. Ironically, Leonardo did not reveal his idea for a submarine “because of the evil nature of men who practice assassination at the bottom of the sea.” It would become developed later by Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel.
  • 1608- The telescope was developed and patented by Hans Lippershey and gave us the ability to make very distant things seem closer.
  • 1656- With the use of the pendulum, Galileo Galilei’s invention in 1581. Mechanical clocks were greatly improved upon by increasing their accuracy and were created by Pope Sylvester II, known as Gerbert.

Additionally, look at these hands-on activities for learning about the Renaissance.

Hands-on Renaissance Inventors Middle Ages Activities for Kids

  • STEM: Build a Da Vinci Parachute Activity
  • Middle Ages History: Make a Coat of Arms Activity
  • Medieval Chemistry and Homeschool History: Fun Hands-On Activity
  • Kids Free Glass Blowing Lapbook on The History Of Glass Blowing
  • Fun Dragon Unit Study Ideas and Salt Dough Dragon Craft
  • The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft
  • The Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci

In addition, look at some facts about submarines.

How Does The Submarine Craft Work

A submarine or boat floats when the mass of water that it displaces is equal to the mass of the boat.

This displaced water causes an upward force called buoyancy. Buoyancy works in the opposite direction of gravity, allowing objects to float above.

While a sailboat cannot control its buoyancy, submarines are designed so that they can.

Submarines have ballast tanks that can be filled with water to make them more dense so that they can go down below the water or they can be filled with air that pushes all the water out and makes them buoyant again. Real submarines carry compressed air tanks on board to do this.

Our bottle works in much the same way, the bottle would actually be the ballast itself.

As the bottle submarine is filled with air it is buoyant and rests on the top of the water.

When you gently squeeze to fill the bottle with water it becomes more dense than the water surrounding it and is pulled down by gravitational forces.

When your straw submarine is in the water it is buoyant, the buoyant force competes against the gravitational pull that is pulling the straw down and the difference between the two forces decides how buoyant the submarine is, more water makes it more dense, more air increases its buoyancy.

Simply put- When you allow it to fill with water it sinks, as you blow the water out and fill it with air, it rises.

  • Displace-Pushes out of the way.
  • Buoyancy-The ability to float in water or air or some other fluid.
  • Ballast-a heavy substance placed in such a way as to improve stability and control.
Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Finally, how to make a fascinating Da Vinci submarine craft.

How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

You will need:

  • An empty water bottle
  • Bendy straw
  • Coins
  • Clay
  • Rubber bands
  • Large shallow container
  • Water
  • Sharp blade
Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

First, use a sharp blade or the tip of a pen if the lid is soft enough and poke a hole just large enough for the straw to fit in.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Slide the short end of the bendy straw into the hole and press clay around it to seal it well.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Use a permanent marker to note three spots about 2” apart on one side of the bottle.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Then use a razor knife to cut out holes on these spots.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Make two stacks of quarters, a pile of 4 and a pile of 2. Tape each stack together. We are going to use these to give our submarine a bit of weight, like a ballast.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

In between the holes you secure the quarters to the bottle with a rubber band, placing the larger stack nearer to the bottom of the bottle. Be sure not to cover the holes.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Now for the fun! Place your submarine into a large container of water, hole side down and allow it to fill with water until it sinks, but keep the straw above water.

What do you notice? The heavier end sinks, the end nearest to the straw with only air remains floating.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Blow into the straw to expel the water from the bottle and observe what happens now. The bottle, rather the submarine, rises.

Renaissance Inventors: How To Make A Fascinating Da Vinci Submarine Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: da Vinci, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, inventors, Leonardo Da Vinci, renaissance

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

May 1, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a 4-week summer unit study because learning doesn’t have to stop while you enjoy the change in weather. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more fun unit studies.

Today, summer is about relaxation and travel.

Also, I have some fun facts about starfish and how to make this adorable starfish craft.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Besides, in some places where the temperature doesn’t soar too much you can get outside and explore the great outdoors.

From geography to oceans to the history of summer and the flora and fauna, a summer unit study is a great way to involve all ages.

Too, many educators talk about the summer slide but when you homeschool summer is just another season of fun learning.

Also, if you’re looking for more ideas or ways to summer learning, look at my post A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas.

And if you’re new to homeschooling, look at How to Use Summertime to Put a Foot in Homeschooling and 7 Advantages to Starting Your Homeschool Year in the Summer to get your year off to a great start.

SUMMER BOOKS FOR KIDS

First, look at some of these books to add to your home library.

Additionally, I prefer living books when I can find them and then add reference books.

13 Books About Summer to Read to Kids and For Kids to Read

Grab some of these fun books about summer to add to a summer unit study or to learn about the change in the season.

Image for Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic

Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic

In a companion volume to Autumn: an Alphabet Acrostic and Spring: an Alphabet Acrostic, sandy beaches, juicy watermelons, and porch swings are just a few of the warm-weather delights featured in acrostic poems about summer.

Image for The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World

Are trees social beings? In The Hidden Life of Trees forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration that he has observed in his woodland.

Image for A Frog in the Bog

A Frog in the Bog

There’s a small green frog on a half-sunk log in the middle of the bog. He eats one tick, two fleas, three flies, four slugs, and five snails. And the frog gets a whole lot bigger. Then a hungry gator shows up, ready to eat the big fat frog. The frog opens his mouth wide to scream and out comes everything he’s eaten! And the frog gets a whole lot smaller.

Image for The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

It's not easy to teach a cat to read, but one boy tries to anyway in this sweet and silly picture book debut that captures the challenges and rewards of learning to read.Nick loves to read books--and he loves to play with his cats, Verne and Stevenson. So naturally Nick decides it's a great idea to teach his cats to read.

Image for And Then Comes Summer

And Then Comes Summer

When the days stretch out like a slow yawn, and the cheerful faces of Johnny-jump-ups jump up . . . then it’s time to get ready for summer! From flip-flops and hide-and-seek to fireworks and ice-cream trucks, from lemonade stands and late bedtimes to swimming in the lake and toasting marshmallows, there’s something for everyone in this bright and buoyant celebration of the sunny season.

Image for The Lorax (Classic Seuss)

The Lorax (Classic Seuss)

Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to treat the planet with kindness and stand up and speak up for others. Experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. 

Image for Summer Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Summer Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

It was such a hot summer. The sky was deep blue and the sun never faltered. All along Brambly Hedge, the mice did their best to keep cool. Poppy Eyebright sought refuge in the mossy shadows of the mill wheel; Dusty Dogwood took to walking by the banks of the cooling stream. Dusty and Poppy spent more and more time together, so no one was at all surprised when they announced their engagement. They decided on a very unusual setting for the wedding ceremony, but even they didn't realise just how unusual it was prove to be!Also look out for Spring Story, Autumn Story and Winter Story!

Image for The Raft

The Raft

Nicky is convinced that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods is going to be the worst summer ever. She cooks food that he doesn’t like, there’s an art studio where her living room should be, and he’s expected to do chores—including fishing, the most boring chore ever.

But one afternoon, while Nicky is trying to catch their dinner, a raft drifts down the river towards him. The raft has a calming magic about it, affecting both Nicky and the wildlife of the river and woods. Through the raft and the adventures it brings him on, Nicky finds new common ground with his grandmother, a fellow river rat, who encourages him to explore his newfound talent for art.

Image for Summertime in the Big Woods (Little House Picture Book)

Summertime in the Big Woods (Little House Picture Book)

The winter is finally over, and now it is summertime. Laura and Mary are busy all day helping Ma in the garden and playing outside.

Image for We Were Tired of Living in a House: 55th Anniversary Edition

We Were Tired of Living in a House: 55th Anniversary Edition

"We were tired of living in a house.

So we packed a bag with

sweaters and socks and scarves

and mittens and woolen caps.

And we moved to a tree...."

So begins this whimsical tale of four small children, a dog and a cat who decided they were tired of living in a house. They try a tree, a pond, a cave and the seashore, but in each place something unusual happens to make them move on to the next place-and finally home.

Image for Blueberries for Sal

Blueberries for Sal

Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.  Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948."The adventures of a little girl and a baby bear while hunting for blueberries with their mothers one bright summer day. All the color and flavor of the sea and pine-covered Maine countryside.

Image for Over and Under the Canyon

Over and Under the Canyon

Over and Under the Canyon takes young readers on a thrilling tour of a desert canyon ecosystem. Over the canyon, the sun scalds the air, baking desert mud to stone. But under the shade of the cliffs hides another world, where bighorn sheep bound from rock to rock on the hillside, roadrunners make their nests in sturdy cacti, and banded geckos tuck themselves into the shelter of the sand. Discover the wonders concealed in the curves of the canyon, the magic of a desert wildflower bloom, and all the unexpected creatures that bring the desert to life.DISCOVER AMAZING ANIMALS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals living in it—and the desert is FULL of amazing and surprising animals!

Image for Over and Under the Waves

Over and Under the Waves

Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal return in this latest addition to the Over and Under picture book series, this time exploring the rich, interconnected ecosystem of the ocean!Over the waves, the sea lions bark and seagulls wheel and call. The bay is smooth and bright in the sun. But under the waves, there's a whole hidden forest, full of whales and wolf eels, sardines and sea bass, leopard sharks and luminous jellies, as well as the waving kelp that shelters them all. Discover the magical depths of the kelp forest, and all the fascinating creatures living just a paddle's length away—over and under the waves.SO MANY FASCINATING FACTS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals and plants living in it—and the ocean is FULL of amazing and surprising life!ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MADE WONDERFUL: Preservation of our wilderness—and of our oceans in particular—is essential, and this book makes such a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems.

Next, look at ideas for how to add each subject to this summer unit study.

Keep in mind that not all school subjects may fit naturally into a unit study. Don’t force a fit with a subject.

However, it is a chance to tie concepts in and fit as many ideas as you can in a fun way.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY SUMMER UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1

For example, talk about the early origins of summer.

Summertime has been a time of focus on agriculture for thousands of years.

Besides, the Mesopotamians and Egyptians relied on the sun to grow crops.

In addition, other countries celebrate summer through festivals. Like the Swedes during the Middle Ages.

They began raising midsummer poles decorated with flowers and danced around it.

Research about how different countries celebrated the beginning of summer.

Ancient countries like Rome and Celts celebrated the day to honor the sun for a good harvest.

Then here are some history topics/ideas to learn about.

  • summer festivals
  • countries to visit during the summer
  • Titanic
  • create a summer geography travel journal
  • history of baseball
  • history of lighthouses and why they were needed
  • history of solstice

Here are some posts with hands-on ideas.

  • How to Make Celtic Cakes -Recipe for Hands-on History
  • 5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

In addition, the idea of a summer vacation is a relatively new concept in the 19th century.

A summer break allowed children to help with farming during the busy summer months.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

As you can see public school then built their schedule or school year around the harvest time.

Because of that public schools started in the fall to allow the children to help their parents in the field.

NATURE & SCIENCE SUMMER UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2

Additionally, the topic summer study makes for a heavy on the nature and science topics.

Next, here are some nature/science topics/ideas to learn about.

  • camping
  • nature study
  • seeds
  • berries
  • ice cream
  • tadpoles to frog and toads to amphibians
  • study animals found on an island
  • coral reefs
  • weather patterns
  • gardening
  • seashores, oceans, marine animals and ponds
  • tide pools
  • watermelon
  • butterflies
  • dandelions
  • farming
  • summer sensory bins
  • organize cooking classes

Then, look at some of these hands-on ideas to teach about the topics above.

  • 5 Tide Pool Facts and Create An Edible Tide Pool Diorama Ideas
  • Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial
  • Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity
  • Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • How to Create Homeschool Farming Curriculum and Adorable Clothespin Sheep Craft
  • 10 Edible Beach Crafts For Teens and Make Edible Beach Glass
  • How to Make Fluffy Lemonade Summer Slime With Kids
  • 5 Facts About Ice Cream | How to Make Ice Cream In A Bag Science
  • Exciting Summer Learning Activities for Elementary Students Who Love Hands-On
  • Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play
  • Coral Reef Unit Study and Lapbook
  • The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef
  • Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity
  • How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Cutest Ever Egg Carton Sea Turtle Craft and Learning Activities for Kids
  • How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning
  • How to Make Fun Watermelon Seed Slime For Summer Learning
  • How to Make a Strawberry Lemonade Summer Sensory Bin
  • Explore the Outdoors: Top Summer Ideas and Free Scavenger Hunt
  • Learning Through Art: The Life Cycle Of A Sea Star Stages & Survival
Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft
  • Weather In A Bottle | How To Make An Amazing Tornado In A Jar. 
  • 5 Simple Wind Energy Activities For Kids & Fun DIY Anemometer.
  • Hands-on Weather Activities for Kids and Awesome Weather Sensory Tray 
  • How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids
  • Seed and Gardening Unit Study 
  • Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost

MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS SUMMER UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3

In addition, there are some fun hands-on ideas to add for fun math and language arts summer unit study ideas.

  • track daily temperatures during the summer. Older kids can create line graphs
  • look for geometry in nature and patterns in nature
  • Use Swiss Family Robinson book to do a whole unit study about living on an island Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.
  • Read The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals – and Other Forgotten Skills.
  • younger children can keep an easy weather journal
  • use summer themed counters like mini starfish, ocean animals or seashells
  • keep a nature journal
  • do storytelling by creating art on stones
  • have older children choose a country and focus on learning its summer celebrations.
  • do a math scavenger hunt
  • create a summer reading challenge
  • 20 Fun Summer Learning Activities And Make A Rock Sundial
  • Fun Felt Weather Chart & Free The Magic School Bus Kicks Up A Storm Worksheet
  • 20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors
  • How to Make a Cool Fibonacci Lemonade and 8 Things to Learn about Fibonacci
  • Free Weather Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning

ELECTIVES & CRAFTS FOR A SUMMER UNIT STUDY WEEK 4

Finally, summer is the perfect time to pursue electives or crafts that we just couldn’t squeeze into our regular schedule.

Too, look at some of these ideas.

  • 30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids
  • Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 20 Fun Summer Ideas for a Teen
  • Homeschooling Through the Summer with My Highschooler
  • 25 Summer Homeschool Ideas To Keep The Learning Spark Alive
  • How to Make an Ocean-Inspired Sea Shell Necklace | 8 Summer Beach Crafts
  • Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft
  • Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft For Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells
  • Summer Wood Crafts: How to Make a Teen Bikini Box
Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Finally, look at some fun starfish facts and how to make this giant starfish.

7 STARFISH FACTS

  1. Starfish are predators and eat a variety of animals, including mollusks, crustaceans, and worms.
  2. Starfish are not actually fish! They are echinoderms, which are a group of marine animals that also include sea urchins and sand dollars.
  3. Starfish have five arms, but some species can have up to 40 arms!
  4. Starfish have a water vascular system that helps them move around and capture prey.
  5. Starfish can regenerate their arms if they are lost or damaged.
  6. Starfish have tiny tube feet on the underside of their arms that help them grip surfaces and move around.
  7. Starfish can change their color to camouflage themselves with their surroundings.

GIANT PAPER MACHE STARFISH

Now, look at how to make this giant fun starfish. Most starfish have 5 legs.

But they can have anywhere from 5 to 40 legs, and we had so much fun creating the armature of the legs we ended up with a 6 legger.

You will need:

  • Roll of toilet paper
  • Aluminum foil
  • Duct tape
  • Water
  • School glue
  • Craft paints
  • Paintbrush
Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

First, use aluminum foil to create the body and arms of the starfish.

Next, make it any size you would like, squeeze it together tightly.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Then, connect each leg to the body with duct tape. Set aside while you work on the paper mache pulp.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Shred most of the roll of toilet paper into small pieces, put into a saucepan.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Add just enough water to cover the paper.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Bring to a boil and stir.

STARFISH CRAFT FOR KIDS

Turn off heat and use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to puree the mixture.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Allow to soak for a couple of hours.

Place mixture in a strainer and let it drip until a good portion of the moisture has drained off, 15-20 minutes.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Give it a few squeezes to help remove more excess water.

Put pulp back into the pan and add half a bottle of white school glue, mix well.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Add a couple teaspoons of table salt.

Paper mache pulp takes a while to dry and if it takes too long to dry it might mold. Adding salt to the mixture helps keep away mold and mildew.

Lay your starfish base on a silicone mat, alternatively you could use another piece of aluminum foil.

Begin pressing paper mache pulp onto the structure, squeezing to form it to the body and legs of the starfish.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Continue until it is covered in a ¼ thick layer on both sides.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Leave it to dry for 2-3 days until completely dried out.

Paint in the style of any starfish you like.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

We went with the coloring of a Cushion Sea Star.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Paint the underside as well

Let the paint dry.

Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft

Last, add any more details you would like to the top or underside with a small brush or a paint pen.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, starfish, summer, summer crafts, summerideas, summerschool

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

April 30, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this fun (and delicious) hands on Japan activity for older kids. Also, look at more ideas on my page Medieval Japan Unit Study and Lapbook 1185 – 1600 A.D.

I have two simple sushi recipes for you today using just a little variation on ingredients.

It can be hard to find cool hands-on ideas for older kids.

One of my standby ideas, especially when studying other countries, is cooking.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Since Sushi is such a huge part of the way of life in Japan, I thought it would make a perfect activity for our study.

Our favorite sushi rolls are California roll and the vegetarian sweet potato roll so that is what I wanted to share.

They are also very simple, which makes them great for beginners, be they older or younger kids so everyone in the family can join in.

Sushi is vinegared rice topped with other ingredients and there are several ways to prepare it.

Maki Rolls are rice, veggies, and fish rolled up in seaweed and is what most people think of when they think of sushi.

Japan is rich in culture, art, contributions, history, and complex traditions.

Books About Japan For Kids

11 Books and Resources for Studying About Japan

You'll love these resources and books for studying about Japan. Add them to my Medieval Japan Unit Study or just fun for the day.

Image for Samurai: An Illustrated History

Samurai: An Illustrated History

This Japanese history book traces the story of a unique historical phenomenon: a period of 700 years--equivalent to the entire stretch of Western history between the reigns of the Crusader king Richard the Lionhearted and of Queen Victoria at the height of the British Empire--during which an enclosed civilization was dominated by a single warrior caste.

The historical narrative of samurai history is supported by explanations of samurai armor, weapons, fortifications, tactics, and customs, and illustrated with nearly 800 fascinating color photographs, maps, and sketches, including ancient scroll paintings and surviving suits of armor preserved for centuries in Japanese shrines.

Image for Samurai Arms, Armour & the Tactics of Warfare

Samurai Arms, Armour & the Tactics of Warfare

Part of the acclaimed Book of Samurai series, which presents for the first time the translated scrolls of the historical Natori-Ry samurai school of war, this volume offers an exceptional insight into the weaponry and armour of the samurai era, as well as tactical advice for use on and off the battlefield.

Image for Life in Old Japan Coloring Book

Life in Old Japan Coloring Book

More than 40 handsome, ready-to-color illustrations depict samurai warriors, the imperial villa at Kyoto, a Shinto shrine, a tea ceremony, a Noh play, a typical city street, a restaurant, music makers, more. Introduction and detailed captions describe Japanese culture and provide detailed information on art, government, costume, and daily life.

Image for Japanese Picture Dictionary Coloring Book: Over 1500 Japanese Words and Phrases for Creative & Visual Learners of All Ages

Japanese Picture Dictionary Coloring Book: Over 1500 Japanese Words and Phrases for Creative & Visual Learners of All Ages

Learning a new language is a new way of meeting new people, opening doors in your professional career and attracting fresh opportunities when traveling around the world, as you may know. The great thing is - whether you want to learn Japanese to visit Japan’s precious historic landmarks, watch anime and movies or simply meet wonderful Japanese people - we’ve got you covered!

Image for All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids

All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids

A cultural adventure for kids, All About Japan offers a journey to a new place--and ways to bring it to life! Dive into stories, play some games from Japan, and learn some Japanese songs.

Image for The Inch-High Samurai

The Inch-High Samurai

The brave little boy who sailed to the Capital in a teacup and fought a demon with a needle to win the love of a Lady is a Japanese cousin to Tom Thumb.

Image for The Crane Girl

The Crane Girl

In this magical retelling of a Japanese folktale, a mysterious girl weaves silk to help repay the kindness of a boy and his father until the father's greed finally exposes her secret.

While gathering firewood, Yasuhiro comes upon an injured crane hidden in the snow. He rescues and comforts the bird, then watches as it flies away over the wintry hills.

The next night, a mysterious young girl arrives at Yasuhiro's home seeking shelter from the cold. The boy and his father welcome the girl, named Hiroko, to stay with them. When Hiroko notices that Yasuhiro's father is struggling to earn money, she offers to weave silk for him to sell. After the fabric fetches a good price, the boy's father becomes impatient for more silk, and his greed has a life-changing effect on them all.

Lyrical storytelling deftly interwoven with original haiku create a magical adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale--an inspirational story of friendship and the power of kindness to transform lives.

Image for Commodore Perry the Opening of Japan (Landmark Series, #56)

Commodore Perry the Opening of Japan (Landmark Series, #56)

For more than 200 years Japan had isolated herself from the world - now Commodore Perry, representing the US government had arrived on the shore of Japan. Perry's mission was to open a door into Japan so US ships might stop for fuel & water on their route to China.

Image for 3D Puzzle Wooden Craft Kits DIY Model Building Kit

3D Puzzle Wooden Craft Kits DIY Model Building Kit

This 3D wooden Puzzle is the oldest tower in Japan and one of the iconic buildings, ancient and elegant.

Image for Japan Tokyo Skyline Famous Architecture Model Block Set

Japan Tokyo Skyline Famous Architecture Model Block Set

The iconic landmark you love,Build this detailed Japan skyline model!Features an elaborate façade with Tokyo Tower,Tokyo SKYTREE, Mount Fuji,Sensoji Temple,Osaka Castle and more.

Image for Japanese Flower Pavilion Cherry Blossom Bonsai Tree Bricks Kit

Japanese Flower Pavilion Cherry Blossom Bonsai Tree Bricks Kit

Japan Sakura Tree House Building Set consists of 1810pcs + mini-blocks. It includes detailed step-by-step color instructions, and exquisite details of various sizes and color componentsand.

Whether you are studying Ancient or more modern Japan, homemade sushi fits perfectly as it is strongly associated with Japanese Culture.

Originally, around the Yayoi period (early Neolithic–early Iron Age 300 BC) the earliest form of sushi, today referred to as narezushi, was fish fermented with vinegar, salt and rice.

Then the rice was discarded. 

People began to eat the rice as well as the fish during the Muromachi period (1336–1573).

In addition to sushi making, you can find other hands on resources.

For example, a books, games, and crafts to add to your Japan Unit.

Enjoy your journey to “The Land of The Rising Sun” and  linger as long as you like, no passport or return date needed.

While not entirely authentic this is close to the real thing with just a few modifications to make it a little simpler for first timers.

But before we begin the sushi tutorial let me show you a few more fun hands on resources to use for your unit.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Next, look at more hands-on ideas for kids learning about Japan.

Hands on Japan Activity Ideas

  • If you are a game loving family like we are you have to try Sushi Go!
  • Give this Ancient Japan for Kids: Fun and Simple Handwriting Activity a go to learn how to create your own ancient text.
  • LEGO is an extraordinary way to incorporate themes. Their variety is so good that you can usually find a set to fit any topic like this Bonsai Tree.
  • Check out these Origami Koi Fish for another activity to keep hands busy.
  • Celebrate Arbor Day With A Fun Flowering Cherry Tree Activity.
Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids
  • Make this super easy hand fan,. Besides being used in summer to cool down, they are a fashionable accessory. They are paired with a kimono and yukata at bon odori dances,at firework displays, and of course summer matsuri (festivals).
  • Learn Japanese by tucking these learning notes all over the house to reinforce some basic words.
  • Grab this inexpensive sushi making kit to make quick work of those rolls.
Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Finally, look how to make this simple homemade sushi.

How to Make Simple Homemade Sushi

You will need:

  • Sushi rolling mat
  • Nori (seaweed for sushi)
  • 1 cup uncooked white sushi rice
  • 2 cups of water or follow instructions on rice
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
  • 1 large, sweet potato
  • 1 avocado 
  • 1 cucumber
  • Crabmeat
  • Soy sauce
  • Finger Bowl of water
Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

First, cook rice according to package directions.

Combine rice vinegar and sugar until dissolved.

Stir the sugar and rice vinegar mixture into rice.

Slice vegetables into strips about 2” long – avocado, cucumber, and sweet potato.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Toss in oil and then bake the sweet potato strips in the oven at 350 or in the air fryer until softened.

Lay out all your ingredients including thin slices of crabmeat, rice, and vegetable strips.

Place Nori sheet on a sushi rolling mat rough side up with the lines going in the same direction as those on the mat, horizontal to you.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Cover the bottom ⅓ of the Nori with a thin layer of rice. Wet fingertips to spread the rice without it sticking to you.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Add strips of your desired fillings to the bottom half of the rice.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Grab the mat at the bottom and roll it from the bottom up, tucking veggies in as you go.

But for the right technique you do not want to roll the bamboo inside the sushi roll, just pull it along over it.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Stop ½” from the edge and run water along the exposed portion, continue rolling, the water will help seal your roll.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into ½” pieces.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

California Roll- Use crab, cucumber, and avocado.

Sweet Potato roll-Use sweet potato, cucumber and avocado.

Experiment with sauces like Yum Yum, Soy, Ponzu, Sriracha, or wasabi.

Simple Homemade Sushi: Hands on Japan Activity for Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: Ancient Japan, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, historycostumes, Medieval Japan

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