life science

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

December 8, 2022 | 1 Comment
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Growing a seed activity for kindergarten science is one of the easiest and delight science experiments with kids. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

A seed activity for kindergarten is a great way to introduce your child to life science.

For this science experiment, I wanted to keep it simple while also letting the kids fully see the seed as it sprouts.

Too, by not being hampered by soil or being tucked inside a paper towel your kids will be amazed at the growing stages.

Growing a Seed Activity For Kindergarten Science Kids Activity

For this seed experiment we are going to investigate if seeds need darkness to sprout.

Begin by explaining that seeds need the proper temperature, moisture, air, and light conditions to germinate.

But they do not require being covered in soil.

Let’s investigate if the light or dark makes a difference.

You can keep activities simple and still learn so much by investigating life around you with your child.

A Seed is Sleepy Activity

In addition, I based this experiment off the book A Seed is Sleepy.

Aa beautiful picture book that is a great science reference book for preschoolers to middle elementary students.

The illustrations are rich and the snippets of information it provides give a lot of great information for young learners.

Also, below you will see a list of some other books you can use as well

Books About Seeds for Kids Science

Even picture books can be used with older learners.

5 Fun Books About Seeds

Children of all ages love activities about seeds. Add a few of these books to your learning day or use as a unit study.

A Seed Is Sleepy: (Nature Books for Kids)

This gorgeous book from award winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston offers children a beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it perfect reading material at home or in the classroom.

Seeds Move!

Every seed, big or small, needs sunlight, water, and an uncrowded place to put down roots. But how do seeds get to the perfect place to grow?

A Seed is the Start

Meet seeds that pop, hop, creep, and explode in this vividly illustrated introduction to the simplest concepts of botany.

From Seed to Plant

With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination.

Go Seed, Grow!

Through wind, drought, fire, and water, a seed can be one of the most tenacious miracles on the planet. A seed is life, and life always finds a way. Follow how a seed magically beats the odds time and time again, to transform the world.

Then, look at more seed activities here or choose several and make it a great seed unit study.

Hands-on Seed Activities

Make Wildflower Seed Bombs to plant.
Plant a small container with one or two seeds and track the plant’s growth once it bursts out of the soil.
Learn How to Easily Make Fun Seed Tape With Kids.
Check out this tutorial on How to Make a Fun Kids Root Viewer.
Have a Green Bean Investigation.
Figure out How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO to plot it out.
Look at Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids to get some more ideas.
Buy several packages of inexpensive seeds and let your child sort, compare, and investigate them. Research the types by looking in books or online to find out what each seed will become.
Another similar experiment to this one is testing what temperature seeds like best to grow in is found at What Temperature Do Seeds Like Best and
Try out the Do Seeds Need Their Coat Experiment.

You can also use the book to investigate other types of seeds besides fruit and vegetables.

Go on a nature walk and collect pinecones, acorns, seed pods, and flowers to investigate.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Look at these other resources.

Then, look below at how to do this easy science activity.

Before you begin the experiment, have your child make a hypothesis as to what they think will happen?

Will both sprout? Which will sprout faster?

If they can, write down their answers so they have the opportunity to see their words in print.

Let your child do as much of this as possible so they have ownership in the experiment.

Help your child create a small booklet by stapling together half sheets of paper.

For example, staple down one side to bind to record the different steps in the experiment with words or just their drawings.

Explain that you want to try and keep everything the same in the experiment except for the one thing which is light and dark so that your results are accurate.

Easy Grow a Seed Activity

You will need:

Seeds (radishes are a quick sprouting seed)
2 containers
Black paper
Paper towels
Water

Directions:

Grab two of the same containers, whatever you have laying around will work, cleaned out yogurt containers, paper cups, etc.

Then, fold a paper towel so that it is small enough to fit in the bottom.

Soak the paper towel and place a few seeds on each damp paper towel in your cup.

Cover one cup completely with black construction paper.

Next, place both in a sunny window. Explain that you want to keep everything the same except for one.

Check both every 24 hours.

Usually at this time they are completely or almost dried out so you will need to rewet the paper towels. Take care not to disturb the seeds.

Here is what our experiment looked like at the start.

After 24 hours, there was really no difference yet in either cup.

At 48 hours we could see a tiny sprout bursting out of the seeds which were covered with the dark paper but nothing on the one exposed to light.

After 72 hours there is an obvious sprout from several seeds in the dark cup.

Also, at this point we noticed that one of the seeds in the cup which was covered finally started to germinate but just a tiny bit.

Look how much has happened with the covered seeds after just 3 days.

It’s clear that seeds need the darkness to sprout.

After the experiment is done you can transplant your seedlings to soil for planting in the garden once they are large enough.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

December 4, 2022 | 1 Comment
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Today is Wildlife Conversation Day. And we’re learning about wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest. Be sure you grab my Amazon Rainforest unit study and free lapbooks.

Two of the most easily identifiable birds are the parrot and the toucan.

Both birds are bright with distinctive colors.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

This easy paper plate craft is a great early elementary activity to go along with your rainforest unit study.

Also, I really enjoy including beautiful quality books.

Add in activities not only during a specific science study or project but pull them out during an art project to reference.

Science doesn’t only have to be taught during science.

Fun Bird Resources

A wonderfully illustrated book like The Big Book of Birds can be brought out to investigate.

In this case, look at the colors of the birds, the shape of their beaks and talk about their habitat and habits.

Naturally, your child will pick up so much information as you read the little snippets aloud as they look at the pictures.

These Exotic Bird Toobs from Safari LTD are also a fantastic addition to your rainforest study.

Too, you get a great variety of birds including a toucan and a blue and gold macaw.

If you want a little more variety instead of just birds they also have a rainforest one with different animals

Rainforest Activities

Check out my 3 free Rainforest Lapbooks.
Try Amazon Rainforest Theme Gross Motor With Afternoon in the Amazon.
Make a rainforest diorama.
Create a fun pineapple candle.
Study resources like –Chocolate Grows in The Rainforest.
Enjoy some fun sensory play with Jungle Slime.
Learn about the resources we get from the rainforest like chocolate, bananas, medicines, and more.
Visit a pet store and see a parrot in person.

This cutie is a Sun Conure which is a small parrot.

Fun Facts About Birds of the Rainforest

All macaws are parrots, but not all parrots are macaws.
Of the 3,800 species found in the rainforest, 1,300 of them are bird species.
Birds of the Amazon Rainforest eat a variety of foods including leaves, fruits, nuts and insects.
Of the 18 species of Macaws in the Amazon Rainforest, several are currently on the endangered list and some species may already be extinct.
A toucan’s bill has been adapted to crush and saw the food that it eats such as fruits and nuts.
The parrot uses its beak as an additional hand to assist in climbing up trees so it can locate harder to reach food.
Out of the four layers of the Amazon Rainforest, the majority of birds live in the canopy layer.
Rainforest birds range from tiny hummingbirds to large macaws.
Screaming and loud vocalization is the way wild parrots and other birds communicate with one other.
The loudest bird in the Amazon Rainforest is the male white bellbird.

Other Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest Resources

Then, add some more activities below.

Finally, look below to make a macaw and toucan bird.

How to Make a Red Macaw Parrot and Toucan Craft

You will need:

3 paper plates
Craft paint
Craft feathers
Google eyes
Paintbrushes
Glue
Scissors

First, for the red macaw parrot, cut 2 paper plates in half.

Paint 3 of the halves entirely red, and for the final half it will be half red and half yellow.

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Cut one of the red halves in half again to create wings.

Glue the red and yellow plate (which is the head and beak) perpendicular to the solid red half that makes up the body.

Add the wings to the sides with glue as well.

Glue some craft feathers together to form a long colorful tail.

Also, attach the tail at the back of the plate to the base with glue.

Finally add a google eye.

For the toucan, it is much the same but with different colors. Cut 1 plate in half and paint it all black.

Cut a beak out of the second plate.

Use a piece of scrap leftover from the beak to make his tail, cutting it into a little wedge and painting it black as well.

We left his “wings” tucked in but you can create flapping wings like on the parrot if you want to add that step.

Paint beak beautiful bright colors and let your child look at them online or in a book for reference.

Let the paint dry and then add a little bright yellow to the throat area.

Once all the pieces are dry, glue the beak to the body across the top and glue the tail piece to the bottom.

Add a google eye to finish him up.

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

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

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.

And the rainforest is made up of 4 different layers:

The dark, damp Forest floor.
The Understory, the part that makes up the shorter tree space between the canopy and the forest floor.
The Canopy, the lush thicker tree filled area where most animals live.
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.

Additionally, you love some more rainforest activities.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

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

If you’re studying pond life for kindergarten you’ll love this activity for your kindergartener to build a beaver dam. Grab my other craft ideas for kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

As the largest rodents in North America and the second largest rodent in the world, beavers are a fun subject to cover.

They go along perfectly with a pond life unit study. They are a vital part of life in rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Pond Life for Kindergarten Activity Build a Fun Beaver Dam

I have a fun and inexpensive hands- on activity to share that your little one will love.

It’s a simple invitation to create and learn using items gathered from the yard and few items from the house.

Your child will probably spend the day playing in their little “pond” learning and growing their imagination.

Beaver Facts for Kids

Beavers don’t actually live in the dams they build; they make them to create a deep pond of water for protection from predators. They live in similar structures called beaver lodges.
Beavers build their dams out of trees, limbs, mud, moss, plants, grass, and rocks.
When they feel threatened, beavers will slap the water with their tail making a loud noise to warn all creatures in the area.
A long time ago beaver fur was commonly used to make hats and clothing. Some people still trap beavers for their fur today.
Beaver dams don’t just benefit them, they also help with carbon storage, flood management and drought prevention. They are also helpful in keeping streams cool.
Also they create wetlands that house many frogs, fish and invertebrates, and in turn these animals provide food for birds and bats.
Beavers can swim underwater for 15 minutes.
Some adult beavers can reach up to 55 pounds.
Beavers eat the inner bark of trees and woody plants, but they also enjoy soft vegetation like apples, grasses, clover, water lilies, giant ragweed, and cattails.

Pond Life Activities

Before you begin your activity, read about beavers and ponds and choose a video or two to watch together.

If possible visit a local pond or lake that has beavers to observe them in the wild.

This will help give your child a good point of reference for beavers and how and why they build dams.

Also, grab letter tiles you have on hand,

Scrabble tiles are great because you can pick the games up inexpensively at yard sales and thrift stores.

Use them to practice beginning letter sounds or spell out words related to your theme.

For this one you could use:

Pond
Beaver
Fish
Turtle
Dam
Water
Frog

Allow your child to build silly words and see if he can pronounce them as well.

Too, you’ll love adding some of these books to your activity.

Books About Pond Life

This is one in a little series of picture books that are gems with beautiful illustrations and they teach children about the ecology of the pond. Over and Under the Pond goes perfectly with this activity.

Nature Anatomy is another one. If you don’t know by now I just love this series, they are perfect to add to any nature study that you do.

This next resources if Natural and Earth Science Educational Flash Cards.

If you enjoy doing earth science with your child this is a great addition. Little cards with everything from beavers to minerals.

Safari LTD North American Wildlife toobs are a great resource for small world play like this, to give children a model to see for art or learning.

Also they can be used in dioramas, or to create an inviting setup for a new unit study.

Beaver Videos

Finally, here are a few videos that are interesting and will give you and your child a little more understanding of beavers and ponds.

How to Build a Beaver Dam Activity

Gather:

Sticks and small branches
Grasses
Leaves
Small rocks and pebbles
Mud or clay
Moss

First, go on a nature walk into your own backyard to gather the above items.

Set out your invitation to play and learn in an inviting way by placing the items neatly on a tray (or cooking sheet like I did).

This makes it more eye appealing than just throwing everything you gathered in a heap.

Add water to a shallow dish or pan to create a pond.

Encourage your child to create a beaver dam in the pond using all the same items that a beaver would use in the wild.

Twist sticks together to make it sturdy. Add moss and clay to the openings between sticks, etc.

Continue building until it is heaped up both above and below the water.

Once they have built their dam in the water, add in a fun little plastic beaver as well as other pond animals.

Now they can have fun exploring inside and outside the dam.

How cute is this little beaver peeking out from the dam he just built?

Finally, you’ll love these other resources for teaching kindergarten.