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science

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

April 26, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fun hands-on butterfly unit study for kids. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more homeschool unit studies.

Also, I have a bit of everything you need to keep on theme with math, science, and language arts for younger learners.

And I have put in a few so we can include older siblings as well.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Fun is always the way to go.

Besides for any nature study, I encourage you to get out and do it first!

Since butterflies are found on every continent except Antarctica there are always some fluttering around.

Observe butterflies in the wild, caterpillars climbing on milkweed, flowers that they use for nectar, how they drink, etc.

There is no substitute for seeing it firsthand but there are plenty of great supplemental activities to go along with it to make the most fun unit.

Of course, when you are living life and learning through play you will find that multiple subjects naturally overlap creating a wonderful experience for you both.

Keep on reading for a cute and fun sponge stamping activity at the end that younger kids will enjoy as a unique art project.

Kids’ Books About Butterflies

First, look at these books about butterflies.

I love to add living books to our reading list and next look for reference books especially for science subjects.

10 Butterfly Resources and Book

Fun books and resources to learn about butterflies.

It's a Butterfly's Life

What is a butterfly s life? Its full of twists and turns as butterfly glide on air currents. Its full of dips and dives as they show off for their mates. There are more than 17,000 kinds of butterflies in the world. Some of them will only live for a few days. Others will migrate thousands of miles to winter in a warmer climate. Still others will hibernate through the cold months. For all butterflies, life begins with metamorphosis. In one of nature s most amazing feats, caterpillars become creatures of beauty and grace.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. 

Richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, The Grew Who Drew Butterflies will enthrall young scientists.

UANDME 4pcs Butterfly Life Cycle Kit Lifestyle Stages of Monarch Butterfly Teaching Tools for Kids, Students

This is a wonderful, realistic set of the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly, which contains the 4 stages, eggs, caterpillars (larva) with a leaf, a chrysalis (pupa), and a butterfly. It is a good learning toy for homeschoolers teaching.

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey

Some farms grow vegetables or grains, and some raise cows, sheep, chickens, or pigs. But have you ever heard of a butterfly farm? How do you raise a butterfly?On a farm in Costa Rica, workers care for these delicate, winged creatures as they change from eggs to caterpillars to pupae. Like any other crop, the butterflies will eventually leave the farm. But where will they go? And just how do you ship a butterfly?

Insect Lore - Butterfly Growing Kit - Butterfly Habitat Kit

Pop-up, reusable 11.5-inch tall mesh habitat perfect for butterfly viewing; includes feeding dropper and complete instructions

Witness one of nature's most spectacular transformations up close

Caterpillars ship separately via included Voucher (additional $8.95 for processing); packaging may vary

Monarch Butterfly (New & Updated)

Introduce young readers to the fascinating process of how caterpillars become butterflies.Follow the transformation from a tiny white egg laid on a leaf to a brilliantly colored butterfly in this kid-friendly introduction to metamorphosis.  With detailed, bright watercolors, Gail Gibbons illustrates the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, stage by stage, as it grows, changes, and takes flight.

Big Book of Bugs (The Big Book Series)

A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

A Butterfly Is Patient: Nature Books for Kids, Children's Books

From the creators of the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Rock Is Lively comes this gorgeous and informative introduction to the world of butterflies.Part of the incredible six-book Nature Books series from the award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, A Butterfly Is Patient celebrates a dazzling variety of butterflies in all their beauty and wonder.Turn each page to explore the amazing world of these beautiful winged insects through watercolor illustrations that bring to life garden landscapes filled with flowers, vines, leaves, and sunshine. A BUTTERFLY BOOK TO TREASURE: From the tiny Western Pygmy blue butterfly to the grand Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, from the iridescent blue swallowtail to the brilliant orange monarch, curious kids will find a wealth of information and inspiration in this fascinating picture book.

National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly

Butterflies are all around us. It's hard to believe these majestic insects with impressive wingspans and beautifully colored and patterned wings were once creepy crawly caterpillars. How in the world does this transformation happen? This Level 1 Reader gives kids an up-close look at exactly how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. With bonus information including different types of butterflies and poisonous caterpillars, this reader is one of a kind.

Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths

Crinkleroot introduces the amazing world of butterflies and moths as he tours the natural world, exposing the facts and behaviors of this fascinating insect group known as Lepidoptera.

Next, look at these butterfly unit study ideas.

Math Ideas to Learn About Butterflies

  • You can’t get much simpler than using a handful of plastic butterflies for sorting, counting, patterns, and basic addition and subtraction for easy practice.
Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping
  • Practice counting and number recognition with an easy peasy Butterflies and Flowers Number Line Activity.
  • Learn about Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft for a beautiful butterfly activity on one that you don’t see every day. 
  • For toddlers and very young preschoolers color matching is one of the first introductions to math through sorting, here is an adorable Cardboard Butterfly Color Matching Activity to make.
  • Count how many different varieties of flowers you see in your yard or on a nature walk as you talk about how caterpillars use plants for food and

Science & Sensory for Studying Butterflies

  • First, raising butterflies inside is just a passage of homeschooling and if you have never done it you just have to experience it with your child. These kits come with the habitat and food.
Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping
  • See them in all their glorious stages with a Butterfly Sensory Bin that introduces kids to language, sensory experiences, math, and so much more as they play.
  • My Butterfly Life Cycle Activity uses inexpensive craft items that are in most of our supplies to teach the more complex life cycle of butterflies simply.
  • Grab this life cycle as well which also comes with Montessori cards.
Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping
  • While your little ones are building up fine motor skills and getting sensory input they will also be learning the Parts of a Butterfly on this  Playdough Mat

Nature Anatomy, just look at these beautiful butterfly pages, there is also plenty of info on flowers.

This is a great field guide to take on every nature walk.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Language Arts Butterfly Themed Ideas

  • A simple B is for Butterfly activity is a great way to reinforce the sound as well as identify B.
  • If you want to include older children in on the theme you could have them write a paragraph or a whole page on a favorite butterfly to incorporate some language arts.
  • A Butterfly is Patient is a must-read-aloud and then your child will pour over the beautiful illustrations on their own as well.
  • Free Butterfly Lapbook For Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning
Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Finally, look at how to make this butterfly sponge craft.

Butterfly Sponge Stamping

You will need:

  • Sponges
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Craft paint
  • Thick paper
Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Wrap a pipe cleaner around the center of a sponge tightly and twist to secure the middle.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Then curl the remaining ends into the shape of antennae.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

You can either dip the “stamp” into a solid paint color, paint directly onto the sponge, or press into blobs of various colors.

One of my favorites is to load up one half with paint by squeezing it directly from the bottle.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Then fold it in half to transfer some of the paint to the other side.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Now stamp your coated sponge onto paper.

This is a great intro to learning about symmetry as well.

Be sure to have your child press firmly all over the sponge to be sure it leaves a good imprint.

Repeat as much as they like. Incorporate ideas like patterning, and color symmetry, and talk about the parts of a butterfly after they stamp it.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

You can reuse these butterflies over and over, just wash them out in the sink and start all over with a fresh batch of colors and designs.

They do work best slightly damp, so they have a bit of flexibility.

If they have dried out just reset and squeeze out as much as you can.

Free Butterfly Unit Study For Kids and Fun Sponge Stamping

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: butterflies, butterfly, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, life science, science, unit studies

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

April 20, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fun hands-on water cycle activity for kids. Also, look at my page Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas for more activities.

It can be used from preschool through upper elementary.

Teaching the water cycle should be a very simple process In the early years.

You can go a little more in depth as they grow which means you can customize this plate activity to reflect what they know at various stages.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection make up the 4 stages of the water cycle.

And they are very important because it provides water to humans, animals, and plants.

Besides providing hydration it redistributes nutrients, pathogens and sediment in and out of aquatic ecosystems.

To teach it simply we are going to use a paper plate.

Next, look at some of these fun books which teach about the water cycle.

Water Cycle Books for Kids

4 Water Cycle Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Add some of these living books and reference books to your learning day about water and the water cycle.

A Drop of Water

A child crouches beside a meadow brook, and a drop of water collects and falls from the child’s fingertip to continue on its journey. Where does that journey begin? High in the sky, rain clouds are parting. Water trickles and flows down the mountain, collecting in an upland bog, seeping through a beaver’s dam, rushing over rocks, passing many plants and animals along its winding way—each dependent on water and the different environments it shapes to live.

A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder

The most spectacular photographs ever created on the subject of water appear in this unique science book by Walter Wick. The camera stops the action and magnifies it so that all the amazing states of water can be observed — water as ice, rainbow, steam, frost, dew. Readers can examine a drop of water as it falls from a faucet, see a drop of water as it splashes on a hard surface, count the points of an actual snowflake, and contemplate how drops of water form clouds. Evaporation, condensation, capillary, attraction, and surface tension are explained through simple text and illustrated by pictures that reveal water in its many awesome transformations.

The Snowflake : A Water Cycle Story

With a double-page spread for each month, this book describes the journey of a single drop of water throughout the year.

Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle

Meet Drop. She's water! And she's seen a thing or two--even dinosaurs. Everywhere Drop flows--and she flows everywhere--she makes life on Earth possible, and has a great time doing it. Have you ever plummeted from a rain cloud? Or taken a thousand-year nap in a glacier? Drop has! She'll tell you all about it

Also, I have a few other basic items to show these 4 steps and create a craft/science project combo for a hands-on water cycle activity.

I have explained the water cycle on a basic level, gathered a few more fun activities, and resources that you can use to create a mini unit to enjoy.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

4 Stages of The Water Cycle

  • Evaporation– Water evaporates under the sun’s heat and becomes a gas that is found in earth’s atmosphere. Demonstrate evaporation with a pot of simmering water and how it seems to disappear over time, the steam is visible and helps give kids a concrete idea.
  • Condensation– Water condenses in the atmosphere when it becomes cold, forming clouds. You can demonstrate this by showing what happens on the outside of a glass of ice water over time or the condensation on a mirror after a hot shower.
  • Precipitation-When there is too much moisture in a cloud water is released from the clouds in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow. For younger children, set out little bowls or cups with examples of each in the form of water, ice, and “snow” (a little cornstarch mixed with oil). Allow your child to explore and examine each form of precipitation.
Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids
  • Collection – Water is collected and held in different areas. For example, places like oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and underground. Water in its solid form, ice, is held in glaciers and snow.

Then the entire process starts all over again.

Watch The Water Cycle For Kids on YouTube for a wonderful short explanation of the process from start to finish.

4 More Engaging Hands-On Water Cycle Activities 

Here are a few more ways besides our craft/science activity below to teach the water cycle.

  • Watch the precipitation stage of  the water cycle with a hands on Water Cycle Unit Study: Rain Cloud Experiment.
  • Learning About the Exciting Water Cycle with Salt demonstrates evaporation with colored salt to give your child physical proof of the process.
  • I love the creative take on The Water Cycle+Ice Paints here.
  • The simple experiment of The Water Cycle In a Bag is a great way to demonstrate the process up close.
Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Paper Plate Water Cycle

For preschoolers we will keep this hands-on water cycle activity very simple with minimal labels but you can challenge older children to put in a bit more detail or even use a wider variety of materials to put it together.

You will need:

  • Paper plate
  • Blue paint
  • paintbrush
  • Blue craft foam/paper
  • Yellow craft foam/paper
  • Markers/paint pens
  • Cotton ball/cotton stuffing
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

First, let your child paint the entire plate a light medium shade of blue and then set aside to dry, explaining that this is the sky and ground water.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

While it is drying, cut a wave of blue craft foam out slightly shorter than the width of the plate.

This represents an ocean or where water is held. Cut a few raindrops for precipitation, and a yellow sun.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Once the plate is dry, they can glue the sun in place on one side of the sky and the wave across the bottom with the glue stick.

Use a bit of cotton ball, cotton stuffing, or even a little ball of white tissue paper to create a cloud opposite the sun.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Glue on the raindrops underneath the cloud you made.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Use a marker to draw directional arrows and label the plate as the water cycle.

If your child is older, they can do the entire plate from start to finish and even label each part of the water cycle themself.

Simple and Fun Hands-On Water Cycle Activity For Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earth science, earthscience, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, homeschoolscience, science, water

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

April 18, 2024 | 2 Comments
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There are so many fun facts about swan to turn a simple unit study into something more. Also, you’ll love my post How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan.

You could keep it simple, just focus on the swan, a variety of aquatic birds, or even expand into an entire pond unit study.

Swans are one of the most eye-catching aquatic birds, with their long, elegant necks and large size.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

They are found in temperate environments, preferring lowland and freshwater wetlands.

Also, they take to man-made artificial water sources such as reservoirs, gravel pits, ornamental lakes, and even canals.

We are creating a sweet but simple canvas swan “painting” with a pair of little hands and some paint.

Then you can also dive into fun facts about swans and check out my suggestions for more books and activities.      

Do you have swans in your area?

Take a few hours to go enjoy them in person and remember that processed white bread is not good for them.

If you want to feed these feathered friends take things like grains, vegetable matter, corn, chopped cabbage, spinach, frozen peas as well as swan and duck food pellets from a feed store.

Swan Books and Resources

Next, add some of these resources to your unit study.

7 Swan Quick Unit Study Resources

Read The Trumpet of The Swan as your read aloud during your study, it is a wonderful classic by E.B. White..

The Trumpet of the Swan

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Needle Felting: The Swan

Challenge yourself to make this needlefelted swan next, a beautiful handiwork craft.

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Paper roll swan craft

These swans are particularly simple to create, the first time we made them was back when the girls were princess-obsessed preschoolers.

Photo Credit: backyardsummercamp.com

Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial

Create a paper wonder by following this Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Kirov Ballet

Take in some of the beautiful music and dance of Tchaikovsky’s  SwanLake

White Swan Figurine Animals Figures Project Diorama Model

4PCS farm animals figures. Kid can use these plastic animals farm toys to build their own farm up. Farm sets for kids can bring happy.

Farm Animal figurines farm toys set made of environment friendly materials.Good quality and durable to deal with lots of play.

Swan Lake

A prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet

Next, look at these facts about swans.

7 Fun Facts About Swan

  1. Most swans are found in the northern United States, Canada, and Alaska.
  2. Swans can sleep on either land or the water. They can either sleep while standing on one leg or while they are floating in the water.
  3. All the mute swans in England and Wales are owned by the Crown of England.
  4. While you will most commonly see white swans there is also a black swan. Black swans are native to Australia and New Zealand.
  5. Baby swans are called cygnets, female swans are called Pen, and males are called Cob.
  6. The term ‘swan song’ comes from the ancient Greek belief that a swan sang a song of death when its life would end.
  7. Swans are very important to their aquatic ecosystems. They eat plants and small aquatic animals and help spread seeds and aquatic animal eggs by way of their feces. Their swimming stirs up sediment from the bottom to help circulate nutrients and support the health of plants and fish below the surface.
7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Too, another favorite resource we love is The Big Book of Birds.

It is a wonderful resource for all things bird, an oversized hardback it has a pretty two-page spread on swans and plenty of info on habits, nests, eggs, and habitats of birds in general.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Finally, look at how to create a hand print swan.

How to Create a Handprint Swan

You will need:

  • A canvas
  • 2 shades of blue craft paint
  • Green craft paint
  • White craft paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paint pens
  • A little hand
7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

First, choose two shades of blue and let your child paint the sky one shade and water at the bottom the other.

Don’t forget to have them paint the sides of the canvas the corresponding colors all the way around to finish it off.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Allow the paint to dry, if you want to speed up the process a bit you can use a blow dryer on low to get it to dry to the touch so you can get to the next step.

Paint your child’s hand entirely white and have them press it into the water portion thumbs up, if you want two swans like I have here paint the other hand and press it into the other side.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Use a paintbrush to create the rest of the curving neck.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Allow the swans to dry and use paint pens to add details like eyes, beaks, and wings.

You can also add in some details like grass and clouds.

Allow it to dry fully and it is ready to hang up.

7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: birds, handprint, hands-on, hands-on activities, life science, science, swan, waterfowl

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