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1. Witch’s Brew: This is a
fun activity to do any time of year, but most specifically around
Halloween time. The lesson learned is about the density of liquids.
Here are the steps of the
activity: 1. Get a
large clear jug so that the children can see the liquids. 2. Get liquids of different
density and color. 3.
Tell the children that you are going to pour all the liquids into
the jug. 4. Before you
do, ask the children what they think will happen 5.
Pour the first liquid which should be water into the jug. Add
food coloring to make the contrast of the liquids better and to add
some fun to the activity. 6. Next add a liquid that
you know will stay on top such as corn oil 7. Ask the children why
they think the corn oil stayed on top and did not mix with the
water. 8. Pour in the
densest liquid. (In my case I used left over sun screen from the
summer) 9. Ask the
children why they think that liquid went to the bottom. 10. End the activity by
talking about the different densities of the liquids. Note: the picture to the
right shows an example of a Witch’s Brew with random things floating
on top that the children put in to see if they would sink or float.
2. Temperature Graph: This
is a good activity to start late February or early March. The
teacher creates a large temperature graph. Once a week, the class
will check the temperature and document the date and temperature on
the graph. Explain to the children that when the graph bars go
higher that means the temperature is higher. Ask the children to
guess what will happen with the temperature the next week and record
the children’s guesses. The following week compare the guesses with
the actual temperature.
3. Balancing Act: Get a simple
old fashion scale where you put objects on each side and see which
object weighs more. Get 2 objects at the time and have the children
guess which one weighs more and have the children explain their
guesses. After the children guess put the objects on the scale to
see which one weighs more. Then have a discussion on why an object
weighed more. I.E. discuss which object was
bigger, what the objects were made out off etc.
4. Sink or
Float: Get a bucket filled with water and a group of objects.
Ask the children whether they think each object will sink or float
and why. Then put the objects in the water to see if they sink or
float. Afterward discuss why certain objects floated and why other
sank.
4a. Sink or Float Boats:
Instead of just putting the objects in the
water, have the children use tin foil to make boats and see how many
objects (Lego people, or the picture example below Dinosaurs) they
can put in their boat until it sinks.
5. Melting
Ice: This is a good experiment to due in the when it is cold or
hot outside and in conjunction with the aforementioned temperature
graph. Overnight, freeze 2 cups of ice. At circle bring out the Ice.
Tell the children we will keep one cup of ice in the classroom and
put one cup of ice outside for an hour. Ask the children what they
think will happen to each cup of ice and why. An hour later bring
the 2 cups together and compare and contrast. Then hold a discussion
about at what temperature ice melts at.
6. Pulsating Popcorn Kettles: Get a
large cup of water and fill it about ¾ to the top. Mix in 4
tablespoons of Baking Soda. Add in about 10-20 kettles of
popcorn and some vinegar and wait a few minutes. The Kettles should
start moving around in the cup.
7.
Food Group Sorting
This is a fun hands on activity for circle time
when learning about the food groups. You may either get pictures of
various foods, or use food toys if available for the activity. Place
all of the food pictures or toys in a bag in the middle of circle.
Then have 5 boxes all around the circle each labeled with the name
of one of the 5 food groups. Have the child pull out a picture of
food from the bag then place it in the corresponding food group box.
After all the food has been sorted, have each child create a meal
for themselves by picking one food from each food group.
8.
Alka-Seltzer Explosion
Materials:
Test Tube, Cork, Water,
Alka-Seltzer tablet, Paper , Crayons
Procedure: Show the children the test
tube filled with water. Tell them that you are going to put the
Alka-Seltzer in the test tube and then put the cork on top of it.
Ask the children to draw what they think is going to happen. Have
the children tell the class what they drew and why they thought that
was going to happen. Then put the Alka-Seltzer in the test tube and
quickly put the cork on. The bubbles from the Alka-Seltzer should
cause the cork to pop off. After that happens, ask the children why
they thought that happened. Explain that the Alka-Seltzer caused a
reaction that created a gas. The gas wanted to escape the test tube
so it had to push the cork from the top of the test tube.
Goals:
Have the children to use their fine motor skills to draw what they
think will happen. Have the children understand that the gas caused
the cork to pop off the beaker.
9. Eye Drop
Art
Materials:
Eye droppers, small bowls filled with different colored food
coloring, construction paper.
Procedure:
1. cover the table with newspaper and then put all the materials on
the table. 2. When the children come over, demonstrate how you fill
and squirt with an eye dropper. 3. Tell the children they can use
the different colored food coloring to decorate their piece of
construction paper. 4. Ask them what will happen if they mix 2
different colors on the paper. 5. Then ask what other uses their
might be for the eye dropper. 6. Use a blow drier to quickly dry the
art work 7. Ask the children why the blow drier makes it dry
faster?
Goals: 1.
For the children to increase their fine motor skills and learn to
fill and squirt and eye dropper. To have the children learn what
happens when you mix certain colors together. For the children to
have fun and be proud of the art work they created. Understand that
the heat from the blow drier makes the picture dry quicker.
10.
Magnifying Rocks
Materials: Magnifying glasses, Discover
Kids Rocks Alive Kit, and rocks found around town, paper, and
pencils.
Procedure: 1. put
out magnifying glasses and rocks from Discover Kids rock kit and
other interesting rocks on the table 2. Have children examine the
rock and try to find the type of rock in the Discover Kids booklet.
3. Ask the children differences that they see in the rocks. 4. Have
the children draw what the rocks look like under the magnifying
glasses.
Goals: 1.
Have the children understand what magnifying glasses do. 2. Have the
children use their words to describe differences in the rocks. 3. Have the children learn
the names of some of the rocks. 4. Build the children’s fine motor
skills and visual discriminations skills during the drawing of the
rocks.
Possible
Follow Up Activity: When the weather is warmer, go on a nature
walk and collect interesting rocks to look at under the magnifying
glass.
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