Man, Texas is going through a huge heat wave. I don’t know about the rest of America, but we are pretty miserable down here with this crazy weather! But that also means lots of cold treats for afternoon snacks, so the kids don’t complain too much! Even with the horrible Texas heat, we have moved a lot of our activities to outside. The heat and the cold treats led me to a quick, but fun summer science experiment that ties in with a fun beginning reader book!
Introducing Science to Little Learners
Science is probably one of my favorite subjects to teach for little learners. They are so inquisitive about everything. To show something in action keeps their minds working and their questions flowing! When something happens in the middle of the experiment and their eyes get really big, you know you did it right.
I really try to make sure there is plenty of scientific learning going on in my house. Believe me, the thought of getting all the supplies out, the mess, and the clean wears me out. But to see their eyes and their face when something amazing happens is definitely worth it. Here are some tips that I have to remind myself when getting a science experiment out!
Do it together.
Your little one will not learn anything by doing it themselves. Be present. Walk them through the steps. Introduce new supplies and remind them of the safety rules. Ask them questions and help them come up with the answer.
Give time to explore on their own.
Ok. Now you can step back for a moment. Let them explore everything in front of them. New tools and supplies are right there waiting to be used, and your independent learner wants to know all about it. Just make sure that everything they touch is safe!
Let them ask questions.
Yes, you are asked hundreds of questions a day. I get it. Your mind is mush, and you don’t want to answer another single question. But man, you would be surprised the questions that your learners can come up with when they are engaged in learning. And don’t act like you know all the answers. Sit down with your learner and research a question if you don’t know the answer.
Let them get messy.
Yep..I said it. Let them get messy. It’s another mess that will need to be cleaned up, but think about what is going on. Your learner is exploring and learning new things. Learning can’t always be neat, so don’t expect every activity to be tidy and clean! Have your child help you clean. What a great way to introduce a new chore or two!
Cause and Effect-Popsicle Style!
We’ve gone through an insane amount of popsicles in such a short time this summer. Nothing else sounds good when my kids are playing outside. While I was sitting on our porch watching my kids eat their frozen treat, I noticed my daughter’s popsicle dripping on the ground. I quickly remembered a book that I read to her when she was younger. Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star is a quick read for beginner readers. We read it quite a bit last summer, and I knew I could integrate a quick cause and effect experiment with it.
Sweet Wemberly was sad that she only had one ice cream bar, and she wanted to share it with her stuffed animal, Petal. What’s the next best thing to ice cream? Ice cream soup! During this quick read, you will see how Wemberly takes a problem and solves it in a creative way. She splits her ice cream bar into two bowls of ice cream soup for her little friend.
This can lead to a fun summer science experiment with 3 simple tools: popsicle, bowl and spoon.
And they wait. They wait some more. Then they wait a little longer to see the effect of the hot sun on a cold treat!
After we make our ice cream soup, we discuss the three steps to the process. Have your child talk you through what happened first, next and last. They can also draw a picture to illustrate what they saw. You can grab this FREE printable to go with this experiment by clicking on the download link below!
I’ve got some more fun science activities just for you! Check out the links!
Talk about exciting! Wait til you see your learner’s eyes when you start stacking liquids! They will be amazed, and will learn a new scientific word!
This is an oldie, but goody! We loved watching our butterflies go from a small caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly. Find out where I bought the kit and how I integrated other fun activities with our butterfly study!
Apple units are right around the corner! See how we used apples to explore our scientific thinking during our apple unit.
