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You are here: Home / Archives for Science Activities

Science Activities

Scientific Method for Kids

December 22, 2020 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

What kid doesn’t like blowing up things and getting messy? While Moms are not real keen on the idea of messes, they also know it’s just a part of the learning process. However, it’s not just about the experiments, it’s also about the process. Here is how the scientific method for kids work and some great science laboratory ideas to get your started that are easy, affordable, and of course, enjoyable for your kids!

Scientific Method Learning Pack for Kids

What is the first step of the scientific method for kids?

Ask a question

Kids are full of questions. You are probably answering them all day. So coming up with a question won’t be hard. However, the question needs to be focused and direct. This is where children will need help. Give them guidance to narrow down their ideas to one specific question that can be tested. Be sure to write down your question, this is the first step in the scientific method for kids. Practicing creating good questions is a skill that will also help in communication. Just one way in which the arts and sciences come together.

Do Research Before Your Science Experiment

Now that you have a question, it’s time to set the stage for a successful experiment. This requires research. Sometimes when going through the scientific method for kids, this site gets skipped or rushed. Many believe that kids either don’t need to or are not capable of research. However, why not start young. Research is an important skill for lifelong learning that can be used across all disciplines. Even if you are doing a simple experiment, model how to research and complete this step.

Read up on background information. Keep reading until your child feels confident sharing the information with someone knew. This is very important step in the scientific method.

Teaching Kids about a Hypothesis

So, you have written down your quest and researched your topic. It’s time to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. It means you have a good idea of how things work and how your question will be answered. However a hypothesis can be proven wrong. Be sure that the kids know that a hypothesis is a guess. The point of the scientific method is not to necessarily prove that you are right. It’s a learning process, and even if your hypothesis is wrong, you are learning. In fact you will probably learn more from a failed hypothesis in the long run.

Experiments for Kids that Teach the Scientific Method

This is the fun part! Kids love experiments, especially ones with lots of noise or color. Plan your experiment. What are you testing and how will you test it? What materials do you need? How will you record data? Even if you are using a premise experiment plan, you should still take time to plan it before starting. Make sure everything is laid out and ready so you can just focus on the experiment, not finding or preparing supplies.

You can construct your own experiment to test the hypothesis or use one of the many lesson plans available on the internet. Here are some of our favorite experiments for kids:

Scientific Method Experiments

Looking for some easy science experiments where you can find staple items in the house? Try these simple yet super fun science activities that are easy to do, yet, educational for the kids.

Six Easy and Fun Experiments for Kids

Easy Science Experiments for Kids

37 Cool Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home

Grab some of these awesome science-related ideas that are safe for the kids to do at home. Some of these science projects are great for younger ones without a lot of hands-on help. In fact, they rate the science activities by difficulty so it will be easy to determine the best projects to chose for your kids.

Cool Science Experiments for Kids

Simple Science Experiments for Kids

If you don’t have a lot of time, grab some of these ideas where supplies are ample in the home, affordable, and require a lot of hands-on activity for kids.

Simple Science Activities

Gather and Analyze Data from Your Experiment

Now that your experiment is over, it’s time for the real in-depth learning to begin. Look at your results. Crunch some numbers and see if your hypothesis was correct. You might even repeat the experiment or change a variable and see what happens. Now, look over your results again. This is where the meat of the scientific method comes in.

Present Data and Conclusions in Your Homeschool

Where would the world be in scientists kept all their discoveries to themselves? Synthesize you’re data, draw conclusions, and put it all into a presentation. This can be done through a lab report, oral report, or display. Invite over Grandma, Aunt Sarah, or your friends down the street to experience your presentation. This is also another way to incorporate language arts into science class. Most of all, have fun and celebrate what you have accomplished.

Ready to put all of these ideas into action? Try our affordable and easy to follow science notebook for kids!

Scientific Method Learning Pack for Kids

Filed Under: Science Activities

How to Start a Kids Weather Station

March 29, 2020 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

Homeschoolers don’t get snow days (most of the time) but the weather is still a part of their learning. Meteorology is an engaging science with plenty of hands-on learning opportunities. Let’s face it, the weather is always there! No matter where you live, you experience weather first hand, on a daily basis. This makes it a perfect real-world science for kids. Ready to get your kids hooked on learning about weather patterns and meteorological terms? Keep reading for a step by step guide on how to start a kid’s weather station in your homeschool.

Annual Weather Tracking Worksheet

Tools to Start a Homeschool Weather Station

Every scientist needs tools. For meteorology, tools can be pretty expensive and high tech, or simple and low cost. However, evey weather station will need a way to measure the following:

  • Temperature (Thermometer)
  • Precipitation (Raingauge)
  • Wind Direction (Anemometer)
  • Wind Speed (Anemometer)
  • Air Pressure (optional)

Pick out tools that fit your budget and outdoor space. Look for opportunities to double up on tools. For example, a thermometer might also have a barometer. Find a safe spot to house each of your tools, then create a routine for checking each tool.

Daily Weather Jourals for Kids

Weather Journals for Kids:

Part of the fun of setting up a weather station is recording the daily weather! Encourage your children to record their findings each day in their weather journals. Using a daily weather journal will help you see patterns and over time help you predict what the weather will be. There are a variety of different types of weather journals available on SuperStarWorksheets.com You’ll find simple daily weather sticker charts, monthly calendar tracking sheets, and more advanced daily weather tracking which includes extras like wind direction, wind speed, precipitaion and more.

Annual Weather Tracker & Monthly Weather Tracker

You can also track the weather on an annual weather journal sheet to see longer-term patterns at a glance. It’s also a fun and colorful way to add some color to your homeschool classroom.

See Inside Weather & Climate Book by Usborne & Weather Sticker Chart

Weather Science Books for Kids:

Now that you have all those special tools and instruments set up, it’s time to learn how to use them!  Grab a couple of good books on weather and weather predicting to get your homeschool weather station off the ground. Some recommendations are listed below. 

  • The Everything Kids’ Weather Book 
  • Weather Tracking For Future Meteorologists: The Ultimate Weather Journal For Kids.
  • The Kids’ Book of Weather Forecasting 
  • STEM Starter for Kids Meteorology Activity Book 
  • Forecasting Weather 
  • A Kid’s Guide to Forecasting Weather 
  • National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Weather 
Weather Tracing Pages for Fine Motor Skills

Weather Youtube Channels:

There are also some amazing channels on Youtube about meteorology for children. The best thing about them is they are free to use. It’s like getting your own personal meteorological science tutor delivered right to your school room! Let these experts help you start a homeschool weather station for your family.

  • Be a Weather Watcher: Science for Kids 
  • How Do We Know When it Will Rain? 
  • Weather 101 for Kids 
  • 5 Weather Science Experiments 
  • Hands on Weather Activities for Kids 

Galileo Thermometer

Barometer, Hygrometer, & Galileo Thermometer

There are many decorative weather tracking options available as well. You might find that setting up a children’s weather station, inspires you to add more tracking elements indoors as well. Since these elements will be in your home, you might consider more visually appealing options if that is a concern for you.

Homeschool Weather Station Activities for All Ages

Time to add some hands-on learning activities. A homeschool weather station can be a hobby or a full blown science study. Add activities and experiments to suit your homeschool needs. The printables include everything from a weather journal to STEM challenges. If you really want to dive deeply into meteorology, check out the weather lab kits. These are packed with activities, information, and experiments. 

Weather Lab Kits:

  • SmartLab Toys You-Track-It Weather Lab 
  • The Magic School Bus Weather Lab 
  • 4M STEAM Powered Girls Weather Station
  • WE-R-KIDS Game / Play 4M Weather Station Kit. Science 

Electronic Weather Station:

  • Wittime Latest 2076 Weather Station
  • AcuRite 00589 Pro Color Weather Station with Wind Speed, Temperature and Humidity
  • Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue Wireless Weather Station with LCD Console

If you opt to get a professional level weather station, you can even join the “Weather Underground” and help predict the weather for your area. 

Need more kid-friendly weather station ideas? Try our preschool Kids Weather Station Printables Page!

Filed Under: Full, Science, Science Activities, Science Projects, Unit Studies, weather Tagged With: homeschool weather ideas, homeschool weather station, weather station for kids

Fossil Craft

Do you have a geology planned for your homeschool classroom. Or maybe you have a Dinosaur Theme Preschool Birthday Party to plan for? Either one would be a wonderful opportunity to try our DIY Fossils Project with your chidlren. Making your own fossils is great fun, and really not as “troublesome,” or “messy” as you might think! This craft really drives home the point in how fossils are formed and leaves children with a lasting impression!!

Make Your Own Fossils!

Materials:

  • Plaster of Paris
  • Tinfoil
  • Small objects to fossilize!

Step 1: Making a Fossil Cast

Using your tinfoil, you’ll want to crumple and create a small circular container (as shown in the upper right-hand corner). You’ll need a tinfoil container for each fossil you want to create.

Next, you’ll shape your clay to fit inside the tinfoil container, as shown in the center of the photo. Your tinfoil container should be raised up higher than the clay.

Next, you’ll want to make impressions into your clay. You can do this using a variety of plastic children’s toys. Try insects, dinosaurs etc….and really push into the clay so that each tiny detail is transfered over.

Using toys that have texture or design to them will make for an extra detailed fossil. Just be sure all the little parts are carefully pressed into the clay.

Step 2: Making Plaster Fossils

In a separate container, you’ll want to mix your plaster of paris according to your specific product directions. Obviously, this is a job for Mom, Dad, or the teacher. Always carefully supervise your students when using these types of materials.

Once the plaster is mixed, you can use a small spoon to carefully fill in over the top of your clay impressions. Adding small amounts of plaster with each scoop ensures the plaster reaches inside the tiny areas in your impression.

You can use the back of the spoon to smooth out the top and fill in any areas that might need more coverage.

Once your casts are filled with plaster it’s time to wait for them to harden. This can take near an hour, so set them aside somewhere safe and come back to them in about 60 minutes.

Step 3: Reveal Your Fossils

After you are sure they are hardened, carefully peel back the tinfoil to reveal the clay and plaster. The plaster will be stuck to the clay, so you’ll want to carefully peel that back as well. Slow and steady so as not to break off any small areas.

Wow! Take a peek inside as your plaster cast! This fossil turnout out amasingly detailed, look at all the lines of texture on this spider!

And here is a peek at how our butterfly turned out! How pretty is that? If you look closely you can see all the lines in the body and wings. Plaster of Paris is fantastic for picking up all the intricate details.

And check out our millipede and all those tiny little legs!

Making your own fossils is a simple, yet exciting activity for students. If you are using this activity for educational purposes these would work well for any geology, biology, or archeology unit. If you are using this for a preschool discovery bin or a dinosaur themed birthday party, these would be fun to bury in a small sensory tub filled with sand for students to unearth and discover!

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I am a Christian mother of four, with over 13-years experience homeschooling in Southern Oregon. The resources and products I create are designed to keep the prep to a minimum while also bringing a little educational fun to your classroom

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