15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

February 11, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM activities for kids are super popular these days.

And with good reason! If you can incorporate several subjects into a hands-on activity, it’s always a hit with students.

With spring rapidly approaching, it’s a great time to learn about weather with kids. And these fun weather STEM activities make this topic easy and fun!

These simple STEM experiments are perfect for small groups, weather units, science centers, after school, homeschooling, and more!

If you’re feeling intimidated by teaching STEM, using a familiar science concept like weather is a great way to get started.

Personally, once I started using STEM projects with students, I found that it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

And, with a fun concept like weather, it’s easy to get kids excited about these hands-on science projects!

Read on to see the full list of fun weather activities for kids. And for more ways to work with STEM, don’t miss our list of easy STEM activities for early grades!

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

1. Coffee Can Condensation – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Hands-On Weather Graphing Activity – Rainy Day Mum

3. International Weather Tracking Activity – Mama Smiles

4. Wind Science Experiment – Teach Me Mommy

5. Build a Wind Turbine – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

6. DIY Lightning Experiment – Learn Play Imagine

7. Rain Cloud Weather Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

8. Make a Tornado In a Bottle – Gift of Curiosity

9. Snowstorm In a Jar Experiment – B-Inspired Mama

10. DIY Pudding Cup Anemometer – Parenting Chaos

11. Make a DIY Thermometer – Lemon Lime Adventures

12. DIY Hurricane Experiment – Inspiration Laboratories

13. Shadow Towers STEM Challenge – No Time for Flashcards

14. Kite Flying Wind Activity – KC Edventures

15. Solar Heat STEM Activity – STEAM Powered Family

Did you enjoy these Weather STEM activities for kids? Take a look at these other science learning ideas!

Follow my It’s Science! Pinterest board for more ways to make learning science fun!

Animal Diagram! Habitat and Diet Animal Sorting Activity

July 17, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve learned quite a bit about animal diets and behavior with our kids. But it can be tough to keep all the information straight in your head afterward.

Who lives where?

Who eats what?

And, once you learn that some animals live on both land and water and that some animals eat both meat and plants, it can get really confusing.

So we’re sharing a fun and simple animal science lesson for keeping up with animal diets and habitats – a Venn diagram animal sorting activity!

This is such a cute animal science activity for early grades! Plus, it can work as a science center activity you can reuse!

See how to get your hands on a copy below! And, for more ways to learn about animal behavior, take a look at our nocturnal and diurnal animal sorting activity too!

Habitats and Diets Animal Sorting Activity

To use this printable animal sorting activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes a cut and paste animal diet activity, as well as a cut and paste animal habitat activity.

For the animal habitats lesson, kids can cut out each animal and then practice sorting them according to whether they live in water, on land, or both!

For the animal diets activity, they can cut out the animals and then practice sorting them according to their diet.

Be careful! Some animals eat both plants and meat!

And, if you need a little refresher on which animal goes where, there’s an answer key included for each activity!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Diets and Habitats Animal Sorting Activity!

Want to learn more about animals with the kids? Check out these other learning ideas!

For more ways to teach science, be sure to follow my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Animal Diagram! Habitats and Diets Animal Sorting Activity, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

Animal Diets and Habitats Sorting Activity

>>> Venn Diagram Animal Sorting Activity <<<

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

June 27, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Are you ready for a printable unit that is out of this world?

We love sharing printable units with you guys! So far, we’ve shared several, including All About Snowflakes, All About Flowers, All About Beaches, and All About Leaves.

This time, though, we’re heading up into the universe to learn All About the Solar System!

This solar system printable unit is packed with awesome outer space learning activities for elementary-aged students!

This is an excellent science unit for helping students get to know more about the planets that are in the solar system along with our Earth.

Read on to see how to get your copy! And, for more ways to learn about science, try some of these super cool water science experiments!

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

To use this All About the Solar System printable unit, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Glue
Pencils
Laminator (if you want to keep and reuse the flashcards)

This printable science lesson includes over 25 pages of activities!

Inside, you’ll find the following:

An introduction to each member of the solar system, with a fun mnemonic device for remembering the planets in order
A trace and write page for each planet in the system, as well as the sun and moon
A cut and paste solar system diagram activity where kids can label the planets in order (with answer key)
A solar system word unscramble activity (with answer key)

Kids can learn about each member of the solar system with this science unit.

Along with the introduction to each planet, kids can practice writing the names of each planet they learn.

A fun solar system jumble activity is included too!

Break out the scissors and glue for this solar system diagram!

If students are unsure which planet goes where, the introductory lesson is a great reference for them to use as they work!

Plus, our Solar System flashcards are inside!

Scroll down to get your copy of our All About the Solar System Printable Unit!Love this printable unit? Don’t miss these posts!

$These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!$

See more ways to teach science at home on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our All About the Solar System Printable Pack, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> All About the Solar System Printable Unit <<<

Free Printable Flashcards: Butterfly Identification Cards

May 13, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to share a new set of free printable flashcards with you (finally!).

We’ve been talking about spring for the past few weeks, but summer is around the corner and that means butterflies!

I’m not the biggest fan of bugs in general, but butterflies hold a special place in my heart. They’re beautiful, but they’re also incredible!

They go through the most amazing transformation known to scientists: the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Any creature that can do something like that is amazing in my book.

Today, I’m sharing a new set of flashcards: Butterfly Identification Cards!

These are perfect for learning to spot butterflies that live in your area!

If you love these, don’t miss our easy Toilet Roll Butterfly Craft for kids! And add our list of lovely children’s books about butterflies to your kids’ reading list!

Free Printable Flashcards: Butterfly Identification Cards

To use these butterfly identification cards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (for keeping the cards durable)

These colorful butterfly flashcards can help kids (and adults) learn to identify eight butterfly species, including:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Green Birdwing
Peacock Swallowtail
Theseus Morpho
Malabar Banded Peacock
Monarch Butterfly
Common Buckeye
Peleides Blue Morpho

These would be wonderful for a spring nature walk!

Put all of the cards on a ring and take them with you to see how many different species you spot in your neighborhood!

Scroll down to get your free butterfly identification cards!

Don’t miss these other spring learning ideas for kids!

Get more spring fun on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our free butterfly identification cards, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive these, and lots of other printables, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Look for your welcome email with the link and password you’ll need. NOTE: Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see the email right away.

Just use the widget below to sign up!

How to Plan a Science Summer with Your Kids

April 8, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Science is one of those homeschool subjects that I always end up putting off.

When I first started homeschooling, I would push it towards the end of the day when we’d finished all of our other subjects.

Science takes a while, because you have to gather up your supplies, set up any experiments, conduct them (which takes a considerable amount of time with kids), and then discuss what you learned.

After a few years, though, I really wised up and started saving science until after the homeschool year ended. So, instead of having school from August to May, we became year-round homeschoolers and planned a science summer with the kids.

I love saving science for summer, because I don’t have to worry about rushing through it after we’ve done our other subjects.

And what’s more, we have more time in the summer to explore the kids’ scientific interests with summer camps, field trips, and outdoor experiments.

Read on to see how you can plan a science summer with the kids this year!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Images c/o: Wavebreakmedia & pressmaster / depositphotos

How to Plan a Science Summer

Choose simple science experiments to try.

Is anyone else out there a chronic overplanner? I am. I can spend countless hours trying to research experiments for the kids to try and then run out of steam right when it’s time to actually do them.

That’s why I love BookShark. All of the science experiments are already planned for you. And what’s even better is that the experiments are age-appropriate, so you won’t have to test it and see if it’s too advanced for your child.

Plus, the experiment instructions are on DVD and you can see the experiment performed, which will give you an idea of what to expect after it’s done. A great way to avoid unexpected messes!

Schedule your experiments by week or concept.

Once you’ve chosen your simple science experiments, it’s good to plan how many you want to do each week or how many you want to for each scientific concept.

The BookShark InquisiKids science curriculum (for Level 1) has 100 different science experiments for kids to try, which is a LOT. So we’ll be narrowing down our choices to about 25 or so.

That way, we can conduct two science experiments per week of our science summer.

Do a science experiment supply check.

Now that you have all of your science experiments planned, you’ll need to do a quick supply check. It’s always better to have your supplies set aside now than try to do it right before you conduct an experiment.

Trust me on this. I’ve had to shelve several science activities over the years because I *thought* I had something that turned out to be missing.

With BookShark, you receive the needed supplies for your experiments along with your science curriculum, which is super handy.

But if you’re using a different program or your own experiment ideas, make a quick list of your needed supplies and head to the store before you get started. You’ll thank yourself later.

Ready to tackle a science summer with your kids? Take a look at BookShark’s complete curriculum options, including science, to make summer science planning a snap!

Don’t miss these other science learning ideas for the kids!

And see even more ways to make science fun on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

Learning about Animal Diets with Kids

January 14, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My kids, like almost all kids, love learning about animals. We’ve studied animal habitats, animals who are nocturnal and diurnal, and animals who hibernate already.

With our youngest, though, it was time to learn about animal diets: which animal eats what. And nothing makes that concept more real than a field trip to interact with actual animals.

Oh – and our animal diets lesson from BookShark was a huge help too!

Read on to see how we learned about herbivores and carnivores with our small students!

And for more hands-on ways to study animal science, don’t miss our Sharks Food Chain Game for kids!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Studying Animal Diets with Kids

We started our lesson with a section in BookShark’s Level 1 animal science curriculum. BookShark uses a book-based approach to learning and science is no different.

In the Usborne Book of Animals, we examined how different animals eat different things. Some eat plants and seeds (herbivores), while some eat other animals (carnivores).

Interestingly, you can usually tell which animal eats what by looking at the shape of their mouths and the shape of their teeth. That is, if you can get close enough to one to actually check that out.

After a bit of reviewing, our first grader learned how to distinguish the carnivores and herbivores.

But, there’s nothing like seeing animals firsthand to help kids remember what they learned!

So we took a trip to a nearby wildlife refuge to see some herbivores and carnivores up close!

We saw bison. (herbivores)

We met chickens. (herbivores)

This positively regal turkey was quite a sight. (herbivore)

The tropical birds were gorgeous, but incredibly loud too. (herbivores)

The kids even got a chance to feed deer by hand. (herbivores)

From far away, we spotted a white tiger. (carnivore)

As you can see, you can also tell what eats what by how close you’re allowed to get to the animal. 🙂

A very friendly zebra came up to the fence to meet us. (herbivore)

This sweet donkey was docile enough to be petted. (herbivore)

Finally, we met a grizzly bear, which we learned eats both plants and met (primarily fish). So we had a chat about the animals who aren’t really herbivores or carnivores – they’re omnivores.

Which is what most humans identify as too. I think my kids might be dessert-ivores, though.

If you want to get a closer look at how you can learn about animal diets with the kids, take a look at BookShark’s curriculum to see how the program covers animals for early learners!

Stop by to see these other ideas for studying animals!

And get more ideas for learning animal science on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

December 20, 2018 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

It’s time for another of our second-grade activities this week and today is all about states of matter for second graders.

Superheroes are all the rage right now and Pooh is a huge fan of them as well. So, when it was time to talk about states of matter in science, I thought I’d add a little “superpower” to our lesson. And I’m sharing it with all of you today!

Read on to see how we learned about states of matter with our Superhero States of Matter Printable Pack! By the way, be sure to grab our free Superhero Student Planner Pages as well!

Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

To use this superhero states of matter for second graders activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This printable second grade science lesson includes everything you need to demonstrate the three states of matter with a simple experiment.

The supply list tells you what you’ll need and the instructions, which are written to students, explain how to perform each step.

Printable observation sheets allow students to analyze the experiment’s results.

How to Use the Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson

In the second grade, one of the science objectives to cover involves discussing the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. To help Pooh see how matter can change state and to help him grasp the concept, we did a simple science experiment with water.

The prodcut explains exactly how to do the experiment – step by step. It’s written in a way that second-graders should be able to understand the directions on their own.

But a couple of the steps require adult supervision, so this activity should not be done independently.

We started by observing how water changes from a liquid to a solid after freezing.

Then Pooh wrote down his observations.

After the ice melted, we observed how the water had changed (once again) into a liquid.

Then it was time to learn about the third state of matter: gas! (This is where kids need adult supervision.)

As the water slowly boiled away, Pooh was excited to learn that it was evaporating – converting itself to steam (a gas). He wrote down his final observations and reviewed the experiment’s results.

Look! An actual gap-toothed smile!

Pooh had a blast with this and it was a “super” way to learn about the three states of matter in an hands-on manner.

Scroll down to get your copy of our Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson!

Like this post? Stop by and see these other science experiments you can try!

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

And get more tips for teaching science in your homeschool on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Superhero States of Matter for Second Graders Science Lesson, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> Superhero States of Matter Science Lesson <<<

Don’t forget to visit this week’s posts by the rest of the 2nd Grade Blogging Team!

Super Math Skip Counting from Sugar Aunts

Free Math Printable for Inequalities with Addition from Life Over C’s

Superhero Pattern Stones from Rainy Day Mum

Super Hero Reading Logs from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

I am a Super Hero! Writing Prompt from Creative Family Fun

Superhero Contractions Memory Game from School Time Snippets

Superhero Cityscape Art Project with Van Gogh from Preschool Powol Packets

Create your own Superhero Comic-Photo-Strip from Crafty Kids at Home

Super Hero Self Portrait from Still Playing School

How to Choose a Secular Science Curriculum

May 10, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When you think of a “secular” homeschooler, what comes to mind? You might think of a parent who supports evolution, practices atheism, or chooses not to follow religious beliefs. There are secular homeschoolers who fit this description. In fact, I personally know some who do.

But, this doesn’t describe our family. We’re deeply religious, but we still choose to use a secular science curriculum. Why?

It’s because many faith-based homeschooling programs include tenets that we do not personally subscribe to – particularly when it comes to science. So, we’ve always preferred a secular science curriculum that we can teach, while including our religious point of view.

Still, that’s made choosing a science curriculum somewhat difficult, because many secular programs don’t line up with what we want to teach our kids either. Fortunately, we’ve found one we like. Through our search this year, I discovered a few tips that helped us choose a secular science program.

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Images c/o: StockUnlimited

How to Choose a Secular Science Curriculum

1. Consider your educational goals.

First, think about what you want your children to learn this year:

Do you want them to get an introduction to the universe, to the science of Earth, or a look at the wide world of wildlife?
Are you ready for them to tackle basic chemistry or physics?
Do you want the kids to try lots of experiments themselves?

Science programs vary greatly. Some feature hands-on experiments and activities, while others are more lecture-heavy. Take your children’s readiness into account when deciding which program to try.

2. Decide which scientific principles are important to you at this age.

In the homeschool world, kids may learn at different grade levels, depending on the subject. A child who’s reading several grade levels ahead may need to stay at their current grade level or even *gasp* take a step back to get a good foundation in science.

That’s fine! Think about the age of your child. What scientific principles do you want your child to learn now? Look for a program that will cover those topics.

For our rising first-grader, we wanted to get an overview of all scientific branches: geology, biology, physics, and chemistry. So when we selected our first grade science program, we chose one that would give her an introduction to all of these.

3. Browse the program to look for possible areas of contention.

Once you narrow down your selections to a few programs, take a look at the scope and sequence, as well as the learning objectives, to see if there are any topics that may be a problem for your family.

Personally, I didn’t want to go through the trouble of finding (and purchasing!) a secular science curriculum only to skip several chapters of it. So I carefully read the program overviews to see if what was taught would suit us, or at least be easy to adapt for our family.

This year, we’ve decided on BookShark for our youngest child. She’s entering first grade this fall and BookShark’s science curriculum is an excellent fit for what we want her to learn this year.

While BookShark isn’t strictly secular, it’s faith-free. It doesn’t promote evolution, but it also doesn’t promote the “young earth” viewpoint. We can simply discuss what scientists have come to know and we’re excited to see what we can learn.

I’ll be sharing more of our journey with BookShark throughout this upcoming school year!

Read these other tips for choosing homeschool curriculum for your family!

See more tips for teaching science on my It’s Science! Pinterest board!

40 Simple Water Science Experiments for Kids

April 16, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Warmer weather means lots of water play and, for us, that means plenty of simple water science experiments to try with the kids!

Since we’ve been homeschooling, I’ve learned that science doesn’t have to be a complicated subject to teach. Many scientific concepts sound complicated (and really are amazingly intricate), but showing kids how they work doesn’t have to be complex. Turns out that you can use a few household supplies and demonstrate how scientific principles work in a kid-friendly way!

And that’s why I’ve rounded up 40 easy water science experiments that would be great to share with kids – either indoors or outdoors! Don’t miss our list of science experiments that you can do in just 15 minutes too!

40 Simple Water Science Experiments for Kids

1. Simple Light In Water Refraction Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Milk Jug Water Wheel Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

3. Float Vs Sink Experiment – Teach Me Mommy

4. Leak-Proof Bag Science Experiment – Fun Learning for Kids

5. How to Make a Lava Lamp – Coffee Cups and Crayons

6. Measuring Water Beads – Blue Bear Wood

7. Water Balloon Parachute – Fantastic Fun and Learning

8. Food Coloring Fluid Mechanics Experiment – Mama Smiles

9. Measuring Buoyancy Experiment – KC Edventures

10. Color Mixing Experiment – Science Sparks

11. Tide Pool Science Experiment – Buggy and Buddy

12. Floating Peep Boats – Sixth Bloom

13. Traveling Water Experiment – The Wise Owl Factory

14. Simple Water Displacement Experiment – Life with Moore Babies

15. Ripple Water Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

16. Why Does Water Rise STEM Experiment – STEAM Powered Family

17. Make a Rain Cloud In a Jar – Coffee Cups and Crayons

18. Water Xylophone Sound Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

19. Growing Mint in Water – Sloely

20. Sticky Ice Experiment – Capri Plus 3

See more of these awesome simple water science experiments on page 2!

Pages: 1 2

$These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!$

45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

April 2, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities are a staple in our homeschool lessons. It allows my kids to have fun and learn at the same time. One minute they might be mixing potions for a science project and the next working on a math activity.

But, of course, STEM learning isn’t just for homeschoolers. And that’s why I’ve rounded up 45 awesome and easy STEM activities that work great for classroom activities or after-school activities if you don’t homeschool.

Take a look at the list below to find some cool hands-on learning activities for teaching STEM subjects! And, for more science fun, check out our list of 40 spring science ideas for kids!

$These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!$

45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Floating Egg Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Expanding and Bouncing Egg Experiment – Blue Bear Wood

3. Simple Skittles Science Experiment – East Coast Mommy

4. Bottle Rockets – STEAM Powered Family

5. Nature Engineering Challenge – Share It Science

6. Build a Catapult – Science Sparks

7. Newspaper Trees – The Wise Owl Factory

8. Fidget Spinner Inertia Experiment – From Engineer to SAHM

9. 3D Phases of the Moon Activity – KC Edventures

10. Felt Circle Fractions – In Our Pond

11. DIY Inventor’s Box – Little Worlds Big Adventures

12. DIY Lego Launcher – Thriving STEM

13. Pipe and Water Play – Moms and Crafters

14. DIY Anemometer – Capri + 3

15. Compare Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Materials – Mother Natured

16. Wheels On the Bus Motion Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

17. Shark Coding Game – Life with Moore Babies

18. Build a Straw Hexbug Maze – Buggy and Buddy

19. Straw and Circle Glider – Red Ted Art

20. Weather Vs. Erosion Experiment – The Natural Homeschool

21. Building Block STEM Challenge Cards – Life Over C’s

22. Foaming Dragon Science Experiment – The Joys of Boys

23. STEM Paper Columns – Creekside Learning

Visit the next page for more easy STEM activities kids can do!

Pages: 1 2

40 Fun Spring Science Ideas for Kids

March 8, 2018 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Springtime is a great time of year to explore science with little ones! The weather is warming, the bugs are coming back above ground, and there are flowers growing everywhere!

If you’re looking for a way to make science fun this spring, these awesome spring science ideas are just what you need! There are so many great activities for exploring plant science, water, animals, and even hands-on experiments you and the kids will love this spring!

By the way, if you’re looking for even more fun spring activities, take a look at our rainbow playdough mats for fine motor practice!

40 Fun Spring Science Ideas for Kids

1. Floating Egg Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Seed Jar Science Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

3. Make a Rainbow – Life with Moore Babies

4. Parts of a Flower Learning Center – The Preschool Toolbox Blog

5. Dyeing Carnations Science Experiment – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

6. Make a Snail Habitat – Preschool Powol Packets

7. Chicken Life Cycle Printables – Natural Beach Living

8. Nature Scavenger Hunt – Crystal & Co.

9. Eggshell Seed Growing Science Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

10. Grass Caterpillars – Red Ted Art

11. Insect Investigation – Share It Science

12. DIY Butterfly Garden – Mosswood Connections

13. Egg Drop STEM Project – Buggy and Buddy

14. Kid-Made Nesting Supply Station – Thriving STEM

15. Butterfly Life Cycle Craft – The Preschool Toolbox Blog

16. Dissect a Seed Lab – Preschool Powol Packets

17. Planting Seeds with Kids – Buggy and Buddy

18. Make a Roly-Poly Habitat – Fantastic Fun and Learning

19. Grow a Pizza Garden – Share It Science

20. Simple Bug Hotel – Red Ted Art

Pages: 1 2

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

Simple Science Experiments: Simple Light Refraction Experiment

December 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 8 Comments

We’re continuing with our simple science experiments this week by taking a look at light refraction. I found a great light refraction experiment video on YouTube and decided to try it with Tigger.

Full disclosure: I didn’t know that refraction was what this experiment demonstrated. I actually had to look it up first. But the experiment is super easy and quick, so that’s a big plus!

$Simple Refraction of Light Experiment$

Check out this easy way to teach kids about light with this simple light refraction experiment!

And, if you like this one, try some of our other science activities, including how to make an egg float and our easy heat conduction experiment!

$Study the properties of light with this simple light refraction experiment!$

Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Watching the original light refraction experiment on YouTube will give you a great look at what’s involved in this activity. But you really only need four things:

A sticky note (I used a Post-It)
A marker
An empty transparent bottle
Water

$Experiment on Refraction of Light$

Draw two arrows on a sticky note. Make sure that each arrow points in a different direction. Stick the note to a blank wall.

Next, fill up the water bottle. Oh – put the lid on before you do this too! You don’t want water spilling out when you move the bottle around…lol.

$Simple Refraction Experiment$

The alternating arrows on the note point to the left and the right. Let the kids gradually move the water-filled bottle in front of the sticky note. As the bottle moves in front of the sticky note, something amazing happens.

$Investigating Light Refraction$

The arrows appear to change direction! The top arrow, which points to the left, appears to point to the right. And the bottom arrow, which points to the right, appears to point to the left!

Move the bottle back to see the arrows return to their original directions.

So what exactly is going on? We learned that refraction occurs because light bends when it passes through substances, such as water and plastic.

As the light travels through a substance, it becomes concentrated into a focal point, usually near the center. After light passes through the focal point, the rays cross over each other and cause images to appear reversed.

Turns out you can’t believe your eyes after all! 🙂

Books with Simple Science Experiments:

If you liked this simple science experiment, take a look at these books with even more easy activities! (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Don’t miss the rest of our Simple Science Experiments!

For more science homeschooling ideas, follow my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

P.S. Get more fun learning ideas in our email newsletter!

Sharks! – A Shark Food Chain Game

September 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

My kids, like most kids, just love sharks. They are totally fascinated with how powerful they are, how quickly they swim, and how they eat pretty much everything. In fact, I think that last one might be the thing they like most about them.

So I was ecstatic to get a copy of the gorgeous picture book “How to Survive As a Shark” from Innovation Press! As we read the book, we learned so many things about sharks that we didn’t know before, including how they sleep and what they eat!

And that gave me the idea to turn the shark’s diet into a fun file folder game! Read on to see how to get a copy of this shark food chain game for your kids!

Learn even more about marine animals with our list of beautiful books about dolphins for kids to read! They’ll love studying how these animals survive in such a harsh environment, even when sharks are swimming around!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

How to Survive As a Shark: Shark Food Chain Game

Most people (me included) think that sharks are at the top of the ocean food chain. But they’re not! There’s an animal that eats sharks! That was just one of the cool facts we learned from the gorgeous picture book “How to Survive As a Shark” by Kristen Foote and Erica Salcedo.

By the way, if you want to get the book for your kids, you can check it out through this affiliate link: How to Survive As a Shark.

In this story, a young shark gets taken under the “fin” of an older shark who’s survived some tough ocean battles over the years. He lost his eye in one and wears a wicked cool eye patch as a result.

Through the book, kids learn how sharks are born, what they eat as they grow, and what eats them! (I won’t tell! You have to read the book!)

After sharing the story together, we decided to make a simple shark food chain game to help my kids remember what sharks eat.

To use this shark file folder game at home, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Full assembly instructions are included in the product. Basically, you print the game and glue it inside the file folder. Page one should appear on the left side and page two should appear on the right. Cut out the game spinner (with arrow) and the two game pieces.

If you want the spinner to really work well, print it on cardstock or you can glue it onto cardstock after printing. Use the brass fastener to attach the arrow to the spinner and you’re ready to roll!

With this game, players take the journey of a young shark from infancy to adulthood. Seaweed is one of the shark’s first foods.

As they grow, they consume larger and larger prey. As adults, sharks may eat squid and even dolphins!

This game is designed for two players. Kids can use the included game pieces to travel the board.

The game spinner lets them move from one to four spaces. As they land on spaces with directions, they get to move forward or back.

The first one to the end wins!

This is such a neat way to learn what sharks eat and it helps to reinforce what they learn in the book in a fun, hands-on way!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Shark Food Chain Board Game!

Try some of these other ways to learn about the ocean!

And get more fun science teaching resources on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our “Sharks! Shark Food Chain Game”, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> Printable Shark Food Chain Game <<<

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Free Printable Flashcards: Leaf Identification Flashcards

September 7, 2017 by Selena Robinson 35 Comments

Fall is nearly here! I love summer, but fall wins out as my favorite time of year. The leaves change colors, the weather gets cool, plus we get to start baking and knitting!

For our free printable flashcards series this week, I thought we’d share some leaf identification flashcards! These are perfect for fall learning, but you can really use them anytime of the year. They’d also be great for a spring unit, since that’s when plants begin to flower again.

I am woefully ignorant about plant species, so I learned quite a bit by making these. I hope you and your children enjoy them as well!

Be sure to check out our other fall printables, including our Fall Sight Word Flashcards and our Fall Alphabet and Number Playdough Mats!

What’s In the Free Printable Flashcards: Leaf Identification Flashcards Set?

To use these flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (great for reusing the cards)

In this pack, you’ll find printable flashcards for eight different leaves, including:

Ash
Oak
Maple
Ivy
Fern
Birch
Grape
And Ficus

One set includes both the leaf pictures and names, a second set features the leaf names only, and another set includes just the pictures if you’d like to do a review or a matching game.

Free Printable Flashcards: Leaf Identification - Look! We're Learning!

Scroll down to get your free printable leaf identification flashcards!

Fall Leaves Books and Crafts

Make your leaf learning into a full unit study by pairing our Free Printable Flashcards: Leaf Identification Set with these books and crafts about fall leaves!

Books about Fall Leaves:

Fall Leaves Activities:

And don’t miss some of our other fall posts!

For even more fall fun, follow my Fall Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

To get your Free Printable Flashcards: Leaf Identification Set, click the image or link to visit our Store to download them!

>>>>> Leaf Identification Flashcards <<<<<

Plants & Trees Nature Study Notebooking Pages

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Solar System Flashcards

June 29, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Summer is a wonderful time for learning about the night sky and the stars and planets that live there. If you’re teaching your children to speak Spanish, these Spanish solar system flashcards are excellent for reviewing the planets of the solar system and working on Spanish vocabulary! Since there’s an English set included, these are also good for ESL students who are practicing their English.

Read on to see how to get your copy of these printable Spanish flashcards and how you can use them to work on Spanish language skills with the kids!

Enjoyed these? Don’t miss our All About the Solar System printable pack, which features a lesson about the members of the solar system, a solar system diagram activity, a word jumble, and more!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Solar System Flashcards

To use these Spanish solar system flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes five sets of flashcards:

One set of solar system flashcards with pictures and Spanish names
One set of solar system flashcards with pictures and English names
One set of flashcards with just the pictures of the solar system members
One set of flashcards with just the Spanish names
And one set of flashcards with just the English names

A pronunciation guide is also included. So you’ll have no trouble saying the Spanish names correctly!

Along with the eight planets, this set includes cards for the sun and the moon. They’re members of the solar system too! 🙂

We spent some time sifting through the English and Spanish sets. We gathered the English cards in one pile and the Spanish cards in another.

Then we spent some time matching up the sets in both languages!

The pictures are a big help with this activity. So if you want to challenge the kids, have them match the flashcards that show the names only!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Spanish Solar System Flashcards!

Check out these other solar system learning ideas!

And see more fun science activities to try with your children on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Spanish Solar System Flashcards, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>>>> Spanish Solar System Flashcards <<<<<

Science Experiments You Can Do In 15 Minutes

May 9, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Summer break is coming up and there’s nothing that keeps kids interested in learning like a great science experiment!

But if an experiment requires a lot of supplies or if it takes a super long time to show results, it can be tough to keep the kids interested long enough to observe it all the way through. Plus, who has time or space to work on a science experiment for days on end?

And that’s why I love these easy 15 minute science experiments! These activities are simple, quick, and educational – perfect for learning over the summer!

If you’re looking for a quick science lesson plan you can use with the kids, don’t miss our Superhero States of Matter activity! It’s a science lesson, an experiment, and an observation journal in one!

Science Experiments You Can Do In 15 Minutes

1. Gather a few supplies and let the kids learn how to make an egg float!

2. This seed jar experiment does need a few days to complete, but it only takes a few minutes to set up! And the kids won’t mind watching their seeds sprout!

3. Get the kids outside with this super cool colorful exploding baggie experiment!

4. Your kids will go nuts for this awesome hot ice experiment! And it only takes about 10 minutes!

5. Ever wonder how pinecones open in the fall? Set up this easy science experiment to learn how pinecones open!

6. Did you know that light can actually change direction? Try this simple activity to observe how light refracts in water!

7. Penguins are ingeniously designed. They swim around all day, but manage to keep themselves dry! Help the kids do this activity to learn how penguin feathers stay dry!

8. Add some glittery fun to your science lesson with this DIY sparkly explosion!

9. Plants will be growing all over the place over the summer. Try this colorful experiment to study how plants take in nutrients!

10. Let the young learners get involved with this cute expanding marshmallows experiment! And be sure to let them sneak a few as a snack. 🙂

11. Learn how cold air and water interact and create your own condensation!

12. Have you ever found an old penny on the ground that looked green? See how this happens with this turn a penny green activity!

13. It won’t be long before we’re watching the beautiful fall leaf colors in the neighborhood. Get ready for fall with this experiment that demonstrates how leaves change colors!

14. Heat is a powerful form of energy. It can even travel through solid matter! Set up this easy experiment to learn how heat conducts energy through metal!

15. Shock your kids by showing them how leaves “breathe” with this leaf respiration experiment!

Need more fun summer activities for the kids? Don’t miss these!

Plus, see even more summer fun ideas on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Useful Tasks You Can Do in 60 Minutes linkup at iHomeschool Network! Stop by to see even more quick activities you can accomplish in your homeschool!

25 Insect Activities for Kids

October 10, 2016 by Selena Robinson 11 Comments

Kids just love learning about insects! Maybe it’s because they’re so small. Or because they make grown adults (like myself) flee in terror. Either way, bugs are a super popular topic for learning in our family.

If you have budding entomologists in your home, they’ll love these insect activities for kids! There are printables, hands-on experiments, crafts, and games for kids of all ages who want to find out more about these amazing, creepy-crawly creatures!

For more buggy fun, try these cool picture books about bugs for kids to read!

25 Insect Activities for Kids

1. Bug Printables Pack – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Insect Sensory Bin – Stir the Wonder

3. Melting Insect Sensory Painting – Crayon Box Chronicles

4. Insect Small World – Childhood 101

5. Draw the Missing Half Insect Printables – Adventure in a Box

6. Insect Play Dough Prints – Learning 4 Kids

7. Insects Unit Study – Gift of Curiosity

8. Insect Emergent Readers – The Measured Mom

9. Montessori-Inspired Insect Unit – Living Montessori Now

10. Insect Nature Study Printables – Homeschool Creations

11. Insect Investigation Worksheet – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

12. DIY Insect Memory Game – Kids Activities Blog

13. Insect Hotel Activity – Teach Beside Me

14. Picture Books about Bugs – Look! We’re Learning!

15. Insect Counting Cards – Pre-K Pages

16. Build an Insect Activity – Handmade Kids Art

17. Insect Movement Game – Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

18. Insect Do a Dot Printables – Housing a Forest

19. Insect Lab Nature Investigation – Inner Child Fun

20. Indoor Bug Hunt – No Time for Flashcards

21. Melting Insects in Ice Activity – Learning 4 Kids

22. Learning about Insect Body Parts – Gift of Curiosity

23. Bugs in a Jar Math Game – The Measured Mom

24. Insect Alphabet Matching Game – Pre-K Pages

25. Ladybug Learning Activity Pack – Look! We’re Learning!

Don’t miss these other fun bug-themed activities!

Find more ideas for teaching kids about animals on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ABCs series! Read on to see other great posts!

After taking a break last year due to the arrival of Baby #3, we are back with one of my favorite series, the 31 Days of ABC! You can look forward to 31 more days of activities, crafts, books, apps, and more, all dedicated to teaching young children the alphabet.

I am so happy to be working with an amazing group of kid bloggers, who will be sharing their amazing ideas with us in the coming days. And this year for the first year we are also adding a giveaway, so be sure to scroll to the end and enter for a chance to win!

So join us as we jump, skip, hop, and read our way through the alphabet this October!

31 Days of ABC

Teaching the ABCs – October 1

All Done Monkey: Creating a Preschool Letter of the Week Curriculum

A – October 2

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: Apple Scented Glitter Glue and Apple Craft

B – October 3

Witty Hoots: How to Make Fabulous Button Bookmarks

C – October 4

Preschool Powol Packets: Construction Truck Preschool Action Rhyme

D – October 5

ArtsyCraftsyMom: Printable Dinosaur Alphabet Sequencing Puzzle

E – October 6

Preschool Powol Packets: Elephant Art Project and Thailand Lesson

F – October 7

Spanglish Monkey: Spanish-English ABC Flashcards

G – October 8

Royal Baloo: Simple Ghost Painting Project

H – October 9

Peakle Pie

I – October 10

Look! We’re Learning!

J – October 11

All Done Monkey

K – October 12

Preschool Powol Packets

L – October 13

Raising a Trilingual Child

M – October 14

Creative World of Varya

N – October 15

Peakle Pie

O – October 16

For the Love of Spanish

P – October 17

Little Hiccups

Q – October 18

All Done Monkey

R – October 19

Sugar, Spice & Glitter

S – October 20

Crafty Mama in ME

T – October 21

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

U – October 22

Witty Hoots

V – October 23

Creative World of Varya

W – October 24

X – October 25

All Done Monkey

Y – October 26

Our Daily Craft

Z – October 27

123’s – October 28

Hispanic Mama

Prewriting – October 29

Sugar Aunts

Books, Songs, & Apps – October 30

The Jenny Evolution

Alphabet Clip Cards – October 31

The Kindergarten ConnectionFind more great resources in 31 Days of ABCs 2013 and 2014!

Interactive Homeschool Science with Scanorama Books!

September 20, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I cannot tell you how much my boys love learning about animals. They get so excited when they get a chance to see animals up close or even just to read about them. A lot of it has to do with their fascination with the Wild Kratts, which is just fine with me!

In particular, my sons love studying animal predators. As typical boys, they love learning about big, strong animals that eat other animals. So I was psyched to get to try the Scanorama series from Silver Dolphin Books! One of the books is called Deadly Predators, which I just knew would be a huge hit with my kids. And they ended up loving it even more than I thought!

See why the Scanorama series is so popular with kids (even kids who don’t love to read) and enter to win one of your own below!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

How Do Scanorama Interactive Homeschool Science Books Work?

If you’re kind of puzzled about the name “Scanorama”, I get it. At first, I wondered what it was all about too. Here’s the simple explanation:

Titles in the Scanorama series let kids scan over images of animals and get an X-ray view of their skeletons. Did I mention I have typical boys? They were truly wowed by that feature, as you’ll see later on.

Oh – and see that book about dinosaurs peeking out from behind the Deadly Predators book? Read on for something awesome involving that one. 😉

There are three different titles in the Scanorama series available from Silver Dolphin Books:

Scanorama: Deadly Predators
Scanorama: Dinosaurs
Scanorama: Amazing Animals

We got a look at the first two. Take a look at the Scanorama series in action below. (This page is from the Deadly Predators book.)

See how kids can “scan” over the image and investigate how the animal’s skeleton contributes to its prowess? That’s just super, duper neat.

Plus, there is a LOT of information in each book about the kinds of animals covered. The Deadly Predators book contains sections about several types of predators, including scorpions, reptiles, big cats, sea mammals, and more.

Oh, and fair warning: There is a section about spiders, which contains vivid, full-color pictures of spiders. (Just so you don’t do like I did and drop the book in sheer terror when you come to that part.)

Learning about Big Cats with Scanorama Homeschool Science Books

When I handed the Scanorama series book Deadly Predators over to my boys, they had a short conference about which section of the book they wanted to cover first.

And, as I expected, they reached a unanimous decision: Big Cats. So big cats it is!

In the section, they got to examine five different big cats. And, since they’re already huge fans of wildlife, they knew some of the information. But, they were impressed at how long each animal was. I don’t think they had realized just how long a tiger can be before!

When they discovered the “scan” picture of the tiger, they truly came to life!

I had to keep telling them, “No. Wait. Let your brother have a turn.” and “You just did it. Let him try!” and “Okay, okay, everyone will get a chance.” I literally had two boys fighting over a book. That is an actual first in our household.

Even our preschooler wanted to get in on the fun!

Then we watched a short video about big cats. The boys really enjoyed it, as you can see.

Actually, they were laughing at the way the lady in the video says “jaguar”, but they were still learning something, I swear!

Finally, we took a look at the different kinds of prey each big cat eats.

And the boys did a quick matching activity using the diagram in the Deadly Predators book.

Finito! And we had all that fun just from one section of one book in the Scanorama series! Be sure to stop by and browse all three book titles and pick up one your kids will get excited about too!

Want one of these books for your family? Enter to win the Scanorama book of your choice from Silver Dolphin! TEN WINNERS will receive one of the three Scanorama books: Deadly Predators, Dinosaurs, or Amazing Animals! To enter, just use the Giveaway Tools widget below! (Books will be shipped to US or Canadian addresses only.)

Entry -Form

To learn more about the awesome books available from Silver Dolphin, follow the company on social media:

Now – for ANOTHER giveaway! 😉

Remember that Scanorama book about dinosaurs I mentioned earlier?

It’s just as awesome as the one about predators!

Right down to the scan-and-see-inside-the-creatures feature!

If you have kids that are dino-crazy, they’re sure to love this book!

So I’m giving it away to one of my readers! To enter the giveaway, stop by the Look! We’re Learning! Facebook page at 8:12 p.m. EST tonight! It’s the easiest contest in the world to enter, I promise. 🙂 Full rules will be posted and the giveaway will be open for a week, so you have plenty of time to enter and win!

Learning How to Use a Microscope in Middle School with Real Science-4-Kids

August 30, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My new middle schooler has always been interested in science. She loves examining nature and conducting basic experiments. One thing we had yet to introduce her to, though, was the microscope.

When I took college biology last year, I had my very first experience with a light microscope and it was awesome. So I was excited to show her how to use it as well.

But I wasn’t quite sure how to teach her microscope basics. After all, my college textbook was a little too advanced. I still wanted her to have a chance to learn it without me hovering somewhere nearby.

Enter Real Science-4-Kids! This homeschool science program for grade 6 offers plenty of hands-on biology lessons and experiments!

Read on to see how we used Real Science-4-Kids to teach our child how to use a microscope in middle school!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What’s Included in the Real Science-4-Kids Grade 6 Curriculum?

Real Science-4-Kids offers its science program, Exploring the Building Blocks of Science, in several grades, including grade 6.

The Grade 6 program includes the following materials:

Need a higher grade level? Exploring the Building Blocks of Science Book 7 will be released just in time for the new school year!

Initially, I didn’t think that I would need all three books. But as I examined them, I was extremely impressed at how clearly everything is written and how thorough (but not overwhelming) the program is.

The teacher’s manual is a sort of guideline for which lessons and resources to use and when. The student textbook is written directly to the student, so I was able to give the book to my daughter and let her read the lessons, define the terms, and follow the instructions herself. It’s a really great way to reinforce independent learning at this level.

The laboratory notebook is for students to write down and draw their observations as they conduct the experiments in the book. After all, the goal here is to raise scientists. 🙂

Want to learn more about Real Science-4-Kids? Listen to the program author, Dr. Keller, explain more about how the program works!

Learning How to Use a Light Microscope

Okay. Microscope time!

Ours is the My First Lab Ultimate Digital Microscope, which is monocular. But if you’d like a binocular model, the OMAX Binocular Compound Microscope looks pretty good as well. The student textbook contains a nice summary of the features to look for when choosing a good light microscope.

Unit 7 in the program deals with microscope basics. I assigned section 7.1 through 7.3 as reading. Then we started working with our microscope.

As you can see, my child was basically waiting for me to shut up so she could get her hands on the microscope.

To help her identify the parts of the device, we grabbed a few Post-Its and wrote the name of each part (corresponding to the diagram in the textbook) and then labeled them.

After that, it was easy peasy to fill in the diagram in the textbook!

As part of the science lesson, we looked at various biological samples under the microscope, including pencil markings and blood. Since we already had prepared microscope slides with a sample of frog blood, we didn’t have to prepare them, which saved time. But if you want to make your own slides, you’ll need to pick up some blank slides to get started.

First, we wrote down letters in pencil and examined them at 4x magnification and 10x magnification. Tigger wrote down her observations afterward and surprised to see how different the markings appeared at a higher magnification.

Next, it was time to examine a drop of blood under the microscope. This was really, really neat. At 4x magnification, we could see a pink mass with circles inside (the individual blood cells).

As we increased the magnification to 100x, though, we could see even more detail, including colors inside the individual blood cells. Following the experiment instructions, Tigger drew pictures of how the sample changed as the magnification increased.

I basically had to tear her away from the microscope afterward.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive (and affordable) grade 6 science curriculum, stop by and visit Real Science-4-Kids to pick up the Grade 6 Science bundle today! And science isn’t the only subject offered by Gravitas Publications! Visit the homepage to browse all of the company’s homeschooling helps!

Want to score this program for 30 percent off? Click the image below to get a discount on your science purchase through September 30! Or visit my referral link to get your savings! (Once you buy, you can also sign up to get your own referral link and get rewarded when your friends buy the program!)

Learn more about Real Science-4-Kids and Gravitas Publications by following the company on social media!

Get more ideas for teaching homeschool science from my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Learning about the Solar System for Kids

July 8, 2016 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

For our latest post in the Homeschool Unit Studies series, we’re talking planets with a lesson on teaching the solar system for kids!

Many kids are fascinated with space. I know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. We’re from Florida originally and I really, really, really wanted to go to space camp. But, alas, it never happened. I did ride one of those anti-gravity swings at Church Street Station in Orlando, though. Not quite the same somehow. 🙂

Now that my kids are developing an interest in space, I thought I’d put together a few resources for learning the solar system. There are videos, books, and activities below that make learning about the solar system even more fun!

Learning the Solar System for Kids

Watch the YouTube video and have your kids answer the following questions:

(Note: The last two minutes of this video include a hypothesis that states the solar system will cease to exist in 500 million years. Personally, I don’t think that’s true. And really how would any human even think they know what will happen that far into the future? But I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you want to skip it. None of the questions below are about that part of the video.)

How old do scientists think the solar system is? Answer: 4.5 billion years old
How often does the solar system circle the galactic center? Answer: Once every 250 million years
Name the four terrestrial planets in our solar system: Answer: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Name the four gas giants in our solar system: Answer: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Why does Mercury experience large temperature fluctuations? Answer: Because a Mercury year is shorter than a Mercury day.
How hot does temperature get on Venus? Answer: Up to 497 degrees Celsius
Why is Earth able to sustain life? Answer: Because temperatures are moderate enough to retain a water supply.
Name the largest mountain on Mars: Answer: Olympus Mons (It’s also the largest mountain on any planet in the solar system.)
What two gases comprise most of Jupiter? Answer: Hydrogen and Helium
How many moons does Saturn have? Answer: 62
What makes Uranus unique? Answer: Its axis of rotation is tilted sideways.
How long is a Neptune year? Answer: 164 Earth years
How much of the solar system’s mass is made up by the sun? Answer: 99.86%
Where is Pluto located? Answer: In the Kuiper Belt at the edge of the solar system

And for all of my oldheads, here’s a classic way to teach kids about the planets:

Of course, back then we said “nine planets”, but it’s still a good way to memorize each one. 😉

Books about the Solar System:

Read these great picture books as a way to introduce the solar system for kids!

Solar System Crafts for Kids:

These solar system crafts and activities are fun, hands-on ways to make the solar system real to little ones!

Don’t miss our free printable Solar System Flashcards!

And see more of our solar system activities below!

Get more ideas for homeschool unit studies on my Unit Studies Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Solar System Unit Study Roundup! Check out more great ideas to teach the solar system for kids below!

10 Fun Children’s Books about Space from Crafty Mama in ME

Learning about the Solar System for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

Children’s Astronaut Books from The Jenny Evolution

Melted Bead Planet Mobile from Schooling a Monkey

Stargazing Apps for Kids from iGameMom

Space sensory salt tray activities from The Usual Mayhem

How to Spot Meteors When Camping from FrogMom

3 Tips for Exploring a Nature Trail with Kids

May 6, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

As a bookworm, I haven’t been much of an outdoor mom. But my kids absolutely love the outdoors! So I’ve been making an effort to get them outside more often.

Which means I was psyched to join the A-Z of Outdoor Activities series! And for today’s entry (Letter E), I’m sharing 3 Tips for Exploring a Nature Trail with Kids! If you’re ready to hit the trail with your littles, see how we made it fun!

3 Tips for Exploring a Nature Trail with Kids

Let them set the pace.

Nothing makes a child hate something more than being made to do it on a timetable. I know, I’ve tried and failed at that with my kids.

When you get outside, everyone should be able to relax and feel at ease. And that means letting the kids set the tempo.

On our trail hike, the kids started off slowly…

…and then picked it up quickly afterward. I just told them to stay within eyesight, which they did (for the most part).

Stop and examine nature.

The whole point of a nature trail is to see nature, right? So, be sure to look out for interesting sights as you go. Don’t just focus on finishing the trail.

We came across this rotten tree trunk, which had become home to a spider web and lots of creepy crawlies. It was gross, but also kind of neat?

But it was mostly gross. 🙂

Have a goal in mind.

If your kids tend to lose interest in things quickly, you can keep them going along the trail by setting an endpoint as a goal to reach.

My kids needed the extra incentive of seeing something special at the end of the trail, so we chose a route that ended in a small waterfall. All the way down the trail, they kept saying that they were excited to see the falls.

And when we got there, they wanted to stay and just watch it for a while.

Seeing how the water “fell” and then formed a stream was pretty neat for them too.

They’ve talked about this experience almost non-stop since we left. And we’ve already made plans to visit the trail again! This was definitely a win for our family.

Want more ideas for having outdoor fun with your kids? Check out my Outdoor Play Ideas board on Pinterest!

This post is part of the A-Z of Outdoor Activities series from Crafty Kids at Home! Follow along to see all of the awesome outdoor activities shared this month!