I was GREATLY inspired by Cassie Stephens post of Science Experiments in the Art Room that I had to do it in my classroom too. This last week we worked on 'discovering' what colors the primary colors can make with 4 different experiments. This was REALLY engaging for the 1st graders. I plan to do a version of Mrs. Stephens project next week as we reflect on the experiments that were done this week in art class. Her lesson/project is shown below... This is a quick video of the learning happening in my 1st-grade classes. I've noticed that the right answer on a worksheet and the right answer in a science experiment, creates a different reaction in children... Take a look and see what I mean. So here's how the day played out. I set up science kits for each table. Each kit had for sections and the materials for the four experiments I had planned for the students. I have some flipped videos, here is this play list of the instructions that the classes got in between each experiment. I love using flipped lessons, it really helped for this lesson because I could buzz to the back of the room to make sure I had everything set up for the next activity. I have to do on the spot 'set up' because of the lack of time in between classes. Flipped lesson help me with this tremendously! Between watching the video and starting the experiment, I asked the students to PREDICT what was going to happen in the experiment. Another management tip for this lesson is to appoint a lead scientist. This person is identified with safety goggles. I was shooting for groups of 4 so each person would have the opportunity to be the lead. The first experiment was 'THE COLOR CREEPER'. I did this one first because this one takes some time to work. They were able to look throughout the hour to see how it had changed. When completed with each activity, the students would come back to the carpet to hear about the next experiment, they would also switch the safety goggles. The next experiment was by far the most exciting!! Let me shown you... I learned how to make these awesome baking soda stones from Science Spark. These were a little bit of preparation, but well worth it! Did you see the excitement of these kids!! To be honest, it was hard to keep them calm on this science experiment... but isn't that what we want... to blow our kids minds? Then the coffee filter color blend. This was actually harder than I thought at this time of the year. I hardly have any juicy markers left. The students had fun with the spray bottles for sure! I loved to look at the scrap paper that the students used after they left class. How beautiful is learning! Finally, about two weeks ago I asked parents of 1st-graders to see if anyone could donate homemade playdough. I have the recipe that I found years ago (sorry I don't have the resource) that I share in my email. They sign up on a google doc. I had just enough parents offer that I didn't have to make any myself this year. After teaching this lesson once, I found that this demonstration was needed to help students understand how to prepare this experiment. I explained that they should have 3 new colors when finished (not one big icky color). Because the materials were donated, students were able to take the playdough home with them. This was VERY exciting for most first grade students. So, there it is... Day one of Color Discovery. Can't wait to share about day two :)

In our outdoor classroom, we continued our "I Can Day" by adding tin cans and magnets to our discovery table. In each jar behind the cans was a different kind of DIY magnet for the children to use with the tin cans.

Check out Brynlee532's artwork on Artsonia, the largest student art museum on the web. Don't forget to join the fan club and leave a comment on the website.

Preschoolers will use blocks to plant a rainbow in this book-based activity.

Dinosaur Discovery Eggs are great for kids of all ages! Learn about dinosaurs, science, and more in this STEAM project. STEM for Kids and preschoolers

So, last week was Pet Week, and the next week was... Farm Week! I wanted to come up with a fun craft/art for the kids to do, that would tie in with the theme, but be something that we could hang on the wall and show off to their parents. I remembered this craft we made one time (in church or school, or with my mom- who knows!) where we made animals with clothespin legs. I wanted the kids to cut out the pieces, because we're learning shapes, and practicing fine motor skills, like cutting. I used the bottom of a hand sanitizer bottle (or germy, if you're 4) for the body, which made a perfect oval shape. Then the paper clip holder was the perfect size for the head. I traced these on pink paper, for the kids to then cut out. Then, I had this awesome construction paper that was different skin tone colors. I took the caucasian color out. I traced a smaller circle for the snout, and two triangles for the ears. Then I had clothespins, googley eyes and pink pipe cleaners (or chenilles) for the tails. They all named and cut out the shapes, and glued them together. Then, they drew on two nostrils, and glued on the googley eyes. They colored the clothespins pink (a pink highlighter worked really well). I helped them twist the pipe cleaner on a thin marker and attach it to the pig's bottom. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Cutest things ever! Once the kids made theirs, I had to make one of my own! I took pictures of all the kids with their pigs, and gave them to their parents. Then, I made a "Pig Pen", and attached all the piggies to it, so my kids could show them off to everyone who walked by our room. So broken down, here is what you need for one pig: 1 oval shape for body 1 large circle for head 1 small circle for snout 2 triangles for ears 2 googley eyes 2 clothes pins 1 pipe cleaner, wrapped around a pencil Pink highlighter Black marker Glue stick For a snack that week, I bought them Milk Straws from "got milk?". (Because milk comes from cows, and cows live on farms.) They were a big hit! We also had animal crackers. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was Farm Week in our K4 class!

Owls at Night {A Directed Drawing} 1 comment Directed Drawing, Owls, Tutorials I think it is safe to say that I have a new classroom obsession...directed drawings. While they aren't completely new to me, I have certainly been doing more and more of them lately. We recently made these super cute Owls at Night drawings. I love how directed drawings require the students to stop, listen, and think. There is nothing impulsive about a directed drawing. I always tell my kids to watch me carefully as I model the drawing, one step at a time. Then, I tell them to think about what they just saw and how that should look on their own paper. I encourage them to visualize what it should look like on their paper before they start drawing, and as they draw it. Aside from working on listening skills and attention to detail, I also love how directed drawings give my students the confidence to try new things in their own drawings. Here's a look at our latest batch of drawings. They are so darn cute! I used these steps to walk students through the drawing process. I had them draw with pencil first, and then they traced their lines with a Sharpie. You can grab a free copy of the steps by clicking HERE. Once we drew the owl, the students used a white crayon to create a night sky. Some students drew stars. Others drew asterisks. Drawing stars is still tough for some second graders, so I showed them both options and let them choose the style they were most comfortable with. Then, it was time to paint! We used watercolors, and the kids thought it was pretty cool when the stars "magically" appeared once they painted their skies. #crayonresistforthewin Since we were painting owls at night, we discussed the types of colors we might want to use for the background. We agreed that black or dark blue would work best, but sometimes, watercolors aren't always as dark as we'd like them to be (and, that's OK). They look great hanging on our wall and the kids are so proud! DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Toodles! Share It:

Learn about your senses with a 5 senses sensory station for preschoolers! What can you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch?

Looking for a quick and easy STEM activity? This one is also a STEAM activity! Let's Make a Robot combines math, art and design. Kids will create a design using shapes then personalize their robot.Then they will record the number of shapes they used. This makes a great display for your classroom or home.

We’re having some cowboy fun this week and pulled together a quick cactus craft after rounding up some cucumbers, toothpicks, and tissue paper. It was so

Lean how to spark curiosity in kids with easy to set up preschool science centers and science tables. Kids learn to think like scientists!

Bring wonder into your classroom with these easy to make discovery bottles! There is just something about pinecones and pine needles that are so inviting and so beautiful. I wanted my students to take a closer look at the pine needles so I made up a few pine needle discovery bottles to add to our classroom

Create a simple fall STEM activity with a pumpkin discovery table. Measure and weigh pumpkins to work on early science and math skills.

Every once in a while I do an activity with my kids that is so super awesome that I want to scream from the rooftops “You must do this immediately!” Making a zip line with your kids is one of those activities. This was easy, super fun and a great way for our entire family to create and experiment […]

Check out 40 Pumpkin STEAM activities to help your little one bridge Fall themes with some fun learning. This round up of Fall themed STEAM learning will be a huge hit in your home or classroom.

10 fun activity books with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art & math) ideas for kids.

Looking for STEAM activities to challenge your children? I designed 30 STEAM activities presented as stimulus prompt cards. They engage and challenge my children as they explore concepts in S cience, T echnology, E ngineering, A rt and M ath. STEAM activities take STEM activities to the next

If you’re looking for a plants activity so your students can apply learning in plant needs, parts/functions, adaptations, life cycles, cells, photosynthesis, and/or genetics & heredity, this STEM / STEAM challenge is a perfectly engaging way to get the job done joyfully!

Are you grossed out with the thought of using toilet rolls in crafts for kids? Would you be okay to try out a snowman STEM activity with a toilet roll? If not, close your eyes and pretend I am using a paper towel roll. (But I'm not... and I may have dug it out of the

Weather for kids is a really fun learning adventure. We have found the best activities about weather around for toddlers, preschool, Kindergarten, 1st

Create a time capsule for kids filled with lots of keepsakes, included a height ribbon and a letter to their future self. Printables available

Hi friends! I'm here today to share about a quick, easy, and FUN experiment that I recently did with my first graders. This experiment in...

The first day of school was an orientation day for Kinders and new kids. We had a very shortened schedule and I saw the Kindergartners for about 10-15 minutes. I never feel like I know what the best use of that time is, because it is too short to do any real art projects and it is the first time I am meeting them. So, I decided to read them a story about colors and then do a simple coloring … Read more... →

Put together a simple and fun ocean activity in a discovery bottle with sand, water, shells, and sea creatures.

This adorable polar bear gets its wonderfully fluffy texture from a mix of shaving cream and glue!

Kindergarten Gardens Inspired by Andy Warhol Our youngest learners enjoyed painting with a variety of painting tools including ...

Children can explore the world with easy, hands on Geology activities including with an erupting volcano, land form diorama, or Earth Layers Model!

There are many benefits to having a Preschool Science Interest and Discovery Center in your program! Preschool Plan It shows you how to set one up here!

If you have blocks in your house, you need to try out these STEM building challenges with kids! Printable challenge cards available.

It is that time of year again! Snow begins to fall and as we draw nearer to the start of winter, it is a good idea to begin planning our cold weather activities. We have 10 fun and simple snowman activities to share with you today...

Discover 5 must-have block play materials for your preschool or kindergarten block center to optimize social skills, learning, and engagement.

Kindergarten students are learning about Georgia O’Keeffe. After learning about her and her artwork, we began a simple drawing lesson with flowers. We used black crayon to draw our flower. I …

Roll and collect keeps my kids engaged in hands-on learning in one-to-one correspondence, counting and comparing numbers and sets with numbers 1-10. This activity could be used as a whole group activity, small group activity, or at a math center.

Simply and easily make a no-rust magnetic discovery bottle that is calming and fun to play with. It also has sensory benefits too!