My son recently received the 4M Kidz Labs Crystal Mining science kit for his birthday. He LOVES these excavation kits (see this post about a similar kit, also made by 4M.. Paleontology Play: Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit – Velociraptor). My son is super into rocks and minerals these days, so this was a timely gift. … Continue reading »
We’ve used some fun magnet science kits in the past, but the way my son likes to play with magnets best is through building toys. We have three different kinds… Magna-Tiles, Magformers, and Geomag. I credit my son’s strong understanding of geometric shapes to playing with these magnetic toys. Geomag building kits come with magnetic … Continue reading »
Some of you requested that I post updates about the growth of the seeds we planted in our root viewer. Here’s what we saw on day eight! Interested in making your own root viewer? Check out the directions here… Kid Science: Make a Seed Viewer. *** Weekly Photo Challenge: Change Continue reading »
What cool insect, arachnid (spider), or mollusk (snail) activity can you find around your yard? Has your child watched a spider spin a web? How about ants marching along on a mission? What about a snail eating a plant? Give your child the time and space to observe these small creatures in their natural environment… … Continue reading »
Seeds… how incredible that plants of all sizes can grow from such a tiny thing. If you’ve gardened with a young child, you’ve witnessed their fascination and wonder at the mystery of plants. To give your child the opportunity to actually witness the growth of a plant from the first roots shooting out of the … Continue reading »
Owls are fascinating creatures. They have a special organ (gizzard) that stores the undigestible parts of their prey, preventing these parts (bones, teeth, fur, feathers) from proceeding through the digestive tract. The gizzard compresses these parts into a pellet which is later regurgitated. This is a pretty simplistic explanation. If you’d like to learn more, … Continue reading »
My son has played with a few of these kits in the past, and he absolutely LOVES them. This one, Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit: Velociraptor, is made by 4M Kidz Labs, and it was exactly what my son was hoping it would be…. a plastic dinosaur skeleton hidden in a block of plaster. The kit … Continue reading »
As I sit here at my computer with the backdoor open to allow some fresh air into our home, I’m listening to the lovely sound of frogsong. The chorus is coming from the creek on the other side of our backyard fence. Up until today, we’ve only been hearing one frog at a time. Suddenly, … Continue reading »
For those of you with kids in the 5-12 age-range, I highly recommend you check out The Magic School Bus Science Club, offered through The Young Scientist Club (www.theyoungscientistclub.com). By joining the club, you’ll receive twelve Magic School Bus science kits, one mailed each month of the year. The cost is about $240/year, but … Continue reading »
This past weekend, we attended a fun nature class at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. This free class for children aged 5+ and their family, called Family Nature Hour, is held on Saturday afternoons throughout the year. Each week a different concept from the natural world is covered. The one we attended on Saturday … Continue reading »
A fun activity to do a few days after a good rain is head to a nearby creek and look for animal tracks in the mud. We went on this kind of walk yesterday in the nature area near our home. As we walked to the area, I asked my son what animal footprints he … Continue reading »
The final project in our three-part geology series, tailored for early elementary aged kids, is about metamorphic rocks. The focus of this experiment is to show “rocks” can change through heat, compression, and time. The “rocks” in this project are actually cookies. We made cookies, making some observations about the “minerals” (ingredients) we put into … Continue reading »
This the second in our three-part exploration of rocks. I’m teaching my 5-year-old about the three kinds of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic), what they are made of, and how they are created. All three science experiments are being conducted in the kitchen. Today, we’re learning about sedimentary rocks. *** First, discuss with your child … Continue reading »
I found each of the experiments in this three-part geology series for young kids in the book, Kindergarten Success, by Jill Frankel Hauser. The first, from the book, is “Igneous Meltdown”, an exploration in how magma (rock melted deep in the earth from heat and pressure) flows out of the earth as lava, which, as … Continue reading »
If you’re ever in the Eastern Sierras near Mammoth Lakes, you’ve gotta check out Devils Postpile. This place is incredible, and unlike anywhere else I’ve visited in California. The only other place I can personally compare it to is the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. Both places have these fascinating basalt hexagonal columns. You have … Continue reading »
As I wrote the other day (Let’s Count Stars!), we enjoy participating in citizen science projects. It’s a fun way to contribute to scientific research and learn about science at the same time. I wrote earlier in the week about participating in the Great World Wide Star Count. Perhaps stargazing isn’t your thing, but you’d … Continue reading »
I’m always on the lookout for citizen science projects that would be fun to do with my son. I believe it’s a great way to teach science and get kids involved in a real-life project. Of course, this isn’t just for kids! Participating in citizen science projects is a wonderful way for people of all … Continue reading »
While my husband was warming up for his bike race on Saturday (see post here… Cyclo-Cross, Monterey Style), my son recommended we follow one of the nearby trails and go bug hunting. Excellent idea! We keep exploration tools (bug viewer, magnifying glass) with us at all times, so we’re ready to go whenever inspiration strikes. … Continue reading »
A couple weeks ago, Let’s Go Chipper posted instructions about how to create a box for storing a rock collection from a recycled egg carton. Perfect! My son collects rocks everywhere we go. So we made the storage container this week… Interested in doing this with your child? You’ll find the instructions here… Chipper Recycle … Continue reading »
I’m currently reading the book, What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World, by Jon Young, which is about awakening our awareness of the behavior of birds in order to deepen our connection with all the wildlife surrounding us. Ultimately, the author is helping us to reconnect with our own … Continue reading »
Yesterday afternoon, we attended a festival held by the East Bay Regional Park District at Shadow Cliffs in celebration of the Transit 0f Venus. While checking out the sun through the telescopes was pretty cool, the highlight for my son (other than playing in the trees with his friends) was making s’mores in a pizza … Continue reading »
We’ve been making progress in planting our butterfly garden, and now we’ve moved onto the next phase… bees! I’ve been researching citizen science programs that might be fun for me and my son to do together. I love the idea of being a citizen scientist, helping in our own way to assist real scientists by … Continue reading »
We’ve been staying home a lot this past week while my son’s been sick with a cold. One afternoon, he asked, “Can I dig for dinosaurs in the backyard?” We have a section of the yard that isn’t landscaped, so that was perfectly fine with me. Dinosaur digging can be done in a patch of … Continue reading »
