Preschool is the natural age to ask questions and explore the world.
We kick off our FREE STEAM: Preschool Activities for STEM Enrichment Ecourse with our first Science challenge, observation, and classification of rocks!
What better way to explore your child’s natural curiosity than collecting, observing and creating!
You do not need fancy or expensive materials to do science investigations or experiments at home.
Now on to the challenge!
Activity 1 SCIENCE CHALLENGE:
Thinking like a Scientist: Collect and observe rocks.
This activity is re-printed with permission from STEAM:Preschool Activities for STEM Enrichment
Rocking Rock Collection
Learning Objective
Observe and describe differences in rocks.
Materials Needed
Assortment of Rocks
Magnifying Glass
Science Journal
Pencil or Marker
Directions for Activity
1. The child will collect rocks on their daily adventures outdoors. Tell him that a rock is a natural solid made up of one or more minerals.
2. Once a group of 5 or more rocks have been collected, encourage him to observe the shape, textures, weight and colors of each rock. Talk about what he sees. Use language rich words such as shiny, dull, smooth, bumpy, round, flat, heavy, light, and hard.
3. Allow the child to organize his collection in any way he chooses. Encourage him to then sort by certain attributes as described earlier. Find a place the home or classroom where this collection can be displayed.
4. After the collection has been sorted, choose one rock to draw in a science journal. Label colors, divots, textures, or differences in the rock that makes it unique. Write one sentence to describe the attributes of that particular rock. Preschool children may attempt to write these words on their own. An adult may also write the words dictated by the child in grown-up writing on the paper. This helps beginning writers make the connection between spoken words and written words.
Science at home does not have to be complicated with basic materials you can help your child develop their natural curiosity into thinking like a scientist
