A Sensory Science Curriculum for Kids

Welcome back to another week of the Love to Learn Linky! Thanks again to all the bloggers who are linking up their terrific ideas. This week I decided to feature a roundup of some of the best SENSORY SCIENCE ideas shared in the Love to Learn Linky since we began this summer.

Here in Ontario, Canada, we follow a provincial science curriculum that has 4 strands: Life Systems, Structures and Mechanisms, Matter and Energy, and Earth and Space Systems. So – I decided to gather SENSORY ideas for each of those 4 topical areas to create a well-rounded SENSORY SCIENCE CURRICULUM for kids!

I hope you enjoy trying out some of these awesome ideas with your child and maybe learn a few things yourself along the way.

Life Systems

Plants:

Teach your child about the parts of a leaf and the pattern of veins using playdough from Small People Big Ideas. This activity also has lots of language-building too!

Use this Clay Leaves Colour Changing activity from Mini Monets and Mommies as a starting point to discussing the science of why leaves turn colour in the fall.

Learn about the native “3 Sisters” of corn, squash and beans and how the plants help each other grow while exploring their textural qualities in playdough from One Time Through.

And speaking of plants, check out this fun Seedy CD art/science project (below) that explores seeds in a hands-on way while creating a little framed art piece.

Now discuss the Science of Decomposition after reading this post by Look We’re Learning! They’ve even got a few helpful kids videos embedded in the post that will be fun for your child to watch.

 

Animals:

Have your child play the role of a bird while learning how complex (and messy and FUN!) it is to make a nest – DIY Bird’s Nest by One Time Through. 

Mom Inspired Life has a bunch of really exciting, hands-on activities for inspiring kids to learn about dinosaurs, fossils and paleontology in this Dinosaur Dig post.

You have to check out this awesome activity for your future brain surgeon from Left Brain Craft Brain – Messy Play Brain Surgery.

Investigate the science of Sound with this hands-on activity from One Time Through. 

Structures and Mechanisms

Building Structures:

Your kids will absolutely love this bathtime Foam Block Engineering Challenge (picture on right) from Science Kiddo. 

Next, check out this awesome DIY Portable Tinkering Kit from Left Brain Craft Brain. It’s all about exploring different materials, constructing new ideas, and having fun!

Is your child “Frozen” crazy – build Elsa’s castle out of ice following these directions from The Well Nourished Nest. 

Mechanisms:

I can’t think of a better way to get kids involved in understanding HOW things work than to give them some real tools and let them disassemble real devices.

Check out this Tinkering for Kids adventure over at My Nearest and Dearest. 

Inspired?  Now try old phones, answering machines, wind-up toys, computers, and any other mechanical/electrical gadget you can think of – without the batteries of course!

Matter and Energy

Energy:

Get kids thinking about why we see certain colours with this simple Rainbow Shadows activity from The Way He Plays. 

Now head over to Stimulating Learning with Rachel and see how her kids investigated some coloured light combinations using rainbow blocks.

Physical Changes:

Enjoy making and using these beautiful water bead sensory bottles (picture on left) while teaching your kids about solids, liquids and gases from In The Playroom. 

Now confuse the heck out of them by making this Rainbow Goop – which has qualities of both a solid and a liquid!

Try making this new Play Gel (that the kids can help create) from an unusual source – from Science Kiddo.

Find out why ice floats at Planet Smarty Pants and then head over to Camilla and Roman to make coloured Ice Pirate Ships while discussing why ice melts.

Chemical Reactions:

Enjoy a feast for the visual senses with chemical reactions at Mosswood Connections’ Baking Soda Art and Science or at One Time Through’s Hopping Corn activity.

Make some beautiful Milky Fireworks here and then read about the science behind it here.

If you haven’t already tried the Ivory Soap Blowup Experiment, stop by A Little Pinch of Perfect for the directions for this amazing sensory experiment!

Earth and Space Systems

Earth Systems:

Help your kids learn about the processes of recycling, composting, and waste management with this Recycling Factory Sensory Bin and Earth Day Science and Math Bin from One Time Through.

Get kids thinking about Map-Making and geographic science with these hands-on Montesssori inspired map-making activities from Gift of Curiosity.

Read up on hurricanes and then make our DIY Hurricane in a jar.

Get this Artsy Momma’s tips for making a Tornado in a Jar.

Learn about gravity and the nature of water when you make a DIY waterfall using an idea from this Left Brain Craft Brain waterfall roundup.

Get even more tips for building a sensory Waterwall for your kids from P is for Preschooler.

Space Systems:

Get your kids thinking about gravity and the lunar surface with this Moon Science activity from Preschool Powol Packets. 

Make a homemade Film Canister Rocket from Science Kiddo. 

For an overview of ways to turn any simple scientific experiment or activity into an enriching LEARNING experience for your child, be sure to read our 8 Ways to Grow a Scientist post.

That’s it for today’s SENSORY SCIENCE resources.  I’d love to hear what you think about these ideas and if you have any favourite sensory science activities that you’ve done with your kids.  Leave a comment below!

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Be sure to check out other features this week from Left Brain Craft Brain – Wintertime Invitations to Play

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Now it’s time for some more links! I hope you’ll join me and a few of my friends for a brand new linky party.

Bloggers, share your posts every Thursday and watch as we round them up and share them all over the place. Almost anything goes, we’re just hoping your activities teach kids (or us!) something (science, art, cooking, behavior, crafting, parenting etc…).

The Love to Learn Linky is hosted by:

Left Brain Craft Brain (leftbraincraftbrain.com): Anne is an ex-engineer, current stay-at-home mama writing about crafty ways to encourage creativity (and brain power!) in our kids. Each of her projects gives kids the chance to learn about a new subject and do something crafty at the same time.

 

Totschooling (totschooling.net): Viviana is a blogging mom to a toddler and a preschooler, sharing ideas and resources for early education. She specializes in unique, hands-on printable activities that are educational, fun and inspire creativity in young minds.

 

A Little Pinch of Perfect (alittlepinchofperfect.com): Katie combines creativity, play, and learning for the perfect mishmash of fun activities that keep kiddos entertained throughout the day. She wholeheartedly believes in the power of play and feels that all activities naturally provide a fun way to learn.

 

One Time Through (onetimethrough.com): Sue is an Elementary School Teacher currently on leave to be at home with her preschooler son. She shares ideas for connecting and learning with kids through meaningful, play-based activities that nurture curiosity and creativity.

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Linkup removed to speed up page load.  My apologies, Sue