JoinAll Resources
Book Chapter
This activity is about observing seeds while they absorb water, change size, and become soft. Give a lima bean seed and magnifier to each child and suggest putting it into water. Invite the children to look at their seeds several times during the day...
Book Chapter
This activity is about observing the inside of soaked lima bean seeds. Give each child two presoaked lima beans. Have them loosely wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel and place them on a plastic plate. Allow the children to carefully unwrap their ...
Book Chapter
This activity is about planting a terrarium. Have each child choose a container and a plant and then follow the planting procedure. Place the terrarium where it will get plenty of light and have the children observe and describe their plants regula...
Book Chapter
This activity is about exploring an ear of corn. Encourage children to describe how the cornhusks feel, smell, and look. After a few minutes encourage children to find out what is inside the cornhusks. Then cook the corn so they can taste it. A foll...
Book Chapter
This activity is for investigating how heat changes things. Hand out some unpopped popcorn kernels to the children for observation. Then make some popcorn! This is a science investigation that they can eat so allow children to describe how it tastes...
Book Chapter
This activity is for comparing and grinding fresh and dried corn. Let children handle the dried and fresh corncobs and talk about what they see and feel. Give children time to explore and then put all the dried kernels in one bowl to soak in water ov...
Book Chapter
This activity is for using a variety of seeds to make a collage or wreath. Have the children help you begin saving seeds from fruits and vegetables and also from the plants around the schoolyard. Observe which seeds children seem to be most intereste...
Book Chapter
Pondering Pumpkins: The Outsides
This activity is for investigating the exterior of pumpkins. Select a few pumpkins of different sizes for small groups of children to observe and compare. Give the children time to look at and touch the pumpkins and then challenge them to figure out ...
Book Chapter
Pondering Pumpkins: The Insides
This activity is for investigating the insides of pumpkins. After finding out what children think the insides of pumpkins are like carefully cut the pumpkins in half horizontally around the middle. After their observation, ask the children to share w...
Book Chapter
This activity is about finding interesting objects in nature to make into a bracelet. Give children a bracelet by placing a piece of masking tape around the wrist, sticky side out. Then take a nature walk so they can make “nature bracelets” by pi...
Book Chapter
This activity is about looking for weeds when taking children on a walk. When back in the classroom, have them observe the weeds they pulled and put in their bags. Then have them tape all the weeds together on a big piece of paper to display with a h...
Book Chapter
This activity is about going for a walk to look for animals in the neighborhood. Encourage children to talk about how animals look, how they move, and what they eat and make a list on chart paper of all the animals they remember seeing. As a fun foll...
Book Chapter
This activity is about making observations of a tree over time. Choose a tree that is near the school and one that changes through the year. A deciduous tree—one that loses its leaves—makes the best subject. Visit the tree and repeat this activit...
Book Chapter
This activity is about visiting a nursery to observe plants, flowers, and trees. Encourage them to look for many different colors, shapes, and smells. If possible, bring back plants from the nursery for children to plant at school or to take home. ...
Book Chapter
This activity is about putting pieces of a branch together to make a whole branch. Take the children for a walk and encourage them to observe trees, with focus on the trunk and branches. Then show them the branch puzzles and challenge them to put a p...