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Hello, I'm currently an assistant teacher at Hidalgo Head Start, working towards my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. I'm looking for advice on how to effectively introduce science concepts to preschoolers. What are some hands-on activities or resources that have worked well for you in engaging young children with science and which themes do you think children could engage more?
In my experience at Head Start, I've noticed that hands-on activities attract more students. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance,
Paula Olivencia
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Hello Paula, great discussion post. A great hands-on activity that comes to my head specifically would be to plant seeds. It would be a great way to engage your little ones in a fun and educational way.
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Hello
Maybe you could try doing the activity Sink or Float which you will have different items of different and equal sizes and test them to see which ones the students believe they are going to sink or float. The lava lamp experiment is another one kids enjoy doing as well.
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Hi! To effectively introduce science to preschoolers, use real-life experiences like nature walks and field trips to spark curiosity and incorporate play-based learning through role-playing and interactive science centers. Hands-on activities such as superficial chemical reactions, sink or float experiments, and planting seeds engage young children and make abstract concepts tangible. Encourage observation and inquiry by setting up exploration stations and prompting open-ended discussions to help children make predictions and share their ideas! hope this helps!
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I agree with you that hands-on, and minds-on activities are the most effective for engaging young children in thinking about science concepts as they manipulate the materials. Take a look at the NSTA Science And Children journal's early childhood articles and columns. I wrote the Early Years column for many years and it continues with two other early childhood education experts. As an NSTA member you can access all the columns, going back to 2005 in the archived journals.
See the article in the NAEYC journal Young Children about finding quality resources for exploringing science topics with young children, To Pin or Not to Pin? Choosing, Using, and Sharing High-Quality STEM Resources. July 2019. Young
Children. 74(3): 79-85 By members of the NAEYC Early Childhood Science Interest Forum.
Peterson, Sherri, and Cindy Hoisington, Peggy Ashbrook, Beth Dykstra Van Meeteren, Rosemary Geiken,
Sonia Akiko Yoshizawa, Sandy Chilton and Joseph B. Robinson. hGps://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/
yc/jul2019/high-quality-stem-resources
Best wishes, Peggy
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Hi. Paula. I am also an assistant for a kindergarten classroom and the teacher I am paired with loves science. One of the hands-on activities that she loves to do at the beginning of the school year is to deal with germs. With little ones coming into the classroom not knowing how to wash their hands correctly, or the importance of good hygiene to avoid sickness, she loves to use the black light with germ soap to show them how germs are everywhere if not washed properly. They love it and are shocked to see how the germs are everywhere after we make contact with items, clothing, doors, etc.
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I agree with everyone suggesting hands-on activities for this age group. I have a 3 year old and they are very curious and want to try independent activities. I would suggest making puff paint with shaving cream, and outdoor activities.
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Hello!
One activity that I have seen many preschoolers thoroughly enjoy is watching the life cycle of a butterfly. Preschool teachers I have worked with will get real caterpillars in their classrooms so that students can observe how the caterpillar changes throughout its life. They will have the students draw the caterpillar as it changes, and use pasta and rice to create a visual of the life cycle. The students enjoy seeing the butterfly once it emerges from the chrysalis. Hopefully, you find this idea helpful!Life Cycle of a Butterfly Craft
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