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What are some good ideas for hands-on science lessons that get children interested in the world around them?

Hi Caitlyn, I am a professor of science methods at Temple University and I have been creating a YouTube channel full of hundreds of free science demonstration videos for young learners. The demos are all common core aligned and vary from Physical Science to Earth/Space science to Technology. Each one can be easily recreated in the classroom and I think that these may help to give you some ideas for hands-on learning. Inquiry learning is extremely vital to student engagement so you are on the right track. Here is the link to FunScienceDemos https://www.youtube.com/user/funsciencedemos/featured Hope that this is helpful, Dr. George Mehler Ed.D., Temple University

The video channel above me was very helpful. It's a great way to think of science.

A good science lesson for children that is hands on is planting in a garden or in the classroom. Students can chart the growth throughout a few weeks. 

Ii think something to get them interested in the world around them could be to have a moon journal. Every day they can draw a picture of what the moon looks like. Depending on the grade level you teach, I think this would be fun for them to make the connection of the phases of the moon.

What I feel (and mind you there is no research behind this) is that taking something incredibly mundane, like a leaf, or an apple, or dropping a ball and showing young students all of the amazing scientific principles that play into its existance can be really eye opening. 

One great Science lesson is a Magnet Scavenger Hunt around the classroom! 

One thing that you could incorporate when discussing weather is a cloud journal or flip book. One of the teachers at my school takes her students outside everyday to see what type of clouds are outside if any. They draw the picture and write down what type of cloud they think it is.