Easy {and Fun} Catapult for Kids to Make A catapult for kids to make is what we are featuring today! What kid doesn’t want to launch something across the room? Build a catapult to develop this love even more. Kids Activities Blog hopes your kids love this activity as much as our own do. Catapult for Kids to Make Before building our craft stick catapult, I showed my 3 year old how to turn a spoon into a catapult. Supplies needed: 7 craft sticks3 rubber bandsa milk capcotton balls {or other objects to launch} I then showed him pictures of catapults from Google images. Build a Catapult Stack 5 craft sticks together, and rubber band the ends.Stack 2 craft sticks together, and wrap a rubber band around the very end.Separate the 2 craft sticks. Catapult Science Now create a simple experiment using the catapult of your choice. Launch an object from the catapult multiple times and measure how far it travels each time.Launch different objects from the catapult and measure how far each object travels.Compare catapults. More Kids Activities
Science for Kids: Toothpick Structures When most of us think of science for kids we think chemistry and biology projects, but why not incorporate a little engineering for kids in there instead? I actually think building structures with kids is one of the most engaging science activities you can do together; kids love building things and they won’t even realize they are doing a fun science project at the same time! Plus this project takes just minutes to set up using materials you probably have on hand (did you save those packing peanuts from all your online purchases this year?). And be sure to scroll to the end of the post where we of course DESTROY said structures with a simple trick! This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers, plus it keeps this little blog o’mine afloat! Materials Biodegradable Packing PeanutsToothpicksSpray Bottle filled with WaterTray Instructions Step One Set up the invitation to play. You’re done! Looks Like Antonio Gaudi. More
Science for Kids: Balancing Robot (FREE Printable) Here’s a super fun science activity that really gets kids thinking! Children will explore balance and center of gravity by creating a balancing robot! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! *This activity was originally published on June 1, 2014 and has since been updated. This balancing robot science exploration has always been a huge favorite among my students! Materials for Balancing Robot Science Activity How to Make the Balancing Robot Print out the free printable on a sheet of white card stock, and color the robots if you’d like. To make the robot balance you’ll want to stick two pennies onto the hands of the robot. Here’s how we did it: Flip your robot over to the back. Press a penny onto each hand. Stick some more poster putty on the pennies. Press the second robot onto the back. Now you’ve got your balancing robot! Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity Here’s the fun part! Lucy’s favorite place was her nose! Other Resources for Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity
Ecosystems HD Curious Little Apps :: How It Works: Machines by Geek Kids Overview As parents and educators we are constantly responding to questions of how and why. With the help of How It Works: Machines children can get a close look at how nine different everyday machines work, including a car, a hair dryer, a lawn mower and a vacuum cleaner. They are encouraged to assemble these devices by dragging pieces of the inside mechanics of different machines to their illustrative see-through structures. Then they sit back and watch the parts work together and listen to their sound effects. We love the simplicity of the accurate and realistic mechanics in this app! Learning outcome How It Works: Machines encourages children to find out about how different machines work by watching their parts functioning together. This app suits inquirers – children who have an interest in finding out more about how the world works. Usability This iPad app is very simple to navigate. More info This iPad app encourages children to: Fun factor Negatives The Bottom Line
Second Grade Style: math games My Math Games Posts Part 1 and Part 2 are some of my most visited posts on my blog. I love math games! My kiddos last year loved them too! They begged to do Math Games! I knew that I would need to reorganize my games for the new school year. So it got pushed back until after school started. Our first unit for math is numbers in base ten/place value. Flash Cards - of course. The ever popular Bump from Sunny Days - My kiddos love, love, love this game! Addition Jenga - Picked up this original Jenga set at the flea market for $3 and then downloaded the free labels from Minds In Bloom. The kiddos simply build the jenga cube as usual and then when they remove a piece they have to solve it. Place Value Bulls Eye from What The Teacher Wants - I think this is my personal favorite because it helps the kiddos practice expanded form and because it's so fun! Slides and Ladders from First Grade a la Carte - To practice doubles facts! That's the beginning of the year line up.
Curious Little Apps :: The best educational iPad apps for kids Overview Monster Physics is an addictive creative app that encourages children to learn more about physics and explore physical phenomena that they will encounter in their daily lives. There are fifty missions where kids are challenged to complete tasks that involve a cute little monster, such as helping it reach some fruit to eat. Children complete these tasks by utilising a variety of parts and materials such as wheels, cannons, ropes, ice, propellers, wood and many more. Kids are free to use their creativity in the ‘Build It’ option, where they design inventions that allow them to experiment freely. Learning Outcome Children are encouraged to gain an intuitive understanding of physical phenomenon by trialling different strategies throughout the missions and by exploring the possibilities offered in the ‘Build It’ section. Children can also read a section that explains physics terminology in language that we believe that older children can easily comprehend. Usability More info Negatives
Math Games Ever wonder what to do with the kids who always finish early?? Well, during math time, my students get to play math games. When they finish their independent work, I look over their papers to check for understanding. When I know they've got it, I assign them a partner, and they play math games. The partner group chooses the game they would like to play for the remainder of math time. The kids enjoy playing math games. I use a pocket chart that has 10 slots (I think it was originally made to hold cd's). Click on the pictures below to view/save the game directions. Here are the cards that I use, too. And that's it!
Build a Bobsled Racer Activity adapted from the Museum of Science, Boston‘s Design Challenges, a program of hands-on activities developed to help students and visitors explore the engineering design process, and from the version modified for classroom use by California’s Tech Museum of Innovation. Click on link to view the educator’s guide (.pdf) Summary Teams of students in grades 3 to 8 learn about friction, forces, and the engineering design process by building and testing miniature bobsleds to see which can race down an icy slope either the fastest or slowest. Grade level: 3-8 Time: 20 minutes for the activity, 10 minutes for setup and clean up. Learning outcomes After doing this activity, students should be able to: Standards International Technology and Engineering Educators Association Energy is the capacity to do work. Next Generation Science Standards The Challenge Design a bobsled to race down the icy slopes as quickly or as slowly as possible. Materials Procedure Before the activity Activity 1. 2.Create. 3. 4.
Smithsonian Science Education Center A new e-Book from the Smithsonian Science Education Center Giant deadly hornets, gorgeous fluttering butterflies and stealthy crawling stink bugs: readers cannot tear their eyes away from these fascinating creatures. They can discover these and more mesmerizing world insects in Expedition: Insects, an e-book written, illustrated and animated by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. Expedition: Insects is aligned with national science standards for grades 3-5. Expedition: Insects was created for iBooks. Read Online