Explore! STEAM for preschoolers: Sensory

September 11 at 11:00 and September 12 @ 10:00 with 30 and 45 participants respectively


The program was very successful. It was the first meeting for me since this is the start of the new school year and many of the regular attendees have now started kindergarten.  A very interactive and interested group of children, and adults did a great job leading children through discovery.

I read the book Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev---it was a very loose tie in to the shredded paper activity as the children were looking for cats in the box.  Great for asking interactive questions while reading it.

Materials Used:

Flour, water, trays, dish, ½ cup measure, Tablespoon & spoons…The children measured ½ cup of flour into the dish that was on their tray.  This gave them the chance to feel & smell their own dish of flour. Water was added a tablespoon at a time.  This gave the child/adult pair the opportunity to talk about how the consistency changed with each addition and to feel the changes as they mixed the two items together.  Spoons were provided for children who have sensory issues.

Tactile items-sandpaper, contact paper, variety of fabric textures-this station gave them the opportunity to predict how the item might 

What worked and what didn't:

The flour/water station was by far the biggest hit.  The majority of children did not want to leave the station and after thoroughly drenching the dish with water they dumped it all out and started all over again.  The digging through the boxes of shredded paper to find the plastic cats was the second most popular.  They enjoyed the process of touching the shredded paper and digging through it.

The least successful was the “feely” box (not pictured)-it lacked appeal and excitement for them.

Set up:

Flour/water station

Flour/water station

Texture station

Balloon and item prediction

   

Shredded newspaper and buried plastic cats

Flour and water station:

 

When this child started he did not want to put his hands in the mix. Through careful guidance, Mom encouraged him to try and by the end  he was totally immersed in mixing and exploring.

Texture station:

This dad had the most awesome interactions with his son. The questions he asked were right on the mark!

Shredded Paper:

Lab Rats: Book Dominoes

In February I took over our monthly school age science program from our usual science pro, who will be out on leave any time now. She took pity on me and passed me an idea she'd been sitting on that is low on prep and supplies and high on fun: book domino chains!

How To

I stored weeds and triplicates for about a month, particularly hardback J Fiction, and ended up with about 10 boxes of books. Honestly, I could have saved more. They were all processed before the program so afterward I simply boxed them back up and sent them off in delivery.

If you're not lucky enough to work at a big branch in a larger system you could collect sooner, host the program during a heavy weeding period, or have volunteers help you pull a ton of stuff from the shelves and put them back nicely afterwards.

Lately, the format of Lab Rats is to present attendees a challenge, in this case to make a book domino chain including a 180 degree turn. I provided a whole list of questions for those that wanted to stretch the challenge. I also wrote up a quick and dirty explanation of energy which a few parents stopped and read aloud before leaving the program.

Finally, I showed Seattle Public Library's record-setting book domino chain video on our iPad to inspire everyone. I also provided yard sticks in case anyone wanted to measure their work. Otherwise, there were no supplies required. 

Here's how I presented the challenge. Please, feel free to use the text but not our mascot, Nicodemus.

After the first group of kids completed the challenge they began making longer and longer chains, eventually deciding to use every book available to create a chain around the room. Here is the result:

All in all, 30 people attended and most stayed between 30 and 45 minutes. Not too shabby.

Lab Rats: Summer Reading Edition

Elsbeth wrote a quick guest post for us about her successful Dig Into Reading science program. Let's check it out...

Summer reading has begun and we just had our first summer science program. I called it “Join the Dig!” It was a mock archaeological dig activity.  

I set up our “dig site” by laying out a grid of boxes that I'd filled with shredded paper. I buried about 5 “artifacts” in each one. I used primarily leftover summer reading prizes from years past, as well as some things like fake bones that were made in advance from air dry modeling clay.

When each kid arrived they chose a box or “unit” to dig. They also were given an excavation map so they could record the location of their finds, as well as some "tools" for excavating.  Once they recorded the location of each artifact, I provided artifact tags they could fill out and place with their new found treasure in a baggie for taking home.

The kids had a great time digging.

I was pleased to have very enthusiastic parents in attendance. They were all happily digging with their kids and helping them record their finds. 

Thanks, Elsbeth! Want to get your hands on the artifact tags, excavation maps, or other support documents? Just comment below and we'll get back to you!