Weekend, vacation and Science !

For most of you, it is a beginning of the summer vacations. I am so glad that summer is here finally after 6 months of long long winter !

Summer is a good season to do outdoor science activities, for example, exploring plants, insects and doing living and non-living activity is so much fun! The activity which I will show you now is a multipurpose activity. So, it has living and non-living objects and enhances vocabulary. It is nicer to do this activity with a group but it could also be done with 1 or 2 children.

Like I had said that presentation is very important. For this activity, we need paper bags equal to the number of children including yourself, colors/crayons, art paper and a pencil. Give away some paper bags to children which they can color as they like, to make it more interesting add some craft materials like sequences, glitter, stickers etc.  When the bags are ready and looking pretty, we will try to create a suspense. So, whisper, " Do you know what we will do with this bag? " Children will think and share their ideas. Say, " We will all walk outside, remember - 'walk', and pick up anything you see on your way. When I call everyone, we will have a circle time with your things in your bag kept safely. Do not open your bag !" Children will ask you questions, and fun begins.

Here, the pictures I took are from my training at NEMTEC. We girls got all sorts of things. I did this with children too and we had lots of fun !

So, we are in the circle, and teacher says, " In my bag I have a twig ! I can do anything with a twig. It does not eat, sleep or walk. It does not need air and water.  So, it is a non-living thing. If you have a twig or a branch keep it here." pointing at a column and label it twigs. You can also label them as Living and Non-living things as a variation. Follow the same step by taking things, talk if it is a living thing or a non-living thing, and label them. For a living thing I would ask questions like, " Does it breath ? Does it walk ? Does it need air and water ? Do they reproduce ? " So, I have to make a child's mind think and wonder, and s/he should be able to give the answer. If they do not give any answer then I would compare a living and a non-living thing in front of them. Ask questions gently, and let them think.

there is everything in here.

Counting how many children got that object

Somebody found this big mushroom. Children will get different insects too, so a good place to do this activity is outside in a garden or a park.

Children sometimes get their favorite objects from the garden like my favorite object is a rock. And I share this with them. I tell them," My favorite non-living thing is a rock ! What is your favorite non-living thing ?" So, I am playing a game with them keeping the non-living and living things in my mind. We talk a lot about living and non-living objects while playing. I give some important information about a rock formation or how the leaf gets it's color or anything I would know at the back of my mind.

You can also read a book on living and non-living things. Some books are :

By Elizabeth Rose

What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld explains how to tell the difference between living and nonliving things

by Carol K. Lindeen

What is a Living Thing by Bobbie D. Kalman

OR, you can sing a Am I Living ? song ( Tune : Are you sleeping ) !!!!!!!!

Am I living, am I living?
Yes I am, yes I am.
I need food, air, water.
I do reproduce, I do have young.

Am i living, am I living?
No I'm not, no I'm not.
You don't have to feed me,
Air and water aren't needed.
I don't reproduce, I don't have young.

Have FUN !!!!!!