How to Set Up a Science Center for Preschoolers in a Small Space

Little kids love science and exploring the natural world, but it’s not always easy to fit a lot of science materials in when you don’t have a lot of space at home or in a classroom.

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds has some great tips for setting up a science center in a small space for little kids. She used the top of a bookshelf, as well as hanging some things in the window, which is brilliant.

There are plants, books, a poster on the life cycle of a plant and a magnifying glass for exploring materials. These things could change through the seasons but you can actually fit a lot of different stuff in a small space.

How do you bring the natural world into your home or classroom environment? I’d love to hear all about it!

[Photo: Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds.]

Next Plan Idea:

Gardening Activities for Kids

Whether you have snow where you live or are on the wrong side of the world for that, these snow glob crafts for kids are a lot of fun to put together at home or in the classroom.

If you want to keep it super basic, you can download some snow globe coloring pages from Monday Mandala and have kids drawn in their own images (or color in what is there for the ones that are already filled). This could be a fun way to play with different media, having kids paint in one, draw in another, or use crayons in one, colored pencils in another, etc.

Or you can add your kid (or a classroom full of kids) to snowglobes with this craft from Twitchetts. It’s easy to make and fun for kids to help with, too.

You can also make snow globes with paper plates pretty easily, and there are lots of different options out there that should give you some ideas. This one from In the Playroom uses blue glittery pompoms as the snow and has a snowman in the background (though you can use whatever you want).

Mas and Pas uses a clear plate on top of a regular plate to make its snow globe, and Daydream into Reality just uses a paper plate to make the snow globe shape but there’s no snow involved. Their template includes different images you can put in the snow globe, or draw your own.

If you want to make a snow globe without the watery (so potentially less mess) you can make a waterless snow globe out of a plastic cup with this tutorial from The Pragmatic Parent. It uses tiny foam balls as the snow. Tidy Mom’s version uses a real glass jar and fake snow to flurry around.

And if you’re OK with using liquids in your snow globe, which will allow the snow to flutter like in a real snow globe, check out this version from 123 Homeschool 4 Me, which uses water and baby oil.

Next Plan Idea:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply