How to Use Rocks on the Science Table

The other day my daughter told me one of the things she missed about having centers like they had in kindergarten was the science center. She said it was her favorite place (mostly because only one child was allowed there at a time!).

I told her we could make a science center at home because she got a microscope for Christmas. The science center at school was really simple, with leaves, magnifying glasses, books about animals, some other natural materials and rocks.

Pre-K Pages has some great tips for using rocks in the science center, including tools to have on hand and how to actually set up the table so kids will use it.

I love the idea of having a spray bottle of water at the station so kids can see the difference between wet rocks and dry rocks.

Do you put out rocks in the science center? I’d love to know how you learn with them.

[Photo: Pre-K Pages.]

Check out this article on the best STEM gifts for kids.

Check out our Online store for special buys on Educational gifts We find bulk items and end-of-stock supplies to bring you heavily discounted items. (make sure you check our store often so you don’t miss out on new stock). We also have some free printable files, including a Science PDF for learning about Microscopes.

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Activities and Ideas for the 100th Day of School

I’m in deep denial about the fact that new year is almost upon us again! It’s been the fastest and the longest year at the same time, and I can look back and see some good things as well as some things I wish had gone differently.

Doing a year in review with your kids — whether in the classroom or at home — is a good way to capture some of their memories and the things they really liked about the year gone by.

There are a lot of different printable year in review worksheets you can use if you want to make this super easy. Here are links to a few (often part of larger posts about NYE celebrations with kids that are worth a read, too):

Teach Beside Me has lots of fun printables fro the end of the year, including a year in review that covers favorite memory, funniest memory and the best book they read, among other topics.
NurtureStore‘s version has space for a self-portrait and prompts like favorite toy, best day out this year and future dream job.
Remember favorites, their “best idea” of the year and have room for setting goals for next year with this one from The Keele Deal.
The year in review from Yes We Made This has room for drawing or writing and includes things like something they learned, a memory they made and a place they visited.

Of course you could pretty easily make your own year in review for the whole family to do that asks questions based on what you most want to remember. (Favorite video game? Best friend? Favorite family memory?)

And if after the year in review you’re ready to look ahead a bit, Mrs. Merry has new year’s resolution printables to inspired kids to look ahead and set goals for things they want to try. You can totally fill this one out as a grownup, too.

[Photo: Mrs. Merry]

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