Review: A Whole Year’s Worth!

365 Science Activities by Minna Lacey, Dr. Lisa Gillespie, and Lucy Bowman

If you are looking for science activities for storytime, this is a great resource. It contains 365 activities that can be done at home (Or preschool/family storytime!). Each activity has step-by-step photos and directions with helpful hints, so everyone knows how things might look and what outcomes can be expected.

If you go online to the Usborne Quicklinks mentioned in the book, you can additionally link to the following topics:

Experiments and activities to try online.

Watch video clips of experiments.

More experiments to try at home.

Templates to print out.

This is a treasury of science activities that could be a wonderful resource for any storytime staff member.

Call For Sharing: Picture Books with Related Science Concepts

Remember, if you have a great picture book with a related science activity to share, we would love to publish it on our Science in Storytime Blog. Just go to our Contact page or send us your ideas care of science@lincolnlibraries.org.

Skin ‘N’ Bones

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

After sharing the book, talk about the hair, nails (claws), teeth and horns on the monsters. Talk about how hair and nails are adaptations of the skin/hide and teeth and horns are a part of the skeletal system (bones) of the body. You might also invite a guest from a venue such as a zoo, where there may be “touching” examples of each for children to examine.

At the Beach!

Big Al and Shrimpy by Andrew Clements

To the Beach by Thomas Docherty

Bring in a variety of shells and sand for children to examine if you do not live near a beach. Make a magnifying glass available.

Extension: Make a wave bottle. Observe some water life at a zoo ocean exhibit or aquarium.

Arbor Day! Earth Day!

Earth Day Birthday by Maureen Wright

We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow

After reading the first book, select some activities from:

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/h_earth-day.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/earthday/

After reading the second book, examine some ways trees get planted other than by people:

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/shapes/easyshapestrees.htm

which includes:

http://extension.illinois.edu/trees1/25.html

Or, collect maple helicopters, oak acorns, pine cones, etc., to use with a magnifying glass.

Animal Camouflage-Multiple Titles

Can You See Me? by Ted Lewin

Stripes of All Types by Susan Stockdale

Twilight Hunt: A Seek-and-Find Book by Narelle Oliver

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

More than one title may be explored to demonstrate a science concept such as camouflage. There are also some great sites to use as activity resources:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/hidden%20animals/Hidden%20Animals.htm

https://jr.brainpop.com/science/animals/camouflage/search/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/camouflage.shtml

How Tall is a Penguin?

If You Were a Penguin by Florence and Wendell Minor.

This book has a great back section that helps children relate to Penguins. Using this as a reference, have either a measuring tape or yardsticks to help children see how they would “measure up” to the tallest and the smallest penguins. If time permits, further examine some of the other penguin facts in this section.

Little Stinkers

Skunk’s Spring Surprise by Leslea Newman.

After sharing this fabulous story by Newman and illustrations by Gorbachev, find some real baby skunk photos on the internet to share with children. (I got a group, “Awwwww!” from my story time group.) At the same time, find some skunk tracks to examine in your computer images. There are also skunks sounds to be heard on sites such as http://www.ferris.edu/card/kids_corner/sounds/. You may want to discuss hibernation and seasons, as well.

Bubbles!

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler.

Children can enjoy examining the properties of a bubble (shape, interior, exterior, floating ability, elasticity, etc.) by using mild soap bubbles to do some of the activities suggested at some of several sites:

Steve Spangler’s Science Site.

Or http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/    Do a search for bubblesforpreschoolers.