Learning area

Science & Nature activities

Early science activities that turn natural curiosity into real investigation. Children observe plants and animals, explore the weather and seasons, make predictions and test their ideas with simple, safe experiments. Each activity includes questions that encourage kids to wonder, notice and explain what they see.

19 activities

Activities

Fall Scavenger Hunt
Age 6 25 min

Fall Scavenger Hunt

Explore an outdoor space and mark nine fall treasures as you find them.

Scavenger hunt

Banana Oat Pancake Recipe
Age 5 20 min

Banana Oat Pancake Recipe

Mash, mix, and follow a picture recipe for pancakes. An adult handles the stove while the child helps with the safe steps.

Cooking together

Ocean Animal Memory Game
Age 5 20 min

Ocean Animal Memory Game

Cut out 8 pairs of ocean animals and play a matching game that builds memory and encourages conversation about marine life.

Memory game

Dinosaur Baking Soda Volcano
Age 5 20 min

Dinosaur Baking Soda Volcano

Make a foaming volcano with baking soda and vinegar in a dinosaur setting. Draw a prediction first, then draw what happened.

Science experiment

Weekly Weather Graph
Age 5 5 min

Weekly Weather Graph

Observe and record the weather for seven days, then color a graph to find out which kind of weather appeared most often.

Count and graph

Walking Rainbow
Age 4 15 min

Walking Rainbow

Watch colored water travel along paper towels from one cup to another. Children predict, observe, and draw what happens.

Science experiment

Square and Rectangle Shapes
Age 4 15 min

Square and Rectangle Shapes

Trace a square and a rectangle, color familiar objects, and draw an example of each shape.

Shapes

Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing
Age 4 15 min

Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing

Cut and paste the pictures to discover the butterfly life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly.

Sequencing

Sort Animals by Habitat
Age 4 20 min

Sort Animals by Habitat

Cut out and sort nine animals into sky, water, or land. Practice observing, talking, and classifying together.

Sort and classify

Living and Nonliving Things
Age 4 15 min

Living and Nonliving Things

Cut out and sort eight garden pictures into living and nonliving groups. Observe, talk, and classify together.

Sort and classify

Garden Bug Picture Cards
Age 3 10 min

Garden Bug Picture Cards

Nine picture cards for naming garden bugs and playing a simple finding game.

Picture cards

Farm Animal Odd One Out
Age 3 10 min

Farm Animal Odd One Out

In each row, children look at four animals and circle the one that doesn't usually live on a farm.

Odd one out

Find Soft Things
Age 2 8 min

Find Soft Things

Look around the home for eight soft things and mark the pictures you find. A gentle observation and conversation game to play with an adult.

Scavenger hunt

Talking About the Beach
Age 1 5 min

Talking About the Beach

Look at a beach scene together and discover a sandcastle, a beach umbrella and more. A short activity for pointing and talking.

Picture talk

Farm Animal Story
Age 1 5 min

Farm Animal Story

Look for a duckling on the farm in a short story with repeated questions, big pictures, and animal sounds.

Story & talk

Age 1 5 min

Sensory Play with Colored Ice

A short sensory activity to touch ice, watch colored water, and discover what happens when colors mix.

Sensory play

Farm Animals
Age 1 5 min

Farm Animals

Show your child large cards featuring eight farm animals and talk about the pictures together.

Picture cards

High Contrast Ocean Animals
Ages 0–1 3 min

High Contrast Ocean Animals

Show your baby six black-and-white ocean animals and talk about them using short phrases.

Baby look cards

Black and White Faces
Under 1 year 3 min

Black and White Faces

Show your baby six black-and-white faces during tummy time. Copy the expressions and talk together.

Baby look cards