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Space & Kids: Inspiring Intergalactic Fascination
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Mar 7, 2017 | STEM
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Where Can Play Take You?
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Mar 6, 2017 | STEM
We’re huge believers in the power of play.For kids, play is natural. It’s what they instinctively want to do. It’s a chance to socialize with their friends, to express themselves, to be creative…and to just have some fun!But play can be so much more than that. With a little bit of guidance, play can become one of the most powerful learning tools there is.And the key to unlocking that tool is curiosity.When kids become curious, they start to explore. As that exploration pays off, kids will start to love the rewarding experiences they’re creating for themselves. In other words, they’ll start to love the process of learning (even though they might think they’re just playing).We think one of the best ways to stimulate a child’s curiosity is through geography toys, like globes and maps. After all, the world is such a naturally fascinating place that simply sharing fun facts about the Earth is a great way to get your child’s imagination soaring.Check out the list below ( borrowed from our Puzzle Globe activity guide), and see where play can take you!
North America
- North America is the world’s third-largest continent; only Asia and Africa are larger.
- The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Its huge antlers can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) across!
South America
- South America is the world’s fourth-largest continent. Brazil is its largest country—it takes up over half of the continent!
- Angel Falls, in the country of Venezuela, are the world’s highest waterfalls, reaching a height of 3,212 feet (979 m).
Africa
- An elephant’s trunk has 100,000 muscles! You only have between 640 and 850 muscles in your entire body.
- A male giraffe weighs over 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg)—that’s as heavy as some cars!
- Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is the only one of the original seven still standing.
Europe
- Europe is the second-smallest continent in terms of land area, but the third-largest in terms of population, with over 700 million people.
- Built in 1887, the Eiffel Tower originally served as the entrance to the World’s Fair as people passed under its lower arch on the way inside.
Asia
- Asia is easily the world’s largest continent. In fact, over 60% of the world’s people live in Asia!
- The Great Wall of China is truly a marvel: It not only measures an amazing 13,000 miles (21,000 km) long, but it also took over 1800 years to build
Australia
- You could say koala bears like to take it easy. They sleep in trees for 18 hours a day. When they wake up, they eat nearby eucalyptus leaves.
Arctic Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean, located between Asia and North America, is the world’s smallest and shallowest ocean.
- The walrus uses its long tusks (big teeth) for hunting shellfish, breaking holes into the ice to breathe, and pulling itself out of cold water onto the ice
Atlantic Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean, located between Africa and North America, is the world’s second-largest ocean, after the Pacific. It covers about 20%, or 1/5, of Earth’s surface.
Indian Ocean
- The Indian Ocean, located between Africa, Asia, and Australia, is the world’s third-largest ocean.
- The blue whale is not only the world’s largest animal—it is also the heaviest to have ever existed, weighing over 400,000 pounds (181 mt). Its tongue can weigh as much as an elephant!
Pacific Ocean
- The Pacific Ocean is easily the world’s largest ocean, covering 30% (almost ⅓) of Earth’s surface. It is located between North and South America, Asia, and Australia.
Where Can Play Take You?
We’re huge believers in the power of play.For kids, play is natural. It’s what they instinctively want to do. It’s a chance to socialize with their friends, to express themselves, to be creative…and to just have some fun!But play can be so much more than that. With a little bit of guidance, play can become one of the most powerful learning tools there is.And the key to unlocking that tool is curiosity.When kids become curious, they start to explore. As that exploration pays off, kids will start to love the rewarding experiences they’re creating for themselves. In other words, they’ll start to love the process of learning (even though they might think they’re just playing).We think one of the best ways to stimulate a child’s curiosity is through geography toys, like globes and maps. After all, the world is such a naturally fascinating place that simply sharing fun facts about the Earth is a great way to get your child’s imagination soaring.Check out the list below ( borrowed from our Puzzle Globe activity guide), and see where play can take you!
North America
- North America is the world’s third-largest continent; only Asia and Africa are larger.
- The moose is the largest member of the deer family. Its huge antlers can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) across!
South America
- South America is the world’s fourth-largest continent. Brazil is its largest country—it takes up over half of the continent!
- Angel Falls, in the country of Venezuela, are the world’s highest waterfalls, reaching a height of 3,212 feet (979 m).
Africa
- An elephant’s trunk has 100,000 muscles! You only have between 640 and 850 muscles in your entire body.
- A male giraffe weighs over 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg)—that’s as heavy as some cars!
- Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is the only one of the original seven still standing.
Europe
- Europe is the second-smallest continent in terms of land area, but the third-largest in terms of population, with over 700 million people.
- Built in 1887, the Eiffel Tower originally served as the entrance to the World’s Fair as people passed under its lower arch on the way inside.
Asia
- Asia is easily the world’s largest continent. In fact, over 60% of the world’s people live in Asia!
- The Great Wall of China is truly a marvel: It not only measures an amazing 13,000 miles (21,000 km) long, but it also took over 1800 years to build
Australia
- You could say koala bears like to take it easy. They sleep in trees for 18 hours a day. When they wake up, they eat nearby eucalyptus leaves.
Arctic Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean, located between Asia and North America, is the world’s smallest and shallowest ocean.
- The walrus uses its long tusks (big teeth) for hunting shellfish, breaking holes into the ice to breathe, and pulling itself out of cold water onto the ice
Atlantic Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean, located between Africa and North America, is the world’s second-largest ocean, after the Pacific. It covers about 20%, or 1/5, of Earth’s surface.
Indian Ocean
- The Indian Ocean, located between Africa, Asia, and Australia, is the world’s third-largest ocean.
- The blue whale is not only the world’s largest animal—it is also the heaviest to have ever existed, weighing over 400,000 pounds (181 mt). Its tongue can weigh as much as an elephant!
Pacific Ocean
- The Pacific Ocean is easily the world’s largest ocean, covering 30% (almost ⅓) of Earth’s surface. It is located between North and South America, Asia, and Australia.
STEM for Preschoolers: Lava Learning Lamp Experiment
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 27, 2017 | STEM
Our STEM-uary celebration continues with this latest preschool science experiment that proves that you’re never too little to love science.
As you may know, STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. With a renewed focus on these subjects in American schools, students everywhere are being exposed to the STEM subjects like never before. You can get a head start at home with experiments like this one!
Ready to give your preschooler a peek into the super cool world of chemistry? Here's what you'll need...
Materials:
- Vegetable oil
- Clear plastic bottle with cap (you can use the oil bottle – just remove the label!)
- Water
- Food coloring
- Alka-Seltzer®
- Funnel
Step One – Density
Using your funnel, fill your clear, plastic bottle 2/3 full of vegetable oil (or, if you’re using your vegetable oil bottle, pour 1/3 out).
Wipe your funnel clean and fill the remaining 1/3 of your bottle with water.
With your child, watch as the water sinks to the bottom of the bottle and the oil rises to the top. Explain that the water is heavier, or denser, and the oil is lighter and less dense and that’s why it rises to the top of the bottle.
Then, let your child choose a color and drop several drops of food coloring into the bottle.
Step Two – Attraction
Screw the lid onto your bottle and hand it to your little one. Ask her to shake it as hard so she can to try to mix the oil and water together. While the oil might break up into smaller drops, it won’t blend with the water no matter how hard you try. This is because water molecules have an electrical charge that attracts other water molecules. These polar water molecules “stick” together, excluding other non-polar molecules, like oil. Since the food coloring mixed with the water, the oil will not change color.
Set the bottle down and let it settle for a moment.
Step Three – Reaction
While the bottle is settling, break your Alka-Seltzer tablet into several pieces. Open the lid and let your little one drop a piece of Alka-Seltzer into the bottle. Watch in amazement as colorful bubbles rise from the bottom of the bottle up through the oil and back down the sides. When the bubbling subsides, drop in another piece. Continue until you’re out of Alka-Seltzer and replace the lid to the bottle.
What’s happening? When the Alka-Seltzer hits the water, there is a chemical reaction which forms carbon dioxide gas bubbles (like in soda!). These bubbles are lighter than both the water and the oil, so they rise to the top of the bottle, where they pop, and the heavy colored water sinks back to the bottom of the bottle.
How did your preschool science experiment turn out? Let us know at blog@learningresources.com!
STEM for Preschoolers: Lava Learning Lamp Experiment
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Our STEM-uary celebration continues with this latest preschool science experiment that proves that you’re never too little to love science.
As you may know, STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. With a renewed focus on these subjects in American schools, students everywhere are being exposed to the STEM subjects like never before. You can get a head start at home with experiments like this one!
Ready to give your preschooler a peek into the super cool world of chemistry? Here's what you'll need...
Materials:
- Vegetable oil
- Clear plastic bottle with cap (you can use the oil bottle – just remove the label!)
- Water
- Food coloring
- Alka-Seltzer®
- Funnel
Step One – Density
Using your funnel, fill your clear, plastic bottle 2/3 full of vegetable oil (or, if you’re using your vegetable oil bottle, pour 1/3 out).
Wipe your funnel clean and fill the remaining 1/3 of your bottle with water.
With your child, watch as the water sinks to the bottom of the bottle and the oil rises to the top. Explain that the water is heavier, or denser, and the oil is lighter and less dense and that’s why it rises to the top of the bottle.
Then, let your child choose a color and drop several drops of food coloring into the bottle.
Step Two – Attraction
Screw the lid onto your bottle and hand it to your little one. Ask her to shake it as hard so she can to try to mix the oil and water together. While the oil might break up into smaller drops, it won’t blend with the water no matter how hard you try. This is because water molecules have an electrical charge that attracts other water molecules. These polar water molecules “stick” together, excluding other non-polar molecules, like oil. Since the food coloring mixed with the water, the oil will not change color.
Set the bottle down and let it settle for a moment.
Step Three – Reaction
While the bottle is settling, break your Alka-Seltzer tablet into several pieces. Open the lid and let your little one drop a piece of Alka-Seltzer into the bottle. Watch in amazement as colorful bubbles rise from the bottom of the bottle up through the oil and back down the sides. When the bubbling subsides, drop in another piece. Continue until you’re out of Alka-Seltzer and replace the lid to the bottle.
What’s happening? When the Alka-Seltzer hits the water, there is a chemical reaction which forms carbon dioxide gas bubbles (like in soda!). These bubbles are lighter than both the water and the oil, so they rise to the top of the bottle, where they pop, and the heavy colored water sinks back to the bottom of the bottle.
How did your preschool science experiment turn out? Let us know at blog@learningresources.com!
DIY Math Bowling
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 24, 2017 | Math
The Magic of Matter Experiment!
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 22, 2017 | STEM
Help us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...Solids, Liquids, and Gas
Understanding the various states of matter is a key scientific concept. There are actually five states of matter, but we’ll leave the other two, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, for another time. Say, college.Materials:
- Ice cube
- Measuring cup
- Stove-safe pot
Step One – Solids
To share this concept with your kiddo, start with an ice cube. Show them how hard (solid) the ice cube is by having her tap it on the side of the measuring cup. Then have her rub her hands together to generate some heat, place the ice cube in her hands and have her roll the cube around, catching the dripping water in the measuring cup as the cube melts. (Note – if the cube is too cold for little hands, set it in the cup and put the cup in the sun for 15 minutes.)
Step Two – Liquids
Check the measuring cup. It was empty when she started, but now there’s water in it! Explain to your child that heating the solid ice cube with her hands (or the sun) caused it to melt and change into its liquid form—water. Look at the markings on the side of the cup to see how much water is there, then pour the water into a pot.
Step Three – Gasses
Place the pot of water on the stove and turn the heat on low. Explain to your mini-scientist that the third state of matter is gas. The ice cube that started out as a solid and then melted into a liquid is now going to magically disappear, evaporating into a gas form. Let the water boil, then evaporate, and show your little one that the pot is empty. What happened to the ice cube?
Now that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com.
The Magic of Matter Experiment!
Help us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...Now that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com.
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Help us celebrate STEM-uary with a hands-on STEM experiment designed for you to do with your preschoolers at home! It's so much fun… your little ones might not even realize that they’re learning.Preschoolers are natural observers. Plus, they love scooping, pouring, mixing, and blending. In other words, they love science! You can encourage your child’s scientific curiosity and introduce some early scientific concepts with simple science experiments, like the concept...Solids, Liquids, and Gas
Understanding the various states of matter is a key scientific concept. There are actually five states of matter, but we’ll leave the other two, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, for another time. Say, college.Materials:
- Ice cube
- Measuring cup
- Stove-safe pot
Step One – Solids
To share this concept with your kiddo, start with an ice cube. Show them how hard (solid) the ice cube is by having her tap it on the side of the measuring cup. Then have her rub her hands together to generate some heat, place the ice cube in her hands and have her roll the cube around, catching the dripping water in the measuring cup as the cube melts. (Note – if the cube is too cold for little hands, set it in the cup and put the cup in the sun for 15 minutes.)Step Two – Liquids
Check the measuring cup. It was empty when she started, but now there’s water in it! Explain to your child that heating the solid ice cube with her hands (or the sun) caused it to melt and change into its liquid form—water. Look at the markings on the side of the cup to see how much water is there, then pour the water into a pot.Step Three – Gasses
Place the pot of water on the stove and turn the heat on low. Explain to your mini-scientist that the third state of matter is gas. The ice cube that started out as a solid and then melted into a liquid is now going to magically disappear, evaporating into a gas form. Let the water boil, then evaporate, and show your little one that the pot is empty. What happened to the ice cube?Now that your pint-sized smarty understands the concepts of solids, liquids, and gasses, take a lunchtime challenge!Point to her cup of milk and ask if what’s inside is a solid or a liquid. Now point to the PB & J (crusts cut off) on her plate and ask if that’s a solid or a gas. Finally, have her breathe out into a cupped hand and ask what’s there. She can’t see it, but her breath is a gas!If your little one loved this STEM-uary science experiment, let us know about it by emailing us at blog@learningresources.com.
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6 Steps To A STEM-Friendly Classroom
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 21, 2017 | STEM
TotBot Printable Pages!
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Feb 17, 2017 | Printables
Say hello to the latest addition to the family... the Count & Build TotBot™.This little guy helps put a new twist on early learning of shapes, colors, and numbers. And you can have some fun with him at home right now with these free printable pages. Featuring 3 different activities in one easy download, you get a make-your-own TotBot game, a coloring page, and a finding game. Perfect for ages 3 and up!
Print your 3-in-1 TotBot Printable Pages!
TotBot Printable Pages!
Say hello to the latest addition to the family... the Count & Build TotBot™.This little guy helps put a new twist on early learning of shapes, colors, and numbers. And you can have some fun with him at home right now with these free printable pages. Featuring 3 different activities in one easy download, you get a make-your-own TotBot game, a coloring page, and a finding game. Perfect for ages 3 and up!
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Print your 3-in-1 TotBot Printable Pages!
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Why Do We Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
- Learning Resources Posted On Feb 14, 2017
Complete the Heart Triangle Printable!
- Learning Resources Posted On Feb 13, 2017 | Printables
