We started off this year's STEM programs by repeating one of last year's themes, with some repeat activities and some new ones. It was actually four senses, since taste can run into too many allergy issues! I also went easy on the messy stuff since it was our first one of they year ;)
Just raid your spice rack or grab a few scented oils. The tea bag is peppermint. Lots of conversation about which ones smell like breakfast, etc.
Pushing for vocabulary here - what words can you use besides "soft" or "hard"?
We also had some mixing of textures! Cause and effect!
I thought certainly kids would want to make a ton of noise, but this center wasn't as popular as I expected it to be.
This touch activity was great for one-on-one interaction, lots of questioning and vocabulary! (The answers, in the form of balloon color, were on the backs of the pictures)
Things I found in my yard, a couple spice mixes, etc.
Butterflies!
Fire benders! (My kids are on an Avatar kick)
This one is a lot of fun, and makes you look like a raving lunatic. Sound waves travel one way through gasses (the air) and another entirely through solids (the string). If you have the strings pressed to your ears, the spoon sounds like a gong - but only to you! I tossed in the plastic spoon and the half plastic one to see if there was a difference.
This is always a popular center! Of course it gets tracked onto the carpet in the main room, but a few good whacks with a stiff broom and it is gone.
I had a few hand-outs and books for further exploration.
We had a lot of fun! Just remind me, next year, not to schedule a field trip in the same room right after the cloud dough play...
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