Gryphon House’s intuitive and fun science activities for toddlers, infants and preschoolers help boost your child’s motor skills and cognitive development through hands-on exploration. Our award-winning, open-ended science resources include activities that empower children to develop skills that can help lead to adulthood success.
During winter, or any other time where there is inclement weather that keeps children indoors, it can be difficult to find ways to keep children entertained, learning, and focusing their energy in positive ways. Not to fear! Banish Boredom is here! Check out these three activities from the book that you can save for a day with inclement weather to create some excitement indoors!
Movement and Play Art Lesson Planning Science Seasonal Learning: WinterIn this activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities, Kindergarteners will help make frozen hot chocolate or "snowman soup", and then measure the temperature of their soup. Kindergarteners will not only enjoy a delicious frozen drink, but will also be introduced to science concepts as they learn about the freezing point of water. Dive into this frozen fun with the instructions below!
printable Events Science Large GroupChildren are always fascinated by their shadows! In this activity brought to you by The GIANT Encyclopedia of Science Activities for Children 3 to 6, young children will trace shadows, including their own, as they learn more about how light & shadow work. This activity is also a great way to get outside with children in the winter months as they explore science concepts outside the classroom that they can carry with them back into the classroom.
printable Science Seasonal Learning: Winter Large GroupResearch indicates that when we engage younger children in the STEAM fields, we are promoting inquiry-based thinking and a discovery mentality. Teaching young children STEAM play is a way of teaching them how to research, think, and create as open-ended play becomes part of their early experiences. In addition to these benefits, introducing STEAM concepts using a multisensory approach and in a playful way gives young children a competitive advantage and sets a strong foundation for future study habits.
The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert, a researcher, or a scientist to get your child excited about STEAM careers and STEAM thinking. Remember, most STEAM learning is about exploring and learning from your exploration—so why not explore together? Check out these two exciting STEAM activities below from Simple Steam: 50+ Science Technology Engineering Art Math Activities for ages 3 to 6, and get the book for many more explorations and activities that will inspire your child’s fundamental learning in each of the STEAM experiments.
Math Art Science TechnologyPitch is the relative highness or lowness of a sound. Pitch is a pretty complex subject, but the core concept—that big things make low sounds and small things make high sounds—is one that young children can understand. This simple activity from Exploring the Science of Sounds:100 Musical Activities for Young Children uses glasses of different sizes and thickness to demonstrate this concept to children. Get the book for more musical science explorations that will fascinate and excite young children, covering the science of acoustics, timbre, loudness, speed and tempo, pitch, environmental sounds, and much more!
Music ScienceAccording to Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms, embracing a loose-parts mindset is beneficial for dynamic student learning in engineering. Children delight in creating different structures from blocks, building sets, balls and ramps, and tinkering. Building chain reactions are an engaging way to experience simple machines and how they can be combined to get things done. In the activity below, children may use a variety of loose parts to build their own unique chain reactions. Get the book—Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms—for more on implementing the loose-parts mindset and loose-parts activities in each of the STREAM disciplines.
ScienceBrought to you by STEM Play: Integrating Inquiry into Learning Centers, this science center provocation allows children to find what objects are similar and go together as they sort through various objects, just like scientists! This activity supports detailed observation, categorization, and emergent writing skills. Get the book for more valuable ideas and materials to incorporate into your learning centers that will help children experience the power of STEM on their own!
ScienceThis STEM Activity from Angela Eckhoff's book, Creative Investigations in Early Engineering and Technology, uses light and familiar objects to young children understand the concepts of light and shadow. Some materials allow light to pass through them (transparent), and others act as filters and only allow certain colors of light through (translucent), while others block light completely (opaque). As children gain knowledge and develop an understanding of these concepts through naturalistic experiences and familiar materials, teachers are then able to gradually scaffold their experiences and use of science equipment.
Science TechnologyReady, set, volcano! Engage students in hands-on STEM play with this creative activity from Hands-On Science and Math where children will explore the concepts of chemical change, creating a gas, and how volcanic eruptions occur.
Math ScienceFor teachers looking to build a well-rounded curriculum, Gryphon House authors have used their science and early childhood education expertise to develop more thoughtful science experiments for kids and toddlers. Our collection of experiments helps to encourage children to grow into young investigators through hands-on exploration exercises. For younger children, our preschool science experiments offer avenues to leverage children’s curiosity and energy. Through these exploration activities, children learn investigative concepts by moving around, and through traditional observation.
By using active, engaging science activities, children are encouraged to experiment, discover, and analyze. With Gryphon House’s books and free resources, educators can integrate STEM methods into daily or weekly activities. Our available resources also lead parents through easy to follow science activities for toddlers, in order to help foster their child’s continued science education at home. Take advantage of children’s natural curiosity through our free, hands-on science activities. Our explorations cultivate young minds by encouraging children to question and explore their surroundings.
Browse Gryphon House’s science activities above and get started today on fostering children’s brain development. For updates on new activities from our team, follow us on Facebook and Pinterest, or contact us today! We observe the latest studies and news to find useful activities for educators and parents as they nurture scientific interest their children.
Browse through lists, author interviews, excerpts, and articles that connect theory and best practice in early childhood education.
Browse All Resources
