Preschool Parent Guide to Science and Health at Home

Lacey Weiner

November 2015

Why are Science and Health

important Subjects?

If students are in good health physically,
mentally, and socially many learning
benefits from science and other core
classes work in their favor. Scientific
thinking helps to strengthen already
existing skills such as problem-solving
techniques, researching skills,
hypothesizing skills, and reflection
techniques. In this newsletter are many
science and health projects that can be
completed at home with common
household items. By working together
we can nurture the already existing
skills of your student, and make them a
lifelong science and health enthusiast!
How can You Nurture Your Childs Interest in
Science and Health?
1. Value your childs questions.
2. Explore and find the answers together.
3. Give children time and space to explore.
4. Accept that explorations are often messy.
5. Learn from mistakes together.
6. Invite curiosity.
7. Support further exploration.
8. Encourage children to record their observations.
9. Make good use of your electronic devices.
10. Use items you have at home to experiment and explore.

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Science Experiments at Home
Colorful Carnations
Materials:
2-3 jars, 2 -3 different colors of food coloring
2-3 White Carnation flowers,
A safe place to store the flowers
Procedure:
Fill 2-3 jars of water halfway full. Add 3-4 drops of
food coloring in each jar of water; make sure to assign
only one color to each jar! Put a white carnation in each
jar of water. Observe the flowers once per day for a
week to see the changes that occur.
Why does it do that?
Plants draw water up through them like a straw. The
color you are seeing in the carnation is the result of
water traveling up through the stem and spreading to
the leaves and the petals.
Adaptation: Place the flowers on a table that is at the
eye-level of the student you are working with.
issue, date
Baking Soda Balloon
Materials:
1 bottle (two liter or water bottle)
Baking soda, Vinegar, Balloon, spoon
Procedure:
Gather your materials. Pour one (if using a water
bottle) to two (if you are using a two liter bottle)
cups of vinegar into the bottom of your bottle. Use a
spoon to put two (water bottle) or three (two liter
bottle) tablespoons of baking soda into the mouth of
the balloon. Attach the mouth of the balloon to the
water bottle without dumping the baking soda in.
Then, lift the balloon to allow the baking soda to fall
into the vinegar!
Why does it do that?
The vinegar and the baking soda, when mixed
together, cause a chemical reaction. When this
chemical reaction happens, it creates a gas called
carbon dioxide, which is what fills the balloon.
Adaptation:
For students who may have difficulty stretching
the balloon over the mouth of the bottle, stretch
the bottom of the balloon over one side of the
mouth, and allow your student to finish stretching
it the rest of the way while you maintain a firm
grasp on the bottle.
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Science Experiments at Home

Materials:
Whole milk, a plate or a bowl, Q-tips, dish soap, and
food coloring

Procedure:
First, pour just enough milk to cover the surface of
your plate or bowl. Next, put as many different
colors/dots of food coloring in the milk that you
would like. Finally, use a Q-tip to drip dish soap into
the mixture of milk and food coloring. For best
results, do not mix the colors with the Q-tip!

Why does it do that?

Simply put, dish soap will not mix with milk. Instead,
it will spread out over the top of it. The soap is
attacking the fat in the milk, which causes the
swirling of the colors!

Adaptation:
If your student has difficulty grasping a small object
such as a Q-tip, you can use a cotton ball taped onto
the end of a popsicle stick for optimal grip.

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Healthy Habits at Home
FitBall
Materials:
Any type of ball that you can write on, a permanent
marker, and music
Procedure:
Have all participants stand in a circle. The supervising
adult will start the music on his/her device. All
participants will pass the ball around the circle but
once the music stops everyone will freeze. The person
left holding the FitBall will read the exercise that
his/her right hand landed on. The entire group will then
perform that exercise.
Why should we do this?
This could be utilized after dinner to support healthy
digestion, or as a fun exercise during cold winter
months!
Adaptation:
For students who only have movement in their upper
body, fill the FitBall with only upper body workouts.
(Arm circles, reach for the sky 10 times, etc.)
issue, date
Why We Use Soap
Materials:
Bowl, water, dish soap, pepper
Procedure:
First, fill a bowl with water. Next, sprinkle about 10
shakes of pepper into your bowl. Watch how the
pepper covers the entire surface of the water.
Explain to your student that this is what germs on
his/her hand look like. After you explain what the
pepper represents, have your student put dish soap
on one of his/her fingers. This next part goes very
fast, so make sure that all eyes are on the bowl of
water! Have your student put his/her finger with the
soap right into the middle of the bowl of pepper.
Observe how the pepper spreads out to the perimeter
of the bowl. Explain that when you use soap, all the
germs move away from the soap, and eventually you
rinse them off of your hand.
Why should we do this?
This lesson explains the importance of washing
hands with soap. Much too often young children
believe that simply washing their hands under water
helps to get rid of germs.
Adaptation:
For students with who are extremely sensitive to
uncommon textures, gloves can be used in for this
experiment instead of a bare hand.
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Healthy Habits at Home

Materials:
Soil, an area abundant with sunlight, a child-sized watering
can, seeds for radishes, baby carrots, and lettuce.

Procedure:
First, if you have never attempted to garden before, take a look
at this manual:
http://dirtandboogers.com/beginners-guide-gardening-with-
kids/
After taking a look through the manual, head out to your yard
to find the prime place to plant a garden. Once you find the
perfect spot with lots of sunlight, ask your child to help you to
dig up a small area for your garden. Then, head out to the store
and buy some seeds! The best seeds for your child would be
radishes, baby carrots, and lettuce. Results from planting these
vegetables are rapid, and children will be able to see their hard
work paying off in just a few short days. After your seeds are
planted and taken care of, have your child harvest your garden
with you!

Why should we do this?

Students more than likely will be proud of producing their
vegetable, and will be excited to eat their vegetables at dinner
with the rest of their family. This promotes healthy eating not
only for your student, but the rest of your family!

Adaptation:
For a child who may be unable to crawl on the ground in a
garden, large planting pots can be purchased at local
department stores. Buy a planting pot high enough off the
ground that it is accessible for students who use the aid of a
wheelchair.

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References:

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