Science Surprises!
Super Simple and Super Fun!
February, 2010

Science is full of SURPRISES! It’s doing, exploring, thinking, talking, sharing, and playing – all things children do naturally and well. The world is full of wonderful things from magnets to pictures in the clouds and popcorn seeds. I think adults can learn a great deal from children by slowing down and observing things; asking questions; taking risks; mixing things up; living in the now; enjoying the process and not the product. I smile thinking how proud my grandson was of his acorn collection! Too soon we lose the joy of simple things!

The experiments you will find this month are safe, simple, and require ordinary materials you can find around your house or classroom. These activities can be adapted for large group, small group, or independent exploration. They can also provide a meaningful web for integrating math, reading, and other goals in your curriculum. Above all, they will spark children’s curiosity about the world and “invite” them to think and use their minds.

You can foster an interest in science by asking open-ended questions. “Why do you think that happened?” “How did you know that?” “What do you think will happen if…?” “I wonder why…?” Encourage divergent answers by accepting children’s thoughts and saying, “I never thought of that!” “Good thinking!” “Kiss your brain!”

YouTube Postings - Fingerplays - We first posted these links in January. As of January 24, more than 2,800 people had viewed at least one of the Finger Plays videos. Since almost 50,000 people visit Dr. Jean's site each month, we decided to leave the links up for a little more time.

Dr. Jean and Dr. Holly collaborated to produce some videos demonstrating fingerplays. Click the following titles to see the videos on YouTube.

Finger Plays with Dr Jean I

Finger Plays with Dr Jean II

Finger Plays with Dr Jean III

Finger Plays with Dr Jean IV

Downloads for February - We have a Math Is Fun PowerPoint and a downloadable pdf book in two versions, color and grayscale for you this month. You will also find two printables, one for the Mirror activitiy and one for the Whirly Birds. Just use the Downloads button in the menu to the left.

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