Preschool Powol Packets

Free websites that teach coding for kids are a wonderful tool to help kids (and adults) learn the language and style that computers are written in. We live in a very different world now than 30 years ago.  Thirty years ago nobody I knew had smart phones, used the internet, or carried tablets.  Today, my toddlers can navigate all three and my preschoolers want to know how they work. My 3rd grader started looking for help to code her own apps a few months ago.  I started this collection as we browsed the internet for something written for her. It turns out that there are a lot of free websites that teach coding for kids.  Some are more comprehensive than others, but they all have something for our game-loving kiddos who want (and will probably need) to understand and write code.  There are only a few appropriate for preschoolers, but I've learned that preschoolers very quickly turn into older kids, so I've included websites for preschoolers and older k...

Bubble Rainbow Science & Dr. Seuss's ABC's--B is for "Bubble!" Bubbles have been a favorite topic here since my 3rd grader was a baby...and we have the stories to prove it!  We have made giant bubbles, bubbles inside pumpkins , edible bubbles inside apples , frozen bubbles , bubble spider webs , bubble paintings , and more.  We even lost a computer one time because someone left a bottle of bubble juice next to it, and someone else (clearly remaining anonymous!) knocked it over onto the computer!  We drained, dried, and did our best to save that computer, but in the end, it was a lost cause.  *sniffle* But today, we're talking about something much  more fun!  Today we're talking about making rainbows in our bubbles, and the science of how that happens! Isn't that pretty?! Bubbles and rainbows came together for us as I looked at the themes our older and younger kids will be working on during the next two weeks: Dr. Seuss and rai...

Classic books by Dr. Seuss are SO much fun to read and use as themed units!  One of my preschoolers' favorite things to do when we read books (including Dr. Seuss books) is a related science experiment or activity! Pairing a science project with the books is an excellent way to tie concepts together in a way the kids easily relate to. To celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday this year, I will be sharing science activities that go with different books by Dr. Seuss!  Pop back to the blog frequently because we'll be counting ddown to his birthday with reading and science activities!!  I will be linking them all to this page so you can check back and get the whole collection! These are simple science activities that use supplies you have around the house and introduce a variety of science topics.  I recommend reading the related book first, reviewing the connection with the science activity, and then getting started!  I'll be sorting them by Dr. Seuss books! In...

I am 3-years old.  I am a preschooler.  I learn all sorts of things when I color on walls! I hear "No" a lot. But sometimes they say "Yes!" The day they told me I could color on a wall with crayons, I learned a ton!  They called it process art.  I called it fun. And I learned that... #1-  My hand tires out when I hold crayons in some positions faster than in others. #2- I can make a stronger line if I push hard on the crayon. #3- If I push too hard on a crayon, it breaks.  Physics. #4- Crayons work in all directions. #5- When I drop the crayons, they fall to the ground.  More physics. #6- I am happy when I color! #7- The more I color, the smaller the crayon gets. #8-  Crayons go on paper.  But sometimes walls can be paper too! Disclosure: the wall was covered in paper. Ooops, that was eight, not seven!  And there's still one more bonus lesson I learned from coloring on walls... It's more fun with a f...

It's time for our second LEGO Engineering Preschool Challenge! Were you here for our first LEGO Engineering Preschool Challenge ?  It's a wonderful way to invite your kiddos to build something! These LEGO Challenges are also a venture into the exciting world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). STEM investigations combine three or four of these areas to create a learning experience that integrates a variety of skills and is more memorable for your kiddos.. I've always considered physics and engineering branches of science.  As your children work through this challenge, they are engaging loads of science processing skills, including questioning, observing, hypothesizing, experimenting, analyzing, problem solving, and evaluating.  They are using math skills like measuring, comparing, adding, and subtracting.  And, they are doing it on a level that is precisely adapted to their capabilities because they are leading the construction themse...