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Core Skills for Science

Click on the skills below to see what you can do at home to help your child develop essential art skills.

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• Use tools and objects to construct and create (e.g., mix: spoon, spatula, blender; cut: knife, blender; drain: colander) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		Bake The Gingerbread Man Expert Created Activity Support your child's use of tools to constuct and create as you follow this recipe for the Gingerbread Man.
  99 ¢		Cut And Fold A Spider Expert Created Activity Support your child's fine motor development and use of tools to construct with this activity that transforms a piece of paper into a spider with the help of scissors.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Jack and Jill Fetching A Pail of Water Parent Created Activity Take either two bowls or buckets and a big sponge. Fill the first bucket with some water, but not all the way full. Have your child soak up ...more the water with the sponge and then wring it out in the empty bucket. See how many times or how long it takes for them to empty the first bucket and fill the second using only the sponge. (less)
  FREE		Tissue Paper Butterflies Parent Created Activity Use an assortment of solid color tissue paper or patterned paper. Using half-sheets (or smaller, depending on the size of the butterfly you want to make), lay the number of ...more sheets that you wish to use on top of one another. Then, bunch them up a little in the center. Using a green pipe cleaner for the center of the butterfly, twist the green pipe cleaner around the slightly bunched-up part to create the body of the caterpillar. If you have enough pipe cleaner left over, you can use the two ends for antennae. Use this craft as an opportunity to teach your child about the miracle of caterpillars who emerge from their cocoons as beautiful butterflies. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $38.99		Toy	Play-Doh Creativity Center Now that your drawing materials are so neat and tidy, you'll want the same treatment for your child's modeling clay materials. The Play-Doh Creativity Center gives you all the ...more necessary tools for an entire childhood's worth of Play-Doh fun. The table and lid (shaped like a breakfast in bed tray - you can have coffee on yours while the little sculptor has bright green Play-Doh on hers) hold a mini-extruder tool (think Play-Doh chia pet), dozens of cutters and rollers and molds and scissors, five mini cans of Play-Doh and a fabulous tool that can only be described as a Play-Doh garlic press. It's literally endless fun for your child, and then it all piles back inside with the lid snapped on and - ta-da! - clean-up time is finished! (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  $219.99		Toy	The Learning Tower This ingenious contraption is just the trick to turn your little person into a big help in the kitchen. There is nothing comfortable - or safe, dare we add - ...more about trying to mix dry ingredients into a cake batter while perched on a tipsy stool or grabbed by the ribs by a parent with an aching back. Both you and your preschooler will feel steady with him securely standing inside the tower, raised precisely to counter height. It's great fun to climb up in for all kinds of cooking, as well as handwashing and lots of craft projects. Once you get one, you won't know how you ever lived without it. And once your little one gets big all on her own and doesn't need the lift anymore, it doubles as a fantastic puppet theatre (cue "The Sound of Music" yodeling music now....). (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source

  

• Demonstrate an initial understanding of the living world (e.g., identify tastes such as salty and sweet, touches such as hard-soft, rough-smooth, wet-dry, etc; identify basic body parts) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		Science Report Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of our living world with this activity that has you seeking out and observing an ant hill?with a little honey as inticement.
  99 ¢		What Does Nathan Need? Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of human needs with this activity matching pictures of Nathan with objects he needs.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Leaves, Acorns, and Rocks, Oh My! Building a Nature Collection Parent Created Activity Children love to collect various items on an outdoor walk. Next time you go on a walk with your child, bring a bag with you. As your child ...more collects leaves, acorns, and rocks, put them into your bag. When you arrive home, you and your child can sort and count the different outdoor 'souvenirs.' To begin a nature collection, give each different type of thing its own jar or bowl that your child can add to on future walks. (less)
  FREE		Tactile Fun with Textures Parent Created Activity Using different textured materials (e.g. corduroy, silk, wool, etc.), cut out 4X4 squares of the materials and then punch hole in one corner. Hang all of the fabrics together on ...more a single shower curtain ring. Babies can use this to explore different textures, toddlers can find new descriptive words for the feel of the various materials, and 5 and 6 year olds can close their eyes and guess the fabric, as well as name other things that feel the same way. For example, if they guess that the texture is rough sand paper, they could try to name other rough objects. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	Braincandy, My 5 Senses: A Yummy Music & Sound Exploration
  FREE		Toy	Scientific Explorer's My First Dinosaur Science Kit

  

• Identify practical measures for conserving energy and resources (e.g., turning off necessary lights, tightly turning off faucets, etc.) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

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  Going Green Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of simple ways to conserve energy and resources around your home with these illustrations that support your discussion and allow your child to place a green ...more star on energy saving ideas. (less) Created by Core Knowledge

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Recycling Matters Parent Created Activity Gather the family and visit a nearby recycling plant. Be sure to call ahead to make arrangements for a guided tour. Help prepare and educate your child on recycling by ...more checking out relevant books at your library and reading them together in preparations for your tour. Be sure to incorporate this lesson into your home life, too. Kids love looking for the recycling numbers on the bottom of plastic containers and helping to sort the recyclables into different bins. (less)
  FREE		Learning to Recycle Parent Created Activity Teach your child an earth-friendly lesson about conserving our resources while saving money simply by recycling your bottles and cans! Invite your little one to help you ...more collect your household recycling and take it to your local recycling center. (To find your nearest center, log on to www.Earth911.org.) On the way, explain to him or her the importance of keeping recyclable bottles and cans out of landfill. Once at the center, give your child the task of counting the bottles & cans. (Younger ones may need help getting their numbers right.) Your child is rewarded for his or her hard work by earning the redemption value on all the cans and bottles they've counted. A lesson of savings can be incorporated by getting your child a piggy bank to deposit their hard-earned cash and dreaming up ideas for what they'd like to save for. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $59.99		Toy	Thomas and Friends Load and Sort Recycling Center Add this Load and Sort Recycling Car to your existing Thomas and Friends layout, or play with it on its own. This hard-to-find vehicle is made of real wood with ...more beautiful, bold details. Requires 3 "AA" batteries (included). Measures 11.25" x 7.5" 8.25". (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $9.99		Toy	50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth This valuable and entertaining book shows children how specific elements of their environment--like a light switch or a toilet--are connected to the rest of the world. Clear, practical tips show ...more kids how they can conserve energy, recycle waste, and take on important environmental projects. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Identify the four seasons (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

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  Four Seasons Expert Created Activity Help your child to distinguish between the four seasons with this illustrated matching activity.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Winter Walk Parent Created Activity Bundle up, take a winter walk at dusk to look at holiday lights, listen for crisp, cold sounds (snow crunching, dogs barking) and work up an appetite for hot chocolate. ...more We like to pretend we're on an expedition in Alaska, seeking shelter or searching for penguins - let their imagination run wild and don't let the cold weather keep you in! (less)
  FREE		Anytime Sunshine Parent Created Activity Using a basket type of coffee filter and kid-safe scissors, cut inward toward the main circle part of the coffee filter, stopping at the main circle. Do this over and ...more over and you will create fringe around the main circle part of the filter, which will look like a shining sun. Paint with watercolors on the main 'sun' part and you will create beautiful sunshines. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $6.99		Toy	Four Seasons (baby genius)
  $9.99		Toy	Deluxe Four Seasons Cardboard Floor Puzzles: Set of Four This colorful set of floor puzzles beautifully depicts children engaged in activities appropriate to each season. Shape-coded for easy sorting, each of the four 12-piece, 12 In. x 18 In. ...more heavy-grade cardboard puzzles will help introduce children to different weather conditions and help them accurately understand the world around them. Ages 3 and up. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Identify everyday uses of magnets (e.g., in toys, cabinet locks, "refrigerator magnets", etc.) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

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  How Does it Stick? Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of how magnets are used in our environment with this activity that has you identifying pictures that illustrate uses of magnets.

  Sample Books and Toys

  $17.95		Toy	Super Giant Horseshoe Magnet Kit Magnets are so intriguing to little minds that they almost seem to blur the line between science-based play and pure imaginative make-believe. Can a magnet really just reach out ...more and grab something across the table? Can it make a metal clip fly through thin air? Amazing stuff, with no mess - our kind of toy! This extra big 8-inch red horseshoe magnet is especially easy to hold and comes with over 72 magnetic pieces to pick up (including marbles, chips, rings, paperclips, etc.) and a booklet of information and activities. Learning how to do the magnet-under-the-table-making-the-pieces-move-all-by-themselves trick just might unleash your child's inner magician. Keep the littler siblings away from all these tiny pieces, but by all means encourage your child who is old enough to keep the pieces out of his mouth to experiment with picking up all sorts of things with this magnet. Just keep your credit cards out of reach of the superstrong magnetic reach…. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  $19.99		Toy	Magnetic Responsibility Chart Help kids understand the concept of behavior and rewards. This entertaining, magnetic activities board feature the innovative combination of magnets and wood. Includes a dry-erase board and 134 magnets depicting ...more behaviors and rewards. Measures 16" x 12" when closed; 16" x 24" when open. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Demonstrate an initial understanding of the material world (e.g., air (wind), water (rain), fire (sun)) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  FREE		Float Or Sink Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of floating and sinking with this activity that utilizes some common household objects.
  99 ¢		Inspired Art Expert Created Activity Support your child's creativity and non-representational drawing with this activity to create an abstract portrait.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Wind Spinners Parent Created Activity To get ready for the activity, begin by cutting the top and bottom off an empty and clean two-liter bottle. Then, help your child to paint bright slanted stripes ...more in alternating colors. Allow paint to dry. Once the paint has dried, cut the painted plastic tube into a spiral. Trim the end so that is squared, then use a hole punch to make a hole for hanging. Hook a fishing swivel through the hole, then hang your wind spinner outside using heavy duty string. Kids love watching the Wind Spinner twirl around. (less)
  FREE		Shoot the Breeze Parent Created Activity Show your child how to fold paper into a fan, accordion-style. Make two fans. Roll up tiny tissue balls and see who can fan his ball the fastest ...more across the table. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	Braincandy, My 5 Senses: A Yummy Music & Sound Exploration
  $16.95		Toy	The Nature Treasury: A First Look at the Natural World In teaching your child how to care for the earth, where is a well-intentioned parent to turn to come up with some answers to those interminable questions about how it ...more all works. Suddenly the mechanics of why composting is so important seem both mildly icky and totally beyond your ability to explain. And you need some stats to back up your repetitions about the need for recycling and the dangers of plastics floating around the environments of sea lions and pelicans. Well, here is your child's first reference book, one suited just for him and one that you will return to again and again. There are 22 richly detailed spreads covering animals and plants in habitats across the continents and oceans as well as geological detail about the earth itself. Also featured are several "Up Close" pages that offer detailed drawings of how water, air, trees and grass "work." So many questions will be answered, and so many new and wonderful ones are sure to spring up in their place. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source

  

• Identify the five senses and associated body parts (e.g., sight:eyes; hearing:ears; smell:nose; taste:tongue; touch:skin) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		What Sense Is This Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of the five senses as you discuss this illustration of a day in the park.
  FREE		Tell A Little Story Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of story sequence and cause and effect with these story sequencing cut-outs.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		I Know My Body Parts Parent Created Activity Cut a three-foot long piece of bulletin board paper for each child. Spread the paper out on the floor. Have the child sit on the edge of the strip and ...more stretch one leg out as far as possible over the length of the paper. Use marker to trace the outline of his leg; then write the words "my leg" above the outline. In the same fashion, make and label an outline of his arm, hand, and foot, lining each part up at the same edge of the paper. Allow the child to choose more body parts to trace as space allows- a finger, thumb, or even a toe. After drawing all the outlines, have the child color them. Using the resulting picture graph of his/her body parts, encourage him to compare their lengths. (less)
  FREE		Paper Body Parts Parent Created Activity Cut out ovals and circles from construction paper to make body parts -- one circle for the head; a large oval for the body; and a series of circles and ...more ovals for the arms and legs. Help your child to assemble the body from the parts by attaching the ovals and circles with brass fasteners where the joints should be. Glue on yarn for hair and draw face and other features with crayons. This is a great way to reinforce some of the lessons your child is learning in school. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $9.99		Toy	Five Senses Bingo Get set for a multisensory science experience. Double-sided game cards and a double-sided spinner let kids play two ways: spin a sense, then place a marker over the related image. ...more Or, on the reverse side, spin a body part (eye, nose, ear, mouth or hand) then place a marker over the sense that uses the body part. Made of durable card stock. Activity Guide and 36 game markers also included. Game cards measure 8" x 7". (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $16.50		Toy	The Five Senses

  

• Can identify basic parts of plants (seed, root, stem, branch, leaf) and what plants need to grow (warmth, light and water) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		How Does A Plant Grow Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of the lifecycle of a plant with this activity and accompanying cut-outs
  99 ¢		Watch Seeds Grow Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of the lifecycle of a plant with science experiment that requires a plastic bag, a paper towel, water, and a bean seed.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Dye your Daisies Parent Created Activity A fun way to help your child visualize how plants use water is to add a few drops of food coloring to a glass of water, then place a white ...more daisy into the glass. Over the next few days the daisy will change colors as it "drinks" the water. Experiment using different colors. This activity also works with a white carnation or a stalk of celery. (less)
  FREE		Nature Book Parent Created Activity Go on a nature walk with your preschooler. While on your walk, collect leaves, stones, flowers, and bark. Let your child pick up different objects that represent the ...more nature in your area. Put one of each nature item in a quart-size ziploc bag and seal. Label each bag with a Sharpie (e.g. "Yellow flower"). Tape the bottom side of all 4 bags together with colored painters tape. Now you have a book where you and your child can read and "open" or unzip the pages. Not only will you build your child's vocabulary and reading skills, but you can also learn about all the different trees and flowers in your neighborhood. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $16.95		Toy	The Nature Treasury: A First Look at the Natural World In teaching your child how to care for the earth, where is a well-intentioned parent to turn to come up with some answers to those interminable questions about how it ...more all works. Suddenly the mechanics of why composting is so important seem both mildly icky and totally beyond your ability to explain. And you need some stats to back up your repetitions about the need for recycling and the dangers of plastics floating around the environments of sea lions and pelicans. Well, here is your child's first reference book, one suited just for him and one that you will return to again and again. There are 22 richly detailed spreads covering animals and plants in habitats across the continents and oceans as well as geological detail about the earth itself. Also featured are several "Up Close" pages that offer detailed drawings of how water, air, trees and grass "work." So many questions will be answered, and so many new and wonderful ones are sure to spring up in their place. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  $19.99		Toy	My Flower Press A walk to the park, a hike in the woods, an hour in the garden - from a small child's perspective, these are all opportunities for observing, touching and picking ...more the many specimens of plant life that surround us. Flowers are a special draw, and we've known a few of our Savvy kiddies to become mildly obsessed with collecting them (okay, maybe not so mildly - when were preschoolers ever mild about anything?). For all the little flower-lovers in your life, or grass and leaf -lovers for that matter, we give you this well-made flower press with which to preserve their favorite pickings. As we've come to expect from Alex toys, this kit comes chock-full of craft possibilities to keep older kids going once their selections have been pressed. For the preschool crowd, we think just seeing their beautiful blossoms transformed will be delight enough. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source