Science Storytimes Week #1: Fizz, Boom, Move!

I decided to change my toddler and preschool storytime format a bit this summer in honor of our science based SRP theme. Inspired by some great preschool science programs done by Abby Johnson and Amy Koester I decided to replace my typical craft with science based centers.

For our first theme I choose movement. Because as they say in Madagascar...

We started out in our storytime room with a movement based picture book and songs. We also used a movement cube that I've been meaning to incorporate into storytime.

We had a decent sized group for a rainy day, and the kids clearly enjoyed getting to move around! After the typical "storytime" portion was over we moved into our large meeting room for our science centers.

Our centers included:

Move vs. Doesn't Move: Kids sorted clip art pictures into two categories: things that move and things that don't. This helps teach sorting, as well as helps children begin the early stages of identifying between living and nonliving things.

Car Painting: We did used vehicles (toy cars purchased at the dollar store) to paint tracks. I've seen this all over Pinterest and have been wanting to do it for a while. This was the most popular center by far.

Friction Ramps: I cut up some small boxes and covered some pieces of the cardboard with bumpy aluminum foil. Both covered and plain pieces of cardboard were used as ramps for kids to run cars down. The difference between the speed and smoothness of the car's ride is meant to illustrate the idea of friction.

Movement Signs: I hung up movement prompting signs throughout the meeting room. Parents were instructed to go throughout the room doing the movements suggested at each sign.

Overall, I think this storytime went pretty well. The kids enjoyed the centers, especially the car painting. I'm very glad I decided to use this format for the summer.

Next week's theme is "Fizz, Boom, Splash!" and I look forward to updating you about how it goes!