Hi Club SciKidz Parents!
Just a week or two ago, who would’ve thought that we’d all be homeschool parents?! This coronavirus outbreak is certainly an unprecedented situation that has us all adjusting our daily norms for the time being and reevaluating priorities. Here at Club SciKidz Dallas, we are still hopeful that this pandemic will be (somewhat) behind us by mid-June and summer camp operations can commence as normal. If anything should change, we will of course notify our registered families ASAP.
Until then, we know there is an abundance of helpful articles and posts with titles like “101 Elementary Science Lessons!” or “500 Easy Ways to do STEM at Home!” etc. While these are great if you are brainstorming or looking for a specific topic, they can also be pretty overwhelming. Personally, those lists might cause some anxiety as they can trigger thoughts like “SHOOT, is my kid supposed to know ALL of this content?!”. We are going to keep it simple and post one basic science lesson every week, using items you can print or likely have around the house, and cover a variety of topics. No pressure, just enjoy them if you’re looking for something extra to eat up some time during these next 4-10ish weeks of homeschooling!
This Week’s Topic: FROGS
It seems pretty appropriate, given ALL the rain this month, to learn about these water-loving creatures! In an effort to get your kiddos (and you) out of the house, find a nearby park/creek/trail and go on a nature walk. Maybe wearing rain boots can help reduce the crazy amount of muddy laundry afterwards. Try and find a water source and let your kids explore the habitat. If you’re lucky, they’ll spot a frog! Depending on the age of your children, you can discuss a wide range of topics:
Who needs toys?!? The author’s preschoolers enjoy muddy walks and searching for bugs.
- Life cycle of a frog, including its metamorphosis from tadpole to adult (good resource HERE)
- Make a frog habitat- take a clean empty container (a broken clay pot? an old fish bowl?), lay it on its side, and use resources from your backyard to “decorate” it and make it look realistic. Read more HERE!
- Have your kids pick their favorite frog call (listen HERE), and then research that particular species of frog (where does it live? does it have any unique characteristics? how many exist?). You can also turn this into a music lesson, if so inclined. Give those kids some instruments and let them make their own frog calls!
- Look up the longest frog jump on record- then have your own frog jumping competition (indoors or outdoors!)
- Discuss the unique tongue anatomy of frogs (you’ll never believe these 9 fun facts!) and have your kids make a frog face mask. If you have one of those slightly obnoxious party blowers lying around (or a dollar store nearby), they make super fun frog tongues!
- Take the art angle on this topic and print some frog coloring sheets- this site has a variety of options for all ages/skill levels. You can chat about the frog’s skin, anatomy, and unique skills while they color. They’ll probably have plenty of questions. Don’t be afraid to Google it if you don’t have the answer ready. We all do it!
Frogs really are fascinating creatures, and so useful in teaching a ton of different topics. This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully you can find a break in the rain to go exploring for frogs!