Guest Author - Diane Claus

Sand and Water Table
Who says you have to limit the sand and water table to sand and water? Try sand, beans, rice or even couscous. Mix cornstarch with some water and let the kids play with it.


Zoology
Preschoolers love animals. Having animals in the classroom is a great way for preschoolers to learn about caring for and handling animals.

-Rabbits
We personally own a Holland lop. They are a smaller breed that is really good with kids. We got ours when he was 8 weeks old, at first I questioned my choice of rabbit but as he matured and settled into daily life here he became a wonderful fit. If you get a young rabbit I highly recommend keeping him in a slower environment until he is about 6 months old. They must be held daily or they will be difficult to keep around preschoolers.

-Guinea Pigs
I know many people who have had wonderful experiences with them, but I am not one. When you get a guinea pig you want to make sure it is tolerate of being held and like rabbits they need to be held and handled daily.

-Fish
I am a big fan of betta’s because of their beauty and hardiness. You don’t need a huge tank or even an air pump to keep them alive.


Entomology
Who doesn’t love bugs? There is so much out there for preschoolers that revolve around bugs, including Ant farms, raising a caterpillar to a butterfly, catching bugs outside for a bug barn, having one of numerous types of bug habitats.


Botany

Watching a seed grow into a flower is a very rewarding experience for all ages! If you have a rabbit or guinea pig let the kids try their hand at growing carrots or potatoes to feed to the animals. I highly recommend sticking with annuals that way every spring the kids can start anew and you don’t have to worry about finding a new piece of ground or killing off a previous classes plants.


Science Experiments

Possibly my favorite part of the science area. There are several easy to do experiments that are safe for preschoolers to do with adult supervision. Here are a few classics with some variations.

-Vinegar and Baking Soda

-Dissolved Yeast and Hydrogen Peroxide
General Variations of the above:
Have the child add a couple of drops of food coloring to the different ingredients before mixing them (for example: blue in one and red in the other). This is a favorite because most preschoolers have not yet learned the color combinations to make new colors yet.

-Powdered Kool-Aid and Baking Soda
Mixed together and pour into a bowl of water.

-Tie-dye Milk
A shallow bowl filled with whole milk. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to the milk, make sure the food coloring doesn’t blend together. Dip a cotton swab into some liquid dish soap and put into the milk.