Dust off your lab coat: Play School’s Science Time is back for even more awesome experiments! Join the hosts of Science Time to learn about snot, stars, spaceships, and everything in between — and create spectacular science experiments that children can try with items found at home.
Little Scientists is extremely excited to have partnered with Play School to bring early childhood educators a suite of STEM experiments aligned with Series 3 and 4, for children aged 2-8 years. Read about the collaboration between Little Scientists and Play School.
How to get involved:
- Watch an episode of Science Time (each episode is 7-9 minutes).
- Check out the STEM experiments related to that episode (linked below).
- Run the experiments with your children!
FABULOUS PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS
The following Fabulous Physics experiments complement these episodes of Play School Science Time: Refraction in Action, Magical Magnets, Handy Harmonica, and Zooming Leaf Boats.
Little Scientists has developed 2 experiments for you to try with children:
In this experiment, children make party poppers to explore kinetic energy.
In this experiment, children explore sound waves and frequencies.
KITCHEN CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENTS
The following Kitchen Chemistry experiments complement these Series 4 episodes of Play School Science Time: Chalky Eggs-periment, Cool Cabbage Colour Change, Bubble Superpowers, and Zooming Leaf Boats and Series 3 episodes: Colourful Chickpea Foam, Egg Shell Geodes, Fantastic Floating Ink, and Lovely Liquid Layers.
Little Scientists has developed 5 experiments for you to try with children:
In this experiment, children explore the shape of bubbles.
In this experiment, children make their own slime out of chia seeds.
In this experiment, children explore making dyes with foods.
🧪 Do the measurements in recipes matter?
In this experiment, children explore the impact of changing the measurements of ingredients in a recipe.
🧪 Do all liquids freeze the same way?
In this experiment, the children explore the difference in freezing times for a range of everyday liquids found in their kitchen.
OUR LIVING PLANET AND BEYOND EXPERIMENTS
The following Planet and Beyond experiments complement these Series 4 episodes of Play School Science Time: Fast Fossils, Wondrous Whale Blubber, and Fascinating Fish Traps and Series 3 episodes: Super Space Rocket, Cyclone In A Bottle, and Twinkling Stars.
Little Scientists has developed 4 experiments for you to try with children:
In this experiment, children make their own rocks in less than a fortnight.
In this experiment, children explore the concept of solar energy by using the heat from the sun to blow up a balloon.
🌏 How did the moon get its craters?
In this experiment, children explore how moon craters are formed.
🌏 What makes glaciers change over time?
In this experiment, children explore the properties of glaciers and how they change over time and in different conditions.
OUR AMAZING BODY EXPERIMENTS
The following Amazing Body experiments complement these episodes of Play School Science Time: Sun Smart Paper Dolls, Slime Snot, and Robotic Hand.
Little Scientists has developed 3 experiments for you to try with children:
💪 How fast does your heart beat?
In this experiment, children make their own stethoscope and observe their heart beating as it changes with different activities.
In this experiment, children explore how our five senses help us to understand the world.
💪 What drinks keep our teeth strong?
In this experiment, children explore the impact of different drinks on their teeth by experimenting with eggshells, which are also covered in enamel like our teeth!
Follow the Scientific Method
Did you notice the Play School presenters using particular phrases and questions in each Science Time episode? These are listed and explained here under the heading “Exploring the Scientific Method”. These phrases and questions are intentionally designed to develop children’s critical thinking skills and build their awareness of the scientific method.
When you run these experiments with children, make an intentional effort to follow and refer back to this scientific method as your children engage. Every step is important and helps to create a rich learning experience.
If you prefer a visual, Little Scientists’ Inquiry Cycle below offers another way to follow the scientific method (click the image to enlarge and/or download). Click here for more information on the Inquiry Cycle.
Develop your STEM skills with pedagogy-based STEM PD:
- Browse our in-person STEM workshops.
- Browse our online STEM workshops.
- Browse our online STEM Hours.
- Book an in-service workshop for your team.
- Book a STEM Family Workshop for your families.
