E is for Electricity!

Our preschoolers LOVE science experiments!  This was a great one to review our previous discussions on the scientific method, talk about electricity and write down our observations.

We started by talking all about electricity.  What is it?  What does it do? A fun way to demonstrate this is to turn the lights on and off.  How does the electricity get from the switch to the light?

Electricity needs a power source.  In our experiment this is the battery.  We then created an electrical circuit using alligator clip wires, a battery and a christmas lightbulb.  It is so exciting to see the light bulb light up! Then we added another set of alligator clips that we could add different objects into.  If the light bulb went on, then electricity could go through our object (it was a conductor).  If the lightbulb wouldn't go on, the electricity couldn't go through the object.

 After each test, we recorded our observations--because we are scientists! Then we could observe what did all of the conductors have in common? They are all metal! 

Want to try this?  Here's a recording sheet for your observations . . .

preschoolelectricalconductors

E is for Elephant

Did you know an elephant can put as much as 2 gallons of water in its trunk?

Or that a mom elephant is pregnant for almost 2 years?

Or that just like a human babies sometimes suck their thumb,
baby elephants often suck their trunks for comfort?

Check out this site National Geographic Kids Creature Feature
to learn more about Elephants,
watch a video of a baby elephant playing,
 hear elephant noises
and even see a picture of elephants hugging.

We didn't get a chance to do this at school today,
so it would be a nice follow-up activity for you and your child to explore together!

We did, though, make these fun sack puppets . . . 

I used the template found here,  which you could also use to make an elephant mask too.

THE ELEPHANT GAME:

Everyone sits in a circle while one child skips around the circle.
The child pretends to be an elephant by using one arm for a trunk and the other for a tail.

Everyone sings:

1 elephant went out one day

Upon a spiders web to play,

He had such enormous fun,

He called for another elephant to come!

When the verse ends, whoever the child is standing behind then joins him/her holding hands
and skipping around the circle while everyone sings:

2 elephants went out one day

Upon a spiders web to play.

They had such enormous fun,

They called for another elephant to come!

Continue until everyone is up and then the final verse is sung:

____ elephants went out one day,

Upon a spiders web to play.

They had such enormous fun,

But the web it broke and they all fell down!

Everyone falls to the ground (and giggles, of course!)

E is for Exercise!

Exercise is an important E word! 

It helps us keep our bodies healthy 

and our hearts, lungs, and muscles strong!

As one child exclaimed today,

"Ms Tamra, my breath is getting hot!"

Did you know if you give exercises funny names 

(like The Jumpin' Jelly Bean) 

it makes it even more fun and ensures lots of giggles?

Now let's all exercise!

Ms Tamra's Bookbag

This book is a favorite at my house.  The simple story of different animals being kind to each other starts with sharing an egg.  Each animal in turn wants to do something kind for a friend.  Sometimes that kindness is shown by giving something, sometimes it is by doing something.  This simple read with bright pictures was a perfect tie in for our theme of the day--eggs, as well as our character trait for the month--good manners.  

E is for Egg!

E is for Exploring Excellent Eggs!

Ms Tamra had two eggs that looked just alike.  

We talked about what animals/creatures come from eggs and which ones do not.  

Then she showed us some tricks.

Did you know an egg in water sinks, 

but if you put some salt in that water it will float?

Even though they looked the same, 

one egg would spin and the other would not . . . why? 

 We opened them up and found our answer.  

One egg was raw and the other cooked.  

We also explored the different parts of an egg, its purpose 

and how they had changed when cooked.

After all this exploration, we got to do our own egg tricks!

First we colored them with crayons very carefully,

Then we dipped them in the stinky water 

(vinegar, water and food coloring) . . . 

 And ta-da!

 Egg-citingly Egg-cellent Eggs!