20 minutes

General Science Scavenger Hunt - Look around your home and find as many items on the list as you can: 1) Water that is in the form of a solid, liquid, or gas; 2) a natural resource, 3) something that is solid and would sink in liquid, 4) something that is solid and would float in liquid, 5) a shadow, 6) a mixture of two or more substances, 7) something solar powered, 8) an insect, 9) plant roots, 10) something made of wood, 11) something made of plastic, 12) something made of metal

30 minutes

Ecosystems Scavenger Hunt - Look out your window and find as many items on the list as you can: 1) A bird or mammal interacting with a plant, 2) an animal interacting with dirt or rocks, 3) an insect interacting with a plant, 4) an animal eating, 5) a bird interacting with a non-living thing, 6) an insect interacting with a non-living thing, 7) an animal using a living or non-living thing for shelter, 8) a plant thriving in a shaded area, 9) a plant thriving in a sunny area, 10) an animal moving an object. Draw a picture of at least one of the things you found.

30 minutes

With help from an adult, fold and tape one piece of paper to make a cylinder. Pick a non-breakable item from your home (building blocks, books, a stuffed animal, etc.) Stand your cylinder upright. Do you think it will be able to hold your item(s)? Write a hypothesis using the sentence, “I think the cylinder will/will not be able to hold ____ because…”. (TK/K can tell an adult their hypothesis instead of writing it.) Test your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis correct? Why do you think it was correct/incorrect? What questions do you have now that you’ve completed your experiment? Day 2-5 find a different item to test the strength of a paper cylinder. Write (or tell an adult) your new hypothesis and test results each day. 

30 minutes

Repeat the activity above but this time try using a different 3-D shape like a rectangular prism or a triangular prism. Which shape was stronger? Why do you think that is? Can you find items in your home that are cylinders, rectangular prisms, and triangular prisms? Make a list (or draw pictures) of what you found.

20 minutes

Using only paper and tape, build the tallest free-standing tower you can. Repeat the activity but this time try it WITHOUT tape. Think of different ways to fold and stack the paper to make your tower.

30 minutes

Using only 1 piece of paper, make a paper “boat” by folding up the edges or rolling up the sides (get creative!) With help from an adult, find a container that can be filled with an inch of water and large enough to fit your boat. How many pennies do you think your boat will be able to hold? Write a hypothesis using the sentence, “I think my boat will be able to hold ____ pennies because…”. (TK/K can tell an adult their hypothesis instead of writing it.) Test your hypothesis. Was your hypothesis correct? What would you do differently? Create another paper boat the following day using a different design. Write a new hypothesis and test it. Did it hold more or less pennies than your first boat? Why do you think that is?

15 minutes

Draw a picture of the Earth. Write a list of things you can do to help take care of our planet. Color your picture.

30 minutes

Pick a habitat (desert, tropical rainforest, arctic, ocean, etc.). Draw the habitat and at least one animal that lives there. Write how that animal’s characteristics help it survive in that habitat. Example: Arctic habitat - polar bear. The polar bear’s fur helps it blend in with its environment. They also have a thick layer or fat to help stay warm. Repeat the following days with a different habitat and animal.

15 minutes

Paper airplanes - build a paper airplane (ask an adult if you need help) and see how far it can fly. Test it 3 times and write down your results. If you don’t have a measuring tool available, you can measure by counting how many steps (heel to toe) from where you started.

30 minutes

Select an object from nature like a leaf,  tree you see from your window, etc. Day 1 draw a rough draft sketch, Day 2 add additional detail to your draft. Day 3 re-draw your draft into a final outline with black pen, Day 4, add color, Day 5, write about your drawing. Write about the object: “What details do you notice about your object? Why do you think the object has these qualities?”

30 minutes

Count the cars or birds you see outside your window in the morning. Make a hypothesis about whether you’ll see less or more cars or birds you’ll see in the afternoon. Write your hypothesis using the sentence, “I believe there will be more/less cars or birds outside my window in the afternoon because---”. Test your hypothesis - count the cars or birds in the afternoon. Was your hypothesis correct? Why do you think it was correct/incorrect? What questions do you have now that you’ve completed your experiment? Write your answers to these questions on the same paper. Day 2-5 test your hypothesis every day to see if there are patterns.

30 minutes

Invent something using items from the recycling bin. What is it? What does it do? Explain your invention to a family member.

20 minutes

Draw and design an insect with 6 legs, 3 body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), and 2 compound eyes. Will your insect have antennae, wings, special mouthparts, or other features? Label and explain your insect to a family member. Where does it live? What does it eat? How does it survive?

20 minutes

Miracle robot: Design a robot...draw or make a prototype/model if possible.  Explain: What does your robot do? 

20 minutes

Discuss and draw/write about: “What is water for?” Day 2: Draw a water system. Where does the water go?

20 minutes

Experiment in the sink or bathtub. Make a list of things that sink or float. Discuss why you think each object did what you observed.

15 minutes

Watch/find the weather report on the news/newspaper. Listen for the high and low temperatures for the day. Do you think it will be hot or cold?  What is a prediction? OR What was the weather like today? Draw a picture and write a sentence describing it. What do you think the weather will be like tomorrow?

15 minutes

Discuss what things are made of in your house. Which things are made of wood?  Which are made of plastic, metal, or stone? How are these things made?

20-30 minutes

Find 5-10 fresh plant-based foods from your kitchen. Which ones are fruits? Which ones are vegetables? A fruit develops from the flower of a plant, while the rest of a plant’s parts would be a vegetable. Fruits are often sweeter, while vegetables are more savory. What category are your foods in? Why do you think that?

20 minutes

What is your favorite season of the year? Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall? Why? Draw a picture of your season. What do people do, see, or feel in this season?

10 minutes

Look at the moon at night and draw it. Is it a circle, or a crescent? Repeat this each night for a week. What do you notice?

15 minutes

What matter do you have? Make a list of solids, liquids, and gases that are in your home.