Sharks became my son’s obsession in First Grade. Kindergarten was his Lego obsession which definitely continued into First grade, but in First Grade he met some friends in California who loved sharks and his inkling of an interest blossomed. They formed a “fish club” at school and suddenly he was pouring over Shark books late into the night. Four years later, heading into Fifth grade he’s still obsessed and absolutely knows more about sharks than I do. 

If you have a kiddo who is obsessed with these incredible creatures – then these Shark Week ideas are for you! This post is a round up of all of the fun shark activities we’ve done over the course of many ideas, more than you’ll likely do in one week. 

Note: You can certainly do these ANY time of the year – not just during shark week! 

Shark Week Unit Ideas

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Field Trip Ideas

If it’s possible, going to see real live sharks is an exciting addition to a Shark Unit. We’re lucky to be able to snorkel with sharks and see them in the nearby aquariums here in San Diego. 

Aquarium

Depending on where you are, your access to aquariums and aquariums with sharks will vary obviously. If you can get to an aquarium and see these guys in real life though it is a great experience.

Right now, here in the San Diego County area we were able to see three kinds of reef sharks at the AquaLife aquarium at Legoland and little sharks at the Birch Aquarium (they’re outside in a little area curtained off from the play area.)

Sea World – San Diego

This is kind of the ultimate aquarium. My son was beyond excited that he not only got to see some cool sharks – like black tipped reef sharks – but he also got to touch sharks in the touch tanks by the entrance. We were about 100 yards into the park when he smiled up at me and said “I already really like this place Mom!”

Shark Activity Ideas

Learning anything and everything about sharks seemed to be our general plan for our Shark Unit. Here are some shark activities to get you started.

Literacy Activities

• Awesome Children’s Books about Sharks from My Storytime Corner 
• Comparing and Contrasting Fiction and Non-Fiction Books
  Comparing and contrasting two books is one of our first grade learning objectives. We also did this with two ocean animals, but for this activity I simply put out a sheet of paper for each kid with a space for writing or drawing something that was the same and something that was different. Then we had a bigger discussion together and grew our lists.
• Shark Word Find Puzzle from Jinxy Kids – these would be great spelling words as well if you’re looking for a related Spelling Word list. 

read also: Preschool Ocean animals unit ideas

Art Activities

• Learn to Draw Sharks with a shark drawing book
• Learn to Draw Sharks with this video tutorial on Art for Kids Hub. 
• Learn to Draw a Shark printable from Kid Activities Blog
• Under the Sea Mural – we used the 3 Day Collaborative Mural idea from Artful Parent
• Giant Shark Suncatcher Craft from And Next Comes L is another fun potentially collaborative project.
• Shark Chalk Pastel Drawings from Nourishing My Scholar
• Easy Shark Origami from Hawaii Travel with Kids
• Paper Plate Shark craft from Kid Activities Blog
• Shark Bookmark Craft from Big Family Blessings – this is super cute! Or print and color these shark bookmarks from Picklebums
• Cut and Glue Shark Craft from Kiddy Charts – I think this is best for kindergarten/first graders.
• Chomping Foam Shark Puppet from The Soccer Mom Blog

STEM Activities

• Ocean Life LEGO Building – start with these LEGO building ideas post here.
• Shark Week Fast Facts Printable from 3 Boys and a Dog
• Play Games to learn about the food cycle and more. We love playing CHOMP. It’s a quick, easy and fun card game that includes sharks. We also love Professor Noggins Trivia Oceans game. It includes sharks along with a whole host of other marine life. 
• Shark Toys and Water Beads Sensory Bin
• Observing + Drawing Favorite Ocean Animals – pick an animal and observe them at your local aquarium.
• Learn about their characteristics. Like how do sharks float?
• Math & Science Shark Printables from Every Star is Different
• Measure Sharks – Pull out your favorite shark book, a tape measure and some chalk. Measure your favorite kinds of sharks and draw them out on the drive way. 
• Shark Worksheets from Living Life and Learning 
  
  Awesome Ocean Science by Cindy A. Littlefield
  Find Online
  A whole book of kid’s science experiments about the ocean! Fascinating information and fun hands on activities.  5+
• Watch Octonauts Episodes about Sharks 
  Season 1 (episodes 7, 8, 22), Season 2 (episode 1) and Season 3 (episode 7)
• Play in Ocean Oobleck from Glitter on a Dime
• Sharks Unit Study printable pack from Rock Your Homeschool. This is a really detailed, thorough packet for kids who want to go a little deeper.
• Shark Life Cycle with Mama Teaches

Social Studies Activities

• Map Where Sharks Live

Gross Motor Activities

• Play “Great White Shark” at the pool.
  It is Marco Polo except the person searching is a shark instead. If you think saying shark at the pool is going to be too alarming to others (note: do not play this game at the beach) then you can just say “Hammer” and “Head” or some other variation on a shark name.
• Shark Circuit Training
  Make up a workout circuit that’s shark themed. We did a leg focused one that included shark munchies (jumping jacks), shark swims (running in place), shark chompers (shark leg raises). Be creative. How can you move your bodies like a shark and workout?
• Play What Did the Shark Eat?
  There are 3 ways to play this game from Your Therapy Source which can work on a variety of skills. 

Cute Shark-ish Snack Ideas

• Shark-Cuterie Board from Simplistically Living
• Ocean Blue Lemonade Popsicles from Play Party Plan
• Shark Lollipops from In The Kids Kitchen
• Shark Covered Oreos from In The Kids Kitchen

Browse All Of Our Unit Ideas

The stars and moon and planets of our solar system have long fascinated people of all ages. When NASA launched 60 years ago it was a vision, a dream. The reality of space exploration has far exceeded our expectations in so many ways.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NASA’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

I am honestly not sure where my kids caught the space bug, but I noticed that their play started involving rockets blasting off to space. Over the course of the next few weeks, we delved into the planets, astronauts, the moon, the international space station and more.

Whether your kids are fantasizing about becoming astronauts or curious about the hubbub surround NASA’s anniversary, this is a fun collection of ideas to delve into outer space with preschoolers.

affiliate links are included below. 

Preschool Outer Space Unit Ideas

Field Trip Ideas

1. Planetarium
2. Science Museum : Here’s an example of a Museum trip from Something 2 Offer.
3. Backyard Moon or Star Watching : These tips on How to Spot Meteors from Frog Mom could help!

Outer Space Children’s Book List

There are so many amazing books for kids to absorb about outer space and astronauts. A few of our absolute favorites are below, but for the full list read BEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT ASTRONAUTS & OUTER SPACE.

Mousetronaut Goes to Mars by Astronaut Mark Kelly
Order Online

This adorable book follows the adventures of a mouse astronaut, Meteor. He is determined to be apart of the first human misson to Mars. Children will be rooting along for this little mouse hero. 3+

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
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A classic Magic School Bus book. Venture into the space with the most adventurous classroom and most famous science teacher in children’s books. 3+

Moonshot : The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
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We are a huge fan of Brian Floca and this book is no exception. Stunning illustrations, fascinating information, and amazing retelling of the story of Apollo 11 for the next generation. 4+

A Trip into Space
by Lori Haskins Houran
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Good first looks at the International Space Station for preschoolers where astronauts live, work, and walk. 3+

Outer Space Learning Activity Ideas

Planets, Planets from Album I Know You’ll Grow.. by Music with Nancy
music/arts

We love Nancy Kopman’s music and I credit her Planets, Planets song to my twins learning the names of all of the planets. My daughter sang this song non-stop for almost a month. You can find the CD on Amazon.

Ball Solar System
science

My dad did this activity with my kids (I come by this teacher thing naturally). He gathered a bunch of balls of different sizes – soccer balls, baseball, tennis ball, etc. They used the balls to create a solar system on the dining room table. Then they took turns orbiting the balls (planets) around the table.

International Space Station
science and creativity

My kids are fascinated by astronauts and the idea of the international space station. We read a couple books about the ISS but then I found a Tour of ISS on UTube. There are a few so look around. My twins loved learning about how the astronauts bounce around without gravity and about the different living spaces in the station. After they watched it, they drew their own version of the space station (photo above).

Next they pretended their tent was a Space Station and a big yellow beach ball was a meteorite. This pretend play was very dramatic and exciting. Later they pretended that our whole house was a space station and their shoes were gravity boots. Much imagination and pretending happened for days.

Gravity Experiments
science

Gravity is a tricky concept for preschoolers to understand. It involves something they can’t really seem making it abstract and difficult to explain. We worked on the concept a little by doing a simple gravity experiment. One person stood at the top of the stairs and dropped two objects at the same time. The other people stood at the bottom and watched to see which item feel the fastest. We talked about this and made some guesses about why some things fell faster than others.

Outerspace Little Passports Unit
math and literacy

Our Little Passports subscription for this month just happened to match our interest which was a huge bonus. If you’re curious about Little Passports you can learn more here. We used their activities throughout our unit, usually during group time, and especially loved the outer space themed stamps. We used them to make pictures, create patterns, and tell stories.

Quiet Time Literacy Activity
literacy

I like to create at least one quiet time activity for each unit or interest. I put this on their shelf to practice making words and recognizing lowercase letters. The tray is from the Melissa and Doug magnetic letters. The right side has magnetic letters and the right side has cards with space themed words written down.

Into Space Quiet Time Activities
math and literacy

I made this set of printables for my kids to work on during Quiet Time. The pack includes a mini-book about a trip to the space station, patterning cards, and a drawing prompt. You can download it for FREE on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Outerspace Puppet Show
literacy and arts

My parents took my twins to see a puppet show at the Art Museum during the time we were learning about space and it inspired this idea. They worked on a space themed puppet show together based on the book Moonshot by Brian Floca (see list above). They created astronaut, rocket, and lunar module puppets, created a story, and rehearsed. Then they put the puppet show on for me and various stuffed pals. It was a great way to celebrate and conclude their project.

More Activity Ideas

• Galaxy Art Science from Preschool Powol Packets
• Stargazing Apps from iGame Mom
• Solar System Unit Study from Look We’re Learning
• Astronaut Ten Frame Matching Game from The Kindergarten Connection
• Moon Word Search Printable from Tales of Education at Home
• Astronomy for Kids from Planet Smarty Pants
• Space-Themed Salt Tray Activities from The Usual Mayhem
• Night Sky Dot to Dot Printable from Craft Create Calm
• Outerspace Coloring Pages from Sight and Sound Reading
• Outerspace Word Search from The Letters of Literacy

Spiders are everywhere. Spooky spiders are being hung to haunt houses. Cute ones are decorating lawns and being crafted in preschool classrooms. The ones in my backyard are hopefully helpful de-bugging my yard.

This hunt is designed to look more carefully at spiders and the webs that they create. Together you will look closely, make observations, write details, compare and contrast webs. More than anything, you will learn more about these little crawlies all around our environment through a fun adventure.

affiliate links may be included below.

Spider Web Hunt

Spiders are everywhere. At least in our backyard they seem to be everywhere. Make sure you have some in your yard, playground, trails – wherever you plan to hunt.

Before you bring your kiddos outside for a Spider Hunt, go on a little hunt yourself. Make sure you have an idea of where a few are to get them started.

Nothing is worse than a spider web hunt with no spiders.

Before the Field Trip

Once you’ve scouted your location, it is time to get your kids excited! I like to start with books.

Before we went on our Spider Web Hunt, we read some picture books about spiders. Here are our favorites:

Spinning Spiders
by Melvin Berger
illustrated by S. D. Schindler

How do spiders spin webs? What are the different kinds of webs that spiders make? What do they capture inside their webs? Learn everything you ever wanted to know about spider webs in this nonfiction book.

Find Online

Walter’s Wonderful Web
by Tim Hopgood

This is such a cute book. It’s a story about a little spider who is learning how to make a strong web. Woven into the story is lots of learning about shapes. Fun illustrations and a sweet little character to root for.

Find Online

Read these stories aloud and then suggest you head outside to get a closer look at real spider webs.

During the Field Trip

First, ask the kids where they think they could spot a spider web. Brainstorm a list of ideas.

Next, pass out your supplies.

• Clipboard (one/kid)
• Spider Web Hunt Printable (download for free below)
• Pencil (one/kid)
• Magnifying Glass (one/kid)

Download: Spider Web Hunt Printable

Then head outside. We used the first Spider Hunt Printable on our hunt.

The kids used their magnifying glasses to hunt for spider webs in nooks, under tables, in bushes.

Each kid picked two spider webs to draw and write some details about on their form. Encourage them to look closely. What does the web look like? How does it feel? Can they see shapes in it like the ones Walter included in his web?

After the field trip

When we gathered back together, we compared and contrasted the spider webs. There are a few different ways to use this. It could be an independent activity. We did this in partners.

Each kid shared with a partner about their favorite spider web discovery. Then they compared and contrasted their favorites with each other.

Here are some helpful questions to get them started:

• Are the spider webs shaped the same?
• What do the webs feel like?
• Had the webs caught anything?
• Where did you spot the webs?

This activity had my kids thinking so differently about spiders and their webs. They notice them more when we’re outside. Keep the magnifying glasses available so they can hunt for more on their own if they like.

Download: Spider Web Hunt Printable

Find More
Little Walks & Big Adventures

Number recognition is a tricky concept for some kids. It is a lot like learning your letters. While it is easy to sing the alphabet, it is more difficult to assign each letter name or sound to a character.

Numbers are the same. While it is fairly easy to grasp the concept of counting to ten, it is more complicated to differentiate between symbols and understand what they stand for in a way they can use. Our Number Line was created to work on just this concept.

also read: mess-free nature shake paintings

I have taken a very hands on approach to teaching Math in our Homeschool Preschool. In general, I think kids learn best through hands on activities. When they can touch and manipulate materials ideas are more concrete and applicable.

I particularly love using natural materials. The textures, the weight, and their gentle colors are appealing.

also read: 5 ways to learn patterns outside

This DIY Number line is made with two easy to find materials and can be used for a variety of number related activities.

To Create:

You will need:
*tin can lids
*rocks (we used some of the many we’ve gathered on our walks)
*a sharpie.

Our can opener leaves smooth edges so I don’t have to worry about jagged edges. If yours doesn’t, find a different object or use tagboard to make circles.

Write the numbers 1-10, or however high you want, on the lids and rocks.

On the lids you can also draw dots or other shapes to represent the number. A sharpie writes well on both rocks and lids.

Play + Learn Time:

NUMBER LINES
Both the lids and rocks can be used individually to make a number line.

NUMBER MATCHING
You can match the numbers on the rocks to the numbers on the lids.

NUMBER TO OBJECT MATCH
You can arrange one in a number line and then sort other objects into number groups. For instance, next to the number 3 lid you could place 3 counters, berries, or blocks.

SONG PROPS
Use the lids or rocks in a number song. For instance, each rock could represent a duck in the “Five Little Ducks” song.

These materials can also be placed in a basket in your playroom for further independent exploration. Just another resource or material for developing number sense.

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It is impossible to not smile while I watch my kids scamper in the waves. The sun warms my shoulders as I sit back in the sand. They run towards the waves and then away when a big one comes crashing into the shore. They roar with laughter and then run towards the water again.

This endless game is excellent physical activity and some pretty awesome sensory input, but is it more than that?

Are they actually learning anything at the beach or are they falling behind their peers bending over worksheets and IPad learning games?

If I learned anything from being at home with my kids it is that anywhere can be a classroom. A classroom, the actual physical room, is not needed. It serves a purpose to help organize large groups of kids, but it is not a key ingredient in learning.

Learning? Learning can happen anywhere. Even at the beach.

read also: 20+ Ocean Unit Ideas for K and First grade

What do you need to make the beach your classroom?

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Materials for Your Classroom

What to Bring Each Beach Trip

*Beach Blanket (this one is awesome!)

*Sand Buckets

*Sand Shovels

*Water + Snacks

*Sunscreen

Materials to Rotate

*Sand molds

*Kites

*Water spray bottles

*Plastic People or Animals

*Plastic Vehicles

also read:
8 Things to Pack in Your Beach Bag to Spark Creative Play

 Activity Ideas for Your Classroom

Literacy

• Beach Scavenger Hunt from Natural Beach Living
• Journal Writing: Journal about what you see or experience with your other senses at the beach. Doodle or write stories.

Math

• Sorting Seashells from Playground Parkbench
• Make Patterns with seashells

Science

• Beach Learning Activities from Little Bins for Little Hands
• Create a Ocean Nature Table back at home from Natural Beach Living
• 5 Ways to Explore Science at the Beach from KCEdventures
• Collect Shells, Rocks, Bugs and Look Closely
• Ocean Animal Unit from Bambini Travel

Creativity

• Make a Beach Collage from Crafty Kids at Home
• Create a Sand Castle or a Different Sand Structure
• Draw Pictures or Create Stories

Motor

• 15 Things to do with Kids at the Beach from Frog Mom
• Fly a Kite

But this is just a start. Some ideas to get the wheels turning. The real ideas will come from your kids.

What interests them?

What do they notice?

What questions do they ask?

And how can you take that further?

These are the questions that will create a classroom of curious, engaged learners – even at the beach.

My preschoolers loved counting. Any excuse was a good one.

Help me count out spoons for everyone? Yes!

We can only check out 20 library books. Can you help me check how many we have? Yes!

Want to go for a counting walk adventure? YES!

If you kids are at this point, then these easy activities are for you. I am a huge fan of keeping things simple, so these are number activities that you can do with no prep.

When you get back from your counting walk or when you find yourself with some spare time to fill and an eager number counter – sit down and do one of these activities to encourage number recognition, counting with one-to-one correspondence and more preschool number skills.

affiliate links are included. thank you for your support of Bambini Travel.

5 Preschool Number Activities

Many of them used our Counting Bears which are a wonderful hands-on math materials for Preschool and Early Elementary (You can find them HERE).

Here are five fantastically simple number activities:

1. Counting Bears: Sort and Count

To play you need some Counting Bears (see above) and a table.

Pour the counting bears on the table and have your child sort them by color. For more than one child you can divide the bears into groups or have the children work together.

When they are done sorting, ask “Which color of bears has the biggest group and which is the smallest?” Have them guess and then count to confirm.

2. Counting Bear Pattern Challenges

My twins thought this is fabulous fun. We have been working on patterns for a while and this is a fun way to practice.

Divide the bears somewhat equally between the people playing.

Have each person create the beginning to a pattern. We call this “creating a pattern challenge.”

When everyone is done with their pattern, have them rotate to the next person and try to continue their pattern.

To add some number work into your patterns, give limitations to your patterns such as; patterns much contain 2 green bears or must be 3 bears long.

3. Rainbow Scavenger Hunt + Count

To play, start with a clear table or large space on the floor. You will be creating a rainbow with your toys and other materials.

One color at a time, have everyone hunt around the house, playroom, or classroom for items that match that color. For example, first you will send everyone to find things that are red.

When they come back, arrange them in a line or arch and then move onto the next color.

To keep the colors somewhat even, you may want to count how many things you find as you go. Otherwise, similar to the sort and count activity above, when you are done hypothesize about which color has the largest and smallest group and then count to determine.

You May Also Like: Finding Round Nature Hunt for Toddlers and Preschoolers

4. Number Book

Read a book with Numbers. This list of Counting Books is a great start. We read Have You Seen My Dragon by Steve Light.

As you go, have your child represent the numbers mentioned with their Counting Bears. This helps them start to tie the number to the numeral on the page.

5. Dancing Bear Pairs

My daughter essentially invented this game. She likes to pretend with the Counting Bears while we do activities with them and she was pretending a couple were dancing when it dawned on me this was the perfect way to introduce odd and even numbers.

To play Dancing Bear Pairs all you need are Counting Bears. If you wish, some number cards can also be used to continue working on Number Recognition.

To play, explain: that your bears are going to a dancing party and they all need a partner. Unfortunately, one of the bears at the Odd Party won’t have a partner, but if they are at an Even Party everyone will.

Let’s see what kind of party the Number 4 is. Have your preschooler find four bears, pair them off and then declare it must be an Even Party.

Continue with different numbers, both odd and even.

read also: playful preschool math activities

It rained for the first time since our move and we learned something new about San Diego – when it rains snails come out.

Maybe you’re super unimpressed because this is just common knowledge to you, but where I grew up earth worms wiggle out of the dirt when it rains.

My kids however were super impressed.

They spotted the snails first. They were everywhere. On the wall of our porch. On the sidewalks and driveways. On the ground in our garden.

Not being one who particularly enjoys things that wiggle and squirm, I was not super umm excited about this discovery.

My kids however were SO excited.

I’ve learned, after years of learning through adventure with my twins, that it is best to embrace these moments – even when I’m not super excited about the theme – because the best learning happens in these natural learning opportunities. 

click for all of our previous interest driven projects

If this seems like something that would interest your kids or if you too find snails pouring out of their hiding spots after a rainfall, then this unit will point you in the right direction so you can make the most of this opportunity.

affiliate links may be included.

Snails Unit for First Graders

Snail Field Trip

So if you live in an area where there are snails head outside to a garden area and see if you can spot some.

Our snails in San Diego like to crawl right out onto the sidewalks when it rains. My friends in the UK spot them in their bushes.

Wherever you find them, show your kids how to gently observe them and then put them back where they were found.

I started by pulling out our bug adventure kits to give them some tools to observe the snails.

read also: adventure supplies i can’t live without

There is no doubt that seeing the real thing and having it sit in your hand or crawl on your arm offers so much sensory information that you can’t get from seeing a picture.

Activity Ideas

Snails were completely new to us – again you may not be impressed but that was our starting point.

So, what is a snail?

Snail is a common name loosely applied to shelled gastropods.

We learned later that there are more kinds of snails – but more on that in a bit.

Literacy Activities

In our bug kit are these cute little field note clipboards and they inspired some self directed writing about their findings. (Note: I made a copies of the little page – only one is included per set).

Activity for Later:

• Read The Snail & The Whale and then retell the story with this Story Telling Wheel from Rainy Day Mum.
• Read more books about snails – these were our favorites.

Art Activities

• Also related to the book THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE you can make this cute Movable Paper Plate Craft from Crafts on Sea. My kids used this like a puppet show.

STEM Activities

To me, one of the most important science skills for this age group is learning to slow down and carefully observe something.

They made little welcoming habitats for the snails and put a couple in these bug jars. They based their habitats off of the environment in the gardens where they were found which I thought was some good problem solving.

You May Also Like: Spider Web Hunt with FREE Printables

They also used magnifying glasses to look closely at the snail’s bodies and shells.

The data recording forms asked how big the subject was, so they went inside to find a ruler and started measuring their snails.

MORE IDEAS

• How Animals Eat Their Food: Exploring Macroinvertebrates from JDaniel 4’s Mom
• Study snail anatomy and more fun facts from Preschool Powol Packets
• Learn about Snail habitats, spirals and more with these awesome activities from Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes.

Applying Our Snail Knowledge

About a week after we had found our snails, read about snails and explored a lot of the activities linked above, we learned something new.

There are sea snails.

My twins had the opportunity to go to the Birch Aquarium to learn more about animals that live in tide pools.

They were delighted and surprised to find out that Sea Snails are one of those animals.

It was fun to watch them apply their snail knowledge to their sea relatives when they talked about their anatomy and other adaptations.

They were confident scientists and proud to share what they knew. To me, it was such a cool example of the amazing power of providing kids the time and materials needed to follow their random interests on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Isn’t it cool how simple and empowering an easy learning opportunity can be?

There are lots of great ways to bring STEM topics to life for your kids or students. You can do experiments, you can read great STEM books, you can investigate with tools and real materials.

read also: What We love about STEM Reads

However, I think a field trip into the community is one of the best ways to bring STEM topics to life.

Field Trips…

• Give real life context to the skills you are learning.
• Motivate kids who are struggling.
• Build connections between the classroom and the community.
•  Help reach children with different learning styles.

Here are 10 of our favorite STEM Field Trips for bringing to life science, technology, engineering and math concepts.

10+ STEM Field Trip Ideas

1. Nature Walk (Science)

If you are learning about the natural world, seasons, weather and more then getting outside for a nature walk is a natural field trip. Our preschoolers took a walk each season to look up close at whatever season we were learning about. Our favorite was the Signs of Fall walk.

2. Visit Real Animals (Science)

The zoo, the aquarium, the farm, the pet store. If you are learning about animals – go observe live animals. Whether you pick one animal to observe and draw and learn about or explore a whole range, seeing the real live animals is a valuable experience for any animal unit.

3. Farm, Farmers’ Market, Grocery Store (Science)

Learn where food comes from by visiting one of these places (or all of them).
One of my favorite field trips is going to a pick-your-own farm. Every year in the early summer we go pick own berries. (Don’t miss our tips for berry picking with toddlers)

4. Visit Different Environments – Beach. Forest. Desert. (Science)

Live in the mountains? Go visit one. Live in the desert? Go see the plants up close. Live near a lake or the ocean? Go get your hands and feet wet. Books and pictures and samples are great, but the real environment offers so much more for the senses and curious minds.

Also Read: 3 Reasons Every Field Trip Needs an Adventure Journal

5. Garden (Science)

Flowers and growing plants are common learning themes. Get out in your community and see some plants or flowers up close. Learn how to grow things or about different types of plants at your local Garden, Botanic Garden, or Garden store.

Read Also: How to Use Picture Books with STEM Learning

6. Science Museum (Science and Technology)

If you have a science museum then this is a great choice for a STEM field trip. Lots of science and technology and other STEM topics are explored on a bigger scale in science museums. Make sure to check online beforehand to see what exhibits will work best for your kids.

7. TV Station (Technology)

How do images get into our living rooms every evening? Go find out. Call and ask your local TV station if they are okay with some inquisitive kids coming to observe and ask questions at a quiet time of the day.

8. Repair Shop (Technology)

Taking things apart and putting them back together often fascinates kids. See if you can visit a repair shop in town that focuses on phones, computers or other kinds of technology. Make sure to bring questions about how things are fixed, what tools they use and how do they get to be so good at repairing things.

9. Skyscraper (Engineering)

If you have a kid or class interested in the building then nothing is cooler than visiting a skyscraper (or whatever the tallest building in your area may be). Be inspired by the size. Notice the design. Draw the building. Compare to other buildings in books. And don’t miss the amazing view from the top that is only possible because of an engineer’s vision.

10. Hardware, Mechanics, or Other Parts Store (Engineering)

Introduce your little budding engineer to the tools of the trade, whichever they are most interested in.

11. Math Walk (Math)

One of our most favorite and popular field trips ever was our counting walk. This is a fun field that practices counting skills and number writing skills with toddlers and preschoolers. For older kids, turn it into a number finding or addition trip by altering the directions slightly.

also read: 16 summer adventures with free bingo printable

12. Grocery Store or Farmers’ Market (Math)

Put math in action by practicing numbers or currency at a grocery store or farmers’ market. Give your kids a certain amount of money ($5 is a good start at a Farmers’ Market), practice how to make a purchase and then encourage them to make the pick and purchase on their own while you stand nearby for help only if needed.

Nothing makes a topic come alive and have meaning like finding ways to practice them in the real world.

Get more Little Walk and Big Adventures ideas in my book!

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea begin Friday, February 9, 2018 and we are EXCITED!!

Winter Games Unit Ideas

Field Trip Ideas

What better way to bring the Olympics or Winter sporting events to life (assuming you don’t get to actually go to South Korea this year) than to try your hand at some winter sports? Some little kid friendly ideas include:

1. Ice Skating
2. Sledding (we’ll call it bobsledding)
3. Skiing
4. Snow Shoeing

Activity Ideas

The following are divided into developmental and curriculum areas to help you plan.

Literacy Activities

• Best Picture Books about Winter Sports for Kids from My Storytime Corner
• Picture Books about Ice Skating from Homeschool Preschool
• Winter Olympics Writing Prompts – get those here!
• More Winter Olympics Literacy Printables from The Wise Owl Factory
• Explore Ice Skating Through Art with KidArtLit

STEM Activities

• Cookie Tray Ice Rink from Yoga Pants & Pearls
• Hockey Science Experiment from Creative Family Fun
• Winter Counting with Snowflakes and Ice Skating from Homeschool Preschool

Social Studies Activities

• Find PyeongChang, South Korea on the Map
• Don’t put it away yet – also use the map to find different competitors home countries and/or route a map from your home to South Korea just for fun.

Gross Motor Activities

• The Science of Sledding (also great STEM!) from There’s Just One Mommy
• Learning About Friction While Playing in the Snow (also STEM!!) from From Engineer to Stay at Home Mom
• See the above field trips – all are super gross motor themed. 

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The Museum of Math is a fascinating museum for those intrigued by Math – and even for those less Math inclined (raising my hand). I recommend it for anyone ages 5 and up.

Located across the street from Madison Square Park and a few blocks from my beloved Flat Iron Building it is centrally located and easily accessible from the N Q R or W 23 Street Subway Station.

When you enter, you are greeted by this track for square bicycles. My kids found this endlessly entertaining. Truthfully so did I.

read also: Everything guide to nyc with kids

On the main floor there were also several areas with manipulates to explore how shapes work. I loved the open ended nature of these opportunities.

One of my favorite parts about the museum was the inventive uses of technology. This area above encouraged you to make patterns on the wall with a projector.

There was also an awesome gross motor number challenge that involved full body movement and technology. All of us ages 5-63 gave that one a try.

Our favorite nook was probably the pattern painting shown below.

These were all found on the first floor. You can head downstairs for more fun, but the ideas down there are more complicated and aimed at older children and adults. Our kids still had a lot of fun down there but needed more assistance and understood the concepts a little less.

This is one of the few museums that we have visited that had something for kids and teens and adults. We all found something that fascinated us.

A truly unique museum.