Early Childhood – STEMAZing Systems Thinking

Exploratorium – Tinkering Library

Combining tinkering activities with books invites playful engagement with STEAM concepts and processes while also reinforcing language development, collaboration, communication, and literacy skills.

Schoolyard Garden Guide from National Geographic

Creating Gardens of Goodness – A how-to guide for five types of children’s gardens.

Weather Movement Die / Dado de movimiento meteorológico

Roll the die and move as directed, like the weather! Tira el dado y muévete según las indicaciones, ¡como el meteorológico! The English/Spanish version is shown below. Find the English only version HERE. La versión en inglés/español se muestra a continuación. Encuentre la versión solo en inglés AQUÍ.

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne (author) and Vladimir Radunsky (illustrator)

A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein…

Sun, Earth, Moon Model

A simple (not to scale) model of the sun, earth, moon system. Great for reinforcing the idea that a day is one earth rotation, a year is one revolution of the earth around the sun, and a lunar month (one revolution of the moon around the earth) is about 28 days.

Flying Butterfly

Materials Butterfly Templates (found below) Tape (transparent or masking) Double Stick Tape or Glue Bakers Twine or similar string Large Craft Sticks (also known as tongue depressors) Plastic Drinking Straws Markers or Crayons or Colored Pencils Pushpins Scissors Key Question How do friction and gravity help the Flying Butterfly toy work? Learning Objectives Young scientists…

Clothespin Card Correspondence Game

Key Question What is the number? Learning Objectives Children will … • pair each number card with the equal number of clothespins. • say the number aloud and touch each object as they count aloud. Materials 1 deck of playing cards 100 clothespins (plastic colored clothespins also allow for exploring patterns)

#MicDropMath Card Tricks for Young Mathematicians

Key Question How can we use math to entertain our family and friends with card tricks they think are magic? Learning Objectives Children will be curious about… learn the steps for performing two different self-working card tricks practice counting to 10 learn pairs of numbers that add up to ten Materials A deck of regular…

Stanford DREME Math Ideas – Picture Books, Math Snacks, and Card Games

Stanford’s Development and Research in Early Mathematics Education has eight pages of ideas for young mathematicians! Find them here!

Baby Loves the Five Senses: Sight! by Ruth Spiro (author) and Irene Chan (illustrator)

Baby loves the five senses! Accurate enough for experts, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book explores the science of vision, light, and color. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby’s sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two as well.