With each new year, I like to take a quick look back and see which Fun-A-Day posts resonated with my awesome readers! In 2015, these were the top 10 sensory and science activities for kids, as decided by you (the aforementioned awesome readers). Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page for even more of the best kids activities of 2015.
the best sensory & science activities for kids from 2015
Silver and Gold Homemade Slime
This was probably one of my favorite slimes yet, probably because of how sparkly and glittery it turned out! The kids had an amazing amount of fun with it, too – stretching it as far as possible, making imprints in it, and just letting it run through their fingers.
Scented Rainbow Science and Sensory Play
Such a fun mix of science and sensory play with our fizzing rainbow! All that’s needed are a few simple household ingredients, along with a “secret” ingredient to make it smell amazing.
Colorful Coffee Filter Flowers
My preschool students could not get enough of these coffee filter flowers! I loved the combination of science and art with this project. It was a blast to watch and listen as the children made observations throughout the process.
Jell-O Soap Foam
My son and I put a new spin on the classic soap foam sensory play by adding scent to it. I love how the colors turned out, as well. It led to hours and hours of play outside during the summer.
Fizzing Planets
Yes, all things fizzing and foaming are always a hit with my students and my son! Our fizzing planets were no exception. These are great for use during a space theme, or with kids who love space or Star Wars.
Pumpkin S.T.E.M.
This was a really interesting project we tried out during the fall using play dough and old pumpkin candies. The children did an amazing job exploring math, engineering, and technology along the way. They even turned the experience into a class book.
LEGO Science Scavenger Hunt
My son and a few buds had way too much fun with this science scavenger hunt I put together! Using LEGO pieces gave it an added dimension.
Stellaluna Bat Sensory Bin
This simple sensory bin was inspired by a favorite children’s book. I love how we made the “bats”, and how easy it was to put everything together.
Colorful Pumpkin Seed Discovery Bottles
I am still absolutely in love with these colorful pumpkin seeds! They didn’t take very long to make, and we had them in the classroom science area for months. Even better, we were able to use them for a ton of other activities.
Cat in the Hat Play Dough Activities
Play dough allows for so much sensory play! This set up was inspired by a favorite Dr. Seuss book, and it led to a variety of sensory, math, and literacy activities.
What were some of your favorite sensory and science activities for kids from 2015? I’m looking forward to even more in 2016.
more of the best kids activities from 2015
Click on the links below for even more ideas from last year –
CRAFT POSTS:
EDUCATION POSTS:
PARENTING POSTS:
Sensory Materials
Sensory play is so great for preschool-aged children because it’s tons of fun while also providing an enriching experience. I love to create sensory items (like slime!) with my students. The kids get more excited to use items that they made with their own hands. And the process of creating many of the sensory materials can be a great lesson in math or science (or both!).
While I do love making our sensory materials for the classroom, sometimes we just don’t have the time. In that case, I use store-bought sensory materials. There are a few specific products that I like to keep on hand. They’re really convenient and don’t require much, if any, preparation.
Check out the list below for my favorite store-bought sensory materials. I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week, all while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life, can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!
Preschool Teacher 101 is excited to share with you some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and much more! We offer a wide variety of themes that are frequently used in preschool classrooms, as well as some less common (but super interesting) themes. Click on the image below to learn more about our 5 senses lesson plan product!
Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. And we even have three different membership options to suit your needs!
I love all of these! I couldn’t even pick a favorite. I’ll definitely be making that slime!
Thanks, Carol! 🙂
Your activities and photos are amazing. The gold and Silver Slime is really popular with the younger set. 🙂
That slime is beautiful, we can’t get liquid starch here in the UK though but there is a washing gel alternative but its blue so its difficult to colour. I love your science activities as well, my little ones would be fascinated by these.
Thanks so much, Clare! 🙂
We have those LEGO molds and the kids LOVE them.
LOVE these ideas ! Pinned 🙂