Customer Reviews

Science is Simple: Over 250 Activities for Preschoolers

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Crinkle, crinkle, crunchity, crunch, I love autumn leaves a bunch!" shout my preschoolers. We are in a nearby park gathering leaves and other material for upcoming activities at our classroom "sceince table." There we will be making leaf and tree bark rubbings along with nature collages. The students love this "sensory" walk, and so do I. Planning the lesson was a snap, thanks to Peggy Ashbrook and her excellent book, Science is Simple.

The book contains so many wonderful experiments, ideas, suggestions, and possibilities it is hard to know where to begin. Each lesson includes objectives, hints, a list of materials needed, enrichment activities, resources, a list of books to read, ideas of "what to talk about," and, thoughtfully, a "Note Home to Families" which describes the concept under investigation.

Unlike some other books of this type, Science is Simple includes a multitude of open-ended questions which guide the student toward self-discovery and creative thinking.

If you have been looking for top-notch, sound, classroom-tested science lessons, this is the book. Highly Recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis staff.

What a fun book! My family and I have had a great time exploring the world around us through this engaging book. The book is very easy to follow, the instructions are clear, and best of all, the hands-on activities are wonderful! This book has offered my children a chance to work together and participate in a wide variety of fun projects. Making slime and blasting-off rockets -- it doesn't get any better than that!!

Even though the book is aimed at preschoolers, my 8-year-old enjoys it just as much as my 4-year-old. They work together as a team. Because of the excellent illustrations, my 4-year-old looks through the book and points out activities that appeal to her. Then, my 8-year-old reads carefully through the directions and helps "supervise" the experiments.

I've found the book to be a great source of fun activities for us to do indoors and out. My kids might not realize that they're learning about science -- they're just having a great time playing! I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to do hands-on projects with their kids. It would also be a great gift, especially for a preschool teacher!

While working on a preschool science curriculum project, I have recently read through loads of books on this subject and I have to say this book is GREAT! Lots of FUN activities (arranged by theme) with concrete ideas for teaching scientific reasoning with each, suggested book lists, ideas for independent play at the science table, getting parents involved etc. Best of all, the activities encourage little ones to explore their world with curiosity and empowers them by showing them how to answer questions using "guess, test, observe, reflect".

If you are a parent, looking for science activities for your kids, this is most definitely not the book for you. If you are a homeschooler or teacher, then it might be more appropriate. Simple is not a page-long essay about how to look at a cricket with a magnifying glass. Simple is fun, easy, and exciting. Well - at least for preschoolers. So if you want a truly simple science book for your preschooler, I suggest "Science Play" by Jill Frankel Hauser. If you want to set up a detailed curriculum of activities for your kids; complete with listed objectives, where to conduct the experiments, step-by-step instructions, questions to ask, discussion points, and follow-up activities - this book might be just what you need.

The ideas presented for exploration in this book are simple and accessible to even a non-science minded person. I especially like the children's book suggestions pertaining to the topic - it gives me some resources for further "research" with the kids. Unlike many curricula-type books it is not particulary designed for multi-child experience... so for me and my 2 kids it is very easy to use with little adaptation for homeschool work.

Teaching science to preschoolers since 1998, Peggy Ashbrook draws upon her considerable experience and practical expertise in "Science Is Simple" to showcase 250 child-friendly activities spanning 39 fun and informative science concepts ranging from magnets, to bubbles, to insects, to volcanoes, to plant life, to physics. "Science Is Simple" features both solo projects and group projects; an invaluable appendix listing science websites and other resources; a bibliography of children's literature related to science concepts, letters for explaining to parents each concept to be studies by the child; open-ended questions for creativity and self-discovery; and child-involving experiments for every season. "Science Is Simple" will prove a welcome addition to preschool, day-care center, elementary school, and homeschooling reference libraries and curriculums.

I grew up during the Sputnik era, when science suddenly became a top priority here in the States. Interest seems to have died off now, so I've made it my personal crusade to get my grandchildren interested in the kinds of science that will fascinate and intrigue them. So, my youngest grandson just ate this up when he received it as a Christmas present. Engage them early, and often, with fun activities like those found in this book, and you may have a budding scientist on your hands.

Author Peggy Ashbrook shows readers that science is indeed simple, while also being fun and fascinating. I use this book regularly in my preschool classroom. The activities are clearly explained and easy to set up with materials I'm likely to have on hand. The book describes what I need to get ready, what to do with children step by step and what questions I can ask to help children think through what they are observing. It also includes a list of books for each topic and a note home that tells families what we're learning in class.

Peggy Ashbrook is a master at explaining concepts clearly. She shows readers how to help children make discoveries on their own, rather than telling them information. The topics are interesting to children, whether they are making bubbles, separating colors, pumping water or mixing up a batch of slime. Science is Simple is a must-have for teachers and parents.

The book is great and I'm glad I bought it, though, if your child is under 4 or even 5 you might need to wait before you can actually enjoy this book.

This book has a nice layout and is very user friendly. Endless supply of ideas!