For the purposes of this assignment, I am creating this webpage to provide preschoolers with some science and nature activities.
I believe it is important for young children to interact with and explore nature and the environment they live in.
An activity involving nature/environment which young children can participate in would be learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. A good way to do this in the classroom is to buy caterpillars from a science store and allow the children to observe them over the cycle while they are going through all the stages and turning into butterflies. Even preschool children can learn about observing and predicting about what type of butterfly will emerge from the cocoon. They will also learn how to recognize when one of the butterflies is preparing to emerge. I have been in classrooms that were doing this and the children really seemed to enjoy it. After the butterflies emerged from the cocoons the children went on a field trip to the park and released them (this provides another great nature/science experience).
A second activity involving the environment could be an activity about water pollution. Preschool age children are very aware of how certain acts/behaviors influence outcomes and have affects on certain things. One way to do this is to set up a water activity and allow the children to add different materials, such as, food coloring, sand, dirt, gravel, paper, and plastic to the water. Ask them questions about how this could effect the animals who live in the water. Find out from them how they can do their part to reduce water pollution. Books are always a great resource to add to any activity; find a book about the affects of pollution and read it with the children.
