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earthscience

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids

September 9, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Have you ever wondered about the effects of ocean pollution and other waterways?

Beware of Ocean Pollution

It’s important that we bring it to our children’s attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution!

The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted, how difficult it is to clean it up and to make it like it was before.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

This project can be done with things around the house; you may just need to grab a couple items from Dollar Tree or somewhere else.

First, gather all your materials before you bring in the kids. Kids lose interest quickly if they spend a long time waiting at the table for you to find everything.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Better yet if you have an older kid who knows everything right now (wink) get him or her to do the gathering of supplies.

Next, here is the list of supplies for the hands-on ocean pollution science activity.

  • A large shallow container
  • Blue food coloring (optional)
  • sea shells
  • clean sand (optional)
  • water
  • plastic sea creatures
  • feathers

Teaching Kids About Ocean Pollution

Then, here is the list for the pollution items and the list for cleaning items.

  • cooking oil
  • food crumbs
  • pieces of plastic bag
  • dish soap
  • toothbrush
  • sponge
  • cotton balls
  • paper towels
  • coffee filters
  • cotton swabs
  • tongs
  • small nets
  • coffee grounds
  • straws
  • soil

Water Pollution Exploration

Start by adding items to your container that belong, explaining to your child that these are the items that naturally occur in an ocean and are part of its ecosystem.

Fill your container with several inches of water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

If you like add a few drops of blue food coloring to your water and mix in.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Place sea creatures, seashells, and sand if you are using them.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Next, talk about what happens when we visit the beach or travel on the water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

As you talk about oil the spills from ships, trash that is tossed aside instead of being safely placed in trash containers let your child add each of the pollution items you have provided.

Stir it all up together. What has happened?

  • The once nearly clear and pristine water is now discolored.
  • Creatures are covered in oil and dirt.
  • The water no longer looks appealing at all to play in does it?
  • Turtles, dolphins, sharks, and other animals get plastic wrap around them.
  • Sea animals choke on items that don’t belong in the ocean and die or are suffering from the effects.

What can we do to clean up the ocean? 

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Activity

You can pick up bigger items if they are floating on top with a net or tongs, but what about items that sink to the bottom of our deep oceans?

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Demonstrate how to use cotton balls to absorb some of the oil on the surface of the water.

Toss in a few feathers to demonstrate what happens to water birds when they pick up oil and other undesirable things from polluted water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Use Dawn dish soap, a toothbrush, and other items to try and remove the oil and debris from the feathers.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Dawn has a program for cleaning up animals that have been injured due to oil spills. You can read a bit more about it here at Dawn Helping Saving Wildlife for Over 40 Years.

Be Ocean Explorers

Examine clean ocean water, polluted ocean water, and “cleaned” up water.

Grab 3 clear glasses and place water and food coloring in one.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Take some of your polluted water and place in the second.

Finally, after you have cleaned up your water some, put a coffee filter over the third glass and run your cleaned up polluted water over the coffee filter.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Compare the difference in water color and quality.

Even the water that has been cleaned up is still not left unchanged, it is cloudy, dark, and still contains trace amounts of debris.

This makes a big impact on my kids as it allowed them to understand how big an impact peoples actions can have on our water sources.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Look at some pollution vocabulary and spelling words to use for an ocean or water unit study.

  • Pathogens
  • Waste water
  • Pollution
  • Biodegradable
  • Hazardous
  • Pollutant
  • Habitat
  • Conservation
  • Ecosystem

If you are looking for read aloud or independent reading books for your child that go along with the theme you need not look any further than your bookcase or library and grab something anything that has an ocean theme like Island of the Blue Dolphins, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Treasure Island, or Swiss Family Robinson! 

Continue with your study using some great books to look through or use as living text books.

Earth Science Activity for Kids

This hands-on activity can easily lead into learning about all the fascinating creatures who live in the sea.

Lastly, teaching kids to learn how to care for our earth by not polluting the oceans empowers kids to be part of the solution and no the problem.

You’ll love these other resources to keep expanding how to care for the ocean and enjoy the beauty it provides:

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity
  • Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Ocean Unit Study – Ocean Layers
  • Ocean Unit Study Language Arts: Message in a Bottle
  • Humboldt Who? Hands On to Understand Ocean Currents & Their Effect On The Galapagos Islands
  • Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook
  • Edible Geography – Sea Levels
  • How to Dissolve a Seashell – Beach Hands-on Fun Activity
  • From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Winter Homeschooling – Look to the Sea. 17 Hands-on Activities for Two to Teens.

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, nature, ocean, science, sciencecurriculum

How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

March 3, 2019 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I don’t know about you, but in my house, if I can take a subject or unit of study and apply it to LEGO creations it is pretty much going to be a big hit. How to garden plan with kids using LEGO is a way to sneak in some learning. My kids, like so many others, love to create and build with LEGO so it is just a great hands-on natural extension to learning.

How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

This time I applied it to a study on Garden Planning. This application gave us science, math, handwriting, fine motor skills development, critical thinking, and so much more. We will definitely be using LEGO again as the core of our learning.

You don’t even have to be planning a real garden, this is still the perfect way for them to dig a little deeper into the concept of gardening no matter what size space you live in or grow in.

After determining how many feet your real garden will be and whether you want it square or rectangle you are ready to move on to designing it with LEGO. We worked on our garden planning with LEGO in two different ways and I am going to share both of them with you so you can choose one or do both!

1 LEGO GARDEN SUPPLIES How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

Gardening Activities For Kids

If you haven’t started your LEGO journey yet this is a great box to begin with!

For this one, it was a fun fully hands-on activity that required no writing from the kids (my sons favorite). I love how it gets their creativity flowing and provides them with a 4D visual of how our garden might look.

2 lego garden planning 1  LEGO GARDEN SUPPLIES How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

To begin, gather up a flat LEGO base plate in whatever size you like. I had two kids doing it and needed to display them for a while in our classroom so we used 5 x 5 base plates in the interest of space.

LEGO Garden Activity

Then, grab a bunch of LEGO in all different sizes and colors, we opted for 2 x 2 bricks and smaller, as well as LEGO plants. If you don’t have many plants LEGO and want to include them you can purchase a poly bag with a variety of plants.

Single round studs and square 1 peg bricks can be used to create many items for your garden, you can see on our garden that we mixed in both and it still looks great. 2 x 2 bricks make great pumpkins, eggplants, tomato plants, etc..

 Explain to the kids that while planting it is especially important to leave room for your plants to grow. Use the pegs on top of your base plate to represent square feet, you can use however many you like but just keep it throughout to represent the scale. We chose to use 3 x 3 to equal one square foot. Now as you “plant” with the LEGO keep that in mind, research how large space each of your intended plants’ needs.

Once you know your square foot and the needs of each plant you can begin constructing your lego garden. Work in rows placing the plants you create, remember to check for plants that should and shouldn’t be placed next to each other.

4 LEGO GRAPH FINAL How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

Now when you are done you have a fun visual for your real garden and pretty display piece for your school room, living room, or wherever you would like to put it!

This version combines the fun of LEGO and some writing and graphing skills in a mixed media approach to creating a garden with LEGO. I like this one because it gives the kids a chance to develop other skills and also it is so easy to change up and  if you laminate your graph paper once colored it can be used again and again with LEGO to create new spaces.

GRAPH How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

Grab some graph paper, smaller lego pieces, and something to color with. We used 1” graph paper because the large squares are perfect for representing 1 square foot.

LEGO Bricks for Kids Learning

Choose your desired garden size and color in those squares, brown of course is best for creating “soil”. We created a 5×6 plot to make our graph paper vegetable garden plan on. You can do the whole page if you wish, and use as many squares as you want to represent your one square foot.

The Basement Workshop Store
6 LEGO GRAPH ROWS How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

Decide what crops you will plant and choose small LEGO bricks accordingly. Demonstrate to your child how to place the rows, explain the placement and how to allow room for growth.   Let them design a garden that they would like to help build and once they are done have them label their crops.

7 LEGO GARDEN FINAL How to Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO

Our little red studs are radishes which can be crowded together a little more than something like say… squash plants which need a lot more space around them. Leave some blank rows for paths.

How to garden plan with kids using LEGO is a way to sneak in some learning. My kids, like so many others, love to create and build with LEGO so it is just a great hands-on natural extension to learning.  Click here for this fun LEGO garden activity for kids!

Both of these ideas can be photographed and added to your garden journal or used as part of your end of the year evaluation in your homeschool portfolio.

You’ll also love these other hands-on ideas:

  • Free Carnivorous Plants Notebooking Pages & Easy Hands-on Science Activity
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary)
  • Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, garden, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, LEGO, nature study, science, spring

7 Super Easy and Free Nature Lapbooks Guaranteed to Beat Boredom

December 11, 2018 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Nature studies revive the most listless learner and teacher. Today, I have 7 super easy free nature studies and lapbooks guaranteed to beat boredom.

Free Nature Studies

Hands-on learning is best because it actively engages the brain. And getting outside is always a way to ground my kids (ha ha corny pun intended.)

I know it’s not always easy to get outside, but whether you live in a snow covered or snow bare area like I do here in Texas, one or two of these nature lapbooks will work.

7 Super Easy and Free Nature Lapbooks Guaranteed to Beat Boredom

With boys it can be hard to separate the feeling of being refreshed and letting off energy while being outdoors and the same positive feeling they get with exercise. They’re synonymous right?

3 Benefits of Studying Nature

I don’t try to separate the two anymore because being outside or studying nature has a way to revive and renew you and your child’s sluggish feelings.

Look at these three benefits of studying nature and why I was focused on adding more to our year

1. Nature-based learning reduces over stimulation.

It’s easy to fall into a rut of being inside and doing book work. It’s simple. Kids can be over stimulated by being contained indoors.

2. Nature-based learning increases motivation, curiosity, and creativity.

As educators we also can fall int our own rut. We may think that unless we can put a letter grade beside a skill, it may not be important.

Nature has a way of shifting focus and increasing creativity.

When a kid can study the patterns in nature, not to mention see the colors and sights it gives them a natural shift in focus. A shift in focus spurs creativity.

Creativity spills over into academic skills that we can put a letter grade to like writing and math.

Also, be sure to check out a lot of the activities at Ellen McHenry’s Basement Workshop. We love a lot of their fun ways to keep learning engaging and fun.

The Basement Workshop Store

3. Nature-based learning can reduce anxiety and stress.

Let’s face it. Homeschooling can be just as stressful for our kids as it can be for us as the educator.

We know it shouldn’t be like and in our anxiousness we can over push.

Studying nature allows our kids to step back and focus on the natural wonders of the world.  There is something calm about watching the waves whip up onto the shore. It can reduce stress and clear your kids’ mind.

There are more benefits to nature-based learning or being outside so I know you’ll love these free nature-based unit studies to add to your curriculum.

Too, don’t forget that if you have a backyard, you have a place for nature study.

Backyard Science ebook

7 Free Nature Studies and Lapbooks.

Additionally, I know you’ll love the nature studies and lapbooks below to help your kids beat the boredom.

Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook

One/ Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook.

Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Two/ Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook.

Three/ Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook.

Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook.

Four/ Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook.

From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook.

Five/ From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook.

Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study.

Six/ Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study.

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

Seven/ Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

Lastly, the unit study resources have been linked above, but the free printable nature lapbooks are a subscriber freebie.

How to Download the Lapbooks.
They are Subscriber Only Gifts.

From time to time, I do Subscriber Freebies only. This lapbook is a subscriber freebie. I do this to show my appreciation and because I want you to follow me and give me a chance to make a difference in your homeschool.

Too, when you join my email list, you get access to my Subscriber’s Only Exclusive Library of Freebies.

This is how you get access to this form quickly.
1) Sign up on my list.
2) Go to to your inbox and confirm your email.
3) Look for the automatic reply giving you the password to the private subscriber’s area. You should have it soon.

IF you are already a follower/subscriber, PLEASE do NOT email me asking how to find it. You may not want to wait on me replying since I get bombarded with emails.

IF you’ll find the MOST RECENT email from me, the password and link to the Subscribers Area are ALWAYS at the bottom of every email. Look for the most current email since I change the password frequently.

How do you add nature-based learning to your every day?

7 Super Easy and Free Nature Lapbooks Guaranteed to Beat Boredom. Nature studies revive the most listless learner and teacher. Grab these beautiful printable lapbooks and hands-on unit study nature study ideas at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus!

You’ll love these other articles and fun tips:

  • How to Make an Easy Nature Paint Brush With Kids
  • 20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors
  • Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science
  • Electricity Hands-On Homeschool Science Activity
  • Free Carnivorous Plants Notebooking Pages & Easy Hands-on Science Activity
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Middle School Hands-on Science : Extreme Winds + Free Minibook
  • How to Grade Hands-on Homeschool Activities and Projects (Free Rubric for Grading)

Hugs and love you,

Whether your kids are having winter doldrums or you feel like your kids learning has become stagnant, nature studies can revive the love of learning. CLICK HERE to grab these 6 Free Nature Study Unit Studies and Lapbooks!

.Whether your kids are having winter doldrums or you feel like your kids learning has become stagnant, nature studies can revive the love of learning. CLICK HERE to grab these 6 Free Nature Study Unit Studies and Lapbooks!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Hands-On Activities, Lapbook, Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, lapbook, lapbookresources, life science, nature study, science, sciencecurriculum

Hands-on Ancient Mesopotamia: Easy STEM Irrigation Activity

November 30, 2018 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The study of Mesopotamia is one of our middle school requirements. I’ve been really surprised by how much fun we’ve been having studying about this time period. I’m sure the STEM projects we have been including may have something to do with it! We have this next one ready which is an easy stem irrigation activity.

Ancient Mesopotamia STEM Irrigation Activity

With this project, kids learn how this ancient civilization invented a system to grow crops. The most extraordinary thing about this is that we still use this system today! Irrigation has been the main contributor in the development of agriculture.

If you are studying about erosion in science, this could also double as a great STEM project for science as well.Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation System
About the Mesopotamians

Mesopotamia was a region situated along the Tigris-Euphrates River system located in Western Asia. It’s where Kuwait, Iraq, sections of Saudi Arabia, the eastern sections of Syria, Southwestern Turkey, and parts of Turkish-Syrian and Iran-Iraq borders are today. The name Mesopotamia means “between rivers.” It’s said this was the center of culture and where the influence of agriculture began.

Agriculture changed the game for ancient people. Instead of hunting and gathering, tribes of people were beginning to settle down and form civilizations. The Mesopotamians were the first to develop a written language and invented the wheel. They also built ships to travel the Persian Gulf in order to trade with other civilizations.

In the center of their cities they constructed temples of the many gods they worshiped. The anatomy of these structures would have involved thousands of workers and would have taken many years to construct.

Mesopotamia’s Engineering

In Southern Mesopotamia, the Sumerians built city walls and canals to prevent flooding. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers carried monstrous amounts of silt, resulting in fast rising rivers.

The irrigation system was of a basin type. They would dig a hole in the embankment and then use mud to close it back up. Water was then lifted up using a swape, which is a pole acting as a lever. Some of these canals may have been used for 1,000 years before they were left and others rebuilt. Today, 3,000-4,000 years later, remains of the canals are still present.

To build your own Mesopotamia irrigation system you will need the following items:

• a big baking pan
• sand
• cotton squares
• water
• pieces of wood/popsicle sticks
• soil
• green construction paper/green food coloring
• sticks and leaves
• monopoly houses
• hot glue

You may also want to cover your table or do this outside. Have a trash can nearby, as this project tends to get messy.

I was able to find many of these supplies around the house. The only thing I had to buy was a big bag of sand from Home Depot. This is what makes this STEM project really affordable.Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation SystemStart by filling up one side of the baking pan with cotton squares. This will help prevent your sand from eroding when you fill up the river with water. The other side will be the river. Play around with the sand until it begins to look like a beach. After you get the look you want, begin sectioning off where you want to place the fields of crops. This is where you’ll need the soil. You can also plan out little sections to build homes or temples to represent the cities.

Also, you’ll love these super hands-on history resources from Home School in the Woods.


Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation SystemUsing green construction paper, or leaves, place your crops in the fields. You can dye some of your sand green to represent fields. Use the sticks and leaves to look like trees. We used the hot glue gun to glue the leaves onto the sticks.Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation SystemNow it’s time to build your canals. Begin digging trenches in between the fields with a ditch leading out towards your river. (You’ll fill in the river in just a bit!)Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation SystemNow that your canals have been dug, you will need a gate to control how much water will be needed for your crops. You can use popsicle sticks, pieces of wood, or sticks to build a gate to fit between the edges of your canal. The gate will need to be able to open and close, and it will need to be water proof. We hot glued pieces of popsicle sticks together.Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation SystemOnce your gate is built, install it into your canal. Pour water into your river with the gate shut. If the water leaks keep modifying your gate. The river should not be released into the canals until the gate opens.Hands-On Ancient Mesopotamia: STEM Irrigation System

Hands-on History for Kids

Search online for pictures of irrigation systems of Mesopotamia if you are stuck. I found an image to show my kids before I let them go. They always surprise me with ways to build things that I never would have thought to do.

These ancient people were truly remarkable. I love being able to build small replicas of engineering systems so the kids can understand how they work. Not only does it improve their comprehension of what is being read, it also improves their critical thinking as they try to build what they read!

If you are looking for more STEM activities to add to your day, check out this post!With this project, kids learn how this ancient civilization invented a system to grow crops. The most extraordinary thing about this is that we still use this system today! CLICK HERE to do this Ancient Mesopotamia Kids Hands-on History and STEM Irrigation Activity!

You’ll love these other activities:

  • Hands-on Geography Mesopotamia: Fun Salt Dough Map
  • Ancient Mesopotamia (Hands-on History): Cook Sebetu Rolls
  • Celtic Cakes Recipe – Ancient Mesopotamia Minibook
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity

 

 

2 CommentsFiled Under: Ancient Civilizations, Hands-On Activities, History Resources Tagged With: ancient, ancient civilizations, earthscience, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, mesopotamia, science, STEM

100 Brilliant STEM Activities Using Everyday Items

October 15, 2018 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Hands-on STEM learning makes learning come alive, but I’ve always been science-phobic. My kids not so much. So, STEM learning has to be easy in my home and nothing is easier than using everyday items. Your kids will love these 100 brilliant STEM activities using everyday items. I know you’ll find one or two STEM activities you can use.STEM learning has to be easy in my home and nothing is easier than using everyday items. Your kids will love these 100 brilliant STEM activities using everyday items. CLICK HERE!

5 Easy Insect Trappers at The Homeschool Scientist
6 Engaging STEM Activities from Teachers are Terrific
10+ Awesome Homemade Marble Runs from Buggy and Buddy
Apple Oxidation Science Experiment at Teaching to Inspire
BioFilm Experiment from The Homeschool Scientist

Homeschool STEM Activities

Build a Drinking Straw Roller Coaster from Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Build a Lemon Battery from Inspirational Laboratories
Build an Area and Perimeter City from Teach Beside Me
Building Structures with Candy Gumdrops from Lemon Lime Adventures
Candy Cane Science from Inspirational Laboratories

Candy Corn Catapults from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
Changing States of Matter with Chocolate, Perfect for Valentine’s Day at Teaching to Inspire
Charcoal Water Purifying Experiment – The Homeschool Scientist
Chemical Reaction: Turn Pop Invisible From Steve Spangler Science 
Chemical Reactions: Make a Penny Turn Green from Buggy and Buddy

Circuit Maze Stem Activity from The Homeschool Scientist
Cleaning Pennies Experiment from Teach Beside Me
Collect Iron Bits from Cereal from Scientific Americanl
Constellations Geoboard from School Time Snippets
Create Your Own DIY Inventor’s Box from Little Worlds

Creative Arts by Charles Leonard Chenille Stem
Dissolving candy hearts in various liquids, perfect for Valentine’s Day at Teaching to Inspire
DIY Exploding Volcano from Educents
DIY Geodes From Egg Shells from Planning Playtime
DIY Magnetic Slime from Frugal Fun 4 Boys

DIY Oobleck from Babble Dabble Do
DIY Rock Candy from Growing a Jeweled Rose
DIY Solar System Bracelet from The Homeschool Scientist
Easy Bird Feeders at The Homeschool Scientist
Edible Cell Model from 5 Perfect Imperfections

Homeschool Science

Edible Earth’s Layers from Left Brain Craft Brain
Edible Science for Kids from Little Bins for Little Hearts
Elephant Toothpaste Experiment at From ABCs to ACTs
Engino Discovering Stem: Levers, Linkages & Structures Building Kit
Fall Engineering Challenge with Nature Items at Teaching to Inspire

Fall Structure Building Engineering Challenge with Toothpicks and Food at Teaching to Inspire
Gingerbread House Building STEM from Science Kiddo
Glow In The Dark DIY Play Dough from DIY Candy
Grow a Potato Indoors at What We Do All Day
Grow Your Name in Grass from iFamily

Homemade Glow in the Dark Slime from A Pumpkin and A Princess
Homemade Glow-in-the-Dark Bouncy Balls from Growing a Jeweled Rose
How Many Ways Can You Stop a Pipeline Leak? at Teachers are Terrific
How to Bend a Chicken Bone, Perfect for Thanksgiving at Teaching to Inspire.
How to Grow Bacteria from No Time for Flashcards

How to Make a Rainbow at Inspirational Laboratories
How to Make a Sinkhole – Education Possible
How to Make a Solar Oven at Education.com
How to Make a Worm Observatory from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
How to Make Edible Glass from Go Science Girls

How to Make Ice cream in a Bag from 2 Little Hooligans
How to Make Lightning from Learn, Play, Imagine
How to Open and Close a Pinecone from Lemon Lime Adventures
How to Shrink an Egg from Science Sparks
How to Turn Milk into Plastic from How Wee Learn

How to Use Squishy Circuits: The Technical Side of STEM from Schooling a Monkey
Invisible Ink with Baking Soda and Juice from Share it Science
Invisible Messages with Wax and Watercolors from Share it Science
Juice Box Balloon Car from Raising Whasians
Keva Planks – Structures, 200 Plank Set

LEGO Brick Plant Cell from LEGO Ideas
Magic Bending Water at Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Make a DIY Flashlight from Mak ezine
Make a Mini Bow and Arrow using a Popsicle Stick, Q-tip, and String at Teaching to Inspire
Make a Mold Terrarium at The Homeschool Scientist

Make a Simple Solar Still to Distill Water at Teach Beside Me
Make an Electroscope from The Homeschool Scientist
Make Your Own Compass from Gift of Curiosity
Make your own Electromagnet from The Naked Scientists
Make your own Tabletop Mini Hovercraft at Parents.com

Make Your Own Tinker Box Robot from KC Edventures
Medieval China STEM Activity from Student Savvy
Morse code with beads at Mama Smiles
Pencil Catapult STEM Activity from Little Bins for Little Hands
Pitsco Heavy Density Balsa Wood Strips

Plastic cups in love – experimental demonstration of Bernoulli’s principle from Reeko’s Science
Playdoh Layers of the Earth from Playdough to Plato
Poolside Stem using Pool Noodles from My Little Poppies
Pop Rocks Science Exploring Viscosity at Little Bins for Little Hands
Pumpkin Geoboard from Danya Banya

Rubber Band Helicopters – Instructables by LanceMakes in Education
Simulate a Cloud Experiment from Adventures in Mommydom
Sink or Float Experiment from Let’s Explore Skoolzy Straws and Connectors Building Kit
Snow Ice Simple Science from STEAM Powered Family

Solid to Liquid to Gas Experiment With Ice Cubes from Gift of Curiosity
Spaghetti Tower STEM Challenge with a Twist from Mama Smiles
Spring Engineering with Jelly Bean Catapults at Teaching to Inspire
Spring Engineering with Jelly Bean Structures at Teaching to Inspire
STEM Challenge Foosball FREEBIE from Teachers Pay Teachers

STEM Paper Airplane Challenge from Kids Activities Blog
Sticky Water, Surface Tension – Reeko’s Mad Science Lab
Sunshine and Solar Panels from The Educator’s Spin On It
Testing the Strength of Aluminum Foil from Schooling a Monkey
Tangrams from This Reading Mama

The Science of Condensation and Frost from Schooling a Monke
The Science of Yogurt from Science Buddies
Tornado in a Bottle Experiment from Edventures with Kids
Walking rainbow experiment at Teaching to Inspire
Water Cycle Discovery Project from Little Bins for Little Hands

STEM learning has to be easy in my home and nothing is easier than using everyday items. Your kids will love these 100 brilliant STEM activities using everyday items. CLICK HERE!Keep this list handy because it’s great to add to any unit study! Did you find one or two you can do now?

You’ll also love these other activities:

      • STEM: Build a Da Vinci Parachute Activity 
      • Electricity STEM: Lighting Up a Shoebox Tiny House
      • Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Click the image below to visit all the other blog articles from the homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network.Hugs and love ya,

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Science Tagged With: 100, 100 Lists, chemistry, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, life science, physical science, science, STEM

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