My kids loooooove the science experiment activities in their Knowledge Crates. LOVE! To them, an Alka-Seltzer snowstorm or color-changing water gel is absolute magic. 💫 I always like to snap some photos or video clips to capture their delighted little faces, but when the experiment is part of our more intentional homeschool day, sometimes I want to document it in a more "scholarly" way, too.
Enter: science journaling for littles! This is a quick and age-appropriate way for kiddos to process the learning experience by recalling what they did and what happened. Simply ask your child to tell you about the activity and write it down for them.
For example, last week my son did the Rainbow Snow experiment from the Winter 2023 crate. After observing the changes for a week, I sat down with him and asked him to tell me how he did the activity from start to finish, and I wrote down his words from him. This is key: YOU can do the writing! My son is in first grade, so he can write, of course, but I wasn't interested in this being a handwriting or spelling exercise ... I just wanted him to show me what he remembered and what he observed, in detail, and I took on the role of recording it down for him.
While he dictated his journal to me, he worked on an illustration of the finished experiment. We'll now add the drawing and journal entry to his science folder, which will be included in our homeschool portfolio for the year. And if you don't homeschool? Saving these journal entries in a folder or a binder is still a beautiful way to honor your child's learning. You could also proudly hang their journal entry on the fridge, or even mail it to a grandparent!
Spring is here, along with new Knowledge Crates experiments ... will you try science journaling with your kiddos this season?
