If you’re anything like me, you are looking for a few more ideas by mid-July.  

Your child will have fun learning how to make sun prints with construction paper in this simple summer STEM activity that is perfect for all those sunny days ahead.

Making sun prints is a simple science and art activity (STEAM activity) that is perfect for summer.  It works best on a clear, sunny day.

If you are looking for more  sun STEM activities for summer, you will also want to check out how to make solar oven s’mores  and this super simple solar water still.  

Affiliate links have been used below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

How to Make Sun Prints 

For our sun prints we used black construction paper.   Black paper gives the best results, but if you don’t have black you can use another dark color, such as blue or purple.

Ask your child to find several fairly flat items to make your prints with.  The objects should be heavy enough not to get blown off the paper.

Take the paper and objects outside.  Be sure to place your paper where it will get at least 4 hours of direct sunlight.  (You may want to use a bit of tape to keep the paper from blowing away.)

Have your child arrange their items on the paper, and then allow it to sit in the sun for several hours.  

Wait at least 2 hours before checking your sun prints.  If you want your prints to be darker, wait at least 4 hours.

For best results, don’t move the objects. 

In the picture below the darker objects weren’t moved, but you can see my daughter moved a couple buttons part way through, causing their silhouette to be much lighter.

My son chose a few vehicles for his.   You can see how they each cast a shadow on the paper. 

The images left behind don’t have edges that are as defined.  But he was thrilled with the results anyway.

Sun Print Ideas

• The flatter the object, the crisper your prints will be.  Buttons and coins left behind some of our best sun prints.  
• Be sure to check out our second attempt of this sun prints experiment over on YouTube for more ideas.  
• You can also do this STEM activity with specially made sun art paper.  
• When you’re finished with your sun prints you can talk about the power of the sun and how much it faded the paper.
• Your child might also have fun matching the objects back up to the silhouette left behind.

Making sun prints on construction paper is the perfect summer STEM activity on a sunny day.

You may also want to add these to your summer list of ideas:

• Fun Backyard Summer Activities
• Make Soda Pop Slushies with Science
• Music STEM Activities
• Awesome Camp Crafts
• DIY Water Wall 

Updated from July 13, 2016.

The post How to Make Sun Prints with Construction Paper first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Making a homemade marble roller coaster is a fun Marble Run STEM Activity for kids of all ages.

Affiliate links have been provided below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

Roller coasters are a fun way to explore physics. 

In the past we have had fun creating our own cardboard tube marble run. 

Making a pool noodle marble roller coaster provides kids the opportunity to be creative while exploring potential & kinetic energy, momentum and centripetal force.    

Caution:  Marbles can be a choking hazard for young children.  Make sure all marbles are safely put away after this activity.

Marble Run STEM Activity 

Materials Needed:

• Pool noodles
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Small marbles
• Paper cup  

Start by cutting one pool noodle in half lengthwise.  This will give you two pieces of track.   (If you are working with younger children, you may want to do this step ahead of time.) 

Roller coasters usually start with an exciting drop down a big hill.  Lots of smaller hills, and sometimes even loops, follow.  

The goal of this STEM activity is to create a roller coaster which will transport the marble from the top of the first hill, all the way through the track.  This means you need to start with a steep hill.  

Use tape to secure one piece of track to the back of a kitchen chair, table, or countertop so it forms a hill. 

Place your cup at the bottom of the track and test out the hill. 

When you place your marble at the top of the hill and let it go, the marble should end up in the cup.  If it comes off the track, adjust your pool noodle and try again.  

Now comes the fun part!  Your child gets to design and engineer the rest of the coaster.

Remove the cup and use your other pool noodle half to continue your track. Use duct tape to attach it to the bottom of your hill.   Make sure when you connect the pieces that you smooth the tape out.  A bump in the tape will make your marble jump off the track.

Once the second piece of pool noodle is connected, you can use it to make a small hill or two by bending it into a hill and taping it in place to the floor. (Remember to keep your tape smooth.)

Or, you can make a loop with the pool noodles by curving the free end up and over.  Once you form the loop, use a piece of duct tape to secure the inner parts of the loop. Use more duct tape to hold it in place on the floor. (Sometimes it helps to have someone hold the track pieces while you tape.)

Place your cup at the end of the track and test out your coaster again by sending the marble down the big hill.  

If your marble comes off the track, try again. If it continues to come off you can loosen the tape and try adjusting the track.   

Building the track for the marble to go through is a bit like building a maze. 

Looking for more maze ideas?  Check out this simple Lego Hexbug Maze.  

How Does a Marble Roller Coaster Work

Just like the cars on a real roller coaster, the marble has potential energy when it is at the top of the hill. 

The energy becomes kinetic energy when the marble rolls down the hill.  As it rolls it gains speed and momentum. This enables the marble to continue rolling when it comes to the smaller hills.  

If the marble has enough momentum when it gets to a loop it will continue to travel,  and centripetal force will keep the marble rolling forward through the circular path.

Extensions for the Roller Coaster STEM Activity

• Make your track even longer by adding additional pool noodles. Can you make a curve?   Can you get the marble to go through 2 loops?
• Use other materials, such as cardboard boxes, to add other elements to your coaster. Try making a tunnel or using the boxes to help make hills.  
• Experiment with changing the height of your first hill.   Try making it taller or shorter.  How does it affect the coaster? 

Kids of all ages will have fun with this marble run STEM activity.  

You will also enjoy these posts:

• Paper Plate Marble Maze
• Make a Mechanical Hand with Straws
• How to Make a Rubber Band Shooter
• Make a Salt Crystal Egg 

The post Build Your Own Marble Roller Coaster! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I must not be alone because activities with apples can be found in almost every preschool and elementary school classroom at the start of the school year.

Whether you are looking for something to do in a classroom or just a fun fall activity for the kids at home, this collection of the best apple activities for kids is sure to inspire you this fall. 

These activities with apples would be perfect to go with an apple unit in the classroom or homeschool.  They’d also be a fun addition if you are looking for farm unit ideas. 

You could also use them to celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday on September 26.  

Affiiate links have been provided below.  For more details see my full disclosure. 

Apple Activities for Kids

There are so many awesome apple-themed activities to experience this fall.  

I’ve grouped all the activities below to help you find the perfect activity for your kids.

Apple Math Activities

Apple-Themed Skip Counting  —  Recycle plastic lids into the perfect math manipulatives for an apple unit.  Then use them to work on skip counting skills. 

Apple Sorting  —  Sorting is an important skill for little ones to master.  This apple activity for toddlers and preschoolers is a fun way to work on sorting this fall.  

Pom-Pom Apple Math Activities  —  Pom-poms are perfect for working on sorting, counting, working on patterns, and so much more.  

Fine Motor One-to-One Correspondence — This free printable is perfect for working on counting with toddlers and preschoolers. 

Apple Bowling and Counting Game—  Get your child up and moving with this fun counting activity. 

Addition Apple Math File Folder Game—  This file folder game is perfect for a math center in the classroom or to use in your homeschool.  

Roll & Color Apple Worksheet — Kids love to roll dice.  This fun activity will have kids recognizing shapes and following directions. 

Measure an Apple’s Circumference — Kids will have fun estimating the circumference of different apples and then work on measuring skills to see how close their estimate was.  Which delicious apple will be the biggest?  

Apple Graphing — There are so many fun things you could graph about apples.  This free printable pairs perfectly with a fun fall-themed book.  

Telling Time with Apples—  Make working on telling time more fun with this apple printable! 

Greater Than/Less Than Apple Tree Math— This could be called part craft and part math activity.  It would be fun in a math center. 

Fractions with Apples — Elementary kids will have fun working on fraction skills using these printable apple worksheets. 

STEM Activities with Apples

Apple Wrecking Ball — Kids of all ages will have fun designing and engineering their own wrecking ball using an apple.  

Browning Apple Experiment —  What liquids can keep a cut apple from browning?  Kids will have fun making a hypothesis and testing their ideas in this experiment. 

Apple Volcanoes — Kids love to make things explode and bubble!  This is a fun take on a classic kids science activity. 

Bubbling Apples — This one would be fun to do as a preschool apple unit activity.  

Make Apple Seeds Jump— Can you make apples seeds jump and dance?  Find out how in this simple preschool science activity. 

Growing Germs —  Here’s a fun experiment to show just how germy our hands really can be.  What germs will your apple grow? 

Crystal Apples—  This one is part science and part art  — making it a fun apple STEAM project for kids. 

Apple Reading Activities 

Apple-Themed Sight Word/CVC Word Game— Your child will love this scavenger hunt and reading the words on the apples they collect.  

Bottle Cap Word Sort––  Bottle caps make fun (and inexpensive) manipulatives for this hands-on learning activity.  Kids will take turns sorting the “apples” into the correct basket according to the letter combinations each word starts with.  

Apple Themed Word Bump— If you aren’t familiar with how to play word bump, then you are missing out!  Check out this free printable and fun way to work on spelling and sight words. 

Apple Sight Word Game— Read the word on the apple, then flip it over to see how many points you earn.  How many points can your child get in 1 minute?  Challenge them to beat their score the next time.  So much fun! 

Apple Picking Word Game— Read the word on the paper apple and then you get to “pick it” from the tree.  Perfect for preschool and kindergarten. 

Activities for Ten Apples up on Top —  Ten Apples up on Top is a popular Dr. Seuss book for fall.  Check out these fun  Dr. Seuss book activities to go with the book.

Apple Emergent Reader— Preschoolers and kindergartners will love coloring their very own reader. 

Apple Books 

Apples by Gail Gibbons  — Learn all about this fantastic fruit and how people use it in this brightly-illustrated picture book.

Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway — What happens when an apple becomes friends with a worm?  Poor Mac the apple gets called names, but learns to stand up to the bullies when he decides he’d rather be a “rotten apple” with his friend than a lonely apple.

Ten Apples up on Top! by Dr. Seuss  — Just how many apples can you balance on your head? Kids of all ages will find themselves laughing at this classic book.  

Curious George Apple Harvest by H.A. Rey  —  As usual, George’s curiosity gets the best of him in this fun book.  Will George be able to collect all the apple cider and stop the machine,  or will he find himself in a sticky situation?

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro  —  Have you ever eaten part of a flower? You have if you have eaten an apple! Find out how an apple grows from bud to flower to fruit–ready for you to pick!

Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg  —  Find out all about one of America’s legends in this colorful and beautifully illustrated book.  

Apple Sensory Activities

Apple-Scented Bubble Dough  —  Find out how 2 simple ingredients can make the most amazing, super soft playdough you’ve ever seen.  Plus, it smells great!

Apple-Scented Cloud Dough—  Here’s another fun, and super simple homemade playdough that smells like apples. 

Apple-Scented Water Beads— Water beads are fun to squish and play with.  Find out how you can make them scented for fall. 

Apple Tasting— When it comes to apple sensory activities, don’t forget the easiest and most delicious one!  

Apple Sensory Bin— This brightly colored sensory bin will inspire you to create your very own. 

Apple Crafts

Apple Stamping Craft— Make art with apples!  This is a classic apple craft for toddlers and preschoolers.  

Apple Suncatcher— Sun catchers are always a fun craft for kids.  This one looks so pretty in the window.

Torn Paper Craft—  Ripping paper is a fun way for kids to strengthen hand muscles.  Use those torn bits to make this fun apple craft for preschoolers. 

Tissue Paper Apple— Here’s another fun way to use torn paper for a kids craft.

Sew a Paper Apple— Work on early sewing skills with this simple paper craft. 

Cereal Apple Tree— Check out how your child can use their favorite cereal to make this apple tree craft.

Pine Cone Apple— This is the most adorable kindergarten apple craft!  It’s one the kids will be proud of. 

Felt Apple Pie— Kids will have so much fun building their own apple pies using this DIY pretend play kit using felt. 

Apple Snacks Kids Can Make

Apple Cars —  These adorable cars made from apple slices are perfect for kids to build and eat. 

Homemade Applesauce—  Making applesauce with the kids is an easy and fun way to enjoy this tasty fruit. 

Homemade Apple Pie—  No apple unit is complete without making apple pie.  

Crunchy Apple Chips—  Make healthy and delicious apple chips with the kids to munch on while reading some of your favorite books. 

These apple activities for kids are perfect for creating your own apple unit this fall.

You may also want to check out:

• 20 Crafts and Activities with Real Leaves
• 30+ Hands-On STEM Activities 
• Halloween Party Ideas 

Originally published August 5, 2016.

The post The BEST Apple Activities for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

This simple hands-on learning activity with magnets kept the kids busy exploring and learning about magnetism for over an hour.  I even got to enjoy a second cup of tea in that time.

Hands-On Learning with Magnets

To set up your magnet activity, you will need a large, shallow plastic container and a magnet.  We love these magnets because they are easy for small hands to hold.

Put a variety of metal objects (and maybe a few that aren’t metal) into the container.

Some ideas of metalic objects are:

• Aluminum Foil
• Aluminum Soda Pop Can
• Paper Clips
• Steel Nails, Washers, or Screws
• Brass Brads
• Spare Keys
• Silverware
• Pennies and Other Coins
• Empty Soup Can

As the kids start exploring what objects are magnetic, have them group the items into 2 groups, one that contains all the items that are attracted to the magnet, and one group that isn’t.

What metals did the magnet attract?

As they’ve discovered, only certain metals are magnetic, or attracted to a magnet.   These metals are iron, cobalt, nickel, and steel.  (Steel is actually a blend of materials that includes iron and carbon.)   The objects in your exploration are most likely steel or iron.

For even more fun, we used the magnet to make a chain of nails and paper clips, trying to see how long we could make the chain.

To do this, simply pick up a nail or paper clip with the magnet and then touch that paper clip/magnet to another one…and keep going.

Once the kids are finished exploring all the objects in the bin, send them on a scavenger hunt to find more objects that are attracted to magnets.

You might even be able to drink a second cup of tea while it’s still hot!

You’ll also love:

• Free Magnet Worksheet from The Measured Mom — Perfect for younger kids!
• Subtraction Squish — A simple and fun way to teach subtraction
• How to Make a Cloud in a Jar — Simple science you can do with the kids
• 40+ Hands-On Learning Activities — From ABCs to number skills, tons of hands-on activities the kids will love

The post Simple Hands-On Learning to Explore Magnetism first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

When it comes to winter activities for kids, snow is always a hit.  But there are only so many snowmen you can build each winter, and only so many times you can pull little ones up the big hill for yet another sled ride.  If you’re looking for another snow day activity to throw into the mix, one where you aren’t building up a sweat trying to keep the kids happy, you need to try Fizzing Snow.

If you are lucky enough to have snow outside, this activity is sure to be a hit.  You can either do it outside, or bring the snow indoors to create your fizzing snow.  (Don’t have snow?  Insta-Snow Jar is perfect for this activity.)

How to Make Fizzing Snow

You will need the following materials:

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Food Coloring or Liquid Watercolors
• Spray Bottle
• Snow
• Large Container (If doing the activity indoors)

Pour vinegar into your spray bottle.  Add a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolors and mix it gently.  We used our homemade liquid watercolors to color our vinegar.

Fill large container with snow to bring inside.  Or, take the kids outside for the magic!

Shake a generous amount of baking soda over the top of the snow.

Hand your child the spray bottle and watch!

The kids will be excited not only to see the snow change colors but to watch it bubble and fizz like magic as well.

Tip:  If your kids have played with baking soda and vinegar before, don’t let them see you sprinkle the baking soda onto the snow.  When they get the spray bottle they won’t be expecting the reaction, making it twice as fun.

This simple snow science activity kept my kids busy for almost an hour.  They had fun watching the snow fizzing, turning it bright colors, and ultimately mixing the colors together with their hands in the comfort of our kitchen while 22 mph. winds blew the wet snow around outside.

If you’re stuck indoors on a super cold, snowy day, check the kitchen cabinets and surprise the kids with your own fizzing snow.  Then sit back and relax for a bit; there will be plenty of time to pull them up that hill next snowfall.

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If you like this activity, you might also like our painting snow activity.

The post Kids Fizzing Snow Activity first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

At the end of the year it is always fun to look back and see which posts were the biggest favorites.  This year learning activities were a HUGE hit here on the blog.  In case you missed them the first time, here are the top 5 kids activities from 2015.  

The top post on There’s Just One Mommy this year was Subtraction Squish.  This post was a big hit in terms of visits to the blog and people pinning it.    Kids learn best when having fun, and this one makes math fun! 

Our Lego Sentence Building Activity came in a very close second in terms of visits to the blog.  Everyone loves Legos, and they make such great learning tools.  If you have a child in early elementary school, be sure to check out this post.

This year we did a unit on weather.  Our third most popular post was a fun experiment we did during that unit:  Make a Cloud in a Jar.  This is a simple experiment you can do with the kids right now.

Who doesn’t love duct tape?  Over the summer we had fun with several duct tape crafts, including a Duct Tape Sit-Upon, which turned out to be our most popular craft.  Sit-upons are great for camping or sporting events, and this one is super easy to make.

Finally, with the new Jurrasic Park movie out this year, this round-up post full of Dinosaur Crafts and Activities was a favorite.  If you have a budding paleontologist on your hands you’ll want to check this one out.

Those were the top 5 posts written in 2015.  But, the most visited post of the year (for the 4th year in a row) was actually this Cat in the Hat Craft.   Who knew such a simple craft would become so popular?

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This year I plan on sharing many more fun learning activities and kids crafts.  Be sure to sign up for our twice monthly newsletter so you don’t miss any of the fun!

Want to see ALL of the Best Parenting, Education, and Craft Posts of 2015 from the top parenting bloggers on the web?   Check out the Pinterest board below.

You can also surf the top posts by category through the 3 linkies below!
CRAFT POSTS:

EDUCATION POSTS:

PARENTING POSTS:

The post Don’t Miss These Top Kids Activities of 2015! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.