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I think the Dancing Raisins experiment is a great way to introduce an infant class to science, as it immediately captures the children’s attention and encourages them to think about what they are observing. To begin the lesson, I would show the children a glass of sparkling water and a small bowl of raisins. Before adding the raisins to the water, I would ask the class what they think might happen and encourage everyone to make a prediction. This would give the children an opportunity to share their ideas and explain their thinking.
Once the raisins are dropped into the sparkling water, I would encourage the children to watch closely and describe what they notice. As the raisins move up and down in the glass, we would discuss why this might be happening. I would explain, in child-friendly language, that tiny bubbles stick to the raisins and lift them to the top of the glass. When the bubbles pop, the raisins become heavy again and sink back down before the process repeats.
To build on the investigation, I would invite the children to test other small objects, such as pieces of pasta or dried fruit, to see if they “dance” in the same way. We could compare our results and talk about why some objects behave differently from others. This would encourage the children to ask questions, make observations and think like young scientists.
I feel this is a very effective activity for an infant classroom because it is hands-on, exciting and easy to carry out using everyday materials. It helps children develop important scientific skills such as predicting, observing, discussing and recording what they see, while also showing them that science can be fun, interactive and full of surprises.
Lots of great ideas here thank you for sharing! The vaseline investigation is such a great way of showing what is meant by waterproof!
Using the “What Clothes to Wear?” and “Weather – Animals in the Cold” classroom activities would provide an engaging way to introduce STEM learning through real-world connections.
I would begin with the “What Clothes to Wear?” activity by presenting the children with different weather scenarios, such as a rainy day, a snowy morning or a hot, sunny afternoon.
Together, we would discuss which types of clothing would be most suitable for each situation and explain our choices. To extend the activity, I would provide a dressing-up box containing a variety of clothing for different seasons and weather conditions. This would allow the children to explore, sort and select appropriate clothing while developing their understanding of how weather influences our daily lives.
The “Animals in the Cold” activity would then encourage the children to investigate how animals keep warm in freezing temperatures. Before carrying out the experiment, I would ask the class to predict which materials they think would make the best insulators when wrapping ice cubes. The children could then observe the results, measure any changes and discuss their findings together. I particularly like how this activity links with the previous lesson on clothing, as it allows children to compare how humans and animals adapt to cold weather. For example, we could explore why we need coats, hats and scarves to stay warm, while animals such as polar bears rely on their thick fur and layers of fat instead.
To further develop the STEM focus, I would encourage the children to work together to solve simple problems and investigate their own ideas. They could design a shelter for an animal living in a cold climate or build a model habitat using recycled materials.
Introducing digital resources, such as weather forecasts or photographs of different climates, would also help children make connections between the weather, habitats and animal adaptations. These activities promote communication, teamwork and inquiry while supporting learning across a range of curriculum areas.
Overall, I think these activities provide an enjoyable and meaningful way to introduce STEM in the infant classroom. They encourage children to ask questions, test ideas and make links between science and everyday life. The combination of practical investigations, discussion and play-based learning helps to keep children engaged while developing their understanding of weather, habitats and how living things adapt to their environments.Really love this idea thanks for sharing! Imagining an alien landscape while also getting out and about giving the opportunity to notice things in their own school landscape is a great idea!
Activity set: stars.
I would begin this lesson by encouraging the children to think about the night sky. I would ask questions such as, How many stars do you think are in the sky? and invite the children to make their own predictions. To support this discussion, I would place five marbles into a clear jar and ask whether they think there are more stars in the sky than marbles in the jar, or even more stars than there are children in our class. This creates a meaningful cross-curricular link with Mathematics through counting, estimating and comparing quantities. I would also ask questions such as, Have you ever seen stars? What did they look like? Do stars give us light? When can we usually see them? Finally, we would discuss how the Sun is also a star, even though it appears much bigger because it is much closer .
For the main activity, the children would create their own starry night sky. Each child would paint an A4 sheet using colours they feel best represent the night. Once the background has dried, they would use a toothbrush with a splatter screen, comb or lolly stick to flick small dots of paint across the page to represent stars. I would explain that stars are not all the same colour, encouraging the children to choose different paint colours for their artwork. This activity allows children to explore creative art techniques while developing their understanding of the night sky.
Overall, I think this activity set offers excellent opportunities for cross-curricular learning. It combines Science with Mathematics through estimation and comparison, while also encouraging creativity and self-expression through Art.
I really like this idea thanks for sharing. I’m sure the children would have lots fun experimenting with making the shadows bigger and smaller.
Activity set: the planets
I would begin the lesson by introducing the names of the eight planets and explaining that they all travel in orbit around the Sun. Once the children are familiar with the planet names, we would play the Planets game. As they move around the space, I would remind them that they must not hop onto the Sun because it is far too hot. This provides a fun, active way for the children to become familiar with the order and names of the planets.
Following the game, I would gather the children together and ask them to recall as many planet names as they can remember. We would also discuss why the Sun is positioned in the middle of our solar system and encourage the children to share any ideas they may have.
To reinforce the learning, we would take part in the Planet Dance, which supports the children’s understanding through movement while also developing their spatial awareness and oral language skills. As an extension activity, we would sing the Planet Song before completing the tiny planets book pdf allowing the children to further consolidate their knowledge of the solar system in an enjoyable and engaging way.Inquiry-based activity for Junior Infants
Strand: Materials.
Strand Unit: Materials and Change.
Prompt: Present an ice cube and a bowl of warm water. Allow children to look closely at and feel the ice cube. Children describe the ice cube using their senses – cold, hard, smooth, slippery, wet, and shiny. Invite discussion: “I wonder what would happen if we put the ice cube into the water?” Encourage children to make predictions and explain their thinking.Investigation: Place one ice cube into the warm water and leave another out of the water. Observe both over several minutes, noticing any changes. Compare both ice cubes and discuss which one changed first and why. Record observations and findings using simple drawings or photographs.
Link learning to weather: What happens to frost or snow when the sun comes out? What happens to ice cream on a warm day? Encourage children to relate these changes to their everyday experiences.
Teacher reflection questions: Were children able to notice, observe, describe, and record changes? Did they make and review predictions?
