I know being at home may limit some tinkering experiences due to lack of materials, so I am going to list some ideas and challenges that require materials most of us have, and materials that you may or may not have, but can be improvised to make these challenges work!

4’s-6’s Move Like an Animal: Create a zoo animal mask or costume ( A student requested to make masks in the tinkerlab, so I had to oblige) The age range is something I use flexibility on when planning, so if you want to try this with your three-year-old, do just that! Modify as you see fit, and don’t stress if it doesn’t look how you expected. 😊

Choose an animal and look closely at the different parts of that animal’s body. Does it have a tail that wags? How will the costume allow you to move the way the animal moves?

Materials: Reusable resources such as cardboard, construction paper, paper bags, aluminum foil, craft sticks- anything you have that can be repurposed! Art supplies such as yarn, felt, buttons, markers, and pictures of animals; Paint if you’re a warrior that’s not afraid of a little mess!

Questions to ask: Does your costume fit your body? What features does your costume include so you can move like the animal? Can you record a sound for your animal?

4’s-6’s 

Here is a link that serves as an outdoors activity for those needing to get outside if have nerf guns! https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/build-nerf-war-battlefield/

Your child may or may not be interested in this type of play, but I want to make sure I provide resources for multiple areas of interest.

2’s-6’s

A fun indoor/outdoor experiment with salt and ice that is a great introduction to making predictions is found in this link https://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/ice-and-salt-science-experiment/  You can use materials around your home such as flowers or small toys to freeze inside the ice. This next link has very similar activities that require both food coloring and water colors, if you have these at home. https://www.powerfulmothering.com/rainbow-ice-and-salt-science-experiment-for-preschool/  I highly recommend doing these experiments outside or in an area you don’t mind getting a bit messy in. The link suggests you freeze water in a lunchbox to get a large, rectangular shape with the thickness necessary for making this activity last longer.

3’s-6’s

This link provides ideas for mystery challenges, which can be so exciting for a young mind! The materials are minimal, but the fun is in the surprise. https://buggyandbuddy.com/mystery-bag-stem-challenge/ Again, you can improvise these simple challenges to meet the needs of your own child/children.

2’s-6’s

Use cardboard or pool noodles as ramps. You’ll find it surprising how much a child can learn from simply playing with ramps!  Speed, gravity, velocity, and engineering are all theories that are being introduced. If you have marbles or cars, you’re on for days of fun! I cut the pool noodles down the middle creating halves, then tape them down to sturdy surfaces (You could use your couch or a toy trunk). Adjust the ramps to suit the needs of your child/children. If your child is old enough to extend the ramps, even better. Here are links with pictures for examples https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d9/5d/16/d95d165706cb18defe6707feddf0dc49.jpg

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=872340553682F52FF71660797E328B6940C230B2&thid=OIP.KhHK5zcSKOgpkDnN4LZMGwHaJ4&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F4c%2Ff1%2F7e%2F4cf17e4b4f57de5bf74452efe2515728—year-old-boy-race-tracks.jpg&exph=640&expw=480&q=Marble+Races+Pool+with+Noodle&selectedindex=4&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,5,6

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d5/0d/50/d50d50b061a5b12170a2d6407800a6fa.jpg

I will continue sharing ideas with you all so that your children can remain engaged. My hope is that you will already have what you need to conduct these experiments without needing to leave your homes.

PS: sensory experiences are always fun for children to explore. If you have enough in your pantry, rice, dry beans, flour, elbow pasta, or a combination of these, put them into a small bin and provide your child with tools to explore.  Monitor younger children closely to ensure small pieces don’t end up in any noses, ears, or mouths.