Busy Little Hands: Science Play!: Learning Activities for Preschoolers

Busy Little Hands #4

by Susan Edwards Richmond

In this fourth book in the Busy Little Hands series, preschoolers get ready for a science adventure! Preschoolers wonder and explore with 20 hands-on experiments using everyday household objects and making daily activities such as snack time and play time into learning opportunities. Each play activity demonstrates a simple principle of physics, earth science, chemistry, or biology, including the Kitchen Sink or Float (demonstrating density), the Vinegar Volcano (pressure) and Blooming Colors (chromatography). Featuring bright, easy-to-follow photos specially designed for pre-readers, this book is packed with learning fun, plus it sets the groundwork for science success in kindergarten and beyond.
 

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Stem

48 pages, Hardcover

Published December 20, 2022

About the author

Susan Edwards Richmond explored the history of the Harvard Shaker Community while poet-in-residence at the Fruitlands Museum. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She has taught writing at the Shirley Medium Correctional Facility, located on the site of another former Shaker community, and is currently on the faculty at Clark University. Her interest in the intersection of art and nature is reflected in her work with Wild Apples: a journal of nature, art, and inquiry. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Massachusetts, where she enjoys hiking and birdwatching.

Reviews

[Melany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this for review. I was extra excited to review this one, as my son LOVES science and crafts. The book states it's for preschoolers, however, my 7 year old son enjoyed doing these activities. We've already done 6 of them! Most of the items it requires, you can easily find around your house and kitchen, which I absolutely loved! Also, these do have some parts parents need to help with (especially for younger children) but majority of these activities the kid will be doing most of the work. It's such a creative way to learn and play! I enjoyed doing these activities with my son. I look forward to trying the rest this weekend!

This ARC was given to me to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.

[Kristenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely little book! I could definitely see myself picking this up as a gift for little friends.

This is a book of experiments for preschoolers to learn about physics, earth science, biology, and chemistry. All the experiments and science concepts are absolutely on target for the preschool age range. The book is colorful and attractively laid out with illustrations and photos of children doing the experiments. The experiments are very doable and there is a section at the end for the adults to understand the science concepts behind the experiments. I love that this book focuses on teaching preschoolers to be scientists at a level they can understand. Kids are naturally curious and explorative. This book teaches the scientific method and encourages kids to use their observation skills.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book for hands on and simple science experiments for children. Although it says preschools, the experiments can be used for older children too.

The experiments are easy to set up and complete, and the book is easy to look through with straight forward instructions. All the items required are often found in your house, or are simple to get hold of. The favourite two in my house have been the volcanoes and gloopy non-Newtonian liquid.

The experiments have led to discussions and helped to cement the basics of the scientific process of experimentation.

Thank you to Netgallery and Storey Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Briel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and approachable, “Busy Little Hands: Science Play” is the perfect book for busy caretakers who want to expose their children to fun science experiments without all the hassle. The name of the game here is simplicity: the steps are numbered, illustrated, and fit on one page, the supplies needed are found in your house, (sparing you the trek to multiple stores for a weird ingredient you will never use again), the prep time is quick (read: your kids won’t get bored during the set up time), and the experiments have enough “wow” factor for the kids. Even the educational explanations that accompany each experiment (found at the back of the book) are concise enough to hold the attention of your most fidgety kid. Are these experiments groundbreaking? No. Could you find these same experiments combing through Pinterest? Probably. Is it significantly easier to just get this book rather than read through countless blog entries? Definitely. Listen, there’s a lot of pressure on moms to entertain their kids in educational ways and using this book just makes it easier.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the chance to read and review an advance electronic copy of this book.

[Andrea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. This is a great introduction to learning science. I've noticed my kids learn best with multi-sensory activities and this book delivers. Parents will appreciate the tips from setting up projects. The step-by-step directions have easy to follow pictures with "real children '' completing steps. It's great that most experiments found in this book are done with household items. This book is done well and worth buying and is a great addition to any library.


Thanks, NetGalley and Storey Publishing LLC, for providing me with the digital ARC for an honest review.

[Sabrina Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with simple to follow directions for some fun experiments.

I really liked that for most of the experiments and activities we didn’t need to go out and buy supplies for which can be common for these types of books!

Also do these experiments have sparked great convos with my almost 3 and 5 year old about the basics of science which is so awesome when learning is fun for them.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for my honesty review

[Viragos Reading Odyssey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Busy Little Hands: Science Play
Learning Activities for Preschoolers
by Susan Edwards Richmond

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a mom to 8 and 5 year old children who have been big fans of science for many years. We have read a lot of kids science books. While this book is bright, colorful and engaging the organization and thoroughness of explanation could be improved.

The science explanations for each experiment are separate, in the back of the book and divided by science subsection. They’re also brief and not phrased in a child accessible way. One of the primary benefits that a childrens science book can provide to families is not only the idea for the experiment but the language to explain it to the child in a way that they can understand. Not all parents will be able to answer all the questions easily or provide further examples to help the child get it. Which begs the question if a parent is finding it necessary to google answers to questions posed by a book why not just stick with the free internet information in the first place? To sell me on the value of purchasing a book it needs to provide information and experiences that are not available for free on the internet. The information that is in this book is also available on Pinterest and I’m sure many other places.

It also presumes too much on accessible resources. Like prisms. Without an antique chandelier on hand where would one even find a prism? Many people do not know someone that lives in a completely different part of the world with a different climate and proposing a “climate penpal” may be setting parents up for failure. When it could so easily be changed to think of a person or character from your real life or a book or movie that lives in another part of the world. This makes it easy to imagine what kind of weather is the Queen of England having or a very popular Australian blue cartoon dog.

The ideas for experiments are good but the presentation could be improved to better serve a more varied audience.
3/5

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to do experiments for kids. My kids would love it. Some experiments are no mess (like making a pulley system with a bucket and rope). Some are best done outside. Nice graphics and a breakdown of what each one teaches is printed in the back of the book. This would be good in the classroom too.

Thank you to Storey Publishing for providing an advanced copy for my honest review.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book filled with fun experiments for young children! It has clear photos and instructions, and most of the experiments can be done with household items. I tried a few of the activities with my 4-year-old and he enjoyed them! I love the emphasis on making observations. This book is a great way for young children to use the scientific process in an age-appropriate way!

I highly recommend this for families with young kids, or even PreK/K teachers!

Thank you to Storey Publishing, NetGalley, and Susan Edwards Richmond for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We ADORE the books in this series, and Science Play is another fantastic one!

The tiny scientists at my house (3, 4, and 7) love the real life pictures and overall design, and I love how engaging and simple the ideas are. If you like easy-peasy experiments with manageable prep and little-to-no mess, you’ll be set.

Thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for this sneak peek in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an educational book chalked full of easy science experiments to do with your 3 - 5 year old. The experiments are relatively easy and can be performed at home with tools and ingredients that are found in most homes.

I’m impressed that basically you are teaching your child to follow the scientific method. I didn’t hear that phrase until I was in Freshman Biology in college. However, you might be surprised to know that most of us used the scientific method throughout our young lives when we tried various experiments in school!

I am a scientist, and it excites me that someone wrote a book of simple and fun experiments that can be done at home! I wish I had a preschooler at home to do these experiments with. Instead, I will let my mom friends of toddlers know about this fabulous book! The instructions are simple with set up instructions for big people and step by step graphic and written instructions for the child. Be sure to guess what the results will be before you do the experiment and chart the results to share with others.

I enjoyed everything about this book and think it is fabulous! It could be added to the child’s home library or could easily incorporated into science time at preschool, pre-K, or kindergarten class.

The author was extremely knowledgeable and cleaver, and I think many children would find these experiments to be fun to perform.

I want to thank Author Susan Edwards Richmond, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

[Maggie - Busy Moms Read Too · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It contains 20 activities that you can easily do with household items. Some of the activities include: vinegar volcanoes, shadow clocks, cleaning water naturally, and more! The easy-to-follow instructions are beautifully illustrated and captured with bright pictures. Towards the end, there is a section for adults on various science fields and methods. This is a wonderful resource for young families or teachers to have in order to grow their children's curiosity and love for the natural world. I am definitely putting this on my daughter's wish list for Christmas!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Play by Susan Edwards Richmond is a fun and hands-on science book for young children!

As a Montessori teacher, I appreciate the hands-on learning approach and have done many experiments with my students. I can say from observation that children have so much doing science, and it helps connect them to the world around them.

The instructions are easy to follow, and a child around kindergarten/1st grade could do these independently with minimal assistance. It would also be fun for parents to share these experiences with their children.

I recommend this book in every home as well as every classroom!

Thank you, NetGalley, and to the publishers for an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly Paradis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! A little kids are essentially baby scientists as they are exploring the world around them. This book has TONS of activities that you can do with them to help them explore and learn. The lovely thing about this book too is that the activities use things that you are likely to have in your house already, or sometimes you don't need any materials at all, and they are super easy to set up. I'm a tired mom, sometimes I don't have the energy to set up something complicated or that will make a big mess! I am definitely going to buy a physical copy of this in addition to the e-book version.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Modrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Pay is a excellent book for anyone with young children. For children, this book is very colorful, shows pictures of science related activities and questions, and makes wanting to do science fun. There are experiments for physics, earth science, chemistry and biology. For each experiment there are "grown up steps" and then the steps for the children to do, along with questions to ask during the activity. The pages are laid out very well. The end of the book there are notes about each area of science with questions and more information to help promote learning. As a Kindergarten teacher, this book will be very helpful to bring science into my classroom. This book will benefit any teacher or parents to start to do more science.

I received an advanced copy of this book.

[Gabrielle Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Play! Is a book that should be added to any toddler's shelf. Found inside are many different ideas for science experiments that you can easily do with your toddlers. We try to do at least one sensory play activity a day, and this book is full of different ideas to help make that a reality. With easy to follow directions and pictures as well as cute illustrations, Science Play is an adorable book your toddler will love to work through with you. I also love the cultural representation of all different types of people in the book. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for teaching basics of science through experiments to little ones with lots of materials you likely already have at home! With lots of fun and bright pictures, the pages take you through simple experiments step by step, At the beginning of every experiment, there is a little setup guide for the grown up to prepare that is very straightforward. This book would also be great for a classroom! My 5 year old and I will be having lots of fun with these this weekend!

[Jenna Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Busy Little Hands is such a fun way for families to explore science by using simple household items or items found in nature. It is also a great resource to help introduce science through exploration and play into young classrooms. This book is easy to read and understand both by written instructions and through the big, bright pictures. It is engaging, well thought out and an overall wonderful book.

[Sophia M. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and cool experiments to do with your kids. A great way to engage with them that’s not related to electronics. Learning and bonding together! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to access this early!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Busy Little Hands: Science Play! is a tutorial guide in the Busy Little Hands series aimed at preschoolers and their caregivers for creativity play. Due out 20th Dec 2022 from Storey Publishing, it's 48 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a wonderfully accessible, brightly colored, and fun little book chock full of great ideas to engage young kids in exploring science concepts and mastering fine motor skills. The text is very simple and the included experiments are well photographed, and will appeal to almost everyone. The steps which require some (minor) help from an adult helper are clearly marked in highlighted text sidebars in each tutorial. I liked that the children pictured are inclusive and representative of a wide variety of backgrounds. Representation is very important.

Each of the projects includes prep-steps for grownups showing suggested materials, tips for protecting surfaces, and cleanup. The tutorials themselves are photographed with step-by-step photos and finished pictures. The instructions are encouraging and supportive and cover some surprisingly sophisticated science concepts.

This would be a superlative gift, excellent classroom or library group selection for activity groups, a wonderful parent/caregiver activity, or even for babysitters and child-minders looking to improve their activity time with their small charges.

I loved this one. It's simple but so well done. The tutorials are simple and the tools and supplies are easy to source and inexpensive.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Mia R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for curious kids! The low barrier to entry lessons include simple steps for the adults and kids and require minimal materials. The lessons are labeled as one of the 4 principles of: physics, earth science, chemistry, or biology. They even include the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano (I think this is the first one I would do for nostalgia's sake).

Each lesson is easily adaptable to what you have on hand or easy to acquire. I can see this being a great way to inspire sensory play or continue learning when school is on break. Or even if you are running out of ideas to entertain the kids! Something really important is that questions to help guide learning are included so you engage your child in the lesson. At the end of the book there is a section that provides background for the adult to facilitate the lesson and explain the reasoning/scientific method.

I think this book along with the materials required for a few lessons (packaged and labelled individually) would make a great gift. Another exciting thing to do would be taking the child shopping for the backpack science field kit at the end of the book.

I can't recommend this book enough, its a great addition to any kid's library.

Thank you to Net Galley and Story Publishing for a free e-copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

#BusyLittleHandsSciencePlay #NetGalley

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you’re homeschooling, looking for purposeful activities, or just trying to make it to naptime, Busy Little Hands Science Play is a gem for preschoolers. Even toddlers and older kids can enjoy these simple activities that introduce physics, earth science, chemistry, and biology principles.

My kiddos are excited for activities like Blooming Colors, Polar Bear Paw, Biodiversity Hoop, and the always-popular Vinegar Volcano. I’m excited for low-effort setups that yield big curiosity-promoting results.

The Notes for Big People offer a higher scope understanding of each activity and the scientific method. The suggestions for creating a Science Field Kit are wonderful for choosing your own adventure for further exploration and learning. This book is a great addition to a home library, and we’re excited to check out the other Busy Little Hands titles.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a parent of young children, I was excited for this book. However, the experiments are generic and the scientific rigor low (even for preschoolers.) I also didn't like how the experiments and their accompanying scientific explanations were separated (experiment information in the front of the book and explanations in the back.) It just made it clumsy to review and use effectively, especially in the eager learning environment of preschool.

If your child has had limited exposure to science activities, this book may be of interest to you. The photos are engaging, experiments included simple to execute, parent-friendly explanations of the "science" happening included in the back (e.g., you don't need a degree in sciences to understand the writeups.) However, if you have explored various scientific ideas and the scientific method already with your child, likely they will have already outpaced this book.

*I received an advance e-copy of this book from the publisher.*

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent introduction to the scientific method and various scientific concepts (leverage, states of matter, biodiversity, etc.) for pre-K children! This not only includes a very clear, kid-friendly explanation of the scientific method, but also features dozens of simple science experiments. A helpful appendix summarizes the concepts behind each activity for adults.

Each experiment is described with pictures and step-by-step instructions and they all use simple, readily available materials. The supplemental information bolstered my confidence as an adult many years removed from school--I knew prisms were cool and had something to do with light, but I was a little fuzzy on exactly what. Now I can explain it to a small child as we try that experiment. This is a fantastic resource both for classrooms and home and I would strongly recommend teachers and caregivers pick it up!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this edition of the Busy Little Hands series, preschoolers explore with 20 hands on experiments created from everyday household items. Play activities focus on concepts involved in biology, physics, chemistry, and geology. Science Play also includes colorful photos on each page, engaging young learners in early educational concepts.

I love finding books like this one that make early learning so accessible for preschoolers. Science Play is clearly laid out without being overly wordy. Although the description says it's for preschoolers, this title would be great for 3 year olds all the way up through kindergarten. It's a wondeful resource for encouraging parent and child interaction as well. These are the types of books I'm more than happy to recommend to parents of small children. Great projects to get started with close observation and tapping into your child's curiosity.

*Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Christena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always interested in educational children's books. I saw the title of the book Busy Little Hands: Science Play by Susan Edwards Richmond and wanted to read it.

Busy Little Hands is filled with quick experiments for preschoolers to try either at home or in a classroom. From Creating a Volcano to Polar Bear Paw, to the Biodiversity Hoop - all these activities are trimmed down enough for preschoolers to do, understand, enjoy, and possibly learn from.

The activity I loved most was the Animal Trackers. I never thought about doing that with the animals you can buy in a store. I need to look at their feet more closely. Loved the ending graphic of creating a Science Field Kit.

This book is a little gem to help parents and teachers of preschoolers engage in fun, learning activities about science and nature.

Review rolled to 4.5 stars.

[k2148 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Busy Little Hands: Science Play (Learning Activities for Preschoolers). By Susan Edwards Richmond. 2022. Storey Publishing (ARC eBook).

Well-laid out directions, illustrations and a section called “Grown-up Prep Steps” for each activity. Some activities yield immediate results, such as the vinegar volcano and polar bear paw. Other activities will take time and/or multiple steps, such as; bird counting, seed starting, and temperature recording. Overall, an informative book full of activities that can take place in either your own kitchen or other easily cleaned room, your backyard, or local park.

*Storey Publishing ARC via NetGalley

[Ing Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this book, I like that it is very easily read especially when you have more than 1 child to look after, it has a clear section for adult to prepare the things, pictorial guidance of how things should progress in the project and the outcome. It also has a section to help equip the preschoolers to enhance their experience while exploring the great outdoors.

I have yet to try it out with my preschooler as this is an ebook on my phone/iPad (we are avoiding device in front of children where possible), however I have memorise the first project to do with her today. Will update accordingly once done.

Many thanks Susan Edwards Richmond and Storey Publishing for this advance review copy via Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback.

[Teri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally requested this book because, as a children's librarian, I am always looking for more ideas for programs. This book is very attractive. It has very bright and cheerful photographs of children doing science experiments. It also has colorful illustrations of the science experiments themselves. the directions for the experiments are simple and easy to follow. I think my one complaint is that half of the experiments are ones that are overdone by schools and libraries such as making a volcano or slime. The makers of the book should have found more interesting experiments instead of the old tried and true. There are still some interesting experiments to try. I think this would be a great book to add to the science or homeschooling section of the library.

[Erin Bellah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a high school science teacher with a young so n so I was excited to see what science explorations this book had for young children. I was impressed with what this book had to offer and the extent of different explorations, I even use expanded versions of some of these in my own classroom as activities. These are a great way to get kids interested in science and it uses items you would most likely already have at home! My son is only two and I didn’t really see anything that would be appropriate for him, most of these are geared for 4+.

Thanks to NetGalley and author Susan Edwards Richmond for the free digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I can say this book will be added to our li early when it is released!