This post is sponsored by Learning Resources.
As part of our Back to School Basics series we are working on simple preschool activities. One of our favorite activities for preschoolers and toddlers is going on hunts! We also love sorting things.
This Nature Hunt and Sort activity combines both hunting and sorting and we are also sharing a cool new tool from Learning Resources! Make sure to scroll down for our ViewScope giveaway!
If we have free time my kids like to be outside in our backyard or headed to the park. They love to be outdoors and they really enjoy exploring nature!
They were really excited when Learning Resources sent us the Primary Science ViewScope to check out!
We took the ViewScope outside immediately and the kids used it to look closer at some of their favorite things in nature. Since they were really interested in finding objects and then exploring them more with the ViewScope, I set up a simple hunt and sort activity to help them collect things to look at.
Materials Needed:
- paper
- markers
- items from nature
How to play:
I wrote out the names of the objects we were hunting for on a piece of paper and then I drew a quick picture of each one.
Next my preschooler (3.5) and toddler (22 months) roamed around our yard to find the objects we wrote down and then when they found one they placed it on the paper! Then they went and found another one. This activity was SO EASY, but rewarding since the kids experienced success quickly.
After the kids hunted for the different objects, then they used the ViewScope to look at the objects a little deeper.
The Learning Resources Primary Science ViewScope is for kids 3+ so while my toddler loved it and absolutely HAD to carry it around with him, I am not sure if he could see anything.
He didn't care though... he just thought it was cool to try and look through the ViewScope and try and be like his big sister.
A few things we loved about the ViewScope...
- It was chunky and easy to hold
- It was built tough! It was dropped several times on our cement outside and held up well!
- The colors and shape are very appealing to kids! Mine wanted to hold it the second they saw it.
- It came with a plastic specimen container that the kids could put items inside to look at (like bugs! :))
- The base was easily detachable from the viewer so it could be used at a table or taken apart and carried around outside!
- It has 20x magnification and a focus knob and it is so easy to use!
We think this Primary Science ViewScope is so awesome, which is why we are excited to be giving away ONE to a lucky Toddler Approved reader today.
Giveaway
Enter to win your own Primary Science ViewScope.
Giveaway Entry Requirements:
- Make sure to fill in the rafflecopter giveaway entry below and complete the mandatory email entry.
- You can get up to twelve entries by completing all tasks mentioned in the rafflecopter form below. Some earn you more entries than others.
Entry Guidelines:
- This giveaway is open for entry from Tuesday, August 26th to Tuesday, September 2nd at 12:00am (PST)
- The winning entry will be drawn on Tuesday, September 2nd. I will notify the winner via email.
- The winner will need to reply to me within 72 hours of my email. If there is no response, a new winner will be drawn.
- See our Official Giveaway Rules for complete guidelines. US Residents only.
Do you love science? Check out these two other favorite Toddler Approved science activities...
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Learning Resources. All opinions are my own.
My kids are obsessed with using the microscope at our local children's museum. We have a birthday coming up and our youngest would be so excited to receive this! I also like the Geometric Shapes Building Set on the LR website 😉
I currently have the Primary Science Lab Set on my wish list for my girls. They enjoy mixing up potions!
The Srouts line of play foods is wonderful! I think that bag of fresh fruits and veggies will make it to my grandson's "kitchen" very soon.
I like the viewscope
My enquisitive 3.5 year old would love this. She loves knowing how things work
Those are so cute, my kids would love one!
The microscope would be so much fun with my two daughters! We had a lot of fun using them at the Natural Museum of History Smithsonian this summer! So many other great learning materials too, so hard to decide a favorite!
The microscopes look very kid friendly and durable. These would be great for my 2 1/2 year olds at work.
Pretend and Play Tape Measure. We are obsessed with measuring right now.
Very cool site. Excited to explore it!!
Play cash register and the gears set.
Skeleton floor puzzle! Looks like fun.
Gears!
We would love the cure it doctor set or fishing set.
Love this!
My daughters would absolutely love this! What a cool thing!
My son adores Sid the science kid and would love any of your magnifiers or viewscope….anything science related, actually! Thank you! 🙂
The electronic flash card for my older kids, but there are a ton of things I could put on a wish list from there!
Love this
This is so cool
This viewscope!
looks like fun!
I love everything they have but my son would love the Froggy Feeding Fun game.
I love their Bake It Set
My son would love the viewscope!
My son would love the viewscope!
This looks awesome!
My son would get a kick out if studying his outdoor treasures up close with this!
i think my kids would love the gears!
My favorite product is the Gears! Gears! Gears!® Super Set
(And my PINTEREST name is Cezovski9)
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
This would be a perfect addition to our newly homeschooling family :o)
I esp like Learning Resources' classroom organizational tools like pockets and hooks.
New to this site, As a mom of 4 I am excited to have stumbled upon this and cant wait to check out more from your site.