Science From Home
Welcome to our Science From Home page! Here you'll find listings of our virtual programs as well as simple science activities to try at home with your family, coloring pages, outdoor activities to explore the nature around you, and more! We are constantly adding and changing the contents of this page, so check back often!
Activities to try at Home
Apple Stamps
The fall is known for apples. Apples are fruits that come from an apple tree, Malus domestica. There are tons of fall activities that you can do with an apple, such as picking them, eating them or cooking with them. But can you create art with them? Try our apple stamping activity to see what you can create.
Download the PDF.
Bird Blockers
Many species of birds migrate through our local area during the fall heading to their winter homes in the south. Window and door glass pose a problem for birds because they reflect trees, foliage and sky, which the birds find inviting. Having objects to break up the appearance of a clear flight path on your windows might save many birds.
Download the PDF.
Daylight Measuring
Before clocks, there were sundials. Sundials use a stick or rod to measure the movement of the sun through the day to tell the time. However, fall, or Autumn, is a season of change. Animals migrate, leaves fall and the days change. As the Northern Hemisphere, or top half of the earth, begins to shift to winter, the days grow colder, but also shorter. Considering this, how accurate are sundials? Let us find out.
Download the PDF.
Gourd Growing Guide
Gourds are flowering plant species that grow fruit with hard exteriors. This group is one of the earliest domesticated plant types. Gourds have been used for food, tools or even musical instruments. Pumpkins are the most commonly known gourd in the United States due to Halloween traditions. Here we will explore what it takes to grow pumpkins and give advice on how to grow other gourds at well.
Download the PDF.
Leaf Pressing
The Academy has a large Herbarium of preserved plant specimens. Many are dried to preserve their structure and prevent decay so they can be studied in the future. We can also do a version of this at home by pressing leaves. These leaves can be the start of a collection, used in decoration or fulfill any number of other uses.
Download the PDF.
Migration Station
Migration is a journey that all animal groups undertake to avoid a climate’s harsh season, find food or even go to a designated mating area. Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and even fish take part in this annual event in some way, traveling short or long distances for an ideal area that better suits their needs. Here, in the Mid-Atlantic Region, many species of birds will stop to eat on the way to their winter homes. To assist them, this Science From Home gives you instructions to make a temporary feeder for the fall season.
Download the PDF.
Want even more activities? Try these fun, hands-on activities that are easy to do with materials you usually have at home. Show us your at home projects! Message us on Facebook, or find us on Twitter and Instagram at @acadnatsci.
Reading List: Taking Care of the Environment
You probably care deeply about keeping the environment clean. You likely take steps to be an environmental steward, perhaps rinsing and sorting your recycling, composting, conserving water, reusing items and more. You may even encourage members of your household to do the same. But have you considered how to explain the importance of these actions to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or friends? How will you help to prepare the next generation to work hard to make the planet a more sustainable place?
Whether you’re seeking a starting point for conversation, you want to further your own knowledge or you’re looking to join a global movement, this reading list will help you find a place to start.
Activities to Try Outside!
Build Your Own Bird Feeder
You can reuse many household materials to build a cute and useful bird feeder! Check out your recycling bin for a coffee can or milk carton. Then plan out and craft a bird feeder for your outdoor space.
Download our April Kids Club Activity Sheet for complete instructions.
Looking for even more ways to build homemade bird feeders? Click here for six more ideas you can try.
Color a Garden Bed
Gardening, whether in your yard, in pots on your windowsill or in your imagination, is a wonderful way to enjoy nature, especially when we’re stuck at home. On this printable activity sheet for kids, you can exercise your creativity and draw your very own garden bed.
Click here to download.
Home Science Activities
Try these fun, interactive, hands-on activities that are easy to do with materials you usually have at home. Explore with your child and learn together while having fun. We hope you enjoy the activities listed here while you spend time with your child, sharing your knowledge and gaining new experiences as you explore the world of science together.
Happy Science Adventures!
Simple science activities to try at home:
Get Outside Nature Hunt
Listen for bird calls, smell a flower and hug a tree to complete this outdoor scavenger hunt!
Click here to download the nature hunt!
Color Our Collections
Coloring can have many benefits for people of all ages. It can help enhance motor skills and vision, reduce stress and anxiety and improve focus.
Click here to download a PDF coloring book made of images from the Academy's Library and Archives.
Educator Resources
The Academy is excited to offer lessons on water, climate, evolution, biodiversity and extinction for students in grades kindergarten through 12. We have included some of our most recent research with video segments in most lesson plans.
Teachers, these lessons can enhance your classroom curriculum with activities and videos that you can share with your students, and all lessons follow Pennsylvania Academic State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
Click here to explore our new educator resources.
Biodiversity Bug Talks
Learn about the biodiversity of bugs and meet some of the insects that live at the Academy with educator David Schloss in these three short videos:
Amblypygid and Vinergaroon
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Millipedes and Centipedes
What is science, and how can parents help?
Science is the effort to discover and increase human understanding of how the physical and natural world works. It is amazing how science touches every aspect of our daily lives; from turning on the lights in the classroom to the snacks we eat daily. Science is about encouraging and asking questions, it is a process rather than a set of facts to memorize. As members of society, it is important that your child gains understanding of what science is and becomes familiar with the work and activities associated with science.
In all types of science, we use the same tools for investigation. We question, observe, study, experiment, and then discover and uncover new findings. As parents, we can model these activities with our children and, through hands-on activities, build and nurture their sense of curiosity. Young children are natural scientists. It is our role to encourage them to continue in their explorations.
Ten Good Reasons to use Science as a Vehicle for Learning
(via www.sciencestart.com)
- Science responds to children’s need to learn about the world around them.
- Children’s everyday experience is the foundation for science.
- Open-ended science activities involve children at a range of different developmental levels.
- Hands-on science activities permit teachers to observe and respond to children’s individual strengths and needs.
- The scientific approach of “trial and error” welcomes error and interprets it as valuable information, not as failure.
- Science strongly supports the development of language and literacy.
- Science helps children with limited language to participate in the classroom.
- The problem-solving skills of science easily generalize to social situations.
- Science demonstrations help children become comfortable in large group conversations.
- Science connects easily to other areas, including play, art, math, music, movement, and social studies.