This Objects that Give off Light Worksheet asks kindergarten students to circle the sun, lamp, star, and candle, then draw their own light source. Includes a complete answer key for quick, no-prep science practice.
This magnet activity has kindergarten to 3rd grade students sort picture cards into things a magnet will pull and things it will not, with a sorting mat, practice page and answer key.
A things that give light activity for kindergarten to 2nd grade: a board game with 12 picture cards about light sources, a practice page and an answer key included.
Sunshine, light and a little warmth
In kindergarten, energy starts with things kids can see and feel. They learn that the sun gives us light and warms the ground, the water and our skin. They sort things that give off light, like a flashlight, a lamp or a fire, from things that don't, like a book or a rock. Many classes test how shade, like an umbrella or a tree, keeps things cooler. The click moment comes when a child touches a sunny sidewalk and a shady one and says "This one is warm!"
Keep it hands-on and close to home. Little scientists learn by touching, sorting and talking.
Hold up pictures one at a time and kids show thumbs up if it gives off light and thumbs down if it doesn't. The moon is a fun one to discuss, since it reflects the sun's light but doesn't make its own!
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withObjects that Give off Light WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Put two ice cubes outside, one in the sun and one under a cup or in the shade. Check every ten minutes and draw what you see. Kids discover for themselves that sunlight warms things up.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withMagnet ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Walk around the school and look for things that give off light. Back in class, kids sort their finds into two groups and tell a partner why each one belongs.
Why it works: using clear, consistent math words out loud is one of the U.S. Department of Education's recommendations for elementary math.
Try it withThings That Give Light ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Teacher favorites right now: Objects that Give off Light Worksheet, Magnet Activity and Things That Give Light Activity.
For kindergartners, energy is about light and warmth, mostly from the sun. Kids learn that sunlight warms the Earth and that some things, like lamps and fires, give off their own light.
Do a simple test: leave two cups of water out, one in the sun and one in the shade, and feel them later. The warmer cup shows the sun's energy in a way kids can feel.
No, the moon reflects light from the sun. It's a great question to ask kindergartners when you sort things that give off light.
Light and no-light sorts, sun and shade tests, and shadow play are all perfect. They let kids see and feel energy instead of just hearing about it.
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