My science center is the popular place in my room. I've collected oodles of stuff over the years. I put things out for themes and also seasons. I change things after a few weeks - sometimes everything, sometimes I take out a few things and put in new. Here are some of my things:
Five Senses. Sort things smooth and rough, tuning forks, squishy feely things like you can get at Science stores, smell jars, sound match cannisters made from film containers, kaliedoscopes, magic wands with the glittery stuff inside, the spinning doodle pens, anything pretty like rock crystals, laser disks, etc.
Slinky. I made steps on the counter with blocks and lots of masking tape to keep it stable. The kids loved having the slinky go down the steps and then off the counter!
Lots of plastic spiders, frogs, lizards (the stretchy kind that you find at science stores), etc.
Things I find in nature like lichen covered sticks, seeds, leaves, rocks, etc.
Magnet Center. I have a variety of different magnet activities like the guy with magnetic filing hair, things in a plastic jar with water (kids find out magnets work through water as they pull things up the side of the jar by rubbing the magnet on the outside of the jar), magnet sort, push and pull cars (I hot glue magnets on the front and backs of cars/trucks and kids can move cars by magnetic force).
Float and Sink discovery tub.
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