Can you put Skelly back together again? Learn about the bones in the body inspired by this fun book for young learners, “Skelly’s Halloween,” written by David Martin. In this STEAM activity, preschoolers will learn about different skeletons by using cotton swabs to recreate their bone structures as they try to put Skelly back together again.
Storytime STEAM is a collection of STEM activities for preschoolers inspired by your favorite picture books.
Using read-aloud books is a fun and hands-on way to get started with STEAM activities for preschoolers. STEAM is the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
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STEAM Question: What type of skeleton can you create?
Objective: Students recognize skeletons of different living things and learn that bones hold us up.
Materials:
- Book, “Skelly’s Halloween,” by David Martin
- Cotton Swabs
- Scissors
- Plastic toy or photo of a skeleton
- Dark-colored paper, white crayons, or construction paper crayons.
- Googley eyes
- Mini-marshmallows or play dough
Teaching Strategy:
Adult Prep: Cut cotton swabs into various lengths.
Read “Skelly’s Halloween”. How was Skelly put back together in the story?
Draw a nighttime background on the dark-colored paper.
Next, use cut cotton swabs and mini-marshmallows to design your own skeleton on top of your background. Use a toy skeleton or photos of a skeleton as a reference.
Place googly eyes on your skeleton to complete your design and take a picture of your skeleton.
Guiding Questions:
How can we take care of our bones?
What are the longest and shortest bones you see?
How do bones help us stand?
STEAM Experience:
Science: Research how many bones we have in our bodies.
Technology: Display images of x-rays on a screen. Use doctor tools to check your friend’s bones.
Engineering: Build your own skeleton design.
ARTs: Draw a nighttime background for your skeleton.
Math: How many bones can you count in your body?
Want more Halloween activities for preschoolers?
Click here to check out the Halloween STEAM Experience bundle
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