This post was contributed by Lisette of Where Imagination Grows.
Simple Science for Kids on the Light Table!
Hands-on science for kids is a great way to teach children about the world around them. My preschoolers are fascinated with rocks, gems, and agates lately so I introduced them to this simple beginning geology activity on our light table to let them follow their interests.
Exploring Geology on the Light Table
All the rocks and agates we have are from a local rock shop and the bright colored agates I got off ebay (less than $1 each with free shipping!) but I’ve seen this cool sliced agate set on Amazon if you don’t have a rock shop local to you.
I set out the various rocks and agates on our light table and gave my girls a magnifying glass to explore the rocks and agates with.
When planning activities that center on science for kids I try to create kids activities that are visually enticing and offer sensory experiences for them. This was the perfect activity for that! 
After they examined the rocks with the magnifying glasses the girls then spent a great deal of time sorting them by color.
They also paired them up with similar rocks and sorted them into lines based on the different type we had on the light table. The girls decided that we had “rocks, crystals, & gems.” I was impressed with the different types of rocks they remembered from our recent reading of two National Geographic books: Rocks & Minerals and Everything Rocks & Minerals.
I asked my preschool aged girls simple questions about the textures, size, coloring, patterns, weight, and more as we played with the rocks and agates. If you have older kids you can ask more in depth geology questions and discuss the things like what types of rocks are they, how are they formed, and where would you find them but with my younger ones I kept it simple.
The girls loved this easy geology activity and they’ve spent hours examining, sorting, and playing with the rocks. They enjoyed them so much that we now keep them out with our light table loose parts so they can explore them whenever they want to. When you add the light table to this simple geology activity it makes science for kids even more fun!
Supplies, Books, & Toys to Supplement This Activity:
More Light Table Fun:
How do you explore science with your kids? Do share in the comments below!
Esther says
I really don’t understand. Couldn’t the children have had exactly the same experience with the rocks – examining the colors and textures and shapes – without a light table?
Krissy of B-Inspired Mama says
They could! The light table just adds another sensory element to it. The colors and patterns in them show brighter when laying on the bright light source. You could also offer them near a bright window!