Sponsor a Family Science Safari.

The teacher's job is to be sure everything is set up, then to marvel at the students' wonderful accomplishments and take pictures.

The students are the teachers. Students receive a list of activities that they have done in class, to do with their families when they enter the room. They are responsible for taking their family around to each activity, explaining and doing the activity, and leaving it ready for the next family.

Provide several take-home activities (windmill, balloon car, pinwheel, sailboat).

Students are primed with leading questions to ask and reminded that they are the "teachers" and their families are the "students" and that some teaching is going on as well as playing.

Family Science Safaris are always highly successful. They are a great way to tell parents what you are doing in the classroom. They allow you to check on what your students really do know. My students also invited other kindergarten and first grade classes the day after the Family Science Safari to teach them. Learning was evident and families left motivated to keep exploring.