Place a stack of interesting illustrated science books on a table. This is an easy science center exploration idea. The success of this venture depends on the motivation of the students and the dynamic of the group at the table. A good way to augment this task and to ensure engagement is to leave some paper on the desk. Students will read the books and write what they learned or draw pictures from the books. Place a bin in the middle of the table and instruct students to turn in their work.
Provide different things for students to observe and touch. Scholastic.com suggests items such as plants, nuts, seeds, eggshells, feathers, shells, stones and insect nests. These items by themselves in a science exploration center are not enough. Students will touch and feel them for a few minutes and then lose focus. Tell the students to write their observations based on four of their senses. Have sheets of paper labeled sight, hear, feel, smell. You should get a chuckle from the students when you tell them you're leaving out taste.
Bring live animals into the classroom. Bonnie Glasgold from the Teachers Network suggests fish tanks, ant farms, hamsters, turtles and hermit crabs. These animals are easy to handle and will fascinate first-graders. Have the students take notes on what the animals do and eat. The children can help take care of the animals, too.
Set up a center with scientific instruments for the students to use. Magnets, binoculars, eye-droppers, goggles, scales and microscopes are a few examples. Assign a task that needs to be done with each item. For the scales, give the students things that need to be weighed. Tell the students to write down their findings. Let the students look at various items under the microscopes and tell them to draw pictures of what they see.