Help preschoolers to think scientifically with a yellow sorting and categorizing activity. Gather many yellow objects of various sizes, textures, types and shapes. Choose yellow fruits, vegetables, miniature toys, blocks, household items and tools. Provide kids with magnifying glasses to help them feel like real scientists. Ask kids open-ended questions as they investigate to help them become better thinkers. These are questions with more than one right answer. Ask kids what types of shapes or patterns they see. Ask what similarities or differences they see. After the kids finish investigating, ask them to sort the items into like groups. To help expand their scientific thinking, have the kids explain how they decided on the sorting categories even though all items were yellow.
Gather yellow objects and pictures of objects that are both living, such as flowers, birds and leaves and nonliving such as blocks, crayons and paper. Ask preschoolers what the difference is between something living and nonliving. After the discussion, have preschoolers work with partners to sort the objects and pictures into living and nonliving groups. Allow the partners to explain why some of the items were placed into the living or nonliving groups.
The five senses form another topic typically covered in preschool science that can incorporate a yellow theme. Gather yellow foods that look, feel, smell, sound and taste different. Choose foods such as bananas, crackers, candies, lemons, peppers, corn, pineapple and cheese. Have the kids experience each food through each of the senses one at a time. Afterwards, have them sort the foods into groups that for example, feel the same, sound the same when tapped on a tabletop or taste the same.
Discuss the concept of solids and liquids with preschoolers. Explain that these are types of matter. Tell students that another type of matter, gas, cannot be easily seen, so you will not be discussing it at this time. Ask preschoolers to name yellow liquids such as some juices, paints or soup broth and yellow solids such as crayons, sunflowers and rubber ducks. Provide the kids with magazines and safety scissors. Have them cut out yellow objects. Create a large class chart for solid and liquid categories. Have the kids bring up the pictures to place on the class chart on the correct sides.