Infants: Little Scientist

Infants – Little Scientists

An extended, play-based, skills-first exploration unit that nurtures curiosity, experimentation, and early scientific thinking through repeatable, hands-on play.

A deeper, slower unit designed for meaningful exploration

Little Scientists is an extended learning experience designed to be revisited over time, allowing infants to explore cause-and-effect, sensory input, movement, and everyday science concepts through repetition, variation, and child-led discovery. It supports both parents and children with structured guidance, reflection tools, and space to notice growth.

What you’ll explore

• Scientific exploration through play: engage in hands-on activities that encourage observing, testing, and experimenting
• Sensory investigations: explore textures, movement, light, and materials through guided sensory play
• Movement-based exploration: repeat physical activities that involve rolling, building, lifting, and moving
• Sorting and categorizing: work with objects by size, shape, and function through repeatable activities
• Art as investigation: explore mixing, mark-making, and material properties through open-ended art experiences
• Repetition with variation: revisit core activities multiple times with small changes
• Self-management in play: practice turn-taking, cleanup, and choice-making during activities

What’s included

• An extended, multi-cycle unit combining content from multiple learning phases
• 36 core activities, plus repeatable activity sets designed for ongoing reinforcement
• A clear preparation section to help parents gather materials efficiently
• Parent-facing guides, including:
  • Explanations of the unit’s structure and philosophy
  • Guidance on pacing, repetition, and following your child’s lead
  • Reflection spaces to track observations and progress
• A child portfolio section to:
  • Collect your child’s work
  • Notice changes and growth over time
  • Build early habits of reflection and pride in effort
• Skills checklists to help parents observe development across domains
• QR codes linking to suggested books and videos that support exploration
• Designed as a longer-term guide, rather than a strict daily lesson plan

Single-lesson listing examples

• Cause-and-Effect Play: explore what happens when objects are pushed, dropped, or combined through guided experimentation.
• Sensory Exploration Bin: investigate texture and material properties using familiar household items.
• Building and Balancing: stack and arrange objects to test stability and movement.
• Movement Investigation: roll, race, or transport objects to explore motion and force.
• Mixing and Mark-Making: observe changes when materials are combined through art-based exploration.
• Repeat-and-Reflect Activity: revisit a familiar activity with a small change to deepen understanding.

Use this unit together with our other Infants lessons:

All About Me
Animals 1
Animals 2
Alphabet
Colors
Music and Arts
Transportation
Books and Authors
Little Scientists (this unit)