Mudpies to Magnets by Elizabeth Sherwood, Robert A. Williams, Robert E. Rockwell (1984, Paperback)

I checked this book out from my local library after seeing its recommendation in The book, The Well-Trained Mind. I would not say this is an ideal book for homeschooling families as two of the nine chapters are titled, "Science Center Activities" (pgs. 27-44) and "Circle Time Activities" (pgs. 61-74). The book was written for a preschool or elementary school classroom setting.

In addition, the book is comprised of your basic science activities for preschoolers. If you want something new or phenomenal, you won't find it here. There are activities such as watching a scab heal, observing the full moon and making pennies shiny again. These are very basic activities that you may feel discouraged you paid for, but for people who have a hard time finding something new to do every day or for teachers who want a written curriculum, this book is well organized. Also, those who have not had much exposure to science in their lives, or do not remember it, may not know how much fun it is to play with an amorphous solid (Magic Matter p. 91) and would need something such as this book to remind them.

For each activity, you are told if it's appropriate for ages 2+, 3+, 4+ or 5+. These suggestions are coming from college professors and can give confidence to those parents or caregivers who are unsure of what is & isn't appropriate for the average child.

Preschool science is very simple and I feel that a book is unnecessary, but if you feel you need one, this isn't a bad choice. For homeschoolers, though, I'd also recommend Janice Van Cleave's Play and Find Out About series because they skip the classroom style activities. Amazon sells Janice VanCleave's Big Book of Play and Find Out Science Projects for $13.57. With 224 pages, that ought to keep you busy for a while! = )