OBSA — Week 7 (Bigs): Discovery Days
Our Big Summer Adventure · Week 7 · Bigs (3.5–5)

Week 7 — Discovery Days

A full, joyful week of little scientists who learn the one big move that runs all week: change one thing — what if? We predict, we test, we watch what happens, then we change one thing and predict again. Every day the thinking grows braver — until Friday, when each child re-runs their favorite experiment for their classmates and tells the story of their thinking. July 13 – July 17 · Bigs classroom, ages 3.5–5.

Read this first

This guide pairs with the General Planning Guide — that's where the planning principles, the energy arc, and the full executive-function primer live. This Week 7 guide applies them to Discovery Days, built around the Bigs (3.5–5) daily schedule. The whole week builds toward Friday's Discovery Fair: the children learn a scientist's flexible move — predict, test, then change one thing and predict again — practice it in a new station each day, and on Friday re-run their favorite experiment for their classmates, narrating "I thought ___, then ___ happened." This is a full five-day week, July 13–17, with no closures. Start with the prep block just below — the EF lens, the checklist, and the supplies — then run the days.

🔬
Discovery Fair — Friday, July 17, in the morning. Each child sets up their favorite experiment as a little station and re-runs it for their classmates, narrating their prediction and their result: "I thought the big rock would sink — and it did!" or "I thought more baking soda meant more fizz — and I was right!" Goggles and lab coats on. It's an in-class showcase, not a test — every prediction counts, including the surprising ones. The children take turns as presenter and visitor at each other's stations — a photo-friendly, low-lift celebration of a week of thinking, with no cross-room coordination.
Section 1 · The Overview

Week Snapshot

Theme
Discovery Days — little scientists
Anchor
The Discovery Fair — Friday, each child re-runs their favorite experiment for their classmates and tells the story of their thinking: "I thought ___, then ___ happened."
Classroom
Bigs · ages 3.5–5 · the "Perfect World" Bigs daily schedule
Dates
July 13 – July 17, 2026 (Monday–Friday) · full five-day week, no closures
Parent-facing hook
"This week we're little scientists — we make a guess, test it, watch what happens, then change one thing and guess again. On Friday we'll show our class our favorite experiment and tell everyone what we thought would happen."
Developmental value
Predict → test → observe → revise; changing one variable and re-predicting; forming a rule and updating it after a surprise; drawing a prediction (a play-plan); explaining your thinking out loud; fine motor (droppers), vocabulary.
Logistics
In-house stations, no vendor · Phase: Build momentum · Cost: consumables (baking soda, watercolors, goggles) · Ops complexity: Low–Medium (wet-station cleanup, goggles for the fizz station, allergy check on any food-science). The Fair stays in-class — no invitations to send.
EF lens this week
Cognitive Flexibility  A scientist's whole job is being flexible — you make a prediction, test it, and when you change one thing, you have to change your thinking too. The narrated throughline all week: "Change one thing — what if?" Working Memory rides along — you hold your prediction in your head so you can compare it to what actually happened.
Section 2 · Start Here

Before You Run the Week

Four things to take in before the day plans: how this guide works, the one skill we're watching for, what to prep, and what to have on hand. Read these first; the five days follow.

How to use this guide. Each day below is the full run-sheet — every block of the Bigs schedule, in order, so you can print a single day and run it from the page. Transition and fixed blocks are kept brief; the flex blocks carry the detail.

The 📸 Brightwheel moments are built in. Look for the warm camera callout inside each day — it sits on the block where the photo naturally happens, with the shot to grab and a ready-to-post caption. Goggled little-scientist faces mid-experiment are the summer's most shareable photos, so these lean visual.

One Teacher Move a day. Each day carries a single 👩‍🔬 Teacher Move — a quick coaching note on the day's highest-leverage moment. It's the one thing to nail today; the rest of the day supports it. As the team gets fluent, you'll need it less.

A note on the stations. Five experiments anchor the week — color-mixing with droppers (Mon), baking-soda eruptions (Tue), sink-or-float (Wed), ramps & rolling (Thu), plus a magnifying-glass detective walk that opens each cool morning. Each one carries the same "change one thing" rule, so the station does real thinking work, not just fun. Every day deposits a repeatable station the children can choose from on Friday — that's how the Fair works without a scramble. The discovery journals (clipboards where children draw their prediction before they test) are the week's thread: a drawn prediction is a little play-plan, and comparing it to the result is the whole lesson.

About Friday's Discovery Fair. No vendor, no field trip, no outside visitors — the Fair stays inside the classroom. Each child picks their favorite experiment from the week, sets it up as a little station, and re-runs it for their classmates, narrating "I thought ___, then ___." The children rotate as presenters and visitors at each other's stations. It's a joyful showcase of thinking, not a test — celebrate the surprising results as loudly as the "I-was-right" ones. Keeping it in-class means no cross-room coordination — just your own scientists showing each other what they discovered.

Printing. Use your browser's Print — each day breaks cleanly onto its own sheet.

Section 3 · The Lens

This Week's EF Lens — Cognitive Flexibility

Change one thing — what if?

Cognitive flexibility is the brain's ability to switch gears — to look at something a new way, try a different approach, and update your thinking when the facts change. Science hands us this naturally: you predict, you test, you watch what happens, and then you change one thing and predict all over again. So the week's throughline, narrated every day, is one flexible move: change one thing — what if? More drops or fewer? A steeper ramp or a gentler one? More baking soda or less? Each change asks the children to let go of their first guess and form a new one.

This is the developmental sweet spot for real flexibility — Bigs can genuinely shift sets, sort one way then reverse the rule, and update a belief after a surprise. The week is built to escalate that muscle: Monday they run one clean predict-test-observe cycle; Tuesday they change a single variable and re-predict; Wednesday they form a rule, meet a result that breaks it (a heavy thing that floats!), and revise the rule; Thursday they design their own "change" and choose their Fair station; Friday they explain the whole flexible journey out loud — "I thought ___, then ___." Your job is the light touch: always ask for a prediction before the test, welcome a wrong guess as good science, and treat every surprise as the best part.

Watch for it when a child… (these are the behaviors to name and, if you like, jot down)

  • Makes a real prediction before testing — and can say what would change their mind.
  • Changes a single variable on purpose and predicts a different outcome ("more drops = darker").
  • Updates a rule after a surprising result instead of insisting the surprise was wrong.
  • Sorts one way, then re-sorts by a new rule when you flip it (sort-then-reverse).
  • At the Fair, narrates the whole flexible journey: "I thought ___, then ___ happened."
Riding along — Working Memory. You can only tell whether your prediction was right if you held it in your head while you tested. So all week we say the guess out loud, draw it in the discovery journal, and pull it back out to compare: "You guessed darker — was it? Let's check what you drew." Holding the prediction is what makes the flexible switch possible; it's the quiet partner to the week's big flexible move. Name it when you see it: "You remembered your guess and checked it — that's real science!"
Section 4 · Prep

Before the Week

A little setup makes the whole week run itself. Get these squared away over the weekend or Monday morning — and the order-early items (goggles, magnifiers, pipettes) should already be on their way.

Make the paper lab coats & check the goggles
One class set of paper/butcher-paper lab coats and kid safety goggles — the week's signature look, reusable all five days. Put a name on each so children claim their "scientist gear" Monday. Goggles are required at the baking-soda station.
Build the big Prediction Chart
A large, reusable chart where the class marks guesses before each test — 👍/👎 or picture icons. It makes the "what if?" thinking visible, gets rebuilt for each new station, and doubles as a Brightwheel post. Hang it where everyone can reach.
Prep the discovery journals
A clipboard + a few blank pages per child. The daily rule: draw your prediction before you test, then compare it to what happened. A drawn prediction is a little play-plan — the artifact the whole week's thinking lives in.
Stage the five stations by day
Sort supplies so each day sets up fast: droppers + watercolors + clear cups (Mon), baking soda + vinegar + trays + squeeze bottles (Tue, adult-run), water bins + a sink/float object set (Wed), cardboard/block ramps + balls & cars (Thu). Magnifiers stay out all week for the morning detective walk.
Goggles + vinegar safety plan for Tuesday
The baking-soda-and-vinegar station is adult-run, goggles-on, no tasting — vinegar irritates eyes. Keep vinegar out of reach, pour it yourself, and station an adult the whole time. Towels down for the fizz overflow.
Wet-station cleanup + slip watch
Color-mixing, eruptions, and sink-or-float all mean water on the floor. Towels down, a squeeze-mop nearby, and smocks for everyone. Wipe as you go so no one slips.
Plan Friday's in-class Discovery Fair
The Fair stays inside the room — no invitations, no visiting rooms. Plan the station layout and how children will rotate as presenters and visitors at each other's stations. Set expectations: it's a joyful showcase, not a performance — surprising results are the fun part.
Heat plan + allergy check
The magnifier detective walk and any outdoor station stay in the cooler morning; water, shade, sunscreen per policy; scheduled water breaks. Know your hot-day fallback for the midday Outdoor Activity (12:25). If you add any food-science (oobleck/cornstarch), run the roster allergen check first.
Section 5 · Supplies

Supplies — Check & Request

Scan this against what's already in the room. Anything you're short on, send the checked list to Amy early — goggles, magnifiers, and pipettes especially, since those have the longest lead time. Items marked (parent) are family-supplied; on hand means it's already here; Fri means it's needed for the Fair.

Scientist Gear & Equipment · order early

  • Kid safety goggles (class set, reusable)1/child
  • Magnifying glasses (detective walk)1/child
  • Droppers / pipettes (color-mixing)class set
  • Big Prediction Chart (easel / poster, reusable)1
  • Clipboards for discovery journals1/child
  • Water bins / clear tubs2–3
  • Cardboard / block rampsfew
  • Storage bins2–3

Station Consumables · the five experiments

  • Washable liquid watercolors / food coloring (Mon)set
  • Clear cups / palettes (color-mixing)many
  • Baking soda (eruptions, Tue)box
  • White vinegar (adult-run, goggles, Tue)bottles
  • Trays + squeeze bottles (fizz control)set
  • Sink/float object set (cork, stone, sponge, coin, toy, etc.)set
  • Balls & toy cars (ramps & rolling, Thu)set

Journals, Sorting & Making · the thinking artifacts

  • Discovery-journal pages, pre-cut (draw-your-prediction)many/child
  • Crayons / markersset
  • Sorting sets (by color / shape / size — for sort-then-reverse)few
  • Sorting hoops / trays / binsset
  • Picture-icon guess cards (for the chart)set
  • Child-safe scissors (supervised)1/child
  • Construction paper / cardstockreams
  • Glue sticks / tape1/child

Music, Movement & Sensory

  • "Freeze" / stop-and-switch music (pose-switch game)ready
  • Scarves / shakers (change-the-move songs)class set
  • Cornstarch (oobleck add-on — allergy check first)box
  • Sensory bin + scoops & cupsbin

Print Materials

  • Predict / test / observe picture cardsset
  • Sink-or-float rule cards (heavy / light / big / small)set
  • "Change one thing — what if?" station signsset
  • Discovery Fair station labels (name + experiment)1/child

Fair Day & Cleanup

  • Smocks (wet stations)class set
  • Towels + squeeze-mop (slip watch)stock
  • Change of clothes (parent, water play)parent
  • Sunscreen + sun hats (morning detective walk)stock
  • First-aid kitcheck
Safety, in one place. Vinegar is an eye irritant: the baking-soda-and-vinegar station is adult-run, goggles-on, and no tasting or ingestion — you pour the vinegar, keep it out of children's reach, and stay stationed there the whole block. Wet floors at every water station — towels down, wipe as you go, slip watch, smocks on. Small parts (droppers, small float objects) stay closely supervised in the Bigs room and out of the younger rooms entirely. Bakersfield July heat: the morning detective walk and any outdoor station stay in the cool early window with water, shade, and scheduled water breaks; no mid-afternoon outdoor activity in peak heat. Any food-science (oobleck/cornstarch) → run the roster allergen check first and keep it taste-safe. Goggles and lab coats are the week's look — and a genuine safety habit at the fizz station.
Section 6 · The Week

Five Days That Build Toward Friday

A full week that escalates the thinking — first learn to predict and test, then change one thing and re-predict, then revise a rule after a surprise, then design your own change and pick your Fair station, then explain the whole journey at the Fair. Each day deposits a repeatable station, and Friday the children pull it all back out for their classmates.

Section 7 · The Skeleton

The Daily Rhythm

Every day runs the identical clock, and each day plan below carries it in full, block by block. Four blocks are fixed — the two snacks, lunch, and quiet time. Everything else is flex: that's the curriculum.

A note on the thinking and the heat. The flexible move lives everywhere, not in one block — open every morning with a magnifier detective walk and a quick recall of yesterday's discovery, weave "change one thing — what if?" through Music & Movement (change the pose, change the tempo), and turn transitions into predictions ("guess how many steps to the door — now let's count and check"). The day's science anchor lands in the morning Outdoor Play window (9:00–9:30) — the cool part of the day and the right slot for wet stations. The midday Outdoor Activity (12:25–1:00) lands in peak Bakersfield heat; keep it shaded and light, shorten it, or move it indoors. Friday is different: the Discovery Fair runs the morning (~9:00–11:20), so that day's flow shifts to put the Fair in the cool window — the day plan spells it out. One Prediction Chart and one discovery journal, used identically all week, are what make Friday a showcase instead of a first-time scramble.
Section 8 · The Plans

Five Days, Fully Planned

Each day is the full run-sheet — every block of the Bigs schedule, in order. The 📸 Brightwheel moment and the day's one 👩‍🔬 Teacher Move are tucked into the blocks where they happen.

Day1
Monday · July 13
Little Scientists Begin
Learn the move — predict, test, observe — and pull on the goggles for the first time.
6:30–8:30

Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — circulate, narrate the quiet play and books, and offer warm welcomes until the Bigs room opens.

8:30–8:50
Opening Circle — We're Scientists This Week!

Kick off the week: this week we're little scientists, and scientists have one big move — we make a guess about what will happen, we test it, and we watch to see if we were right. Reveal the goggles and paper lab coats and let each child claim theirs. Teach the throughline in a call-and-response: "Change one thing — what if?" Then do one tiny live demo — drop water on a paper towel vs. wax paper — ask for a prediction first ("which one soaks in?"), test, and celebrate whether the guess was right or surprising. On Friday, we'll each show our class our favorite experiment.

Scientists, put on your goggles! This week our big job is to be curious: we make a GUESS about what will happen, we test it, and we watch. Ready? I'll drop water here… and here. Which one soaks in? Say your guess first — then we'll find out!
8:50–9:00

Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats on at the door before heading out.

9:00–9:30
Outdoor Play · Magnifier Detective Walk & Color-Mixing Lab (anchor)

The spark and the first clean thinking cycle, in the cool morning. Start with a quick magnifier detective walk — hand out magnifying glasses and hunt for tiny things (a leaf vein, a bug, sand grains), naming what you observe. Then set up the color-mixing lab in the shade: droppers, clear cups, and washable watercolors. The rule that makes it real science: before you mix, guess what two colors will make — mark it on the Prediction Chart — then test it. Once they've mixed, cue the flexible move: "Now change one thing — more drops of blue. What if? Guess again." Keep it joyful and messy; towels down.

Materials — magnifying glasses, droppers/pipettes, clear cups, washable watercolors, the Prediction Chart, smocks, towels, water & shade.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — the whole lab is guess → test → then change one thing and re-guess. Always ask for the prediction before the mix, and treat a surprising color as the best result. EF Research: predict-then-test cycles ask children to hold a guess, compare it to reality, and update their thinking — the core of cognitive flexibility, and a developmental sweet spot at this age. Google "predict and test activities cognitive flexibility preschool."
✦ Working Memory rides along — introduce the discovery journal today — "draw your guess before you mix" — so children have their prediction to hold onto and check against the result.
👩‍🔬 Teacher Move · Gradual Release ("I do → we do → you do")
Teach the predict-test move in three steps: first you think aloud a full cycle (over-act it) — "I predict blue and yellow make GREEN… let's test… look, green!" — then run one together as a group with a shared guess on the chart, then hand a cup and a dropper to each child and let them run their own cycle solo. Handing over the whole guess-test-check loop, instead of narrating it for them, is what turns watching into being a scientist. Fade your prompts as they take it over; that handoff is what makes the rest of the week's thinking possible.
📸 Brightwheel moment
Shot: a goggled little scientist squeezing a dropper into a cup of color, or the class holding up their color creations. Get the goggles & lab coats in frame!
🔬 Discovery Days begin! Our little scientists suited up in goggles & lab coats and learned the big move: guess what will happen, then TEST it. Today we mixed colors and predicted every one. Ask me what blue + yellow makes! 🎨🥽
9:30–9:50
Fixed
Morning Snack

A calm reset after the active morning. Chat the table: "What color surprised you? What did you predict?"

9:50–10:00

Handwash / bathroom. Into the indoor blocks.

10:00–10:30
Craft · My Discovery Journal (Cover & First Page)

Children decorate the cover of their own discovery journal — their name, a drawing of themselves as a scientist — then fill the first page. The rule that makes it thinking work, not decoration: on page one, draw your prediction for a new color mix, then mix it and draw what actually happened right beside it. Two boxes: "I think…" and "What happened." Comparing the two is the whole point — and it's fine (great, even) if they don't match. This journal travels all week and comes out at the Fair.

Materials — journal pages + clipboards, crayons/markers, a few watercolor cups for the on-page test, child-safe scissors (supervised).

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — "draw what you think, then draw what happened" makes the switch visible — the child sees their first idea and the real result side by side. EF Research: drawing a prediction is a kind of play-plan, and comparing plan to outcome exercises the flexible updating of a belief. Google "drawing predictions science journals young children."
10:30–10:50
Music & Movement · Freeze & Switch (Change the Pose)

Play a freeze-dance where the rule changes: dance, then freeze — and each freeze, call a new pose to hold ("freeze like a tree… now freeze like a rock… now the opposite of tall!"). Switching to a fresh rule on each freeze is the flexible move in the body. Start simple, then change the rule mid-game to keep them on their toes.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — a freeze game where the pose-rule keeps switching is set-shifting you can see — children drop the old rule and grab the new one on the signal.
10:50–11:20
Guided Centers

Teacher-shaped centers with a discovery thread — the color-mixing lab (now try a new pair), a magnifier observation table (leaves, feathers, fabric), a sort-by-color station, and the discovery journals to add a page. Circulate and prompt the move: "What's your prediction? What could you change?" Watch for the children who narrate their thinking out loud.

11:20–11:35

Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.

11:35–12:10
Fixed
Lunch

A calm, social meal. Narrate the afternoon to come.

12:10–12:25

Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.

12:25–1:00
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)

Peak heat — keep it shaded and light. A calm "I spy something round / something rough" observation game in the shade, or a gentle magnifier hunt; on a hot day, an indoor version. No new thinking load here — short is fine.

1:00–3:00
Fixed
Quiet Time

Rest, books, soft music. A "how things work" picture book is a lovely pre-nap read. Bodies rest even if not everyone sleeps.

3:00–3:30

Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Slow, gentle transition back.

3:30–3:50
Fixed
Afternoon Snack

Refuel for the afternoon.

3:50–4:20
Manipulative · Sort-Then-Reverse

Lay out a sorting set (buttons, blocks, bears). First sort by one rule — "put all the reds here." When they've got it, change the rule: "now forget colors — sort by size." Re-sorting the same objects by a brand-new rule is the flexible move, done quietly at the table. Keep the sets small so the switch succeeds.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — sort one way, then reverse to a new rule — letting go of the first rule to use a new one is textbook set-shifting for this age.
4:20–4:35

Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; sing the cleanup song; stow the goggles and lab coats for tomorrow.

4:35–4:50

Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.

4:50–5:00
Closing Circle

Recap on the Prediction Chart: "What did we predict today? Were we right, or did something surprise us?" Celebrate the surprises. Plant tomorrow: "Tomorrow we learn the scientist's biggest move — change one thing — with a fizzy eruption!"

5:00–6:00

Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present — circulate, narrate the calm play, and share warm handoffs to parents.

Day2
Tuesday · July 14
Change One Thing
The scientist's core move — change a single thing, predict a different result — with a fizzy eruption.
6:30–8:30

Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — circulate and play alongside.

8:30–8:50
Opening Circle — Recall, Then the Big Move

Open with recall: "Who remembers our scientist move from yesterday? Guess… test… watch!" Then teach today's heart of the week: change one thing — what if? Show two identical setups and change a single thing between them — "same cup, but this one gets more drops." Predict how they'll differ. Preview the star station: a baking-soda-and-vinegar eruption where we'll change one thing (more baking soda) and predict a bigger fizz. Remind them: goggles on, and this is a look-and-watch experiment — a grown-up pours, we never taste it.

Yesterday we learned to guess and test. Today, the BIGGEST scientist move: change ONE thing — what if? If I add MORE… will the fizz be bigger or smaller? Guess first! Goggles on — this one's a grown-up pour, and we watch with our eyes, never our mouths.
8:50–9:00

Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door; goggles ready.

9:00–9:30
Outdoor Play · Eruption Lab — "More or Less?" (anchor)

The week's showstopper, run outside in the cool morning for easy cleanup. Goggles on; the teacher pours the vinegar. Put baking soda in a tray, mark a guess on the Prediction Chart — "will it fizz big or small?" — then pour and watch. Now the flexible move: change one thing. "This time we add MORE baking soda — predict again: bigger or smaller?" Test. Then change a different single thing (more vinegar, add dish soap for foam) and re-predict each time. Squeeze bottles let children control the pour safely under supervision. Every round is one clean "change one thing — what if?" cycle. Towels down; keep vinegar out of reach.

Materials — baking soda, white vinegar (adult-held), trays, squeeze bottles, goggles, the Prediction Chart, discovery journals, towels, water & shade.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — this is the purest "change one thing" day — one variable changes, so the prediction must change too. Insist on a fresh guess every round, and celebrate the ones that surprise. EF Research: changing a single variable and re-predicting forces children to abandon their first expectation and form a new one — a direct rep of the set-shifting that defines cognitive flexibility. Google "change one variable science preschool cognitive flexibility."
✦ Working Memory rides along — draw each prediction in the journal before the pour — holding "I said bigger" is what lets them check it against the fizz they actually see.
👩‍🔬 Teacher Move · Guided Play (child-driven, teacher-shaped)
The eruption is a magnet — but resist turning it into a show they only watch. Keep it guided play: let children choose which one thing to change next ("more soda? or more vinegar?"), and shape the thinking with probing questions rather than answers — "What do you predict now? Why do you think that? What could we change to make it even bigger?" Their guess drives the next pour. Asking more than you tell is what keeps a flashy demo doing real cognitive work instead of just entertaining.
📸 Brightwheel moment
Shot: the fizz erupting with goggled scientists watching wide-eyed, or a child pointing at the Prediction Chart before the pour. Big reactions = the shot.
🌋 Change one thing — what if?! Today our scientists predicted BIG vs. small fizz, then changed one thing (more baking soda!) and predicted all over again. Goggles on, grown-up pours, wide eyes everywhere. Ask me: more or less fizz? 🥽✨
9:30–9:35

Station wipe-down & goggles off. Adult clears the vinegar and rinses trays; wipe any spills before snack. Hands washed thoroughly — no tasting, no rubbing eyes.

9:30–9:50
Fixed
Morning Snack

Settle and refuel. Quiz the table gently: "What made the biggest fizz? What did you change?"

9:50–10:00

Handwash / bathroom. Into indoor blocks.

10:00–10:30
Craft · My Eruption Page (Predict & Compare)

Children add an eruption page to their discovery journal: two boxes again — "I predicted…" (draw a big fizz or a small one) and "What happened." Then a third little box: "If I changed one thing…" where they draw what they'd try next (more soda? a different tray?). The rule that makes it thinking, not coloring: they draw the guess before comparing, and they name their own "next change." Saying it aloud as they draw — "I thought big, and it WAS big" — locks in the compare.

Materials — journal pages, crayons/markers, the day's fizz results to reference, glue.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — the "if I changed one thing…" box asks each child to generate a new variable to test — the generative side of flexible thinking. EF Research: getting children to propose their own "what if" variable exercises the flexible generation of alternatives, not just switching between given ones. Google "generating alternatives cognitive flexibility children."
10:30–10:50
Music & Movement · Change the Tempo (Fast & Slow)

A scarf-and-shaker song where the rule keeps changing: move fast when the music is fast, slow when it's slow — then flip it ("now do the OPPOSITE: slow when it's fast!"). Switching to the opposite rule on cue is the flexible move in motion. Change the rule a few times so they stay ready to switch.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — "do the opposite" games ask children to hold a rule and then flip it — a joyful, whole-body rep of switching sets.
10:50–11:20
Guided Centers

Teacher-shaped centers: a mini "safe fizz" station (baking soda + a little water, no vinegar — child-run, still predict-and-test), a color-mixing "change the ratio" table, a sort-then-reverse station, and the discovery journals. Circulate with the move: "What one thing could you change? Predict it first." (An oobleck sensory add-on can live here — allergy check first.)

11:20–11:35

Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.

11:35–12:10
Fixed
Lunch

Calm, social meal.

12:10–12:25

Handwash / bathroom. Before heading out.

12:25–1:00
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)

Peak heat — shaded and light. A calm "what would you change next time?" chat or shade play; on a hot day, an indoor version. Keep the active eruption work in the cool morning.

1:00–3:00
Fixed
Quiet Time

Rest, books, soft music.

3:00–3:30

Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back.

3:30–3:50
Fixed
Afternoon Snack

Refuel.

3:50–4:20
Manipulative · Build It, Change It

Give a simple block model to copy. Once it's built, change one thing — "make it taller with the same blocks," "swap the red for blue," "build it, but backwards." Each change asks them to re-plan from the model in their head. A calm, hands-on "change one thing" rep before the day ends.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — "build it, now change one thing" turns copying into flexible re-planning — the same move as the morning's eruption, in blocks.
4:20–4:35

Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; reset the station bins for tomorrow.

4:35–4:50

Handwash / bathroom. Tidy for closing.

4:50–5:00
Closing Circle

On the Prediction Chart: "What one thing did we change today, and what happened?" Let children recall the surprising rounds. Preview tomorrow: "Tomorrow we make a rule about what sinks and floats — and I bet something breaks our rule!"

5:00–6:00

Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs.

Day3
Wednesday · July 15
Make a Rule, Then Revise It
Sink or float — form a rule, meet a surprise, and update your thinking. The flexible move at its bravest.
6:30–8:30

Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — circulate and play alongside.

8:30–8:50
Opening Circle — Make a Rule (and Be Ready to Change It)

Recall the week's move, then raise the stakes: today we're not just guessing, we're making a rule — "big things sink, little things float," or "heavy sinks." Write the class's rule on the chart. Then set them up for the good part: "But scientists are ready to change their rule if something surprises them. Watch for a thing that breaks our rule!" Preview sink-or-float, and hint that a big light thing (a beach ball) or a heavy floating thing (a big cork or a boat) will make them think again.

Cognitive Flexibility · today's spotlight

This is the week's bravest flexible move. Making a rule, testing it, hitting a result that breaks it, and then revising the rule is the exact skill cognitive flexibility is built on. Lead with the rule, then engineer the surprise: a heavy thing that floats, a small thing that sinks. Don't rescue them from the contradiction — sit in it: "Our rule said heavy sinks… but this heavy boat floats! What should we change about our rule?"

The magic is in the revision, not the rule being "right." When a child says "maybe it's about shape, not just heavy," that's flexible thinking out loud — name it big. Let the class rewrite the rule on the chart together, and keep testing to see if the new rule holds up.

8:50–9:00

Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door.

9:00–9:30
Outdoor Play · Sink-or-Float Lab & the Rule-Breaker (anchor)

Water bins in the shade, an object set on the table (cork, stone, sponge, coin, toy boat, big light ball). For each object: predict — will it sink or float? — mark it on the chart, then test. After a few, help the class state a rule ("heavy sinks"). Then bring out the rule-breaker — a heavy-but-floating boat, or a tiny sinking coin — and let the surprise land. Now the flexible work: revise the rule together. "Heavy sinks… unless it's shaped like a boat!" Keep testing the new rule against more objects. Predict, test, get surprised, revise — the full cycle, live.

Materials — water bins, the sink/float object set (with deliberate rule-breakers), sink-or-float rule cards, the Prediction Chart, discovery journals, towels, smocks, water & shade.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — form a rule, meet a surprise, revise the rule — the highest-level flexible move of the week. Protect the surprise; don't explain it away. EF Research: updating a rule after a surprising result is a core marker of cognitive flexibility, and children this age are right in the window where they can genuinely revise a belief. Google "belief revision cognitive flexibility preschoolers."
✦ Working Memory rides along — children hold their prediction for each object and the class's current rule at the same time — draw both in the journal so the "before" is there to compare.
👩‍🔬 Teacher Move · Scaffolding (productive struggle — don't rescue)
The strongest thing you can do today is sit in the surprise instead of solving it. When the heavy boat floats and a child insists "that's wrong," don't hand them the answer — pitch a question just above where they are: "Our rule said heavy sinks. Is this heavy? Is it floating? So… what might we need to change about our rule?" Let the class wrestle to a new rule. The flexibility muscle grows only when the contradiction is real and they do the revising — your job is to keep the struggle productive, not comfortable. Step back the moment a child starts revising on their own.
📸 Brightwheel moment
Shot: a goggled scientist dropping an object into the water bin, or the shocked faces when the "rule-breaker" floats. Get the surprise!
🚢 Sink or float?! Today our scientists made a RULE — then something broke it (a heavy boat that floats!) and they revised their thinking like real scientists. Being ready to change your mind is the best part of science. Ask me what floated! 🥽💧
9:30–9:50
Fixed
Morning Snack

Settle after the active morning. "What broke our rule today? What's our new rule?"

9:50–10:00

Handwash / bathroom. Into indoor blocks.

10:00–10:30
Craft · My Sink-or-Float Chart (Sort, Then a Surprise)

Children make a two-column keepsake chart — "sinks" and "floats" — gluing or drawing objects into the right column from what they tested. The rule that makes it thinking work: first predict where each object goes, then place it by what actually happened — and give everyone one deliberate "rule-breaker" to place, so they have to think, not just pattern-match. A "surprised me!" star sticker marks the one that broke their rule. Saying it aloud — "I thought it would sink, but it floated!" — is the compare that matters.

Materials — two-column chart pages, object pictures/stickers, star stickers for surprises, crayons, glue.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — marking the "surprised me!" object makes the belief-revision visible — the child sees exactly where the world didn't match their first idea. EF Research: noticing and flagging where a prediction failed helps children learn to update beliefs flexibly rather than ignore mismatches. Google "prediction error learning young children."
10:30–10:50
Music & Movement · Sink & Float Bodies (New Rule Each Round)

Move like the water: "float" (light, drifty, arms up) when I say float, "sink" (slow, sink to the floor) when I say sink. Then switch the rule — "now the words trick you: when I say SINK, you float!" Holding a rule and then flipping it to the opposite is the flexible move, danced. A joyful whole-body version of today's revising.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — flipping to the "trick" rule mid-game is set-shifting in the body — children override the obvious response to follow the new rule.
10:50–11:20
Guided Centers

Teacher-shaped centers: the sink-or-float bin (test new objects against the class's revised rule), a "predict then test" ramp preview, a sort-then-reverse station, and the discovery journals. Circulate: "What's your rule now? What could break it?" Nudge children to hunt for their own rule-breakers.

11:20–11:35

Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.

11:35–12:10
Fixed
Lunch

Calm, social meal.

12:10–12:25

Handwash / bathroom. Before heading out.

12:25–1:00
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)

Peak heat — shaded and light. A calm "guess what sinks" chat in the shade or quiet play; indoor version on a hot day. Keep the active water testing in the cool morning.

1:00–3:00
Fixed
Quiet Time

Rest, books, soft music.

3:00–3:30

Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back.

3:30–3:50
Fixed
Afternoon Snack

Refuel.

3:50–4:20
Manipulative · Guess-the-Rule Sorting

You sort a few objects by a secret rule (all round, all rough, all blue) and the children have to guess your rule — then you change it and they re-guess. Figuring out a hidden rule and switching when it changes is quiet, focused flexible thinking, a gentle bookend to the morning's revising.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — guessing a hidden rule, then re-guessing when it switches, is set-shifting in a calm, thinking-heavy form.
4:20–4:35

Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; dry and stow the water bins; set out ramps for tomorrow.

4:35–4:50

Handwash / bathroom. Tidy for closing.

4:50–5:00
Closing Circle

On the chart: "What was our first rule? What broke it? What's our new rule?" Celebrate the revising. Preview tomorrow: "Tomorrow YOU design a 'what if?' with ramps — change the angle! — and pick your favorite experiment for Friday's Fair."

5:00–6:00

Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs.

Day4
Thursday · July 16
Design Your Own "What If?"
Change the ramp's angle to change the outcome — then choose your Fair experiment and rehearse your story.
6:30–8:30

Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — circulate and play alongside.

8:30–8:50
Opening Circle — You're the Scientist Now

Recall the whole week's moves — guess & test, change one thing, make and revise a rule. Then hand it over: today YOU decide what to change. Introduce ramps & rolling — "if we change the angle of the ramp, what happens to the car?" — and let children own the "what if?" Then share the big news: tomorrow is our Discovery Fair, and you get to pick your favorite experiment to show your class. Start them thinking: "Which one was your favorite — colors, the fizz, sink-or-float, or ramps?" Preview the sentence they'll use: "I thought ___, then ___ happened."

Scientists, look how much you know: guess and test, change one thing, make a rule AND change it. Today YOU pick what to change on the ramp. And BIG news — tomorrow is our Discovery Fair! You'll show your class your favorite experiment and tell them: "I thought… then… happened!" Which was your favorite?
8:50–9:00

Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door.

9:00–9:30
Outdoor Play · Ramps & Rolling — Change the Angle (anchor)

Set up cardboard/block ramps in the shade with balls and cars. The child-owned "what if?": predict how far the car rolls — mark it — then change the angle (prop the ramp higher or lower) and predict again. Let children choose what to change: steeper? a heavier ball? a longer ramp? a bumpy surface? Each choice is their own experiment. Mark distances with tape or a cone. This is the day they run the "change one thing — what if?" move all by themselves — you're just asking "what's your prediction?" and "what did you change?"

Materials — cardboard/block ramps, balls & cars, tape/cones to mark distance, the Prediction Chart, discovery journals, water & shade.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — children now generate and test their own variable — the fullest flexible move, choosing what to change and predicting a new result each time. EF Research: when children design their own variation and predict its effect, they exercise self-directed flexible thinking, the goal state of this age's cognitive flexibility. Google "child-directed experimentation cognitive flexibility preschool."
✦ Working Memory rides along — hold the last distance and the last angle to compare with the new one — the journal's "before/after" boxes make the comparison easy.
👩‍🔬 Teacher Move · Backward Design (rehearse toward tomorrow's Fair)
Everything today points at Friday. As children run ramps, quietly help each one choose a favorite experiment and rehearse the Fair sentence: "Tell me your story — I thought ___, then ___ happened." You're not teaching a new skill; you're helping them package what they've already built into a story they can tell their class tomorrow. Jot each child's pick so Friday's stations set up fast. When a child can say their prediction-and-result out loud, that's the week's design paying off — they're ready for the Fair.
📸 Brightwheel moment
Shot: a scientist releasing a car down a ramp they made steeper, watching it fly, or measuring how far it rolled. Motion + goggles = the shot.
🏎️ Change the angle — what if?! Today our scientists designed their OWN experiments on the ramps: steeper, heavier, longer — predicting every time. And they each picked a favorite to show their classmates at tomorrow's Discovery Fair! 🥽📏
9:30–9:50
Fixed
Morning Snack

Settle after the active morning. "Which experiment will you show tomorrow? Practice your story on me!"

9:50–10:00

Handwash / bathroom. Into indoor blocks.

10:00–10:30
Craft · My Fair Plan (Draw Your Experiment)

Each child makes a station plan for tomorrow: on a "My Discovery Fair" page they draw the experiment they chose, draw their prediction, and (with help) fill the sentence strip "I thought ___, then ___ happened." The rule that makes it a real play-plan: they plan out loud what they'll do at their station and in what order — "first I show my colors, then I predict, then I mix." Drawing and saying the plan is how they'll run their own station tomorrow without a teacher scripting it.

Materials — "My Discovery Fair" plan pages, sentence strips, crayons/markers, the discovery journals to reference.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — planning and sequencing their own station — "first… then… then" — is flexible thinking made concrete, and rehearses the story they'll switch into telling tomorrow. EF Research: a drawn-and-spoken play-plan is a strong active ingredient for executive function at this age — planning aloud, then enacting the plan, exercises flexible sequencing and self-direction. Google "play plans executive function preschool."
10:30–10:50
Music & Movement · The Scientist Song (Change the Verse)

Sing a simple "this is the way we test our guess" tune, then let children change one thing each verse — a new experiment, a new motion ("this is the way we mix our colors… this is the way we roll the car"). Each verse switches the action; children lead which verse comes next. A joyful rehearsal of the whole week's stations, set to music.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — changing the verse (and the motion) each round is a light, musical rep of switching between the week's experiments — the same set they'll choose from tomorrow.
10:50–11:20
Guided Centers · Set Up Your Station

Teacher-shaped centers become Fair prep: children practice running their chosen experiment at a station, rehearse their "I thought ___, then ___" out loud to a friend, and gather the supplies they'll need. Rotate so each child gets a turn as the "presenter" and a turn as the "visitor" who asks "what's your prediction?" Circulate and coach the story, not the science — they already have the science.

11:20–11:35

Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.

11:35–12:10
Fixed
Lunch

Calm, social meal — let them buzz about tomorrow's Fair.

12:10–12:25

Handwash / bathroom. Before heading out.

12:25–1:00
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)

Peak heat — shaded and light. A calm "practice your Fair story" partner chat in the shade, or quiet play; indoor on a hot day. Keep it low-key so bodies rest before quiet time.

1:00–3:00
Fixed
Quiet Time

Rest, books, soft music. Bodies rest before the big day.

3:00–3:30

Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back.

3:30–3:50
Fixed
Afternoon Snack

Refuel.

3:50–4:20
Manipulative · Rehearse the Station

A quiet run-through: children set up a mini version of their chosen experiment with the manipulatives and practice their "I thought ___, then ___" one more time to a teacher or partner. Calm, low-pressure rehearsal so tomorrow feels familiar, not new.

4:20–4:35

Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; stage the Fair stations and set out labels for tomorrow.

4:35–4:50

Handwash / bathroom. Tidy for closing.

4:50–5:00
Closing Circle — Ready for the Fair

Go around the circle: "What's your experiment tomorrow? Say your story!" Let each child rehearse their "I thought ___, then ___" once. Send them off proud: "Tomorrow you're the scientist showing your class what you discovered — you're ready!"

5:00–6:00

Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs.

Day5
Friday · July 17
The Discovery Fair 🔬
Re-run your favorite experiment for your classmates and tell the story: "I thought ___, then ___." The payoff.
6:30–8:30

Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome — big-day energy is already building. Stay present and keep it calm; goggles & lab coats ready to go.

8:30–8:50
Opening Circle — It's Discovery Fair Day!

Celebrate the moment and walk the plan from memory. "Today we show each other our experiments! What will you show? What's your story?" Suit up in goggles and lab coats, and rehearse the sentence one last time as a group: "I thought ___, then ___ happened." Set the tone: it's a showcase, not a test — the surprising results are the best ones to share. Walk the Fair flow: "Set up your station, greet your visitor, run your experiment, tell your story." (Your visitors are your own classmates, taking turns.) Name the timing simply: "Our scientists are ready — the Fair is this morning."

Today is the day, scientists! We're going to show each other what YOU discovered. Goggles on, lab coats on. Remember your story: "I thought… then… happened." Even the surprises — those are the BEST ones to share. Let's show them what little scientists can do!
8:50–9:00

Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats if any station is outdoors; goggles on. Stations set, smocks & towels ready.

9:00–9:30
Outdoor Play · Warm-Up Run & Final Station Set (anchor lead-in)

A short, joyful warm-up in the cool morning. Each child does one practice run of their experiment at their station and says their story once to a teacher — a low-key dress rehearsal so the real thing feels easy. Top off the wet stations, mark predictions on the chart, and get every scientist settled at their spot. Keep it relaxed; the Fair is minutes away.

Materials — every station's supplies (color-mixing, safe fizz, sink-or-float, ramps), the Prediction Chart, discovery journals, station labels, towels & water.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — one last practice run so the predict-test-and-tell flow is fresh and ready to use the moment a classmate stops by.
9:30–9:50
Fixed
Morning Snack

A quick, calm snack so bodies are settled and hands are clean before the Fair opens. Stations stay set; the Fair is about to begin.

9:50–10:00

Handwash / bathroom. Final hands-clean and goggles-on before the Fair. Wet-station towels down, slip watch on.

10:00–10:50
The Discovery Fair · Show Your Experiment (anchor · the culminating moment)

The big one. Each child stands at their station and, as their classmates rotate by as visitors, re-runs their favorite experiment and narrates their thinking: greets the visitor, invites a prediction ("what do YOU think will happen?"), runs it, and tells their story — "I thought ___, then ___ happened." Half the class presents while the other half visits, then they swap — so every scientist gets a turn to show and a turn to explore. Everything the week built is cashed in here: the predicting, the changing one thing, the revising, the telling. You're the calm host — circulate, prompt the quieter scientists ("tell them what you predicted!"), and celebrate every story, especially the surprising ones. No child is required to present — telling their story to just one friend or a teacher counts fully. Keep it unhurried and joyful.

Materials / setup — all Fair stations staffed and stocked, station labels, the Prediction Chart on display, discovery journals out to show, a quiet "present to just one friend" option for any child who'd rather not present to the rotating group.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — the whole Fair is the proof — flexible thinking made visible. Name it big: "You changed your mind when the boat floated — you told the WHOLE story!" EF Research: explaining your own predict-test-revise journey out loud consolidates flexible thinking and is exactly the reflective narration this age is building. Google "explaining reasoning cognitive flexibility young children."
✦ Working Memory rides along (today it's on show) — to tell "I thought ___, then ___," the child holds their original prediction and compares it to the result — the discovery journal is right there as their memory aid.
👩‍🔬 Teacher Move · Plan–Do–Review (today is the deposit, not a new lesson)
Don't teach anything new today. The Fair is the review half of a week-long plan-do-review — the children planned (drew predictions), did (ran experiments all week), and now review out loud for an audience. Your job is to run it and let them show what they've built. When a story flows easily, that's the design working — every prior day deposited a piece, and today they spend it. Resist correcting the science mid-story; just ask "and what did you think would happen?" and celebrate the telling — the surprises loudest of all.
📸 Brightwheel moment
Shot: a goggled scientist running their experiment for a beaming classmate, or mid-story pointing at their discovery journal — pure pride. This is the week's hero photo.
🔬🎉 THE DISCOVERY FAIR! Our little scientists re-ran their favorite experiments for their classmates and told the whole story: "I thought ___, then ___ happened!" A week of predicting, testing, and changing their minds — all shown off today. So proud of our scientists! 🥽💛
10:50–11:20
Guided Centers · Explore Each Other's Stations

With the Fair winding down, children rotate as scientists and visitors through each other's stations — trying a friend's experiment, asking "what did you predict?", and adding a last page to their discovery journals. Teacher-shaped and buzzing: circulate with recall prompts ("what was your favorite discovery this week?") and let the pride of the morning settle in. Start the calm wind-down from the Fair's energy.

11:20–11:35

Handwash / bathroom & station wipe-down. Wash up for lunch; wipe wet stations and stow the journals to send home.

11:35–12:10
Fixed
Lunch

A happy, social meal — let them retell the Fair while it's fresh.

12:10–12:25

Handwash / bathroom. Before heading out.

12:25–1:00
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window)

Peak heat — light and shaded. Quiet shade play or a calm "show your discovery journal" share; indoor movement on a hot day. The big week is winding down — keep it gentle.

1:00–3:00
Fixed
Quiet Time

A well-earned rest after a big, exciting morning.

3:00–3:30

Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back.

3:30–3:50
Fixed
Afternoon Snack

Refuel.

3:50–4:20
Music & Movement · Scientist Song Victory Lap

Sing the week's favorite songs one more time — the change-the-verse scientist song, freeze-and-switch, sink-and-float bodies — child's choice, letting them call which comes next. A joyful, familiar way to close a big week and celebrate everything they discovered.

✦ Cognitive Flexibility today — letting children choose and switch the next song keeps the flexible move alive one last, happy time.
4:20–4:35

Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; sing the cleanup song; gather discovery journals and Fair plans to go home.

4:35–4:50

Handwash / bathroom. Tidy for closing.

4:50–5:00
Closing Circle — Our Discovery Week

Celebrate the whole week and, especially, how much they thought and changed their minds: "What will you tell your grown-up about your favorite experiment? What surprised you most?" Send them off proud with their discovery journals — and look ahead to next week's adventure.

5:00–6:00

Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and share the Fair photos and discovery stories at warm handoffs.

One guide, one week, one classroom. This is the Bigs (3.5–5) plan for Discovery Days, a full five-day week (July 13–17, no closures) built toward Friday's Discovery Fair. The Littles, Toddlers, and Infants run the same theme scaled to their age — switch rooms in the menu up top. Pair it with the General Planning Guide for the principles behind the plan. Prints cleanly, one day per sheet.