As a homeschooling mom of many, there are certain subjects that we tackle as a group.
When we’re studying science in our homeschool, we have loads of resources available. Netflix makes exploring science concepts a snap for us.
My kids LOVE science, and we’ve had loads of fun watching science documentaries and shows on our iPad using the Netflix app. You can find a huge variety of topics – take a look at our favorites for early elementary ages.
Studying Science with Netflix
Birds
The children built a birdhouse with Brett last week so they could protect them from the neighborhood cat. While the glue was drying, we added more ideas to our Netflix queue to learn more about our feathered friends.
We’ve got The Crimson Wing and The Life of Birds in our Netflix queue.
Dinosaurs
I’ve got a house full of children who love dinosaurs, so you’ll see dino documentaries topping our list. (don’t miss our dinosaur printables and favorite dinosaur books!)
My kids love to curl up on the couch and watch Walking with Dinosaurs.(could be scary for little ones – parents should preview first)
Insects
My boys are always catching things in bug boxes and examining them with their magnifying glasses.
While we eat lunch, I put on our favorite insect movie to catch their attention and inspire more learning.
Microcosmos is an amazing French documentary that we love – the giant grasshoppers grossed Maeve out!
Ocean and Sea Life
When we can’t get to the beach, we read beach and ocean books, do beach and ocean themed crafts, and watch amazing movies about the sea.
Some of our favorites include:
The Blue Planet, Shark Superhighway, and Turtle, The Incredible Journey
Animals
During a recent trip to the park, my boys were collecting dead crawdads and bringing them to me.
Yuck!
On the way home, I did a quick search and streamed this animal documentary series to the iPad for them to enjoy. The meerkats are my favorite!
Preschool Science Shows on Netflix
If your children’s attention span isn’t quite ready for a full length documentary, we’ve got other favorite science shows that are shorter, but still filled with science facts.
Check out:
Wild Kratts
Magic School Bus
Dinosaur Train
The Hive
After you’ve finished your movie time, plan some hands on fun with your children! We’ve enjoyed making jellyfish and octopus crafts after watching ocean documentaries.
Learning about dinosaurs inspired us to make our own frozen dinosaur eggs. They’re perfect for beating the summer heat! We also enjoyed creating our own Backyard Dinosaur Dig!
Got some hungry kids? Our Beach Pudding is a quick and easy snack to create and eat together before, during or even after the movies.
Trying to keep track of potential movies or shows to use in your homeschool? You can add ideas to your queues, or make a paper list to add to your homeschool lesson planner.
I check out the ideas online and then write down a list, filling in potential field trips and experiments we’d like to try.
Graphic Organizer for Homeschool Science Planning
Don’t miss our helpful planner to keep your Netflix options organized! I pick a theme we want to explore, like dinosaurs, and start perusing Netflix for movie and show selections.
Then, I add in fun activities, crafts, and even field trip ideas. This works for science ideas, history, geography and more!
Grab your copy by clicking the image above, or here: Netflix Theme Organizer
(if this resource is helpful, be sure to share on Facebook or pin to some of your Pinterest boards. )
What about you? Are you using Netflix in your homeschool to explore science? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comment box!
For more ways to use movies in your homeschool, take a peep at the ideas from my friends at the iHomeschool Network.
I’m a proud member of the Netflix Stream Team, and love sharing how we use Netflix in our home. All opinions are my very own.
Love this resource! Thanks for piling these all together. I’ll be coming back to this throughout the year 🙂
I like adding videos and shows into our studies. It adds variety to our school days and helps the visual learners.
Thank you so much for linking up to the Kids Learning Printables Linky Party! Your printable is being featured this week. I love the Netfflix Planner! You’ve highlighted some of my oldest’s favorite movies. He learns so much through video.
The BEST show I have found for educational purposes on Netflix is WILD RECON.. you can do geography, animal endangerment, encroachment on animals, DNA testing, and my list can go on. I am a NATURE FREAK :D. I love teaching my children about it and pointing them to a creator that made it. Second, would be Swamp Wars. That covers the problems FL is having with the Pythons in the Everglades. There are a bunch more that I personally like but TV is starting to become less family friendly and I have to be careful with the little ones. 😀
Hi Dianna! Thanks for linking up with Family Fun Friday! I’ll be featuring this post tomorrow. 😉
Its great that there are so many resources available nowadays isn’t it? Thanks for linking up to the parenting pin it party