Websites & books focusing on animal, plany and human biology that are perfect for any home or school biology project!
We are kicking off a new series today and I am SUPER excited!
For the next six weeks, Trisha from Inspiration Laboratories and I will be featuring a Summer Science activities.
Each week, we’ll feature a new topic and share books, hands-on activities and share ideas for how to explore the topic at home or around your neighborhood.
Summer Science — yea!
Your kids will love this stuff because they are born with the amazing ability to asking all those inquisitive questions —
Why do animals hibernate?
What are clouds made from?
How many stars are in the sky?
15 Kids Books & Websites for Biology Projects
This week’s topic is biology — the study of living things.
While I can’t promise that we’ll be able to give you all the answers, we will offer you some amazing resources so you can explore more science at home and keep the kids thinking and wondering all summer long!
Biology is also referred to as the life sciences area. It’s a super broad area of science but one that’s easy to introduce to kids since almost every child loves some type of animal or has an interest in what’s going on with their body.
Not sure where to start? I would ask the kids — “What’s your favorite animal?” and learn more about it. Or listen to the questions they ask about their body (yep, even the gross ones 😉 Anything that allows kids to learn about plants, animals or people falls into this area of science.
I’ve listed a few really great books on the subject along with affiliaite links so you can learn more about each one. And there are some super websites with interactive activities too!
Amazing Animals
Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth
See how animals adapt to different situations and environments in this entertaining read. The book covers animals in all different settings — from the cold poles to the dry desert.
Excellent for kids ages 7+.
We love this oversized, HUGE read! Explore animals as they are grouped in various categories (large/small, black/white, etc). Kids can play “find the cameleon” on each page while they enjoy comparing and contrasting as they read.
Kids ages 3 – 12 will find some aspect of this book that they’ll enjoy!
Kids will have a wonderful time searching for animals as they hide throughout this oversized book. Spend an afternoon searching for more than 50 animals and learning about camouflage in this eye-catching read!
Amazing books for kids ages 3 – 9 years.
Learn about the Body
First Human Body Encyclopedia (Dk First Reference Series)
It’s always a good idea to have a reference book on hand and this is our choice for the younger set. DK publishes dynamic books with wonderfully large photos that kids adore.
This encyclopedia is a perfect option for kids ages 3 – 8 as they begin to wonder and ask some of those ‘interesting’ questions.
Uncover the Human Body: An Uncover It Book
This book is a HUGE favorite in our house! The kids love being able to see ‘inside’ the body and flip the pages to explore how various systems fit and work together. It includes TONS of information too.
Great for ages 5 – 12.
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body
One of our favorite science series, head inside the body with Ms. Frizzle and the class to see how different body systems work. Kids will love the humor interjected throughout these books and since they are illustrated (and don’t use real photos), there’s less ‘grossness’ for kids who are unsure about those live pictures.
Perfect for kids ages 5 – 10.
Inside Your Outside: All About the Human Body (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)
Follow along with the Cat in the Hat as he explores the inner workings of our body. I love this series because it transitions young kids from one of their favorite character to the great non-fiction information with a similar format as the fictional counterpart.
This is a great series for preschoolers and younger elementary age kids who have enjoyed many of the other Dr. Seuss books.
Another great read for preschoolers — I love the lift-the-flaps in this book! Kids can read about the parts of the body and then see both the outside and inside (which appears once you lift the flap).
A fun read for kids ages 3 – 8 years.
Plant Books for Kids
If your kids are intested in the parts of plants and how they grow, be sure to check out the book recommendations on our Gardening Books & Activities list!
Websites that Explore Life Sciences
Infared Zoo is an amazing website that shows the infared images of various birds, reptiles and mammals. It’s really interesting to see the ‘heat maps’ showing the temperatures of each animal.
Another great site for kids ages 3 – 10 is Animals Facts for Kids — I still learn some pretty cool things when I visit this website! Kids can search for their favorite animals and learn about their habits, habitats and some really interesting facts.
Kid’s Health is a site that offers fun quizzes, activities and mini animated movies about all the parts of the body. Lots of fun facts and many of the videos are targeted towards questions that are usually asked by kids ages 4 and up.
Exploratorium has some really cool ways to explore life sciences — watch a cow’s eye being dissected, see things under a microscope and learn about the science behind gardening.
Older kids will enjoy the unique questions and science experiments offered in the Life Science area of Science Friday – learn how a cricket uses the temperature to tell time or how an octopus can blend in with it’s surroundings.
Hands-on Science Experiments
Now it’s time to get up-close and personal with biology —
Head over and visit Inspiration Laboratories for some amazing Backyard Earthworm Experiments!
You can also create your own Nature Notebook to explore various plants and animals this summer — choose from more than 50 free outdoor printables and you can customize a nature journal with the kids!
And if you’d like to get involved in observing animal behaviors, look into a few of the Real Life Science Projects for Families that we recommended last week – watching animals is a great way to learn more about how they behave, adapt and live.
Be sure to visit all of the awesome booklists & activities for all the science topics!
June 25th — {Biology}
Books & Websites that explore Plants, Animals & the Human Body
Backyard Earthworm Experiments
July 2nd — {Geology}
The Science of Rocks, Fossils and Volcanoes
Digging for Dinosaurs — Learn to be a Paleontologist
July 9th — {Astronomy}
Explore the Night Sky – Marshmallow Constellations
Solar System Activities for Kids
July 16th — {Physics}
Fantastic Forces & Water Rockets
Exploring Color and Temperature
July 23rd — {Chemistry}
Make a Cup Cake (Chemistry of Baking)
Blowing Up Balloons/Blowing Out Candles
July 30th — {Ecology}