Squinkies as a Learning Tool

Do you know what a Squinkie is?  These tiny toy characters are bought in gumball machine shaped spheres. After cracking them open they are all kinds of fun to collect or use for imaginative play.  Since my own elementary age children enjoy their Squinkies, I thought it would be fun to browse the web for some of the creative uses others have discovered for teaching and learning with these popular figurines. 

Simple Mom Tips used Squinkies to make miniature snow globes.  Talk about being resourceful on a snow day!

Flap Jack Educational Resources put together a free Squinkies coordinate point graphing game for you to download.

My Froggy Princess made a home for a Squinkie.  A clever way to teach your young writer about setting.

{the scene my daughter and I created for her favorites}

Turn your favorite Squinkies into charms with the step by step tutorial from Cut Out + Keep.

For  scientiftic Squinkie play throw them in a bowl of water for the sink or swim test.

While discussing the states of matter, freeze your Squinkies then time how long it takes to set them free.

Many Squinkies have a hole in the bottom so they can be used as pencil toppers  - which may be a bit of a distraction during writing instruction.  However,  by putting a collection of Squinkies in a paper bag and having students draw 1 or 2, you can use the toys to encourage interesting characters in a writing assignment.

 
Disclosure:  This post is not being compensated or sponsored by the manufacturer of Squinkies.  They are just a favorite toy in our home and we are always looking for ways to turn our play into an educational opportunity!

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