Nice article! I am surprised that you have found work through TeachersPayTeachers that you liked - I have not spent a ton of time there, but the things I have looked at seem very busy-work.
Have you see the critical thinking science books? They are not very flashy, but very good at basics, in my review. We'll be working our way through physical science in the fall - well see how it goes.
TPT can be a lot of busy work! It takes time to find stuff for sure. My daughter likes artsy-fartsy stuff so creating lapbooks that involve coloring, gluing, decorating while learning basic concepts works well for her. I love to browse their free stuff, too!
Thanks for the tip on the Critical Thinking science books, will check them out!