Kids love science activities from chemistry experiments to ecology projects, physics and chemistry.
The brakes of the school bus squeal to a halt on a sunny but crisp Friday afternoon. Two sets of sneakers pound up the drive way. One breathless child exclaims, "Mom! Guess what we did today?" There was no doubt in my mind how his teacher had chosen to spend that afternoon.
I knew how he had chosen to play as a toddler: stacking blocks to watch the tower tumble, splashing fearlessly into the water to examine the hidden treasures of the lake. If you've ever wondered why your child makes so many messes, you know what I mean. His eyes were always full of wonder. I had seen that same wonder in the eyes of scientists and professors I met at university. They called their million dollar tools "toys" and forgot to go home for dinner for sheer excitement.
Most students I had found in my high school classroom had lost that wonder. Their big bodies slouched with disinterest over the tiny classroom desks. Their eyes blinked with confusion, and they demanded that I give them a work sheet.
They didn't want to go play with the toys in the lab.
My Mexican students claimed that they all loved jalapenos. They were connoisseurs, identifitying many kinds of the peppers. I, who stick to mild salsa even as an adult, was amazed. What is the Mexican mamas' secret to raising an entire culture to love hot peppers? "We feed them to our babies."
Constant exposure will cultivate love. If you keep exposing children to spicy peppers, they will love spicy peppers. If you keep exposing children to science, they will love science. How do you do that? I'm so glad you asked!
Let your child feel the soft comfort of the home she designed herself to house her beloved ponies. Let you son hear the hiss of the explosion he just caused. Let your child's muscles fresh oxygen pulsing back to his brain as he studies.
Boats that Float
Bottle toss game
Bubble bottle
Lego catapult
Pretend pony barn
Pulley to make sight words easier
Dye Cotton
Messy fort
Pumpkin engineering
Texture quilt
Valentine cards
Windsock
Chicken
Pumpkin
Combating the summer slide with books
Interest African American youth in science
"Mom, come look!" "Mom, Why?" "MOM!" Sometimes your head starts to pound with the enthusiasm the kids bring to your life. Learn to capture those moments, and maybe slow them down enough to catch some quiet too.
Why do boats float?
Why do things go back and forth in the bath tub?
Why is there an echo in a tunnel?
What causes electric hair?
Why do you float in the swimming pool?
Why can heavy things float?
Why does ice stick to cement block walls?
Why do marshmallows melt in hot chocolate?
How can a stream of light be minuscule?
How you can give your child the fastest merri-go-round ride?
What is rot?
Why can you pick up soda with a straw?
Why are there rainbows in my bedroom?
How do we know which thing is holding still?
Electric circuit (DIY)
Pumpkin chemistry
Science fair
Classic winter experiment
The brakes of the school bus squeal to a halt on a sunny but crisp Friday afternoon. Two sets of sneakers pound up the drive way. One breathless child exclaims, "Mom! Guess what we did today?" There was no doubt in my mind how his teacher had chosen to spend that afternoon.
I knew how he had chosen to play as a toddler: stacking blocks to watch the tower tumble, splashing fearlessly into the water to examine the hidden treasures of the lake. If you've ever wondered why your child makes so many messes, you know what I mean. His eyes were always full of wonder. I had seen that same wonder in the eyes of scientists and professors I met at university. They called their million dollar tools "toys" and forgot to go home for dinner for sheer excitement.
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| It was the weekend, but he was determined to repeat the project they had done at school. |
Most students I had found in my high school classroom had lost that wonder. Their big bodies slouched with disinterest over the tiny classroom desks. Their eyes blinked with confusion, and they demanded that I give them a work sheet.
They didn't want to go play with the toys in the lab.
The good news about science
Check out a list of best jobs, and you'll see that most of them are science based (the rest are tech/math based). Kids who love science have an edge toward gaining the best careers as adults. Check out a list of top global problems and you'll find environmental degradation and food and water shortage. Science can help us find answers to these issues.
You can keep science exciting for your students- even with no formal training or a low budget and a long list of curriculum expectations. In fact, science might be the key to helping your students meet those expectations.
How do you help kids keep their love of science?
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| Baby food? |
Constant exposure will cultivate love. If you keep exposing children to spicy peppers, they will love spicy peppers. If you keep exposing children to science, they will love science. How do you do that? I'm so glad you asked!
Make stuff
Do It Yourself Toys
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| DIY Pony barn |
Boats that Float
Bottle toss game
Bubble bottle
Lego catapult
Pretend pony barn
Pulley to make sight words easier
Art
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| One of the most effective ways to learn |
Animal themed party
Berry paint
Clean paint brushes
How to practice sight words for kids who love dirt
Berry paint
Clean paint brushes
How to practice sight words for kids who love dirt
Dye Cotton
Messy fort
Pumpkin engineering
Texture quilt
Valentine cards
Windsock
Cook
You pull out a heavy pan, a shiny bowl, and some pungent garlic. Before you can reach for a cold stick of butter the screech of the step stool sliding across the kitchen floor tells you that you have company. Put those eager little hands to work, and learn some science.
Baking Biology cooking lessons
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| Preparing pumpkin |
Chicken
Chemistry cooking lessons
PicklesPhysics cooking lessons
CookiesPumpkin
Read
My child was not interested in stories for a long time. He loved to listen to books though: books about animals, books about nature, and books about how airplanes fly. We began to make up science activities that go with a story. Crashing some bumper cars together makes reading about them much more fun!
Boy were we wrong about dinosaurs!
Science with children's books
The Girl Who thought in Pictures (Dr. Temple Grandin)Boy were we wrong about dinosaurs!
Book Lists
Combating the summer slide with books
Interest African American youth in science
Ask questions about what you experience
Why does that happen?
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| Why is there an echo in a tunnel ? |
Why do things go back and forth in the bath tub?
Why is there an echo in a tunnel?
What causes electric hair?
Why do you float in the swimming pool?
Why can heavy things float?
Why does ice stick to cement block walls?
Why do marshmallows melt in hot chocolate?
How can a stream of light be minuscule?
How you can give your child the fastest merri-go-round ride?
What is rot?
Why can you pick up soda with a straw?
Why are there rainbows in my bedroom?
How do we know which thing is holding still?
Enjoy Nature
Children wheezing asthmatically from breathing dirty air, women walking miles for a sip of clean water, cuddly critters disappearing forever, there are many environmental concerns in today's world. You can raise kids who care about the environment, here are few projects to get you started.
Science experiments and projects
Sometimes, all you need to do is focus your young scientists.
Science projects
Environmental Engineering Challenge for Minecraft
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| Toy Car physics unit. |
Electric circuit (DIY)
Science fair
Classic winter experiment
Elementary science units
Try making time for a few of these kids science activities on a regular basis, and your children are going to love learning. They are going to enjoy science. Who knows, maybe some day he or she will be that professor with a gleam in their eye and a multi-million dollar "toy".
Did you enjoy this list? I'd love to send you new ideas as they're published and remind you of great activities as they come into season. Sign up for the Thriving STEM monthly newsletter.
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I can't wait to hear what you have to say! Thanks for sharing.