Science for Kids

Parents can take part in these activities to help their children learn. In fact, family vacations can even incorporate science. Even if you, the parent, are not a science guru, you can still do things to help your child along in his or her studies.

Science for Young Children

Science for kids who are under the age of ten is often very easy to do at home. One of the best ways to do this is to help them observe nature and biology. A lot is out there for parents to hone in on. For parents who are not science savvy, visiting a science or children’s museum while traveling can aid parents in teaching their kids.

A lot can be done in your own backyard. One thing you can do is help your child plant a tree. Teach him or her to water it and observe it as it grows. Taking pictures once a month and making a growth chart will help younger children visualize the process.

Another home idea is to capture a caterpillar. Keep the caterpillar in a butterfly net and help your child feed it. Explain the process of turning into a butterfly as it creates a cocoon for itself. Once the butterfly emerges, help your child set it free.

Other activities that young children may enjoy include:

• Nature walks
• Leaf collecting
• Visiting a petting zoo
• Managing an ant farm
• Simple recycling (plastic, paper, aluminum cans)

Advanced Science for Older Children

As your child gets into junior high and high school, it may be harder for you to keep up unless you are a science expert. Science for kids becomes chemistry, physics, anatomy, and other courses which may be more advanced than you may remember. Yet, there are still things you can do to encourage science education at home.

If your child is still a nature buff, have him or her start a compost pile, or leave landscaping and gardening up to your child. Animal lovers may benefit from volunteering or working part time at a veterinarian’s office.

Encourage your child to become involved in extra activities that relate to science. If the school has a science club, suggest that she or he join, or enroll him or her in a community college course of his or her choice.

For teens and tweens who show lots of interest, look into finding them an “invention convention” or enter them into a science fair. Help them by going to the library and getting any supplies needed for experiments. Always supervise experiments, especially ones that involve the mixing of chemicals or machinery.

Websites for Kids and Parents

If you as a parent are excited about science for kids, your children will catch your enthusiasm. Having some Websites related to science can help begin your scientific quest together. These Websites will provide ideas for activities and experiments and may offer information to help with homework.

Visit the following Websites for more information on science:

• Science News for Kids
• Science Made Simple
• For Kids Only-Earth Science Enterprise
• Sci4Kids
• BrainPOP
• Neuroscience for Kids