Experiment and observe. Experiment some more. This is how children make discoveries. Here are 10 ways to set your child on the road to discovering science.
- Acknowledge your baby’s accomplishment when she shakes her rattle. She just learned she can affect her world.
- Put a rubber ducky in baby’s bathtub. What else will float?
- When your baby drops his sippy cup to the floor, pick it up. Gravity is so entertaining.
- Race toy cars on a ramp or incline. Which is faster? The big car or the little car?
- Put containers of various sizes in the bath tub or sandbox for filling, pouring and building. Ideas are formed and tested.
- Let your child dig a hole for a plant outside. Point out the changes in soil color and texture. Is there water in the bottom of the hole?
- Stomp a puddle or make a mud pie. Science can be messy. Experiments are fun.
- Look at a rock under a magnifying glass. Does it look like the surface of a planet?
- Look at pictures of places with different climates than your home. What would it feel like to be there?
- Let your child water the garden. He knows he has an impact on the world when he helps things grow.
What is your child learning?
- Develops awareness of himself in relation to the rest of the world
- Develops observation skills
- Develops curiosity, problem solving and decision making skills
- Has an opportunity to extend his vocabulary
- Learns to form and test ideas
- Learns to draw conclusions
- Develops understanding of units of measure
- Understands gravity and mass
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