Sometimes it seems like kids enjoy science about as much as they do vegetables. Yet, parents know that an enthusiasm for science can lead to better grades in school and an exciting, useful career in the future. Through science, kids learn to ask questions, to try experiments and to let their curiosity lead them in unexpected directions. Encouraging an interest in science is easier than you think. After all, subjects of scientific curiosity are all around us. Here are 5 kids science ideas to get them eager to learn more.
5 Ways to Get Kids To Like Science:
I have to say that as a biology major, this subject is dear to my heart. I love science! It is fascinating! My kids love science too. Cartoons like The Wild Kratts from PBS are great for inspiring an interest while they are young.
1. Visit a Local Science Museum
Most relatively large cities have a science museum, zoo, aquarium, planetarium, children’s museum or other institution. Even the local history museum can be a valuable resource. At the science museum, kids get to try hands- on experiments and interact with fun exhibits. At zoos and aquariums, they encounter hundreds of diverse species that can help to develop a child’s curiosity. The history museum may be a useful tool for discovering the science of geology and the preservation of artifacts. The possibilities for scientific discoveries at museums are practically endless.
2. Get a Kids Science Kit
Every zoo, museum and aquarium has a gift shop, and not every item in stock is a stuffed animal or a t-shirt. Found among the more mundane souvenirs are scientific experiments and learning kits designed to help foster a child’s curiosity about science. These hands-on activities are exactly what kids love best. They might build a volcano or rocket. They might get a student microscope which have a multitude of uses. Whether they are studying a leaf or a strand of hair, using a microscope can be an amazing experience for a child.
My kids love science kits! Who wouldn’t have fun making slime, changing liquid colors through reactions, and making volcanoes?
If you get a few science kits and you see that your kids enjoy them, you may even want to try a science kit subscription box.
My daughter loves finding out how to make things and how things work. That’s why she loves her Kiwi Co STEM learnng kit! I love that it is offline and gets her learning in creative ways. Get your first month FREE https://kiwico.com/familyfocusblog
3. Help Kids Explore Outdoors And Talk Science
Take a hike on a trail to get kids exploring the outdoors. Take pictures of trees, plants, animals and insects. Bring a field guide or later, look up the photograph subjects in books and online to discover their species and learn more facts about them.
4. Join a Kids Group
Whether it’s the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H or another organization, involved kids enjoy plenty of opportunities to explore the world around them. Check with your local nature center or school and see if there are any science clubs or outdoors groups for kids.
5. Take The Kids On A Trip To The Library
A community library is a tremendous resource of scientific knowledge. Plenty of books about science that are written for kids are available in one convenient spot. Supplement the books with a little exploration on the Internet. For instance, reading a book about marsupials can be augmented by watching online videos of animals in the wild.
Conclusion- Your Kids Will Love Science If You Do
Remember, your enthusiasm is catching! I majored in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and I did so because I had two several teachers who made science interesting and captivating. They had so much enthusiasm that I was moved by it. I was also amazed by learning so many new things as well as learning the scientific process that I could use to explore my own scientific creativity.
Now my own daughter has entered fifth grade this year and she has her first amazing science teacher. I am so excited that she loves this new teacher and she is loving the hands on experiments they are doing in class. It is so fun to see that this teacher has ignited a spark of curiosity and a passion for exploring and learning that was already there but now it is truly growing. My daughter wants to say thank you to her fifth grade science teacher, Mrs. McMurray, who is helping to foster her scientific imagination and enthusiasm.
The best way for students to learn science is by doing science through hands-on, inquiry-based experiences that involve observing, experimenting, hypothesizing, analyzing and testing. Have you tried any science experiments that you kids just loved?
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