Children and a world of Science...

Science is not always complex. For kids, it is just about observing what's around and understanding how the everyday world works. The ‘why' questions parents so often hear are the initial scientific investigations of children.

Children actually begin using scientific concepts and skills at an early age. Preschoolers have already started observing, categorizing, measuring and understanding that living things have needs.

Children interact with the world through their senses, seeing, hearing, touching and smelling and learn through hands on experience. Therefore, focusing on science activities can introduce children into the magical world around them.

Preschoolers are naturally very curious and absolutely love to experiment and so childhood allows a perfect opportunity for children to develop a love for learning science.

This section explores a few science activities which can be carried out in the comfort of your home. They do not exceed more than ten minutes each.

Expressions

Place pictures of children showing different expressions (laughing, surprised, mad, crying, smiling, etc.) Put a mirror next to the pictures and let them try copying the expressions.

A Heart

Show your child/ children the pumping action of a heart by putting red colored water in a clear balloon. Put a straw in the balloon. When you squeeze the balloon water pumps out similar to the way it works in our bodies.

Fingerprints

Fingerprint all of your family members. Write the name of the corresponding member on their fingerprint. Place all of the fingerprints on a chart. Using magnifying glasses tell your child/ children to look closely and they will see that no one has the same print.

Who weighs more?

Fill four identically sized airtight containers with materials that have different weights. Your child/children have to arrange the containers according to their weight from the lightest to the heaviest.

Making Music with Water

Line glasses up next to each other and fill them with different amounts of water. The first should have just a little water while the last should be almost full, the ones in between should have slightly more than the previous.

1. Hit the glass with the least amount of water and observe the sound, then hit the glass with the most water, which makes the higher sound?
2. Hit the other glasses and see what noise they make, see if you can get a tune going by hitting the glasses in a certain order.

Observation Test

Take your child/children into a room. Give them two minutes to memorize what they see in the room. Lead them out of the room, and give them two more minutes to write down everything they remember seeing.

Scientific learning, like any learning, begins at home. Doing simple activities can exercise children's minds and teach them new learning techniques. It helps children develop grammar and vocabulary skills as well. Introducing science concepts during these years can help prepare children for advanced knowledge and education in the future.

It makes learning fun, as watching how the world works is much more fun when it is something you've created yourself.

Happy learning!