Bringing Science into Daily Activities
Science surrounds us every day, even in every instance of simple daily activity. From mixing and mingling ingredients in the kitchen to the discovery of a bug in the backyard, children are normally surrounded by the simple wonders of science. Engage their little minds to experience these mundane moments as science experiments. Well, here’s the best news: you don’t need a laboratory or special equipment to incorporate science into everyday play!
Benefits of Early Science Exposure: Encourage Curiosity, Encourage Critical Thinking
Science exposure at an early age in a child’s life helps to curate the naturally occurring curiosities within them towards the world. Children, who begin to dabble in simple scientific inquiry, start asking questions like “Why does it happen?” or “What will happen if I do it?” Such queries aid and cultivate skills such as critical thinking and reasoning that are absolutely essential to their development.
It teaches children how to approach challenges in life through learning science by play. So, for instance, when a child is asked to build a tower using blocks, they come up failing and then start figuring out why the tower fell and how to make it stronger next time.
Simple Science Experiments: Age-Appropriate Science Fun At Home
You don’t need fancy equipment to explore science at home—you can try so many simple experiments using common household items. Here are some ideas for preschoolers:
Sink or Float: Fill a large bowl with water. Gather a few objects around the house. Let your child predict and then test which will sink or float. The reason we are doing this activity is that it introduces the basic concept of density and buoyancy to children.
Seeds Growing Growing Seeds: Plant several seeds in small pots. Place that near sunlight. Encourage the child to observe how the plants grow through repeated measurements and noting changes. This will help to teach the children about plant biology and sunlight and water use —key elements in preschool early childhood education.
Melting Ice Water: Place ice cubes around the house and reveal that some of them are in sunlight and others are in shade. Encourage your child to watch how long it will take for the ice cubes in the two locations to melt. Such a simple activity teaches children about temperature and just how heat affects things.
Role for Parents: Guide Curiosity in Exploratory Learning
As a parent, your responsibility in supporting a science play will be to facilitate their exploration. Here’s how you can do it:
Ask open-ended questions: Instead of giving answers, ask them questions such as “What do you think will be the case?” or “Why do you think that’s the case?” This will encourage your child to really think for themselves and come to their own conclusions.
Be patient with messes: Science can be a very messy business, but the beauty of it all is that it is half the fun, just let the mess happen and learn from it.
Celebrate Curiosity: Whenever your child is curious about something, such as bugs or plants, or even how things work in the world of toys, celebrate their curiosity. This curiosity is the cornerstone of early childhood education and pre-primary learning.
How Science Becomes a Part of Learning When Children Are Young
It’s not going to create formal lessons by taking science into the yard of everyday play; it’s to encourage wonder and discovery. This will allow you to let the children test, observe, and question their world by helping develop key skills. In the curriculum at Podar Prep, we incorporate hands-on scientific explorations that really trigger that spark and curiosity and therefore critical thinking at Podar Prep. Ready to foster a sense of wonder in your child? Enrol now!
