Science! Tips
Read these 7 Science! Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Child Education tips and hundreds of other topics.
Building a Nest
How do birds build nests? What do they use to build them?
Instruct your child to pick out things that they think birds use to build nests (twigs, string, etc.) Allow your children to put out whatever they like, even if you think a bird might not use it (ie: rocks or wood)
Leave these items out on a window sill or other high spot that birds would find and that can be easily monitored by your child.
Note each day what the birds took and what they didn't.
Tips for teaching Science
When teaching science to children, it needs to be fun and inviting:
*value a child's natural curiosity
*keep it safe by setting limits (and explain safety)
*provide variety based on the interests and abilities of the child
*allow for an overlap into other subjects (math, art)
*allow the child to control the time he spends on an experiment
*let the child try new ideas and make mistakes, these are the best learning tools
*model respect for nature
*share the experiments with friends, teachers, other adults - children are proud of their accomplishments, let them be!
Investigate Water
Using a water table or large plastic tub, let the children freely investigate water.
*Add food coloring - let the children predict what will happen if you add one, 5, or 10 drops of coloring.
*Use funnels, sieves, egg-beaters, and spray bottles to explore the properties of water
*Add corks, sponges, rocks, feathers, and coins - what floats? what sinks?
*Using smaller containers, examine how water takes the shape of the container it's in
Fossil Dig
Need some hands on science" for your preschooler? Have a fossil dig!
You will need:
sand table (or other large tub)
clean play sand
small plastic dinosaurs
interesting stones and shells
cleaned and boiled chicken bones
small plastic shovels and sifters
2" paintbrushes
Talk about:
*paleontologists-people who search for dinosaur bones
*a "dig"-the spot where they look for bones
*why paintbrushes?-the bones are often fragile and brushes can push the sand away gently
More:
Make your own fossils by imprinting leaves, shells or bones into clay, plaster, or playdough.
What do you see?
Have children explore black and white newspaper pictures using magnifying glasses.
What do they see? They'll discover that the pictures are made up of tiny dots that we don't see with just out eyes.
Dinosaur Eggs
Dinosaurs are a neverending source of delight for children of all ages. Why not get some big action going for a dinosaur egg hunt?
You will need:
a watermelon or a few cantaloupes
non-toxic paint
Paint the "dinosaur eggs" fascinating colors, stripes, spots, and other designs. Hide the eggs (outdoors is fun!) and have the children find them.
During the hunt, you can talk with the children about how dinosaurs hatched from eggs just like birds and lizards do. When the eggs are found, talk about what might be inside the eggs before slicing it open. (Be sure to remind the children that this is NOT a REAL dinosaur egg!)
Remove the painted rind before serving!
Earthworms!
An easy activity to help teach children:
*the value of all living creatures
*how earthwoms help keep soil healthy
Punch holes in the lids of two jars. Have your child layer potting soil and sand in the jars until the jars are almost full. Spread grated carrots on top of the soil. Add just enough water to moisten the soil, then add a couple of earthworms to ONE of the jars.
Put the lids on the jars and cover them with a dark cloth.
Have the children guess what will happen and what they might see in the jars over the next few days.
The children will find that the earthworms have mixed the layers of potting soil and sand. Explain how earthworms tunnel through the soil keeping it loose and mixing it up.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Candi Wingate |
