Science
First of all, what is science and what does it even mean?
Science is the practice of studying the structure of the physical and natural world, to observe, hypothesize and test through experiments and come to a conclusion based on the results –
Whether it is true or false.
But not one truth is the result of a single experiment, it’s the result of multiple experiments done by different people/groups. When a result has been declared, someone else, preferably a competitor who doesn’t want you to be correct, will perform the experiment and if they come to the same results as you had previously declared only then can you have a scientific emergent truth.
“When you have an established scientific emergent truth, it is true whether or not you believe in it. And the sooner you understand that, the faster we can get on with the political conversations about how to solve the problems that face us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
This is more relevant to children than you think
Babies and young children learn a lot through everyday playing. They rationally test hypotheses, analyze the cause and effect of their experiments, this is how children learn about the world. Through play, children develop their social skills, cognitive functions and emotional maturity.
When children are encouraged to choose their own play using their imagination and their own interests they are more likely to have a sense of well-being, independent play actually improves children’s health.
Examples of things children do independently that are scientific experiments
Usually, what we do as parents is to tell them to “stop doing that, it’s too loud!”. When in fact we should be doing the opposite. Equally important, is of course to protect our children from doing dangerous things like breaking glass. Subsequently, we should be a guide as we encourage children’s instinct to explore and learn about the world they live in. Using science to teach children about the world will complement their natural curiosity and help them learn important life skills.
A few examples of important life skills your child can learn through science
Critical thinking
This is the ability to objectively and thoroughly evaluate information and rationally think about what to do and what to believe. Including is the ability to engage in independent and reflective thinking. It’s one of the most important life skills a child could learn, it is vital for cognitive development.
Resilience
A child who is trying to conquering difficult subjects and succeeds will feel a sense of accomplishment, this will give a child confidence that will last them throughout their entire life. It will encourage your child to try new things and won’t be afraid to do so!
Learn and improve
Children studying science will love to learn and learn to do so whether they fail or succeed! Their own natural curiosity will motivation to learn more.
Your child could become a superhero!
Scientist all around the world is constantly trying to improve our way of living. They invent new technologies that will save life’s, they will ultimately save us and our planet. Our children will be the people who solve climate change issues, cures cancer and take us to the future of space travel.
Become a better consumer
Children who learn the scientific method of questioning will have the ability to take in information that is claimed to be scientific fact and to process and evaluate the credibility of the claim. Children who learn this ability are more likely to grow up to become savvy consumers!
This why children benefit from learning science, children who learn science and what it entails will ultimately benefit more than children who do not. Even if you’re an adult it is never too late to learn science! So if you feel like you ever missed out, this is a great opportunity to learn science with your child.
This isn’t to say that you should rush your child and instruct them what to do. Research shows that encouraging our children’s play, presenting anomalies and ask the child for an explanation gives rise to scientific thinking much more effectively than giving instructions directly.
Books, science kits and tools to get you and your children started
To get started teaching your children about science you will want to get the basics first.
Your child may not be interested in everything in science, your child should choose their own interest. So choose a subject in which your child shows great interest.
Tip: sit down with your child and talk about the different topics! Look at different products and books together that you consider buying. Consequently, you will learn more about your children’s interest.
There are four important fields of science that you should consider:
After you and your child has had a lovely discussion about their interest in science you can finally start browsing for educational tools, books and science kits. As it can be very subjective what your child is interested in and what specifically your child needs, it is very difficult to list what is the best tools out there. Note that all products listed have been hand-picked based on reviews and popularity.
Lastly, when it comes to product lists like these, it is always important to do a little research of the products, read reviews etc. All the links to these products will be sending you to the original product page(Amazon.co.uk) which includes all information you will be needing before making a purchase. I’ve done this to ensure you make the best choice for your child. Without further ado, let’s check some products out!
Or if you so choose, You can skip products and go straight to Science activities you can do with materials you have at home CLICK HERE to jump to it!
Science kits are a great way to get started with experiments that your children can perform. Make sure your child is supervised when using any kind of science kits designed for kids, even more fun if you join in!
This kit will encourage scientific thinking while also having tons of fun. Comes with a 32-page book with 20 experiments. The kit includes things like test tubes, goggles, bouncy ball, crystals, pH scale, magnifying glass and more!
Pros:
Cons:
This is for children who are looking for a little bit more excitement, with this explosive experiments kit you can create rockets and launch it, make volcano’s that erupt and you can even make a lava lamp. With a 32-page lab book, you can make 8 total experiments. Very fun and exciting for both the parent and the child. As I mentioned before, it is recommended that you supervise your children while performing these experiments.
Pros:
Cons:
There are so many different science kits out there for children and it’s hard to pick out something that is a good fit for your child specifically so if you disagree with my list or otherwise then here’s a link to GALT’s collection so you can have a look around for more. See on Amazon
Don’t be afraid of buying books for your children, they will love these! Books is a great way to get a lot of information about one subject or a little of everything. This first book I’m about to show you is great for children who has a lot of questions that need to be answered. After we will be taking a look at one book that is more for adults that need to catch up on science.
The Big Book of Why offers lively knowledge, hands-on activities, simple recipes, crafts, and more using an engaging question-and-answer style and content grounded in a child’s immediate environment.
Questions like,
Why does popcorn pop?
Why does water turn to ice?
Why do I like candy?
Why am I special?
will satisfy your child’s burning need to know!
Pros:
Top-rated – reviews are overwhelmingly positive in the UK
It has engaging materials such as Games, recipes and crafts
Cons:
Some answers may be short and do not explain everything
If you are a parent and really want to commit to the education of science for your children then this book is a great fit for you. Maybe you have forgotten a lot from school or maybe you just want to learn more. Even an older child who has mastered reading could read this one.
The book is called The science book: Big Ideas Simply Explained and features ideas such as how the circumference of the earth was measured in the year 240 BC or how gravity affects everything in the universe and maybe you are interested in how we measure distances in space. Get your what, who and how questions answered.
Pros:
Super accessible book, for children and for adults who need a refresher
Explanations are simple, but not too simple.
Cons:
none
If your child is interested in something more specific like space, this book will surely satisfy their need to know more about the planets, stars, galaxies and it has fun and short entries. Little Kids First Big Book of Space is great for early learners and it works well for beginner readers. Optionally, you can read aloud as they sit beside you listening while enjoying the well-made art and images.
Pros:
Learn more reading while learning more about space!
Cons:
American spelling
America focused, despite these cons, UK has great reviews (as of April 30 2021)
This is for all the dinosaur lovers out there. I wish I had this book as a young child as I loved dinosaurs when I was a kid and I still do. “First Big Book of Dinosaurs” include all your favourites, from Tyrannosaurus Rex to triceratops, from ground to flying creatures and from big to small. Learn more about them and discover new ones, over 50 illustrations of dinosaurs! It even includes parent tips and a world map to introduce your kids to geography.
To conclude this list of books you can check out more from the National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books Series here. They have things like book of animals, oceans, bugs, weather and more. If this shortlist didn’t satisfy you then you may find something there your children will enjoy.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books Series View on Amazon
Or for more artistic children, the Science And Space Activity Book could be a great fit.
You can read more about it here: View on Amazon
Pros:
Perfect gift!
Good value
Cons:
Some accessories are plastic
if you want a little more high tech brought into your children’s educational environment then check this. It uses augmented reality technology to bring space crafts to life when you scan the Mars globe using a free app on your phone/pad.
It encourages scientific thinking and helps build problem-solving skills. In the box, you will get the globe of course, a 3D mars rover puzzle, 2 iron-on patches and a detailed help guide. I recommend this one as technology has become a big part of our lives, and your children will surely enjoy it.
Pros:
Encourages scientific thinking
Builds problem-solving skills
Cons:
None
If you didn’t know, a lot of the items you have in your kitchen can be used to make some very interesting and fun experiment. Some of which are edible afterwards, some experiments even toddlers can do. here are a few inexpensive alternatives that can teach children about science and also supports the development of your children’s life skills as I mentioned previously.
Sometimes you may of course end up needing to purchase material but I will try my best to recommend the most inexpensive and simultaneously fun experiments.
The “Rock Candy” experiment
This is an edible experiment where you will make candy, if your children say no I’d be surprised. You will be growing sugar crystals and it will take about 1 week for the best results. So not only is there a sweet reward afterwards, but it is also a lesson in patience. I have a feeling a lot of parents would appreciate more patience haha.
Anyway, so what do I need to get started with crystal growing? Surprisingly not that complicated as it may sound.
Items you will need
To be able to start the experiment you will need a well-made guide. I recommend following growing a jeweled rose’s tutorial. Learn More
Repel glitter with dish soap experiment
A very simple but cool experiment and basically takes no time at all. Not everyone has glitter at home as it is very annoying to clean up as it gets absolutely everywhere and seem to stick around for months even after extensive cleaning. But I’d say it’s worth it for the cool effect soap has on glitter in the water.
What you will need
When you have water in the dish and the glitter floating on top and pour the soap into it the glitter will “magically” move away. It is actually the water molecules that carry the glitter away when you put the soap in.
Read the tutorial by livinglifeandlearning.com
The Egg Drop experiment
This is a fun experiment to do, I did this when I was in primary school. Put your kid’s engineering skills to the test by challenging them to build something that will protect an egg from taking damage when dropped.
For this experiment you actually don’t need to gather material or go purchase anything, the challenge is actually to build a contraption made from things they can only find at home. Of course, you can decide the rules yourself but this is the general idea.
You can read more by going to buggy and buddy’s article Read More
Good Luck! 🙂
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Read More – Doing at home Science Experiments for Kids. Click Here
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