Science is often viewed as a complex subject that can hardly be of any use in the future unless one decides to pursue a career in science. However, you should know that we use science every day of our lives from baking a cake to driving a car. It is good to know the basics of how things work in the world so that we understand the consequences of our actions.
Helping your kids develop an interest in science will help them get familiar with biological processes, the physics behind everyday life, the effects of our lifestyle on the planet, and so on.
Here are a few ways that could help you help get kids interested in science:
Buy interesting science books
Purchase interesting science books that the kids can look at when they are at home. You could introduce a new subject from the book every day so that your child learns at least one fact a day. Children find books with plain text boring so buy books with lots of pictures, maps, charts, and preferably activities too.
You could get picture-books for pre-schoolers and gradually move to informational and text-heavy books as they grow older. You could eventually buy your child an encyclopedia that they can use to look up about any unusual facts they heard about.
Encourage kids to use encyclopedias and library books to work on their school projects in addition to looking for material on the internet.
Get interesting toys and games for your kids
Children love fun and play so what better way to get a kid to start loving science than using toys and games! Spark early interest in science by getting simple crib toys, rattlers, and so on. As they grow older, introduce toys such as building blocks and Legos and slowly move on to puzzles.
If your child is in middle school, you can go for slightly more advanced games and toys such as science kits. You can find varied science kits in stores and you can choose one based on your child’s interests. If you do not have any space constraints, you could consider getting a microscope or a telescope too.
Informative video games and mobile applications can also help children understand scientific concepts better. So you could download and play a few games with your child to show him or her that learning can be fun too.
Take your kid on a field trip
First-hand experiences always aid in comprehending and memorising concepts better. So, take your kids on field trips whenever possible. Depending on your child’s area of interest, you could take him or her to museums, zoos, aquariums, and so on. You could also take them on road trips, stop by whenever you find something interesting on the way. You could show them the different types of plants and crops being grown alongside the highway, the various small-scale industries being run on the outskirts, etc.
You could also plan a whole day of bird-watching or a trip to a botanical garden. Once in a few months, you could also go on a weekend-long trip to a wildlife reserve, a forest, or even a beach where your kids can study animals and trees. Carry a set of binoculars, shovels and other gear to prep your little explorer.
Let your child experiment
Children love to get hands-on while learning; and experimentation is the best way to let them do that. You need not have a full-fledged laboratory to let them experiment. You could let them conduct simple experiments at home or let them watch while you cook. You could ask questions about how they think things work – like setting curd for example. The main idea is to get your child thinking.
While you let your child experiment, share any areas of interest you have in science or share an interesting fact a day.
This will get them excited about the subject and push them to learn more.
Watch movies and shows on science
Just like pictures, movies, too, are a good medium to get kids interested in science. You could tune into some interesting science channels such as National Geographic or Discovery and watch documentaries with your kid. Even science fiction movies and shows will help your kid look at things differently.
Curiosity is the fundamental base for the sciences so encourage your child to ask questions. When your child asks a question, do thorough research to answer the question. You could also let him do his own research to find an answer. Create a foundation for them so that they can develop it over time.
One Response