#AD – This is a collaborative post
Science can be a fascinating subject for children and adults alike and nurturing your child’s scientific mind will encourage them to look at life with a sense of curiosity and wonder. There’s no shortage of materials to play with and use to develop scientific skills and encouraging your child to experiment and ask questions about the world will enhance their investigative skills. Here’s some more ideas from a sixth form in Somerset on how you can support your child with their scientific learning.
Spend time outdoors to learn about the natural world
Your child will no doubt love stomping around outside with you and exploring their surroundings. While you’re outside, ask them questions about the things they can see and hear, for example, ask why the leaves are different colours or what clouds are made of. Get them to investigate by digging up some soil and seeing what they find underneath. These kinds of activities will stimulate your child’s sense of intrigue and encourage them to find the answers to questions and find things out for themselves.
Visit museums and other scientific attractions
This will bring learning to life and help children make sense of things they might have learnt at school or at home. Activities like this which are educational but also fun will show them that science doesn’t have to be boring, and they’ll see how fascinating and enjoyable the subject can be. Approaching the topic from a different perspective will also help when it comes to retaining scientific information.
Experiment at home
There are enough materials present in the average home to conduct many different scientific experiments for your child to enjoy. When they’re having a bath encourage them to mix liquids together and see what colour forms. Experiment with food to show them how different forms of matter exist in different states, or how they change from one state to another through cooking. You can also buy ready-made science experiment kits for children – just make sure you supervise when they do it!
Making time for these kinds of activities can nurture your child’s interest in science and encourage them to approach life with an inquisitive mind. You never know – they may even go on to become a scientist when they’re older, and you’ll be glad that you spent that time fostering their love of the subject.