Exploring Science with Your Child

There are many simple activities you can do with your child to stimulate her interest in the natural world around her. Here are a few experiments which you'll be able to do with items you probably already have in your home.

This sound matching activity requires film canisters or plastic eggs and various items such as jingle bells, uncooked macaroni, popcorn, beans, field corn, or sunflower seeds, salt, flour, paper clips and tape. Fill the pairs of eggs or film canisters with objects from the list above or other items you may have on hand. You may want to tape the eggs or canisters shut. Mix up the containers and then have your child shake them one at a time to match up the like items.

The next exploration will test your child's sense of smell. You will need more film canisters with holes poked in the lids and onion powder, garlic powder, cologne, lemon juice, orange juice, vanilla, peppermint, cinnamon, or other spices or scents and cotton balls. Put powdered spices directly into containers. Soak cotton balls with liquids and put into containers. Have your child smell the substance in each container through the hole in the cover. Ask which scents he likes and doesn't like (but he will probably volunteer that information in no uncertain terms).

Make a mystery box. You will need a medium size cardboard box (a shoe box works well) with a hole cut in the lid or side, packing peanuts and miscellaneous small items such as Legos™, dice, crayons, erasers, wooden blocks, action figures, plastic animals, a piece of sandpaper, a square of fabric or a piece of fake fur material. Put packing peanuts along with several small items into the box. Ask your child to put her hand inside the box and identify an item without pulling it out of the box using only her sense of touch.

The sound can is another fun activity. Materials required are a large empty can (such as a coffee can) with one end removed, tape and small items to drop into the can such as a clothes pin, a paper clip, a cotton ball, a metal spoon, a plastic fork, a small plastic animal, a pencil, a feather, etc. Tape any sharp or rough edges around the top of the can. Drop the gathered items one at a time into the can and talk about the differences in the sounds of the items.

Anything can have a shadow - even you! Take your child outside on a sunny day to see the shadows made by houses, trees, pets, and people. Go shadow watching at different times of the day to see how shadows change. Try it on a cloudy day, too.

These explorations are fun for kids and adults alike.