How to Encourage Your Child in Science
Science is for the Cool Kids!
Encourage your child in science by making it magical.
Science does not have to be dull. Talk to your child about science in the same way you would read them a fairytale. My son could not believe it when I told him he could make something very exciting happen if he mixed baking soda and orange juice. Try this home chemistry lesson and see if you can get your child excited about science.
Home Chemistry Lesson - Special Orange Juice
Things you will need:
Plastic Cup
Measuring Spoon
Stirring Utensil
Baking Soda
Orange Juice
Depending on the age of your child you may have to help them with certain steps.
Step One of Home Chemistry Lesson
Have your child pour themselves a glass of orange juice.
Step Two of Home Chemistry Lesson
Have your child measure out a tiny bit of baking soda and dump it into their orange juice.
Step Three of Home Chemistry Lesson
Let your child stir it up and watch their faces as they are amazed by the reaction!
For my son the excitement of creating that chemical reaction outweighed the odd taste of the orange juice. He was excited to drink the OJ and even more excited to find out why that reaction happened. He thought it was magic but I told him it was science.
I explained that the orange juice was an acid and the baking soda was a base. When they came together they met and went crazy. I do not expect my five year old to completely understand chemistry but I do want him to be excited to learn about science.
Encourage your child in science by making it a family activity.
The Center for Science Education at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory has an amazing website. You can visit this website with your child if you feel they are ready to use a computer. The site is full of science information that you and your child can go through together. The more excited you are about science, the more excited your child is likely to be.
I printed these free planet cards for my son from the At Home Astronomy site. My son was able to cut the cards, arrange the planets in order, and glue them down to make the solar system.
Sources:
The Center for Science Education at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/
The Center for Science Education at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/cms/
Published by Loki Morgan - Featured Contributor in Technology and Lifestyle
Loki Morgan is a Microsoft Certified Professional with over ten years experience in the Information Technology field including technical writing. Morgan has published online content with a focus on compute... View profile
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25 Comments
Post a CommentScience is a very cool thing! I would have never thought to put baking soda in O.J. and then have my kids drink it, but it wouldn't hurt them. We just always used it with white vinegar and red food color to explode our volcanoes!
excellent. You are never young to be exposed to some good science!
my child loves to explore and learn and I love teaching. Sounds like you do too.
As a retired engineer, I commend you and your article. Too many children are turned off by math and science because their parents or teachers never gave them a motive to learn them. We have to promote a child's natural curiousity about the world around them!
My parents didn't have a lot of money, so once a year they took us to the fish hatchery. It was free! Plus, we cut wood for the winter and my dad would point out tree species to us. That and poison ivy. Every parent should know what that looks like and let their kids know too!
Great article - great advice!
I like the switch-off from vinegar to orange juice. The vinegar you've got to toss! Who wants to drink neutralized vinegar? Hahahaha.
Science - but also other subjects - should be made interesting to a child before the teachers get to him (sorry, teachers -- there are some good ones among you, but...).
This is a great article with great suggestions. I developed a love for science on a trip to Texas when I was seven years old. My eyesight was much better then. I looked up at the night sky, and the stars were so brilliant and beautiful! I was in awe, and wanted to know more about stars, planets, and space. This led me to read about other branches of science. I first entered a project in my school's science fair when I was in third grade, and did so every year until I graduated from high school. I eventually got a degree in biology. I still have a deep love of science to this day.
good advice, and a great article..Our children won't learn if they aren't interested; this will make them interested.
Great article! I love these suggestions!