Science Explorations for Children

There are many fun activities you can do at your home with your young budding scientist. The following experiments are just a few ideas to get you started.

Any comb can be a magic comb. You will need only a comb and some paper that has been torn into small bits. Run a comb through your hair and immediately hold it over the bits of paper. The static electricity on the comb should pick up the paper.

You can go magnet fishing. Materials needed include string, ruler or paint stick, small magnet (round one with hole in the center or horseshoe shapes work best), duct tape, various wood, metal, plastic and paper items. Tie the string to the magnet and tape the other end to the ruler or stick to make a "fishing pole". Let your child go "fishing". He will discover which items he can "catch". Everything the magnet picks up contains iron.

Discover how fossils are made. You will need Play-doh™ and a natural item such as a sea shell, chicken bone, leaf or rock. Have your child soften the Play-doh™. Then place it on a plate or square of cardboard. Press the chosen item into the Play-doh™ and then remove. Allow the Play-doh™ to dry and you have a fossil. Real fossils were formed in soft soil or mud.

Dancing rice is a fun activity. Items required are a radio, empty soup can, balloon, rubber band, and several grains of uncooked rice. You must first remove both ends of the can. Cut off the bottom of the balloon. Stretch the balloon over one end of the can and secure with a rubber band. Place the can over the radio's speaker. You may have to lay the radio on its back. Put a few kernels of rice on the balloon's surface. Slowly turn the radio's volume up and watch the rice "dance". Sounds travels in invisible waves. This demonstration helps you detect those waves.

This exploration is a test of the sense of smell vs. the sense of taste. You will need a bag of LifeSaver™ or Jelly Belly™ jelly beans. Have your child close her eyes and hold her nose as you put a jelly bean into her mouth. She will eat the jelly bean and try to guess the flavor. She will discover that without her sense of smell it is very difficult to determine the flavor. The sense of smell is stronger than the sense of taste. That's why food often doesn't taste right when you have a stuffy nose.

For this experiment, you will need a flashlight and a variety of materials such as aluminum foil, wax paper, fabric, plastic wrap, construction paper, newspaper, wood, cardboard, etc. Have your child make a prediction about whether the flashlight will shine through each of the materials. Then have him hold each material in front of the flashlight and see which materials block the light and which let the light show through.

Fostering an early interest in science will benefit your child throughout her life. These explorations are just the right mix of facts and fun!