Science Games for Youngsters

Discovering science concepts through games is an adventure for children. Suggestions can be found by looking through your local newspaper, online and in library and school newsletters. Many communities also have children's museums filled with games appropriate for varied age groups. Learning from play is fun. So, try out some of these games with your youngsters.

*What Does Not Belong? Take turns grouping together items from around the house. For example, place in a bowl a red apple, a red radish, a red pepper and an orange. The theme is red because most items are red so the orange needs to be removed. Try to guess each other's categories. Children love to stump adults.

*Tracking Animals outside is best if you live in a setting with lots of different scat or footprints. Guides are available for different regions of the United States through the National Park Service with pictures helpful in tracking animals. What animals live in your community? Follow the rules of either matching or bingo if playing this game inside.

*Scavenger Hunts are sure to entice little ones. Have a checklist with either words or pictures depending upon the age of the child, or simply provide a bucket for the collected items. Make a race out of who can collect the most red leaves or most varied shapes of rocks.

*Classify Critters using cutouts from old magazines. Which animals can be grouped together? Do they share a habitat? Are they of the same species? Who can come up with the most categories of classifications? This can also be turned into a memory game if duplicate pictures exist. Who can make the most matches?

*Become Matter at a Party. Children will become giggly acting out the states of matter. Molecules in a solid are close together with little or no movement. Liquid molecules are held together loosely and jiggle. The molecules making up gas move about wildly. Call out the various states of matter. Children will move accordingly. "Solid!" - Huddle together and barely move. "Liquid!" - Disperse and slightly wiggle. "Gas!" - Move a lot and far apart.

*Bridge Building can be done using items found indoors or outdoors. Make a model and see whose bridge can withstand the most weight. Which materials were most effective? Which materials were least effective? Why?

*Mazing Around is a great alternative to watching television on a rainy day. Choose a room to temporarily dismantle in your home. Use cushions, tables, furniture, blankets, lamps, etc. to form a maze. Setup safe booby traps like a stop sign cutout of red paper. Children will have a blast moving around the maze in search of the exit.

*Tangrams are a type of Chinese puzzle comprised of various shapes put together to form a picture or different shape. Create a picture and trace each shape used to complete the puzzle. Then, remove the tangrams, trade and try to solve each other's masterpieces. Stamped versions come with tangrams, but prints can also be found online.

*Find Your Way is best played outdoors because you need a starting and finishing point in an open area. Each person gets a ball of string and has to get from start to finish using the least amount of string. The string traces the path walked by each participant. Who will get to the end first is not important. Whoever finishes with the most string left wins the game.

*Build a Food Pyramid requires the ability to act fast. Each person needs a blown up version of the food pyramid. Pile various food items on a counter but not enough for each person to fill every category. See who can correctly fill in the chart using the available items on the table.

*Twenty Questions has been around for a long time and is always a win for children. Children are naturally curious and like to ask questions. They also like knowing something you do not. Can you guess their number, animal or color?

*Break the Code games can be found online or made up using symbols, letters and/or shapes. Make up riddles and jokes with maybe a clue at the bottom of the page.

*Jeopardy is the name of the game for classroom review. The teacher or students can write down questions and answers on index cards, name categories and assign points. Children will not even realize that they are studying.

Playing science games with youngsters is easy whether inside or outside, at home or in school. If you do not have time to prepare games like the ones listed above, purchase science kits complete with instructions and materials. Either way playing science games with youngsters is educational and fun.