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Tips to Get Kids Excited About Science
Special to The Truth
Sometimes it can be hard
to convince kids that learning is fun. While parents can’t
necessarily control how exciting the school day is, they can
make off-hours learning more fun and exciting -- especially
when it comes to a potentially hands-on subject like
science.
It is particularly
important to foster an interest in science at an early age.
Not only does an understanding of its principles mean a
greater understanding of how the world works, the need for
experts in scientific fields is on the rise, according to
Labor Department statistics.
If you’re not too up on
the subject yourself, don’t worry. You don’t need to be Sir
Isaac Newton to put a spotlight on science, say experts.
“Children are natural
explorers. They want to roll over rocks to see what critters
are hiding below, and take apart gadgets to see how they
work. It’s important to encourage that. We don’t want our
kids to just consume technology - we want them to design it,
build it, and be innovators,” says “Science Bob” Pflugfelder,
an elementary school teacher and co-author of the “Nick and
Tesla” book series for kids.
Here are a few ways to get
started:
Experiment
Make your home a
laboratory. In order for your experiments to be safe and
successful, be sure to follow instructions. There are plenty
of free online resources that parents can turn to for
science fair and experiment ideas -- and complete
instructions. For example, to build your own fog tornado or
make your own rock candy, you can visit www.ScienceBob.com
for step-by-step guides.
Think Fiction
An exciting work of
fiction can be inspiring. Expose your kids to entertaining
movies and books that feature the application of science in
action-packed scenarios.
For example, the “Nick and
Tesla” series, by Pflugfelder and writer and journalist
Steven Hockensmith, follows the adventures of two 11
year-old siblings who use science and electronics to solve
mysteries.
Narratives are peppered
with blueprints and instructions, so young budding inventors
at home can follow along. Information about their latest
book, “Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab,” as well as
the other books in the series can be found at
www.NickandTesla.com.
Take a Trip
One thing that most
museums have in common is signs that say “do not touch.” But
at a science museum, it’s all about interactive fun. Take
the kids to learn more about their favorite subjects, from
animals to outer space to volcanoes.
Remember, science is all
around us, so you don’t necessarily need to go somewhere
special to get kids thinking about it. Turn a regular day of
errands into one of scientific discovery. Encourage your
kids to note their observations on paper and discuss what
they’ve seen and what it means at the end of the day.
Just because the school
bell rings, doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. Take
steps to make science a bigger and better part of your kids’
day.
Courtesy StatePoint
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