Children are innately curious about the natural world. To use science to encourage your child’s curiosity, observe to see what interests them within the natural world. Then, use what you discovered about their interests to set up purposeful science lessons and experiments as developmentally appropriate.
Make sure children can relate to the examples you pick. Talk about curing illnesses rather than relating technological progress to something like cancer stem cell research. Young children will not understand highly technical language. If you can base your discussion of scientific progress in a story about someone or something a child is already familiar with (such as a family member or friend who has been ill), your message will be much more effective.
View science and technology TV channels with your child. Engage in discussions about what you viewed afterward. Try an experiment that you saw demonstrated on TV or in a video. Part of the fun can be gathering the items needed to perform it as well as setting up the “experimental lab. " Conduct Internet searches on performing fun experiments. There are many sites dedicated to science projects for kids. Make home experiments fun occasions. Organize groups of kids to participate at your home, in your backyard, garage, or another safe place. Join or organize science and technology (S&T) related groups on social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn in order to brainstorm with other parents and caregivers. You might even be in contact with teachers in S&T through these online communities. Find or start a supplementary school like the Saturday math school in a Boston suburb established by Russian immigrants. [3] X Research source Become a member of the local science museum and keep a watch on activities for kids. Incorporate regular visits into your family’s activities. Use building blocks, puzzles, and games for family activities. Leave these in obvious places so that kids pick them up, play with them, and view them as part of their everyday surroundings. Most importantly, engage in conversation about science-related topics with children in way that pertains to everyday life experiences.
Consider making a home project out of researching the lives of famous scientists and innovators. Show your child how to find age-appropriate resources on the Web or in books and magazines to find interesting facts. Have him or her report back with findings! Work with your child to create a poster, Powerpoint, video, or interactive presentation. Why not use technological media to display knowledge about science and technology?
Encourage children to ask questions. Try not to brush aside their queries, even if they don’t make sense or are not good questions. Turn the bad question into an interesting and relevant question and then engage in discussion. You don’t necessarily need to know all of the answers. An important part of the process is helping your children learn how to find answers themselves through your guidance.
