How to Raise a Scientist
Science is one of our favorite subjects in our house because we don’t spend our time behind textbooks and workbooks while we’re learning about them. While they do have their place, the most exciting part of science is exploring and experimenting.
My son built his own car and wanted to see how he could make it faster. He timed it as it drove through a specific distance and then started making changes to his car to see if he could speed it up and timed them to see the effects of the modifications he made.
How can you raise a scientist?
Keep a junk box
What can do with all that garbage, you know your plastic water bottle caps, plastic bottles, egg cartons and toilet paper rolls, have a box to store them all. Yes, keep your garbage, it’s recycling and you’ll always have materials for your child to build with. I know it’s hard to inspire creativity but when it comes, it sure is a downer when you’re missing parts for your awesome project.
Keep your broken appliances
So you’ll just keep all of your garbage. Let those little scientists take it apart and put it back together again. Of course, teach them that they should never be plugged in while tinkering.
Let them explore
Let them deviate from the textbooks and workbooks, follow those rabbit trails, let them decide what they’ll learn. Are they interested in rockets? Prepare a unit study on them and jump full force right into them. Visit the museum, talk to a scientist, watch a documentary, don’t limit yourselves to books and pen and paper. Your child may learn differently from you and you need to deliver knowledge using different methods to make it stick.
Ask questions
Why is the flower red, why did the car go so fast, what would happen if we added something in front of it. Challenge what they see to come up with explanations of why things happen as they see it. Get them thinking and asking questions.
Get building
Whatever building sets you to choose, have them start creating and learning how to put them together and then take them apart and build something else. When my son got this K’nex Rollercoaster building set, he couldn’t wait to get started. A wonderful way to help your child with these large building projects is to teach them how to sort and organize their pieces before they start building.
We sort them out so that my son can easily find the pieces. When he goes to build, he gathers all of the pieces he needs first so he can just focus on building. If it’s a large project I’ll help him out and gather the pieces for him. It definitely speeds up his building time.
Nothing feels better than finishing a large project. He was so proud and his car travels around the tracks. My daughter enjoys playing with it as well. It also comes with 3 experiments that you can complete.
How do you encourage your little scientist?
I encourage hands on activity with my 3 and 1/2 year old instead of just reading books. We do store junk to be reused for different projects. I never refuse / ignore any questions asked by him.
We encourage our little scientists by reading interesting science books and by doing fun experiments.
My kids love to build and are always digging through the recycling bin. They have made two “boats so far this fall, so we are now following a boat rabbit trail…you never know where your kids will take you!
We encourage science by having all kinds of science books, apps, videos and games, doing science experiments, and just tying everything in to science. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
We try to have a weekly topic with several experiments that demonstrate the topic at hand. Science is fun!
We enjoy doing experiments using books from the library and asking the ever-so-patient librarians questions upon questions!
Right now, we are only saving lids. But I love the idea of having a junk box or drawer.
I encourage my kids (2.5 years and 10.5 months) to be curious, to explore, and also to not be afraid of things like bugs, spiders, snakes, and bats!
I encourage my little scientists by taking them to the science museum.
I encourage my little scientist by allowing them to get involved in the kitchen.
I encourage my little ones curiosity. They are into math and science so we do lots of experiments and stuff together. My eldest wants to grow up and be a scientist.
I encourage my little scientist by having tons of “garbage” for her play/build with. We do Mystery Science and play various sensory activities.
I encourage my little girl by having her legos and magnet sticks available to play with at anytime as well as put those gifts on all the grandparents Christmas lists 🙂 I also talk about how stuff works every chance I get including our bodies and nature
We do a lot of hands on experiments. He enjoys seeing how things react to one another.
I encourage my little scientist by allowing her to get messy!
I encourage my little scientists by providing them with a rotating supply of interesting books on scientific topics.
I encourage my little scientist by allowing them to play outside and explore nature.
I encourage my little scientists by allowing them a lot of time to explore on their own.
I encourage my little scientists by providing them with open ended toys.
I encourage my kiddos by providing many kinds of blocks and gears for them to build with.