How to Engage Children in the Sciences

In this day and age, science is an important part of everyone’s lives. Teaching children science is also an important part of their educations. But how do you get them interested in it? There are actually many ways to increase a child’s interest in science. 
One of the very first ways to introduce children to science is to begin reading to them. You can begin reading to your child at any point in time. Choose simple books with lots of colors to keep your child engaged. Perhaps pick up a “touch and feel” book, these are especially great in the area of nature science, teaching children all about animals and plants, the sun, moon and earth. 

Children are also naturally curious and adventurous beings. So once children are old enough to understand, you can ask children what they would like to learn about. When they tell you what they would like to learn, look up some simple experiments that the children would enjoy doing and could draw conclusions from. Once they finish the experiment, have the children draw some pictures or write a short story about their experiment. Activities such as coloring books, computer games and worksheets can be fun for children and can help them learn at the same time. 

Take the children outside often. Ask them to find something they find interesting, and then make a project out of it from beginning to end. Have the children look around, maybe they see a particular animal, or maybe a type of plant, or bug. Tell them to take a “snapshot” with their brains of what they would like to learn about. Have them bring their ideas back to you, and once you are all ready to go back inside, ask them what they already know about what they want to learn more about. Take them to the library and find books on it, and research it together. Another thing children love is attention, so let them know that once they feel that they have learned enough about it, have them “present” all the information in a little “science” show for their parents, family, friends, etc.

Alot of children’s television networks have at least one program related to learning about science. If you give your children a special “TV time”, use it turn on a science related program that will keep your children interested and engaged. Watch it with them, and have them interact on commercial breaks. Ask them questions about the topic of the program, even make a little game out of it. Children will have fun watching television and learning about science at the same time. 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to introduce your children to the sciences, and keep them engaged and interested in learning about it all throughout their lives.