Where’s the science?
Let me be the first to admit that we don’t get to science as much as I would like. I have my list of reasons that I think this happens, but I want to hear from you. If you are like me and you aren’t rocking science as often as you would like, why not? What keeps you from doing science experiments with your kids? I want to hear from homeschoolers, teachers, fun parents or anyone else that works with kids? You can find a quick link to a poll on my facebook page.
If you have ideas that you want to share, please comment. I have some ideas of my own, but I want to get a feel for what you guys are thinking about it. Please share the link with all of the other people in your life that might be interested. Thanks, Kim
My kids are 5, 3, and 19 months. I feel like when we don't "do" an organized science (sometimes nature study falls in your lap when you're outside!) it's because I didn't plan anything. Everything has to be thought of before hand. I will mention something the day before and the 5 and 3 year old are very excited, but then I have to gather supplies the night before. Also, thinking of these experiments and how to fit them in to what we're learning (which is super loose and based on what they're interested in because of their ages). That's why I subscribe to your blog! It gets me thinking! I absolutely adored science in school and even decided to major in biology in undergrad -but I find it hard to plan!
Thanks Nellie,
That is pretty much what I was thinking as well. It is the time and energy to organize and then try to make it have a natural flow. I have some ideas in the works and will be sharing soon.
My kids are 5 and 2, and I also feel like the "planning" gets in the way. We learn a lot from living books, and we do a lot of nature study during the nicer months, but winter keeps us indoors. You would think I would have more time to plan, but I just feel overwhelmed when I think of gathering supplies, and the mess that is sure to follow. I know my kids would love more hands-on science experiments, so I've decided to start out by doing one every other week (opposite week as our co-op) to get started. Starting slow will give me time to gather the supplies ahead of time and prepare for the activity. Hopefully, once I get the hang of it, I can start adding them in more frequently.
If we do science lessons I generally get my ideas from books we get from the library (big surprise), but I think the time it takes to find good ideas and then gather the materials and plan it out prevents us from doing more! And I think finding ways to make science experiments baby and toddler friendly can be challenging, too.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting guys. Please share this post or facebook link. I would love to get some more input!