Use scientific experimentation to nurture young children's natural curiosity.
Using science experiments with preschoolers is a way to enhance and develop the natural curiosity of young children. Develop activities that are hands-on and allow for plenty of student-driven exploration. Plan ahead to ensure you have all the needed supplies on hand and specific procedures in place. If possible, secure extra adult supervision for activities that will require a lot of guidance. Teach students expected behaviors and routines before the first science activity including behave during the experiment, access supplies, get help if needed and clean up when finished.
Instructions
1. Use correct vocabulary when discussing scientific processes, names and concepts. It is not necessary to create kid-friendly words to explain things like photosynthesis, respiration, the water cycle or any other "big" scientific words. As children grow so will their understanding of these concepts.
2. Create activities that do not involve a lot of lecture or explanation by an adult. Let the children explore and draw their own conclusions. Examples of self-explanatory activities include a water or sand table with lots of different items like trucks, nets, plastic animals, strainers and funnels. Set up a science table with magnifying glasses and different objects for students to observe including bird feathers, fur, insects, leaves and sticks.
3. Develop activities that teach the scientific method of observing, predicting and checking. Place an ice cube in the window on a hot, sunny day and predict how long it will take to melt (or if it will melt), observe the process throughout the day and discuss what happened once it has melted. Plant seeds in small cups and water one cup but not the other then observe, monitor and discuss what happens to each plant.
4. Create activities based on the four seasons. Take students outside at different times of the year with journals and allow them to record sights, smells, sounds and tastes. Set up a table in winter where students can experiment with snow, predict how long it will take to melt, try different things to cause it to melt and draw conclusions about it. Spring and summer activities might include tracking the sun, noticing where it is in the sky and a discussion about shadows. Allow students to collect leaves in the fall. Place them under paper and rub over them with crayons to make leaf rubbings or examine leaves and make a chart about the characteristics of leaves.
5. Allow children to explore with scientific tools like rulers, balance scales, magnifying glasses, telescopes, binoculars and microscopes. Set up a table with one or two of these tools and several different objects to observe, weigh or measure.
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