Keeping Your Child Interested in Science

When your three-year-old interrupts your every thought with, “why, Mommy?” he is, in all actuality, trying to make sense of the world around him. This is his first taste of science: the power of inquiry. When you answer the questions scientifically instead of with a terse “because,” you are allowing your child to become a natural scientist. The Diocese of Orlando’s Resurrection Catholic School will host Science Discovery Week from April 3–7, 2017. To further science knowledge, Polk County Catholic schools have science labs offering exciting experiments that answer questions with hands-on investigations. You can intrigue your children with some of the following ideas because, more than learning science, your child remembers how you took the time to help him learn science.

• Tiny Sights: You can buy an inexpensive traditional microscope, a hand-held microscope shaped like a giant plastic eye, and even a microscope that attaches to your cellular phone and allows you to see and save images as pictures. Children adore zooming in on their skin, hair, freckles, or toenails as well as looking closely at the world around them. A grain of salt becomes an iceberg and a tuft of cat fur transforms into a large, round ball of fur when viewed microscopically.
• Science Vacation: Many large cities have fantastic hands-on science museums for young explorers to learn about the world around them. Find science museums around you, or plan a vacation where you can visit several museums in a weekend.
• Educational Videos: Your local library stocks a supply of first-rate science videos, or you can purchase fantastic videos such as Bill Nye the Science Guy or anything from NOVA or National Geographic. Many of these episodes are available online at little or no cost.
• Books: Go on a reading adventure to learn about space with your Star Wars fan, plant growth with your little gardener, or go on an ocean adventure with your mermaid or fisherman. Read the story with your child, or have him read to you. Give specific examples of how the pictures in the book relate to a beloved subject, such as how spiders are similar to Spider-Man.
• Walk Around: Whether you cruise a zoo, a nearby park, or simply circle the park, children are excited about many of the things adults take for granted. A web dotted with morning dew is enchanting, and spotting a lizard or following an ant to its mound can lengthen a walk by fifteen minutes. The results are fantastic, with inquiry-based learning happening around every turn.
• Citizen Scientist: Older children can have their voices heard by becoming a citizen scientist. Look for local research projects that ask for people to collect and analyze data. Collect samples of plants, water, or insects, or identify online images. Being the assistant to an actual research scientist will give your child a satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

Give your children the advantage of a scientific mind. Keep answering questions and inspire learning with exciting adventures to the library or park. The Diocese of Orlando’s Polk County Catholic schools stimulate inquiry-based learning and applaud parents who give their children the advantage of a strong science background. Call the Diocese today at 407-246-4800 and read our blog page for more information on guiding your child’s learning.