You don’t have to be Einstein to enjoy the discovery of science with your child. In fact, our toddlers should learn about physics, chemistry as well as the earth and space science naturally, through play and observation. They are inquisitive scientists and thrive in environments that promote curiosity. Fortunately, science is all around us! In a previous blog, we explored how your toddler learns through play and today at BEBE MARIN SPEECH THERAPY we want to expand upon this concept with science.
Scientific play should be enhanced with natural objects, so let’s build upon our toddlers’ natural desire to explore, experiment and invent. For example, cooking and baking become fantastic venues for learning about how materials can change. What happens when we mix certain ingredients? Bake a cake so they can see what happens when it gets hot in the oven. On our BEBE MARIN SPEECH THERAPY LLC (Early Intervention)’s Pinterest board we have some ideas and neat recipes you can try.
What effect does energy have on the physical properties of objects? Experiment with solids, liquids and gases. Toddlers love playing with ice. Try freezing toys in ice cube trays and then adding them to a plastic tub for water play. Encourage them to use their five senses to gather data and ask for predictions.
Initiate conversations that invite your children to learn about the physics of sound. Explore the properties of various materials, such as wooden or metal spoons on trays, plastic buckets as well as pots and pans. Encourage language development by modeling appropriate vocabulary.
Car and bus rides provide excellent opportunities for our littlest learners to understand concepts such as force and motion. For example, describe what is happening as you go up and down hills or go around a curve. How does it feel when you are driving faster, slower or stopping? Are the roads smooth or bumpy? You can also reinforce these concepts by having children go on slides or create ramps.
Seasonal changes
Discuss with your little ones the seasonal changes in nature. Do they understand the characteristics of each season? Talk about the four seasons that make up a year, and discuss and learn about the different kinds of weather we can experience in each season. Focus on things that are tangible: the leaves on the trees, people’s clothing and jobs that people are doing (such as raking leaves in the fall and shoveling snow in winter).
As you explore, expand your child’s vocabulary by asking questions. Is the temperature cold or freezing? As the temperature gets higher, how does their clothing change? Introduce the idea of temperature by recording what your child wears alongside the temperature.
Exploring the sun, moon and stars can be exciting. Many little ones love to decorate their rooms with glow in the dark stars and meteors on the ceiling. You can get glow in the dark paints, crayons or markers, have the children color night scenes on dark construction paper (blue and black work best!).
Remember that at this stage scientific play should be exciting and meaningful, and should:
- nurture your child’s natural sense of adventure and curiosity,
- help your child develop his/her own understanding of the natural world,
- encourage your child to be a persistent problem solver,
- help your child learn to be a keen observer,
- introduce your child to basic scientific terms,
- develop your child’s organization skills,
- and develop positive attitudes toward science.
Remember to play this holiday season! What better gift than the discovery of the incredible world of science!