Do you have a little one running around at home who is currently obsessed with everything science-related? If the answer is yes, then you are one lucky parent! While some (actually, very many) kids turn away from science at a young age, others keep that inquisitive spark and can go on to great things both during their education and maybe even their professional careers in adulthood.
We all know that it isn’t always the best idea to push a hobby or interest on our kids. It can sometimes be a surefire way to turn them against it, but there are definitely ways to encourage a growing passion in a youngster without overwhelming them or making something seem ‘uncool’!
Here are a few ways that you can help your child if they are starting to show a real love for science.
- Buy Them A Fun Science Kit
The last thing a child needs to expand their horizons is a big, bulky textbook! Instead, they need something practical that they can use their hands to get involved with, and right now there have never been so many great STEM science kits that are focused specifically on children and their learning levels.
From making slime to erupting volcanoes and fun test tube experiments, kits are a perfect way to introduce children into the methodical nature of science, most often with fun and colorful results that will leave them wanting more!
- Go On Museum Trips
With visual leaning and a chance to improve cognitive skills, a child is more likely to be more receptive to something that they can see and touch rather than a picture on a page. Do a quick internet search of your local area and see if there are any cool science museums within a reasonable distance.
To be able to physically go and see some of the coolest and most interesting scientific artifacts and experiments in the flesh can make a huge difference to cementing a passion in a child’s mind. Planting the seed that museums are cool fun places at a young age is always going to be a good thing.
- Find Educational And Fun YouTube Channels
We all have the internet, which means we all have access to YouTube, which in turn means we all have access to dozens, if not hundreds, of great kid science resources! Type a few keywords in the YouTube search bar and you will be greeted by any number of fun looking channels that are dedicated to bringing the joy of science to the minds of children.
When you can combine one of their favorite things (science) with another (TV), then you know you are on to a good thing!
- Join In On Their Interest
While we don’t recommend being one of those parents who barges in their kid’s hobby and almost ‘takes over’, it is important that you appear to be inquisitive and genuinely interested. Make the effort to enquire about their recent discoveries and give them opportunities to explain things to you (even if you already know how gravity works or what osmosis is!). When a child feels like they have an opportunity to communicate an interest on a mature level, they get self-confidence and a feeling of contentment.
