Science is Everywhere
What is Everyday Science? As a parent and an early childhood educator, I’ve seen that people like me can often think about science as being this really inaccessible thing, due to complicated concepts, expensive materials and a lack of time. The fact is, though, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Science is just an everyday thing; the trick is to be able to recognise the scientific opportunities that are right in front of your eyes.
Take the bathtub, for instance. Does this sound familiar? Your child absolutely refuses to get into the bath. You finally manage to get them in… and then… they absolutely refuse to get out. Chances are that they won’t get out, in part, because of the amazing scientific concepts that they are exploring.
In this blog post, I’m going to show you how you how you can engage in exciting developmentally appropriate STEM learning with you little children with everyday items in your home. We will look at the how you can use your bathtub, mirrors and steps to investigate scientific concepts. The following activities help children develop a range of STEM skills, including observation, prediction, critical thinking, and experimentation.
Science in Your Bathtub
- Water Displacement: You’ve finished running the water, and your child gets in the bath. What do they notice? The water seems to go higher. Stand up and the water goes down again. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce the concept of water displacement. You can explain that when an object is placed in water, it pushes the water out of the way, causing the water level to rise. Children can experiment with water displacement by putting different objects in the tub and observing how the water level changes.
- Buoyancy: Bath time is also a great opportunity to explore buoyancy with children. Just as their bodies sink when they sit in the bath, other objects can float. Encourage your child to test out floating and sinking with a rubber duck, toy boat and a sponge. Any objects (no, not the cat or phone!) can be used to investigate floating and sinking in the bathtub. What similarities do the objects have that float? What similarities do the objects have that sink? Try out a pumpkin, I can guarantee that it will surprise them!
- Measurement: Bath time provides an excellent opportunity for children to explore measurement. You’ve probably noticed that children love to play with cups in the bathtub, and there is a lot of STEM learning going on there. If you have different size containers in there, children will start to learn that things that look the same may hold different amounts of water and things that look the same might hold the same amount of water. Children can also practice pouring water from one container to another, helping them develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Everyday Science with Mirrors
Mirrors can be a lot of fun, and when playing with mirrors, what children are really exploring is reflection.
Little kids love mirrors. I remember how both of my children adored staring into a mirror during tummy time as infants. Between the ages of 6-12 months, babies think that the little face in the mirror is another baby. They are really tuned into faces at this age and will spend their time smiling and chatting to the baby in the mirror. It is not until about 1 to 2 years old that children actually understand that they are seeing their own reflection.
The following activities can help children understand fundamental concepts of physics, such as light, reflection, and symmetry.
- Mirror Reflections: Place a mirror at a 90-degree angle to a flat surface, such as a table or the floor, and use colored blocks or natural materials to make patterns. Encourage children to predict what the pattern will look like in the mirror and then explore the reflection. This activity not only promotes critical thinking and observation skills, but also introduces basic concepts of geometry and symmetry.
- Mirror Infinity: Explore putting two mirrors facing each other to create an infinity effect. Children can observe the multiple reflections and learn about the principles of reflection and symmetry. This activity can also spark curiosity about optics and light.
- Reflecting Sunlight: Take handheld mirrors outside and practice reflecting sunlight with them. Children can experiment with different angles and observe how the reflection changes with the mirror’s position. This activity can introduce basic concepts of optics and light and can also be a great opportunity to talk about sun safety.
Everyday Science with Steps and Stairs
- Counting- Counting is a fundamental STEM skill that can be taught using everyday objects like stairs. Steps are a really great way to practice cardinal numbers or counting sequentially AND burning some of that boisterous energy. Encourage your little one to practice counting by asking them to count the steps as they climb up or down. Take it further by skipping steps and seeing if you child can have a go at skip counting.
- Simple Machines- Pop a piece of card on the steps to make a ramp (otherwise called an inclined plane). Ramps are simple machines which can be used to investigate gravity, motion, friction & energy. That and, well, they’re just a lot of fun! Push down a toy car or tennis ball and observe how they move, contrast that with a different object, like a wooden block.
- Gravity- Stairs can be used to teach children about the effects of gravity. Toys like slinkies demonstrate how gravity affects motion. Slinkies can be held at the top of the stairs and released to “walk” down the stairs, allowing children to observe how gravity affects the slinky’s motion.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, it is more than possible to engage young children in STEM learning using everyday objects found in the home. Parents do not have to invest in expensive materials or feel intimidated by complicated concepts. Bath time, mirrors, and steps are great tools that can be used to teach children about science in a fun and interactive way. These activities offer opportunities for children to develop STEM skills such as observation, prediction, critical thinking, and experimentation.
During bath time, children can learn about water displacement, buoyancy, and measurement. Mirrors can help children understand concepts of physics such as reflection and symmetry, and steps can be used to teach counting, simple machines, gravity, friction, energy and movement. Parents can encourage their children’s curiosity and creativity by using these simple everyday objects to teach STEM concepts. By doing so, parents can help their children develop a lifelong interest in science and technology that will benefit them in many ways.
