In the age of video games and cell phones, it can be a challenging and daunting task to get your kids more interested in science. From toddlers up to teenagers, there are many ways to get your kids interested. Here are some tips to help jump start their lifelong love of science.

Get Dirty

For younger kids, keep it simple. Get dirty by digging in the dirt for various bugs, pretty rocks, or anything else of interest. Have a discussion about what it is and what it does. Go on a nature walk in the autumn and look at the different color leaves, if it allowable where you live, and talk about which colors goes to which plants. Which trees don’t lose their leaves at all?

Projects

Art projects are popular with kids of all ages. Toddlers and preschoolers could color a picture of a science project. A popular project with elementary age kids is either an animal or leaf notebook. A leaf notebook allows children to save different types of interesting leaves between wax paper so they can research the type. An animal notebook is similar but the child would find pictures of unique animals. Middle and high school kids could construct a bridge of toothpicks multiple ways to see which way holds the most weight. This teaches them physics. For the brave parent, dissection is a fun way to learn the different parts of the body. There are numerous projects that are simple using a Bunsen burner.

Do Research

Let your kids find out how things work through observation. Microscopes are a fun way to get to know our world on a smaller level. For toddlers, preschoolers, and young elementary school kids, there are basic plastic versions available on Amazon or most toy stores. For a standard unit, microscope.com or teacher supply stores are the ideal way to find these for an affordable price. A magnifying glass is also a good way to observe nature, such as small insects.

Overall to foster a love of science, it needs to appear relevant and engaging. Choose different projects or experiments based on your child’s basic interests. For example, some kids naturally are more interested in chemistry than Anatomy and Physiology or the other way around. Explorer every topic but don’t be overly pushy on a subject they are complete uninterested in. Making it fun and game based will make it seem less like school work and will learn more in the end.