Science for Kids

Kids are naturally curious about science and the world around them. They wonder about how things are made, why animals do what they do, what makes the sunshine, and other complex questions.

For kids, science is just a question away.

Having a basic understanding of science is an important part of being a well-rounded person. Science can even become a career for some kids. Discover how you can use the world around you to teach your kids about science.

Kids get exposed to science in school every day, but the knowledge will set more deeply if you help them learn at home. So how do you make science for kids fun and interesting? Discover some fun ways to explore science with your kids. You never know what you’ll learn along the way. After you've looked below, check out our science experiments for kids for additional tools to help you teach science to children.

Animals for Kids

Look for animals in your neighborhood or in rural areas nearby. Think about how many different types of animals there are. Howe do scientists group them? Some are grouped by general categories, like with a backbone and without a backbone. Scientists also group animals with very tiny details, like separating one type of plant spider from another. How is a dog like a bird? How are they different from each other? Which is more like an insect – a spider or an elephant? Why? Look at a dog show and notice that even one species (canine) can have a lot of variety within it. You can also incorporate animal coloring pages to make learning even more fun.

Earth Science for Kids

What is the weather like today? Watch the evening news or the Weather Channel for descriptions of active weather in your area. Most meteorologists explain why things happen when they broadcast. Take a look at the dirt and geographical features near your hometown. What are they like? How did they get that way? How is it different or similar to other places you have visited as a family?

Human Biology for Kids

Has anyone in the house been sick lately? Talk about how germs work and the white blood cells attack. Ask them why washing hands and covering noses helps. Look at the back of someone’s hands and notice the veins and other blood vessels. Do they look like different colors? Tell them about oxygen from the lungs, blood moving everywhere taking care of each part of your body when you aren’t even thinking about it.

Physical Science for Kids

Show your kids how magnets work, how one side pulls and the other pushes. Describe electricity as a flowing river full of tiny charged invisible things. What makes a good electricity conductor? Wood? Glass? A metal pole? Everything in the universe is on the move, even molecules in so-called “solid” objects. How does a lever work (like a teeter-totter)? Heat can be created by causing friction. Rubbing your hands together will demonstrate this easily. Heat is energy moving around faster – ever wonder why you feel warmed up after you run fast?

Chemistry for Kids

Chemistry describes the “stuff” our world is made of and what it can do. That’s called matter. Anything and everything is made of matter. Randomly pick up 10 things in your house. What is each of them made of? Metals have different types of molecules than organic-based items like paper or food. What is water like when it is a solid, a liquid, and a gas? What else does that?

The lists above are just starting points for discussions about science for kids. Just a few new ideas will have your kids spinning off a full list of questions. When your child is exposed to these ideas early on, they will have an easier time when these concepts are taught in school. You may also unlock a lifelong curiosity about science for your child.