AD| How to Raise a Science Lover

Some children are born scientists with a natural curiosity about the world around them, others may need a little more encouragement. Teaching a child about science gives them the building blocks of general knowledge and encourages them to be more inquisitive, critical thinkers. To help ignite the love of science in your little one, an independent school in London has shared their advice, read on to find out more. 

Share Your Curiosity 

The greatest way to encourage your child to take interest in something is to lead by example. Our children are little sponges who soak in everything we do and say. If they see their parents have an affinity to science and nature, they are more likely to take an interest themselves. If you’re already a science lover, you can share your knowledge with your children; spark their interest by telling them the reasons you’re so fascinated with the topic. If you too have a lot to learn, then take this as an opportunity to do so. Your child is more likely to flex their curiosity muscle if they see you do it too. 

Explore Nature 

Getting out into nature is the ideal way to nurture a love of science. No matter what time of year, you can always find something fascinating to teach your child. With the changing seasons you can introduce them to life cycles, as you see flowers begin to sprout in spring and leaves fall from the trees in autumn. Look out for flies caught in spider webs to teach children about the food chain. Science and nature go hand in hand so the mere fact of experiencing and enjoying the natural world will help your children develop an appreciation for science. 

Get Experimenting 

Home experiments are a fun, simple way to approach practical science. Simple science experiments can fire up a child’s curiosity as they get stuck into a hands-on activity. If your kids love messy play, a sandbox volcano with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar could be just the ticket. You can explain the basics of volcanoes as you do the activity together. For children who love nature, why not plant a sunflower seed and watch it grow, teaching them about photosynthesis along the way.