5 effective ways to develop scientific thinking in kids

1. Encourage curiosity

The first and foremost way to foster scientific temperament is to make kids wonder about how the world works around them. Why and how does it rain? How does the engine of a car work? What is photosynthesis in plants? When kids start asking such questions, that’s the first sign they’re interested in science. 

Now, what activities can you undertake to develop curiosity? By asking children questions. 

Curiosity starts when kids are exposed to questions that make them think. You need to ask open-ended questions to nurture the natural curiosity in the minds of children. These questions can look like this:

• What would happen if… 

• What would it be like to… 

• Why did… 

• How do we know that… 

• What did you think when… 

Children need to learn the right way to form questions so they can question the answers you give them. You can use the FQR (Fact, Question, Response) technique to nurture the habit of asking the right questions. 

2. Provide a hands-on learning experience

Hands-on learning is an excellent way to foster scientific thinking in kids. Allowing kids to experiment and explore through hands-on activities helps them to understand scientific concepts better. Simple experiments like making a volcano or growing a plant can ignite a child’s interest in science.

As an extracurricular activity, you can also get MEL Science kits for your little ones so they can perform easy and fun experiments while learning valuable science lessons along the way. All you need to do is subscribe to MEL Science and you’ll get hands-on kits delivered to your home to help your kids enhance their science skills. 

You can get science kits for subjects like coding, STEM, physics, chemistry, and math. These experiments can also be performed in groups, encouraging collaboration so kids can also develop teamwork and communication skills on the way. 

3. Embracing science tourism

If you’re planning summer vacations with your kids, it’ll always be a great way to plan visits to laboratories or science museums to help them learn how science works and has evolved throughout generations. Every now and then, a visit to a place of scientific importance is bound to foster curiosity and interest in the subject. 

4. Exposure to scientific games

Playing games is one of the best ways to learn a subject. It could be quizzes or an interactive game that can leave your kids excited and wanting to learn more about science.  Also, integrating gameplay with curriculum goes a long way in keeping kids engaged in their studies and helping them learn new things one step at a time.

Solving puzzles is a proven and demonstrated way to keep your kids engaged. For instance, this Scientific Thinking course by Brilliant offers various puzzles across different subjects like Structure, Flow, Light, and Relativity. There are many other courses related to science, engineering, math, and technology your kids can undertake and enjoy a fun learning experience. 

Building puzzles is also a beneficial activity as it can improve spatial reasoning and IQ and improve kids’ memory. If you’re looking for more physical activities to get started with, you can opt for 3D puzzles for Ugears to keep your children entertained and engaged while also ensuring brain development. 

5. Consuming knowledge through entertainment

Kids are often fond of cartoons and superhero TV shows when it comes to entertainment. However, a scientific attitude becomes easier to obtain if you can get them hooked to science and technology TV shows via OTT platforms. 

While doing so, make sure you watch these TV shows or documentaries with them so you can answer any questions they may come up with. 

For the purpose of promoting science through entertainment, we recommend using Curiosity Stream, an OTT platform that offers a wide range of documentaries and docuseries related to different fields like science, technology, nature, etc. They also offer an array of course lessons on these subjects in case your kid would like to know more than what’s taught in school. 

Shows on Discovery and National Geographic Channel are another way to explore the depth of science and how it works to ease lives for mankind. 

Conclusion

There are many ways to get your kids curious and excited about science, engineering, and technology from a young age, and the benefits last a lifetime. You can opt for any of these ways and create a pro-science environment that helps foster a scientific attitude in your children’s minds.