If your kid really likes bugs, go on a bug hunt and see how many different types you can find. If your child seems interested in how plants grow, set up a germinating activity so they can be involved in aiding the plant’s growth from seed to plant. [5] X Expert Source Bianca Solorzano, M. Ed. Infant Development & Montessori Consultant Expert Interview. 1 November 2021.
Help them find out information on their own as well. Guide them to resources and let them discover from there. For younger children, you can also model how to conduct research by searching the internet for an answer to a question with them or by checking a book for specific information.
If you don’t know the answer, say “That’s a great question that I don’t know the answer to. Let’s find out together!” Then, go to the library or search online to find the answer.
These questions don’t have to have a right or wrong answer, they just need to make your child consider their thoughts before answering.
After you have been somewhere, ask them questions about where you were to encourage them to constantly observe their surroundings. Ask questions like, “What interesting things did you notice at the park?” or, “How many cats did you see at grandma’s house?”[8] X Research source You can encourage a young child to draw their observations and an older child to write down what they observed in a journal, such as the measurements, color, or other specific details.
If they ask for your help, guide them towards the solution instead of directly telling them how to do it. Ask them, “How do you think you should do this?” or, “What order do you think we should do these things?”
While your walking, ask your child questions about what they’re seeing and doing: “What do you think…? What else might be affected…? What do you think happened here? What would happen if…? How can we find out more?”
Place different objects in water and see if they sink or float. Make ice cream and discuss why the rock salt is important. Dissolve the shell of an egg and play with what’s left. Build a baking soda and vinegar volcano.
After a few weeks, look through the weather journal and ask your child if they see any trends in the weather patterns. Hint: compare changes in air pressure with storms. Look up the weather in other parts of the world and see how it compares to the weather in your own town.
As your child gets older, their experiences will be different, so go to each of these places more than just once.
Fill a small plastic cup about 1/3 full of potting soil. Make a small hole and place the seed in the hole. Cover the seed with soil. Water the seed each day and make sure it has plenty of sunlight. After a few weeks, you should see the seed begin to sprout and watch your plant as it grows.
Take a small sample of water from a nearby pond or stream and look at what is floating around in there. Look at a flower petal or a piece of clothing. What do you see? Are they similar or totally different?
Help your child to identify and classify the various items they have collected.
