Growing Science Activities for Kids

Guest blog post provided by
Corinne Jacob of Alternate Tutelage

Raising Tadpoles

How to ignite a child’s interest in science? It’s simple: ignite their curiosity! By using resources like science activities, you will be able to introduce children to science as it happens. Kids can learn about plants and other living organisms by growing them and observing their behavior. Scientific explanations may not be necessary when you use simple experiments for younger children. However, these activities will encourage children to ask questions, and they will observe the way elements react and their outcomes in natural settings.

Raising tadpoles will show children the life cycle of a frog. Collect frog spawn from a pond. Fill a fish bowl or a plastic tub with non-chlorinated water. This can be rain water or tap water that has been exposed to sun light for at least a week. It takes around 6 to 12 weeks for the egg to grow into a frog. It may take longer in cold weather. Tadpoles can be fed boiled and chopped lettuce that has been frozen into cubes. But as they grow into froglets, they will need something more substantial like bloodworms and insects. It is best to release the frogs back into their pond when they start developing their legs or you will have a whole lot of them hopping around your home! 

Growing Grass

Children will learn about germination and observe the growth of roots when they grow grass. Fill up three quarters of a clear plastic cup with potting soil. Scatter some store-bought grass seed on them and add another layer of soil to cover the seeds. Keep the container in a place that receives sunlight and make sure your child sprays water lightly using a spray bottle periodically. You can also wet sponge and sprinkle grass seeds on them. Leave it in a sunny place and you will see grass sprouting within two to three days.

Butterfly Garden

Creating a butterfly garden is a fun project for children and teaches them about the life cycle of an insect. You will need a shallow pan. Next, fill it with mounds of mud, a few twigs and leaves. Sprinkle water on top of the mud mounds. Add a little dish with water and maybe a little mish mash of fruit and honey or sugar. Include larvae that can be bought at a pet store and cover the pan with netting. Lastly, make sure you leave it in a place that receives a little sunlight and sprinkle water regularly so that the habitat does not dry up. Children will be able to see the larvae morph into butterflies!

Cultivating Bacteria

Bacteria are everywhere. With this easy-to-put-together activity, children can watch bacteria grow into colonies. You will need nutrient agar, a sterile cotton swab and sterile petri dish. Heat nutrient agar and pour it on the petri dish. Rub the cotton swab along a small area; it could be the floor or the back of your arm. Next, rub the swab in a few light strokes on the agar plate. Seal the plate and place it in a warm area for two to three days without disturbing it. Kids will soon start seeing bacteria grow! 

Crystal Garden

This is a popular science activity for kids and with good reason. The results are often beautiful and magical! Mix together a cup of Epsom salt with a cup of warm water. Keep a rough rock in a tray and pour the saturated mixture over the rock. Place the tray with the rock in the refrigerator. Leave it overnight without disturbing it. Allow it to remain there until the salt crystals grow to their full capacity. If you don’t notice any change in size after a day, remove the tray from the refrigerator, and pour out the excess solution. You can even crystallize a real flower in a saturated solution!

With fun science activities such as these, it is not hard to get children excited about science, is it?

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Corinne Jacob is a writer who is convinced that kids learn best when they’re having fun. She is constantly on the lookout for new and exciting ways to make learning an enjoyable experience. Corinne loves all things that scream out un-schooling, alternative education and holistic learning.

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Have your kids ever raised tadpoles or caterpillars before? What did they observe?

Which of these science activities would be easiest to try at home or in your classroom?

What are some natural settings around you that spark curiosity in your child?

How do you encourage kids to ask questions and make predictions during science time?

Have you found any other fun ways to bring the scientific method into everyday play?

​Please leave your comments below.  
Your feedback is always appreciated.

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