Sandbox Scientist: Real Science Activities for Little Kids
To turn your home or classroom into an exploratori um all you need is a variety of materials and tools I have learned to count on kids being interested in most anything if they can explore it in their own way The array of tools and stuff will often suggest explo rations A child provided with water and water drop pers will likely investigate water drops A magnifying lens will guide kids toward little things or textures Play with the materials yourself and see where they lead you O oo 0 O An Explorer Kit contains an array of tools and materials that sends kids off on various paths of play ful investigation Each kit focuses the kids on a gen eral realm of discovery but as you will see children will choose their own routes Kits can and should be modified to fit children's reactions and the materials at hand Allow children to add to and modify the kits Let it become theirs Each Explorer Kit is presented in the following format Each one begins with a preview of the basic types
of activities kids may engage in but remember these are open ended ventures Very likely your kids will do something with the materials that no one else in the universe has ever considered doing Materials The kit materials are the toys that will guide each new exploration The lists can and should be modified Be flexible Use what you have or what is easy to procure Encourage kids to contribute materials Your only major concerns should be the safety of kids and instruments The diversity and quantity of materials will influence the type of explo rations kids embark on The Setup Ideas for setting up activities are provided here Included are suggestions for how to minimize messes and avoid disasters The Science As kids explore they bump into the boundaries of big ideas An understanding of com plex concepts will one day emerge from these experi ences Listed in this section are some of the concepts that may rise out of the experiential mist If you are a teacher and need to justify playful science to ques tioning parents or administrators this section will give you some educationese to spout forth Occasion ally included are examples of types of open ended questions you could ask At all costs refrain from interrupting focused kids Wait until they engage you in verbal inquiry and then ask as a fellow adventurer not as a know it all adult Real Life Science The anecdotes in these sections
show you what one group of kids did with the mate rials The anecdotes are from a variety of settings from preschool to elementary school to home and take place over a period of several years Many of the children appear in a number of anecdotes at various stages of their lives It was a real thrill to write about children at two years of age and then chronicle their adventures as five year olds The age of the children mentioned in the anecdotes is noted at the begin ning Age Appropriateness The purpose of this book is to introduce science to small children as young as two years old although I have watched children as old as eight have the time of their lives with the Explorer Kits I've indicated the age appropriateness of each kit by noting the youngest age for which it may be suitable This rating is meant as a general guideline and certainly varies with the children and the settings that they explore in Be your own judge Kid Science Library Children's books whether they are fiction or nonfiction can easily enhance chil dren's explorations A fascinating book or story can lead to child initiated investigations A fascinating exploration can lead to an interest in any books deal ing with the topics being explored At the end of each activity chapter you'll find a list of recommended fic tion and nonfiction children's books that relate to chapter topics Now you can turn right to the activity chapters
and embark on your adventures in early childhood science education but I recommend that you read a bit further Though you are undoubtedly eager for action I have some suggestions that should make your road a bit smoother O LDS Become a Patron of Kid Science Lewis and Clark may never have made it out the door without the beneficent patronage of Thomas Jeffer son Unlike adult scientists children will embark on scientific inquiries without fellowships grants or other institutional backing Unfortunately though kid investigations are often thwarted for lack of patronage Whether it's an experiment to test if peas float in milk or a dig in the flower bed kids some times just end up doing the right thing at the wrong time or in the wrong place On the other hand a kid scientist with a supportive elder can usu ally end up doing science where and when it's appre ciated An art patron doesn't need to be an artist nor does a patron of science need be a scientist So it's no big deal if you don't possess a Ph D in astrophysics
