How to turn our kids into science geeks?
By Mausam Pandya #themomlife , #BBCreatorsClub , #Toddlers


Our children are the stars of our sky.

But did you know that stars at first are just giant clouds of dust called nebulae; that our solar system is not located in the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way but in one of its minor arms called the Orion Spur; that a year on planet mercury is just 3 months long, but a day lasts for as long as 2 months? It’s brilliant how science encompasses our whole lives and never fails to amaze.

From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the technological age we live in, science couldn’t be more omnipresent in our lives. What if children with their bubbling curiosity were introduced to this miracle early in life? What if they saw the world as their laboratory? What if they stood on the shoulder of giants and saw further?

Einstein once said what you cannot explain to a child, you don’t understand yourself! Research proves that introducing children to science early in life positively affects their cognitive development. Here are 5 tips to make science fascinating for kids:

Explore how things work:
A pencil, a box of crayons, a toothbrush seems such ordinary objects used in everyday life. But take a step back and find out how are they made and they will stop being ordinary. YouTube videos are most helpful, just type “how is _____ made?” and you and your little one will be on a fascinating adventure to discover something new, to unearth the mysteries of science.



Experiment!
William Blake once said,
“The true method of knowledge is experiment!”
Do simple science experiments like lighting two candles and placing a transparent glass on top of one candle. Observe how the candle with the glass on top extinguishes first because of a lack of oxygen. Or you could get a book of science experiments and perform some of them together. It’s insightful and fun! What better way to spend time together.

Keep up with the latest scientific news:
Chandrayaan II’s launch, its journey through space to enter different orbits of the moon and ultimately being lost were events that kept us at the edge of our seats - children and adults alike. Latest news can be a good starting point to spark kids’ curiosity. After all Apollo 11’s landing on moon in 1969 too was a report in the newspaper that caught a whole generation of kids’ curiosity.



Ask Questions:
Why does the sun look so small if it’s 109 times the size of earth in diameter? Why does oil float on water? Why can’t we fly like birds? What do fish and dinosaur have in common? Asking questions kick starts thinking and encourages the brain to look for possible answers. If Einstein hadn’t asked, “What would the universe look like if I rode through it on a beam of light?” we would never have had the quantum theory of light!


Keep a science journal:
A science journal is an excellent tool to record and reflect what one has learnt and understood about scientific concepts. It can allow you to ponder over questions you are wondering about. It can also come in handy when you construct a hypothesis, conduct research, analyze your data and draw conclusions that prove or disprove your hypothesis.


So what are you waiting for? Make science a big and exciting part of your children’s life starting today! Brian Greene has said, “When kids look up to great scientists the way they do musicians, actors [and sports figures], civilization will jump to the next level.”