05.13Backyard Science Fun
Your backyard is a great place for your child to get outside and play. In addition to swimming and other outdoor sports, your child can also use your backyard for science projects. If you are interested in helping them achieve this, you may want to familiarize yourself with some popular backyard activities, especially those that have a focus on nature and science.
Exploring the outdoors is not only a fun activity, but it can also provide many educational science experiments.Whether you live in a rural, suburban, or even urban area, there are a surprisingly large number of different plants and animals to be found in you yard. Most children love exploring nature, especially with your encouragement and help. This is particularly true with toddlers and elementary school aged children. Choose activities that you enjoy, because your kids will require your help.
One way for children to learn science is by examining the local plants. You can find many different species of plants in your own backyard – some of them planned, and others unwanted. Although many animals and insects live in your lawn, don’t neglect the other, uncut areas of your yard.
There are many different animal habitats to be found in your yard and your neighborhood. Try to identify as many different kinds as you can. Be patient and quietly observe them for awhile. What do they eat? Can you find their homes? Bird watching is a popular hobby, and even amateur bird watchers often contribute to real science projects. If your child really enjoys it, they may ask for a new pet.
You can also find many different kinds of insects in your yard. Children may find observing bugs even more interesting than studying the plants and flowers. It is not only fun to see what kinds of bugs live in your backyard, but it is also exciting to learn about how they survive.
In addition to the living things that can be found in your backyard, you and your child may also want to examine the weather and the impact it has on the yard and everything living there. Backyard conditions change as the weather changes. By examining your backyard after a rainy day, your child may find that many of the plants, flowers, and bugs have either changed or retreated to safer grounds. Weather plays a big role in the lives of the plants and animals living in your backyard.
Providing your child with some basic scientific supplies can reinforce their learning experience. A possible list includes books and nature guides, a magnifying glass, various containers, a butterfly net, etc. Many kids like to catch insects to observe them more closely, so poke some air holes in a jar or get a small cage. Many of the supplies you need can be bought at local toy, department or home improvement stores. Or search online to find what you need.
To keep your exploration focused on education, science books and nature resource guides may be a nice addition to your child’s science collection. Many books and guides have a specific focus on insects, birds, plants, or flowers. Many of these resources will provide you with information and pictures so that you can identify the specimens you find. Your local library or book store will have many good science and nature books available.
It may be helpful and fun to document what you see as you explore the plants, animals and insects in your backyard. This can easily be done with a notebook or a camera. By taking pictures, your child will always be able to remember their exploration adventures.You can use the pictures for other science projects and crafts. You can turn the photos into memories by using them in a scrapbook or collage project.
Whether you plan the activity or it simply happens, your child will certainly find something to interest them. Teaching kids science in your own backyard is just one of the many adventures that you and your child can share outdoors. And it just may be the start of a life-long interest in science.
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