| There are many little scientists in every toddler. Look | | | | can watch the growing of your toddler's feet, by |
| closely at yours, and you will not only see a physicist in | | | | making foot outlines on tracing paper, and comparing |
| the sand box, but a botanist, entomologist, and | | | | sizes every six months or so. Now is a good time, to |
| geologist in the park, an oceanographer at the beach, a | | | | explain the things that help children grow bigger, such |
| chemist in the kitchen, an inventor in the playroom, an | | | | as rest, food and drink, fresh air, exercise, etc |
| astronomer at the window - all examining, scrutinizing, | | | | Be meteorologist. Get your toddler in the habit of long |
| experimenting, comparing, developing, and testing | | | | out the window each morning and taking note of the |
| theories. All for the love of discovery.Unfortunately, the | | | | weather - and if their vocabulary is within his or her |
| natural inclination to discover frequently does not last | | | | reach, issuing whether bulletins at breakfast. |
| much past the toddler years. Often, at about the same | | | | Weather-watching skills come in handy when your |
| time children begin their formal science education, | | | | child starts preschool; "morning meeting" or "circle time" |
| hands-on science becomes hands-off, and the scientist | | | | often begins with a weather report. Becoming weather |
| within are suppressed. It is possible, however, to keep | | | | savvy may also help your toddler become more |
| the inner scientist motivated all the way trough their | | | | sensible when it comes to dressing (a rainy day |
| school years, or even for life. | | | | means boots and a slicker, a sunny hot day means |
| To start with, try these activities : | | | | shorts and sandals, a cloudy cold day means a warm |
| Classify, classify, classify. Discovering how things are | | | | jacket and mittens). Another whether related activity: |
| the same and how they are different is a fundamental | | | | On a rainy day leave a jar outside to collect the rainfall; |
| skill. And though toddlers may not yet know a species | | | | measure it with ruler later on. When it snows, measure |
| from a genus, they can sort out trees that have | | | | it too |
| leaves and trees that have spiky needles, fruits that | | | | See the world up close. An unbreakable magnifying |
| have edible skins and fruit that have to be peeled, | | | | glass can show your toddler the world in an entirely |
| vehicles that have two wheels, four wheels, and more | | | | new way. Have your toddler examine a few grains of |
| wheels. | | | | salt, the peel of banana, your skin, a strand of hair, a |
| Discover electricity. Watch the effects of static | | | | piece of wood, a green leaf and a dried leaf, bubbles in |
| electricity. Have your toddler rub a balloon against your | | | | a bubble bath - and anything else that catches his or |
| hair and then place it on the wall, or run a comb trough | | | | her scientific fancy. Plastic containers that come with |
| his or her hair and then use the comb to pick up little | | | | magnifying tops are also fun, especially on nature |
| pieces of paper | | | | walks. |
| Grow some roots. To help your toddler see that many | | | | Study nature. Collect leave and needles from different |
| nonhuman things grow, plant a root garden. Cut an inch | | | | trees and compare. Carefully take apart a flower and |
| off the top of a few root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, | | | | study its parts (but make it clear to your toddler that |
| or beets, for instance), then place the vegetables | | | | this experiment should only be conducted with adult |
| cut-side down on a shallow dish, pour some water in | | | | approval; otherwise you're likely to find your entire |
| the dish, put it in a sunny lace, and watch it grow roots | | | | garden dissected). Dig up a pail full of dirt from the |
| Plant a dozen seedlings. Use an empty egg carton as | | | | backyard or in the woods when you're hiking, spread it |
| a planter for a seedling garden, they can use seeds | | | | on newspaper, and examine the contents - you may |
| from an orange or other fruit that they've eaten. Show | | | | be surprised by the amount of wild life you can find in |
| your toddler how to set the seeds in the soil, water | | | | just a bucket's worth of dirt. Make a bird feeder by |
| them, and give them sunshine; together draw a parallel | | | | coating with corn meal, then rolling it in bird seed; string |
| between that makes plants grow and what makes | | | | it outside on a tree or your terrace, and watch the |
| people grow. If the seeds don't grow, explain that | | | | birds fly back for a snack. Follow some animals home: |
| some times that happens | | | | pick out an ant returning with a mouthful of supplies, |
| Be kitchen chemist. Some of the most fascinating | | | | and follow it to its hill house; watch a squirrel as it |
| scientific discoveries can be made in the kitchen. Let | | | | retreats into a tree; spy on a bird flying home to its |
| your budding scientist watch (from a safe, supervised | | | | nest. Talk about the similarities and differences |
| distance) as heat makes an egg turn from gooey and | | | | between your home and those of the animals and |
| clear to firm and white; as a piece of bread (soft and | | | | birds. |
| light colored) turns into a piece of toast (crispy and | | | | Study water. In the tub or in the basin of water set up |
| dark); as air beaten into egg whites or heavy cream | | | | in the bathroom or kitchen, let your toddler fill the |
| makes them thick and fluffy; as yeast makes bread | | | | empty containers. Or provide a variety of waterproof |
| dough rise; as blowing on hot food cools it off; as | | | | objects and let your child discover which float and |
| vinegar mixed with baking soda (and perhaps a drop | | | | which sink. Together, try to figure out what properties |
| of food coloring for drama) in a muffin tin "erupt' in | | | | make the floatable float and the sinkable sink. Give |
| miniature volcanoes; as sugar or salt crystal | | | | your toddler some sponges (cut into fun shapes, if you |
| "disappear" in water; as raisins "dance" in the bubbles in | | | | like; but watch carefully if your toddler is still putting |
| a glass of sparkling water. | | | | things in his or her mouth); observe as they "grow" |
| Reinvent the wheel. What rolls besides a wheel? Have | | | | when dipped in water, then "shrink" again as they dry. |
| your toddler experiment with an apple and a block, a | | | | Fill a paper cup with water and have your toddler |
| round rock and a rock that isn't round, a roll of paper | | | | place it in the freezer; examine the cup's contents |
| towels, a cork, a book, and empty plastic soda bottle. | | | | periodically, as the water turns into ice. When it's hard, |
| Discuss what the rolling objects have in common | | | | take it out again and let defrost. Then put the melted |
| Attract some attention. Let your toddler roam the | | | | water in a pot or on the stove and bring it to a boil and |
| house (supervised) with a large magnet and see what | | | | let your toddler watch (at a distance) as the water |
| it will and won't attract. See where your refrigerator | | | | turns to steam |
| magnets will (and won't) cling | | | | Do it in order. Have your toddler arrange a group of |
| Have a way with weight. Select three objects of | | | | objects in order of smallest to largest. As eye-bailing |
| about the same size (a feather, a spoon, and a | | | | skills improve, have him or her order the object from |
| banana, for instance) and let your toddler's hand be the | | | | largest to smallest, which is trickier |
| scale that determines which is the lightest, the heaviest, | | | | Combine science with art. Lie on your backs in the |
| and the one in between | | | | park and watch the clouds roll by (point out how they |
| Make merry with measures. Can you pour two cups | | | | move, how they sometimes cover the sun). Then go |
| of water into one cup? How many cups can you pour | | | | home and draw pictures of clouds with chalk or paint. |
| into an empty milk container? How many feet long are | | | | Cut open a carrot to examine what's inside, then dip |
| you (have your toddler make an outline of his or her | | | | the cross-section in paint and do a vegetable print. |
| foot, cut it out, use it to measure things - in-cuddling you | | | | Collect dried leaves and pine cones on a nature walk, |
| or lying down)? Or teach you toddler a lesson in how | | | | then preserve the collection in a collage. Pick some |
| things grow by making a height graph. Every couple of | | | | flowers in your garden, then press them inside heavy |
| months, mark your child's height on the wall (or on a tall | | | | books until they're dried (explain that they dry as the |
| sheet of paper taped onto the wall) - and watch | | | | water that's in them is pressed out). |
| together as the marks grow higher and higher. You | | | | |