Forums

I am a preservice teacher and I am looking for ways to interest kindergartners in science. This is many of the kindergartners first true experience with science and I am hoping to spark a lifetime of science loving in many of them. The school does not devote much time to science compared to some of the other subjects, so I am looking for new ways to get the students excited for the little amount of time I do have with them and the days they do have science! Thanks!

Kindergarten is a great age to teach science. The world is still very new to these kids. Science is integral in so many other things that you won't find it difficult to provide experiences even when it isn't officially science time. Things that they can watch and observe in the classroom each day are perfect for kindergarten- plants, butterflies, weather, etc. Check out these resources that I think are super useful for teaching early childhood science: http://www.shareitscience.com/2016/01/best-books-for-teaching-preschool-science.html

I am a pre-service teacher as well as a nanny to two young boys! My favorite thing to do with them is go on nature walks. If you are lucky enough to be in a school that has a garden or land lab near you, just taking students on a walk with paper and crayons does amazing things, especially for their observation skills! They are able to come up with questions about the world around them and make observations about everything they see. If you do not have a land lab, taking a walk around your building or the neighborhood around your school is a perfect way to introduce them to nature as well! Make sure you have all the necessary field trip forms signed though (when I was in elementary school we used to take walks around the neighborhood and had to have one permission slip for walks in general, not specific dates).