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Dionne, I would suggest engaging your children in various science-type experiences. Take them to the beach, to parks, to zoos. Encourage children to explore, to question, to investigate. Together plants some seeds and watch them grow. Encourage the youngster’s curiosity. There is a series of articles in Science & Children titled The Early Years which give many suggestions for young children. Here are some examples of articles with ideas for you: Curiosity + Kindergarten = Future Scientists The Early Years: Inquiry at Play The Early Years: Ongoing Inquiry Let It Roll Introduction (book chapter, contents page gives activity ideas) A Head Start on Science--Encourage a Sense of Wonder

'Peep and the Big Wide World' website by WGBH has a set of Anywhere Activities for families. See their Four Great Tips for starting out:

1.When you give your kids the opportunity to explore, wonder and ask questions, they will pick up information, expand their experiences, and draw new conclusions.

2.Keep your own mind open to new ideas especially when things don't turn out the way you expect them to. Explore and learn with your kids rather than teach them.

3.Don't try to give explanations or teach facts, concepts and vocabulary. Although discussions are great and incredibly valuable, parents should follow the kids' lead. Let them stay absorbed in the play if they are not ready to talk about what they are doing.

4.A huge part of science is awe, wonder and delight in the natural world, and an appreciation of the beauty, order, and complexity of all its forms (be these snakes, rocks, insects, water or whatever). If this is what you give your kids through participating in these activities, you will have done more than enough.

Peep's science advisor, Karen Worth, answers the question, 'What is the best way to introduce science to young children?' at http://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/about/our-advisor/

Thanks Peggy and Kathy for all the great ideas and resources!

Dionne,

Help our kids learn about science can definitely be challenging. Here are a few resources that have fun hands-on activities I've used with young kids to help them explore science concepts:
Science Experiments for Young Learners ISBN: 1-55799-779-9
A Year of Hands-on Science ISBN: 978-0-545-07475-9
101 Things to Do Before You Grow Up ISBN: 978-1-7418-4504-4

There are also several book series that relate to science. Here are a few of my favorites:
Who Pooped in the Park by Gary D. Robson (there are several versions of this book for different National Parks. Each book discusses the park, why it's preserved, and the animals in the park)
The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library This is a series of books with titles like Is a Camel a Mammal and There's No Place Like Space (these books follow the typical quirky Dr. Seuss style)

I can't wait to learn about the other resources educators are using to teach young learners.

Maureen