There are many ways to bond with your little ones. You can play with their toys, run around the house, or simply eat together. You can even make your fun time a time to learn new things.
One way to make learning more exciting is by incorporating science into it. And yes, you can do awesome science activities with your toddler.
In this post, you’ll find a few science activities you can do at home (or outside) but before that, let’s go back to the basics.
What Are Science Activities?
Science activities are activities that involve discovery and exploration. You can never go wrong doing this with your toddlers since, at this age, they are naturally curious and excited to learn about new things.
It’s not just about mixing things; it can also be about observing nature, weather, and basically, everything around us. It’s about getting to know the animals, plants, humans, and how they interact with each other.
But, no matter how fun or interesting an activity is, you have to expect that our little ones won’t be able to understand it fully. However, this should not limit us -- as parents -- to introduce this area and let them learn from it.
So, if you’re excited, too. Here are some science activities for toddlers you can try now.
Fun At Home
DIY Lava Lamp
Lava lamps are one of my favorite things even as an adult, and I’m sure kids would love it, too. The good thing is: you can do it at home. All you need are the following:
- Water
- Oil (vegetable or any clear oil)
- Food coloring
- Tall, clear glass
- Alka-Seltzer
To start your own lava lamp, just add equal parts of water and oil. Add a few drops of food coloring (preferably, your toddler’s favorite color). For the last part, cut the Alka-Seltzer into four parts and add it one by one. Now, watch the oil-and-water mixture fizz and bubble up!
Float Or Sink Game
This activity is pretty simple and exciting and the best part is, you don’t need to buy anything. Just get a container, add water, and let your little one grab all the toys they can. The concept behind this activity is to find out which toys would sink or float in the water.
Therefore, before they start dropping toys, ask them: “What do you think will happen to your toy car, doll, etc.?” “Do you think it will sink or float?”
This task will help your kids understand what they are doing and seeing while improving critical thinking. Since you are asking questions, they are encouraged to think of answers.
DIY Sensory Wave Bottles
Creating a sensory wave bottle is fun and easy; you can even let your little one get involved with it. All you need is a clear water bottle, food coloring (in your kid’s favorite color), clear oil, and a few things that would fit inside the bottle.
To start your sensory wave bottles, fill the bottle with water (do not fill it fully as you don’t want it to overflow when you add tiny things), add a few drops of food coloring, and the oil. Now the fun part: add small things, such as googly eyes, pom poms, or sequins.
Now, to keep it secured and closed, super glue the lid in the bottle.
Exploring Nature
Painting WIth Nature
While you can do this at the comfort of your own backyard, you can also take your kids out in the park and bring a few things, such as:
- Cardboard or paper
- Paint
Ask them to look for a tool they can use to paint with, like rocks, flowers, leaves, or basically anything they can find.
Create a Nature Collage
Creating a nature collage is like putting all the beautiful things in one place. Flowers, leaves, twigs, etc. That being said, your kids will surely love this simple activity, too. For this one, you’ll need the following:
- Cardboard or paper plates
- Contact paper (you can use other alternatives, too, such as a construction paper or foil with a hot glue gun or a glue stick)
- Yarn
- Tape
- Scissors
Just like the activity above, all your kids have to do is find leaves and flowers and glue it firmly on the cardboard.
Go Out On A Scavenger Hunt
Now, time for an adventure! Before going out, you can create a list of the things you want your kids to look at outside or download a Nature Scavenger Hunt List.
For this activity, you’ll only need a basket and a list of things that your toddlers need to find, such as blue flowers, small leaves, anything that smells good, a heart-shaped rock, etc.
Let your kids find these things but before they do so, tell them to have fun!
These are just some of the science activities you can do with your toddlers.
Do you have other activities in mind? If yes, feel free to share them in the comment section.
Thank you!