Do you have a little one who is always curious about the world around them? Encourage their natural curiosity and help foster a love of learning with fun science concepts. Be their first science teacher or co-scientist by preparing enjoyable activities that introduce them to science. Introduce different ideas in a safe place using a children’s play mat foam. Your child can explore with brightly colored and cute designs without fear of getting lost or hurting themselves. Plus, many toddler play mats come equipped with built-in educational activities that make learning fun. Ready to start exploring some amazing science concepts with your little one? Continue reading to learn more!
Tips on Introducing Science Concepts to Toddlers
Being a parent means also being your curious child’s first teacher. If you particularly want to teach science, here are some tips to get you started. You do not need to be Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton; you need to be as creative as possible to catch your little one’s attention and make sure they’re having fun while learning.
Easy-to-use materials
First, use materials that are toddler-friendly. Remember that you are teaching kids as young as 1-3 years old. These kids are still developing their motor skills, so choose toys that are big and easy to hold. In addition, pick materials that are non-toxic and do not contain BPA and other harmful chemicals to ensure your little one’s safety.
Lots of involvement
To make teaching fun and memorable, shy away from the teacher-to-student communication but encourage a lot of involvement. Let your child explore, and prepare yourself with the mess that comes with it. Through movement and experience, they learn most and not with grand concepts and by explanations.
Varied concepts and topics
It will be exciting for you to prepare the lessons you will teach your child. Your child will experience the same excitement each time, especially when the topics vary. So prepare topics from weather, states of matter, animals, textures, body parts, and more! Most importantly, keep the teaching methods unique and fun too!
Science Lessons Little Toddlers Will Love
Now, let’s dive into the topics and activities you can do with your little one. Again, these science lessons are far from the books, and they encourage you and your child to get your hands dirty and learn through experience. Young children won’t learn by explanation, so explain the following science concepts the fun way!
Nature appreciation
Let your child grow caring for nature by teaching them concepts about it early. Begin by acquiring painting tools from the outdoors. Let your child pick on some fallen leaves, twigs, or even flowers they can use as an alternative to paintbrushes. Prepare a paper plate as a canvas. You can also hide different stuffed animals and colored eggs for a scavenger hunt and squeeze in some language lessons. Introduce the name of the animals, texture, and colors as they find them.
Let your child grow their own plants and learn the process of plant care by watering, airing, and putting bean plants under the sunlight. Who knows? Your child could be a natural green thumb!
The concept of gravity
You and Isaac Newton will both be proud when you see toddlers learning the idea of gravity. You can teach this concept in different ways. Prepare a tube where most of your child’s toys can fit in. Then, let them insert their toys on the tube’s one end, tilt the tube, and watch the toys slide—the effect of gravity!
Another activity that introduces this concept is dropping a golf, tennis, and plastic ball simultaneously. Through this activity, you can teach your little one that heavier things fall faster than lighter ones. Jumping on a trampoline? Also gravity! This science concept becomes less complicated with all these fun activities.
Different weathers
Rain rain, go away. Come again another day… Teach your child the concept of weather through fun nursery rhymes. Make the song come to life with fun gestures interpreting the lyrics, and you get an instant bonding activity. You can also introduce snowy weather to your little one through different ice experiments like putting ice in different places like the refrigerator, outdoors, and under the sun to see how each one melts at a different pace.
Cloudy weather is best explained by sticking cotton on paper and painting them shades of blue, gray, and black. Point out that the colors may indicate an upcoming storm or rain. Taking time outdoors is also a great way to teach your kids different weathers.
Let them understand the working of the winds with the help of pinwheels. Get a little artsy-fartsy by making the pinwheels yourself. You’ll both be giddy, waiting for the wind to move the colorful fruit of your hard work.
States of matter
Solid, liquid, and gas may be simple concepts, yet to a mind of a 3-year old, these are mind-boggling ones. But the great news is, there is a creative way to communicate the ideas to your little one through the help of jello. Arm your child with a spatula, an apron, and a little chef’s hat as they witness jello turning from liquid to solid after a few waits.
Static electricity, friction, and magnetism
Static electricity, friction, and magnetism are undeniably big words for your child’s developing mind, but you can still teach your kids these concepts in fun ways. For example, fill up a balloon with air and rub it repeatedly before putting it near your little one’s hair. Then, make sure they’re facing the mirror, so they’ll see their hair standing—static electricity.
Meanwhile, friction is just a matter of filling a bottle with rice grains and a chopstick. Insert the chopstick inside the grain-filled bottle, and let your child pick the bottle up just by lifting the chopstick—friction!
Make a pile of magnetic and non-magnetic objects, and let your child hold a magnet. Tell them that anything attracted to what they are holding is magnetic—an easy introduction to magnetism.
Create Safe Learning Spaces With Ashtonbee’s Toddler Play Mat
Toddlers are curious little beings who love learning about their surroundings. This is the perfect time to start introducing basic science concepts in a safe and fun way. Toddlers will enjoy learning about nature appreciation, the concept of gravity, different weathers, states of matter, static electricity, friction, and magnetism using everyday materials that are easy to use.
Create a safe and conducive learning space for your toddler using the best toddler play mat from Ashtonbee. We made this toddler play mat foam with toddler development in mind, and it has a variety of features that make it perfect for early childhood education. So check it out now, and get yours for your little one’s playpen!
