Fun ways to get early learners interested in science! 

BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

AUGUST 10, 2023

Young children suck up information like pipettes in beakers, and although high level scientific concepts are beyond them for now, there are lots of fun and fab ways to introduce science to littlies in the early learning environment. 

To see what resonates with under-sixes, we’ve sought the advice of Jenny Lynch, founder of Creative Science Australia. 

Jenny presents entertaining science shows for preschoolers and older kids, and does professional development workshops for early childhood educators.  

She also worked for 10 years at Questacon, presenting science programs, and with all this whizz-bang experience, Jenny says variety is the best way to get young minds interested in science.  

This means that instead of just focusing on Biology, or always doing the Magic Milk experiment, little learners need a wide range of experiences and lots of different materials to explore through play.  

Jenny says there are several science topics that can easily be explored by early learners and care-givers, including: 

• Gravity  
• Floating and sinking
• Sound
• Senses and observation 

This activity guide (created by Jenny and the National Science Week team) contains loads of inspiring ideas for early childhood educators and preschoolers, but for starters, here are five ways to weave science into the early learning day: 

1. Groups can experiment with gravity.  

Gravity is something that under-sixes experience all the time, and often in entertaining ways!  

They feel the force of gravity when they catch and throw balls, or throw themselves around a playground, and in the early learning environment, Jenny says, “Educators can encourage preschoolers to think and make observations about the effects of gravity by providing them with different objects to drop from a height and seeing which one hits the ground first.”  

“The objects could be balls of different sizes, heavy and light objects, or a flat piece of paper compared to a scrunched-up piece of paper,” and it’s also fun to build a ramp for toy vehicles to roll down.  

2. Children can also have Physics fun by dropping different materials into H2O.  

Jenny says floating and sinking is a science topic that’s easy for educators and young children to explore, using a big container of water and different objects to test out.  

She says, “It can be interesting to explore objects that have different densities to see which objects float.”  

“For instance, a large piece of foam or wood will float, but most rocks will sink, even if they are very small in size; and by allowing children to play with a range of objects, they will learn about the physical properties of materials.” 

3. Sound is another great science topic for under-sixes.  

Jenny says funny sounds always get a giggle when she’s doing her science show for preschoolers, and at childcare, littlies can learn how all sounds start with vibrations.  

She says, “The best way to teach this is to invite children to put their fingertips on their throats while they talk, so they can feel the vibration on their vocal cords.” 

Jenny explains that, “When we speak, our breath passes over our vocal cords to make them vibrate, and that’s what makes the sound of our voice.” 

Groups can also experiment with different instruments to make different sounds (a big hello to our 5-in-1 music box!); and playing along to a song like ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’ enables children to hear (and make) fast, slow, high and low sounds.   

4. Experimenting with play dough is also interesting for early learners.  

Cooking or mixing ingredients to make play dough introduces children to Chemistry 101, and this activity flexes their tactile and observational powers as well. 

Jenny says, “Talking about the colour and texture of the ingredients before and after they are mixed or heated can set the foundation for children to develop an understanding of the science behind temperature, mixtures, and chemical change,” and talking things through also helps to develop under-sixes’ language and communication skills.  

There’s the option of adding aromatic, textured ingredients (like rosemary or lavender) to the play dough to really get the senses going.  

And as luck would have it, one of Jenny’s favourite experiments for preschoolers involves play dough!  

She says, “I like to make a volcano from play dough (or sand), and pour in a mixture of bicarb (sodium bicarbonate), white vinegar, dishwashing liquid and red food colouring to make an eruption of bubbly lava. The dishwashing liquid makes the bubbles last longer, and this experiment is fun every time.” 

5. Educators and children can also explore their senses and observations by stepping outside.  

Groups might go on an excursion into the outdoor area or outside the centre gates, and Jenny says, “There is science around us everywhere, and an important skill in science is observation.”  

“Simply taking the time to notice the world around us and share observations with children can help them to engage with science.”  

“Walking through nature is the perfect time to do this. Curiosity and interest in nature can be infectious, and if a care-giver models enthusiasm and interest in nature, the children will learn to appreciate and enjoy nature too.”  

“Pointing out a beautiful flower, the different shapes of leaves and trees, or making a collection of interesting objects can build an appreciation of the natural world,” and communication continues to be important.  

Educators can encourage children to observe the wide, wonderful world by asking questions like, “What can you see/feel/hear/smell?”; “What do you think will happen if…?”; “Why do you think that happened?” and “How is X different to Y?”. 

Young learners should also be encouraged to ask lots of questions of their own, and Jenny says it doesn’t matter if us adults don’t have all the answers. 

She says, “If you’re both interested in finding out more, you can investigate and research answers together.” 

There are lots of other ways for educators (and parents) to share science with under-sixes, and National Science Week is a great time to do this! 

This annual event runs from 12 to 20 August in 2023, and there are stacks of interesting events and interactive experiences happening around Australia. 

The National Science Week website contains all the info, and although much of the action is aimed at school-aged kids, there are preschooler-friendly activities on the Questacon website, and discovery centres, like botanic gardens, museums and zoos are always interesting for young families. 

A little bit of research will yield great results, and we hope you have fun exploring, discovering and hypothesising together!