Backyard Science Projects
Your yard and neighborhood provide many wonderful opportunities for kids to both play and learn. In addition to swimming and other outdoor sports, your child can also use your backyard for science projects. If you want to help them achieve this, take the time to familiarize yourself with science and nature activities that can be done in your backyard.
Exploring the outdoors is not only a fun activity, but it can also provide many educational science experiments.Whether you live in a rural, suburban, or even urban area, there are a surprisingly large number of different plants and animals to be found in you yard. Most children love exploring nature, especially with your encouragement and help. This is especially true for kids in pre-school and elementary school. Since young children will need your assistance, you will want to pick outdoor activities that you also enjoy.
One way for children to learn science is by examining the local plants. You can find many different species of plants in your own backyard – some of them planned, and others unwanted. The most interesting environments may be found in wooded, bushy and unmowed areas.
Your yard and neighborhood provide many habitats for birds and animals. See how many different species you can identify. Be patient and quietly observe them for awhile. What do they eat? Can you find where they live? Many people find bird watching fun and educational. Don’t be surprised if you child decides they would like a new pet bird.
Your backyard is also likely full of many different insects. Kids are often fascinated with bugs, and want to examine them more closely. It is not only fun to see what kinds of bugs live in your backyard, but it is also exciting to learn about how they survive.
In addition to the living things that can be found in your backyard, you and your child may also want to examine the weather and the impact it has on the yard and everything living there. Backyard conditions change as the weather changes. Study your backyard after a heavy rain, and have your child look for all the changes they can find. Your child can learn a lot by studying the effects of the weather on the animals and plants in your yard.
Providing your child with some basic scientific supplies can reinforce their learning experience. These supplies may include, but should not be limited to containers, butterfly catching nets, magnifying glasses, picture books, and resource guides. If your child is planning on capturing a few insects, a small cage or breathable container may be just what they need. Many of the supplies you need can be bought at local toy, department or home improvement stores. Or find what you need by searching online.
Nature and science books may be a good addition to your child’s library, as resources they can turn to again and again. Many books and guides have a specific focus on insects, birds, plants, or flowers.The pictures and information found in these resources can help you identify the animals and plants living in your yard. Your local library or book store will have many good science and nature books available.
It may be helpful and fun to document what you see as you explore the plants, animals and insects in your backyard.You can easily do this with a camera or a notebook. Your child can record their adventure by using a camera to take pictures.You can use the pictures for other science projects and crafts. Scrapbooks and collages are a great way to turn traditional photographs into something much more.
Whether your child plans on exploring your backyard, or they do so without intending to, it is likely that they will be interested in what they see and learn. Teaching kids science in your own backyard is just one of the many adventures that you and your child can share outdoors. And it just may be the start of a life-long interest in science.