As a sometime astronomer and historian of science, I’m often prowling sites in those areas. My own son is still too young to start learning “science” per se, although his facility with latches and love of anything with a motor makes me think he’ll be an engineer like his other mom. Still, I was pleased to find a few good sites with home science experiments for kids.
- I particularly like ZOOMsci from PBS Kids. Not only is the site clear and compelling, but the experiments are well explained and cover topics in both science and engineering. I’m just not sure whether I’d rather make a Sneaker Launcher or Electric Gelatin.
- Science Explorer from the San Francisco Exploratorium is also quite good, with clear instructions and good explanations of the science involved.
- Finally, the ever-interactive NASA has a number of space-related projects at Space Place, and a shuttleload of other off- and online kids’ activities at NASA Kids. We hope they put as much thought and effort into their new spacecraft.
While there’s a lot of great stuff on all these sites, I wish they’d give some indication of the age ranges for the various projects. Read carefully to make sure your child can handle them, help if necessary, and have fun. After all, what could be more exciting than lemon juice rockets?
Pingback: Mombian: Sustenance for Lesbian Moms » Blog Archive » Girls and Science: More Than Just Nail Polish