Kids love to learn what they can do and learning about ourselves is very important, so let’s do some science activities about the body. This idea comes from a parent who works at home who shared the following photo. That means it’s kid-tested and both child and parent friendly. She and her son created a little book called “Things I Can Do.”
We can start this activity by listening as a child says to us, “See what I can do.” This can happen in any room in the house or outside. It could be balancing on one foot, climbing up the monkey bars, bouncing on a trampoline, or hanging over the edge of the bed. As we watch and listen, we can acknowledge their effort with “I see what you can do,” or “I hear what you can do.” We can take a photo or ask kids to draw a picture of what they can do. Once we have photos or drawings, these can be glued onto stiffer pieces of paper. Kids can either print themselves or we can write for them.
We can encourage some discovery and exploration by asking what legs can do, what can arms do, and what other body parts can do. Bodies can bend, stretch, and reach for the sky. Bodies can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Playing with a ball is a form of science as kids figure out they can kick, throw, roll, catch, and chase balls. Besides sports, bodies can do art. Hands, fingers, brains, and eyes help as kids draw. Writing a name is something else that kids can do. Building with blocks and putting a train track together are more things.
Science is not just experiments. It is also learning about us and our world. As parents and caregivers, we give kids science kits and tools, but we have the best science material with our own bodies. There is always something new to discover. What a wonderful idea for some science learning. Science activities about the body are also lots of fun. What things can your child do?