Foster Your Child's Natural Curiousity

Ever wonder how you might help your child become more interested in science?

Foster your child's natural curiosity. Take a 10-minute walk around the backyard,your neighborhood or a local park. Start a collection of natural items such as leaves. Take the leaves home and identify the trees they came from. You and your child can make rubbings of the leaves by placing white or notebook paper over the leaves and using a crayon to rub over the paper. You should see an imprint of the leaf on the paper. Write one or two sentences that describe what you and your child observed.

Take your child to a museum or a nature center. Many cities and towns have museums or technology and nature centers designed specifically for children. If there isn't a center or museum in your town, take a virtual field trip on your computer or a computer in the library.

Consider a camp that focuses on science or technology. If your child is interested in space, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center holds week-long space campsfor children ages 9-18, and the United State's first woman astronaut, Sally Ride, sponsors a special parent/daughter weekend program, specifically designed for girls between 7 and 11 years of age.