Helping at home

Help your child with Science at home

• Show your child plants or pictures of plants, such as apple trees, tomato plants, sweet corn, and cabbages and ask them why it is important for humans to grow plants.
• Plant seeds at home. Talk about the things plants need to grow, such as soil, water, light and air. Help them to observe the changes as the plants begin to grow.
• Do you have a pet? Help your child to point out the similarities between animals and humans. Do we both have arms, legs, eyes, ears and a nose? Do we both need food, water and sleep?
• Talk to your child about sources of light. Walk around your environment and point them out: timer switches, clock radio, computer, lamp, light bulb, street lamps, the sun and moon. Which are bright or dim?
• Link science to real life. Talk about how things were in the past and how scientific advances have brought changes. Share books that show non-electrical or old household appliances.
• Give your child a collection of items made from different materials – paper, cardboards, plastics, metals – and ask them to find different ways of grouping them (rough, smooth, shiny, dull or plastic, metal, wood, fabric).
• Point out materials that are found naturally and those that are not (twigs, unpolished/unfinished wood, sand, rocks, water, bone, clay, wool, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard). Ask your child to try sorting the materials into those they thinks are found naturally.
• Talk to your child about how natural materials are changed to make everyday objects. Use resources to help your child learn about the processes involved.
• Encourage your child to be eco-aware.  Support them to be involved in activities such as recycling, saving energy by turning off lights and conserving water.  Talk openly about environmental issues and the ways in which we can all look after our very precious planet.