Sponsored Guest Blog
British Science Week is back, and this year’s theme is Time. As I scratched my head wondering how to weave this topic into my science workshops, I ended up dwelling instead on the fact that most children only have a brief window of time when they experience the phenomenon of wonder. It’s a bit of a heartbreaker.
Wonder is much more than just curiosity; it’s that wide-eyed, jaw-dropping fascination that makes you feel like you’re witnessing something magical. Think of David Attenborough’s twinkling eyes as he encounters some incredible creature – for me, that is wonder in its purest form.
A sense of wonder is more than just wanting to know a straightforward answer to a question. Children use wonder to try and figure out exactly how a toy or machine works. Wonder inevitably leads to more questions – in my experience, normally at the least convenient time of day! Sadly though, studies show that our natural sense of wonder often tends to fade around the age of 5 and the endless stream of “why’s” becomes a trickle.
Dr Lucy Catto
So, how do we keep that spark alive? How do we nurture that sense of wonder in our little ones?
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of firing off yes-or-no questions like, “How many legs does that beetle have?” (and then feeling secretly relieved that they can at least count to six!), try to spark conversation with questions like, “I wonder why that beetle has six legs! Why do you think they need so many?”
Stargaze Together: There’s something special about gazing up at the night sky, pointing out a sunset/sunrise/full moon or cloud spotting together.
Get Experimenting: Simple open-ended experiments that you can do at home don’t need to be complicated or expensive (see below and on my website).
And then there’s my personal favourite: science magic tricks. I try and include these in my workshops because let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good magic trick? I also encourage families to take part in my sessions together – if children see their parents/carers enjoying science, then they naturally mirror this (this is especially important in relation to girls, but that is a topic for another day!).
Clean a Penny experiment
Grab some tarnished 2p coins. A chemical reaction between the copper coin and the air made them dull and brown but we can use another chemical reaction to remove the tarnish and make them look shiny and new!
Get your little one to put 1 teaspoon of salt into a small pot (an old yoghurt pot or small plastic cup is ideal). Pour in just enough vinegar to cover the salt and give it a stir. Put the coin in, watch what happens while you count to 20!
What happens if you use lemon or orange juice instead of vinegar? Does it work without the salt? What happens if you take the clean penny and leave it to dry for an hour?
Dr Lucy Catto
