Science Activities for 5 Year Olds

With the push for older students to pass standardized tests in math and reading, science is often neglected at all grade levels. However, kindergarten is the perfect age for students to begin learning about science, because 5-year-olds are naturally interested in science. They are constantly observing their world and asking questions about it.

1. Significance

   • As 5-year-olds observe, explore and experiment, they will begin to adapt and change their thinking about why things happen. Teaching young students about science will help them to ask questions, make predictions, and investigate and experiment to find answers. As their knowledge of science grows, young students will become more confident thinkers.

   Features

   • Kindergarten science activities should give students experience with observing, communicating, classifying, sorting and finding patterns. Provide your students with hands-on, discovery-based activities where they can use their five senses to observe and gather information. Have materials available so they can record their observations through pictures or words. Science instruction should encourage creative thinking, questioning, investigating and problem solving.

   Types

   • Kindergartners should have the chance to experiment with the scientific process as well as begin to learn about the three main types of science. They will learn about earth science as they study weather, rocks, sand and soil. Learning about plants and animals will introduce them to life science. They will use physical science as they observe and compare the properties of objects. These studies will give 5-year-olds a foundation to build on.

   Materials

   • Introduce your kindergarten students to science tools and materials. Hand lenses can be used to observe such objects as insects, seeds and leaves. Balance scales can be used to compare weights as your students discover and learn about different objects. Introduce your students to other science materials such as safety goggles, beakers and magnets. One way to let your students work with these materials is to set up a discovery center with science tools. The center can also include rocks, leaves and shells. Change the items periodically so that there is always something new to discover.

   Benefits

   • The hands-on approach to learning will keep your students motivated and excited about learning. They will be deeper thinkers and have a better understanding of the world around them. By teaching science you will also be teaching math and reading skills. Students learn math as they measure, sort, compare and find patterns. Reading and writing skills are reinforced through the sharing of nonfiction books, reading charts and recording data and observations.

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