One summer when we were kids, our family rented a cottage. The four of us piled into a van laden with all the summertime accessories we’d need and took the highway north until the air tasted fresh. Our parents probably had visions of us hiking in the woods or swimming in the lake — but what we remember most is searching for frogs.
Dressed in big yellow waders, we traipsed mud through the kitchen, occasionally bringing our frog finds inside with us. We felt like jungle guides with our knowledge of the wilderness and newfound confidence. Among other things, we discovered how tadpoles turn into frogs. (Technically it’s called metamorphosis, but our parents likened it to Clark Kent transforming into Superman … complete with the frog’s new jumping abilities.)
Had our science classes tried to teach us all that we learned, it would have fallen on deaf ears. But that’s what summers of our youth are for — textbook-free explorations of the world around us.
We didn’t know it then, but we were laying the groundwork for our inquisitive mindsets as adults. By looking up at the night sky or digging down into the earth, summertime science experiments tap into children’s natural curiosity and teach them to ask big questions.
In our age of skepticism, science is under attack. Observable facts and scientific consensus are seen as political or partisan. Many adults are quick to ignore evidence in favour of what they already believe. But some of the world’s biggest challenges are highly scientific — from climate change and global health epidemics to feeding a growing population.
Children, however, are naturally curious. Parents can help foster that curiosity with DIY science activities this summer, ushering in the next generation of open minds. We parents may even learn a thing or two in the process.
“Our goal isn’t to create perfect science experiments or the absolute best scientists,” says Lisa Goldberg. “Our goal is to create really great question-askers.”
“Our goal isn’t to create perfect science experiments or the absolute best scientists,” says Lisa Goldberg, founder of Action Potential Lab in Toronto, which offers hands-on workshops on everything from astronomy to microbiology.
“Our goal is to create really great question-askers.”
As kids get older, science classes turn from fun, showy experiments to challenging technical equations that can be daunting. What keeps kids engaged when their classes get tough? A passion for exploring and a belief that their questions have value.
That’s what summertime science is for.
Exploration can mean mapping the night sky to get to know the stars or mapping your neighborhood (no Google Earth allowed) to practise drawing models. It can be a lesson in propulsion with homemade bottle rockets or biology in the garden. On a rainy day, cooking is just one big science experiment done in the kitchen. Or, like us, you and your kids can throw on some waders and explore frog habitats.
These activities may sound more like play than science, but that is the point. All the fun creates a space where kids feel ownership over their curiosity. It gets them in the habit of asking big questions and thinking creatively to find answers — skills they’ll rely on when they’re older to tackle problems in the workplace or around the world.
Kids learn by playing, getting dirty, pushing boundaries and testing new ideas. That’s also, coincidentally, how science happens.