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Having Fun With Math and Science: Activity Ideas

As parents, it's important to show our kids that math and science can be fun. At DiscoverThis.com, we're proud to offer science kits to engage the whole family.

To help even more, we've collected activity ideas from experts like Monica Shah, Manager of Science and Technology for the Girl Scouts of the USA, and Patricia B. Campbell, Ph.D., a long-time researcher and advocate for gender equity in math, science and technology. We hope these ideas will inspire you to make math and science play a regular family affair.

Follow your child's lead. If she wants to know more about raptors, says Shah, help her look up information on the Internet or take her to a natural history museum or bird sanctuary.
Make everyday activities into science lessons. Send kids on a "scavenger hunt" to find and identify ten different types of leaves or flowers, for example, then challenge them to name the plants on a walk the next day.
Help children develop their curiosity. Ask questions such as "Why is an apple a fruit but broccoli a vegetable?" or "What do you think concrete is made from?" Help them try to puzzle things out (what do fruits have in common that is different than vegetables?) and look for information to help them (touch a fragment of concrete to feel its texture).
Hold a family or neighborhood contest like "Funniest song that explains how gravity works" or "Coolest invention that solves any problem in the house."
Organize a party with an "ocean" theme (even young kids can brainstorm creative decoration and snack ideas – "sand"wich anyone? – says Shah) or a "mystery" theme that can be solved using forensic science.
Find out about local organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls' Clubs, YMCA and science museums that offer summer programs with an emphasis on science, math and/or technology. Many schools, community centers and colleges provide summer classes and workshops in science and technology.
Encourage kids to explore information technology with toys like Logiblocs and Robotics. Introduce girls who are interested in technology to programs like the Girl Scouts' Girls Go Tech (www.girlsgotech.com).
Cooking together can be a lesson in science and math, from simple measurement to complex fractions and ratios. Many families enjoy "kitchen chemistry" where kids are encouraged to see how everyday ingredients react when mixed and manipulated. (Check out Kitchen Table Chemistry and Soda Pop Science at discoverthis.com science kits).
Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to encourage strong spatial skills and can be challenging at every age.
Make up silly word problems with your kids. See if you can stump them; see if they can stump you. The problems can get as complicated as appropriate for your kids, says Campbell, "as long as they stay silly." It's a great way to pass the time on a road trip.
Give your kids a spending allowance on your next family vacation. Help them "comparison shop" and track their spending along the way.
Play number games when you travel in the car, whether it's a cross-country adventure or a quick trip to the grocery store. Young children can find the numbers from zero to ten and older kids can practice "rounding" numbers on license plates. Even advanced math students can be challenged to graph states they see on license plates or the types of roadside signs or bumper stickers they find. Estimating time based on speed is a great lesson in math and a pretty effective way to end "Are we there yet?"
Look for toys and games that challenge kids to develop spatial and logic skills. (Blokus, for example, has won many awards and is one of our favorites!)
Look for programs that allow families to discover the fun of math and science together, such as "Family Math," developed by the University of California at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science with affiliates throughout the nation and abroad. (www.lawrencehallofscience.org/equals).
Explore websites and books that offer fun, easy and inexpensive math and science project and activity ideas.

Have fun with your kids exploring math and science. You just might learn something, too!

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