Natural science for kids at home isn’t always the first thing people think of when they think about science. The reality is, it’s quite possibly the very best introduction to science for younger kids!
The STEM/STEAM acronyms are modern buzzwords when it comes to education. In a general sense the subjects of “Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics” seem specific enough, but they really encompass a massive realm of study.
Overusing these acronyms can give us a distorted view of science for kids at home or school. It begins to feel like science projects always have to relate to technology, engineering, art, and mathematics! Many times, the subjects are interrelated, so that’s not necessarily a wrong idea.
But it’s important to keep in mind that the “s” in STEAM covers a ton of fields of study on its own! Think about it like this – that “s” for science includes biology, botany, anatomy, chemistry, physics, etc.
Why Natural Science For Kids At Home?
Phew, that’s a lot! Where’s a parent or teacher to start young kids on their science education with so much to choose from?
Natural science! It’s affordable, and it’s literally happening all around us all the time. Observing plants and animals in nature is the perfect foundation to a scientifically literate future!
Get up close and personal with science for kids at home by starting at plant study. The best way to study the life cycle of plants is by growing them! Set your budding botanist up for success by growing something that has a high likelihood of success – green beans.
Get all the details you need about growing green beans here, and get started!
You don’t need a ton of space to plant green beans – if you have a very small yard or even a porch, try pole beans. You’ll have to trellis them so they grow up, but it will be worth it to eat the fruit of your labor!
If you absolutely can’t make it work to grow a full plant, kids can still study the plant cycle by growing them in paper cups!
Plant Science For Kids At Home – Planting Green Beans!
Starting by planting seeds!
Then you can observe the plants regularly! I highly suggest having kids draw a picture of what they see happening in the garden. You can even help them label each phase of the plant life cycle! Making these drawings in a blank journal will pave the way for more natural science observations later on.
When a seed first sprouts, it’s called a cotyledon!
Then it grows into a seedling:
Next it becomes a mature plant. If you’re growing pole beans they will look like this:
Bush beans will look like this when they are mature:
Then the plants will flower, and produce beans. Eat them when they’re ready, but also encourage kids to dissect the bean pods and notice that seeds for more plants will come from there!
Enjoy the legumes of your labor, and then have your kids look back at their drawings of their plants from the beginning. Can you believe what started as a tiny seed grew into a full plant that was able to feed you?!
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