Toys and science make a wonderful match.
There are plenty of toys in the market and it is up to the parents to decide which toys are best suited for their young ones.
No one can argue that up to a certain age, toys are a kid’s most prized possession.
Have you ever wondered how easy your job would become if the toys can teach your kids about science?
Let’s explore how toys and science can be used by parents to entertain and educate.
Today we are going to talk about simple toys that can teach science concepts to your kids.
Let us take examples of five different toys and try and see if we can learn some science from them.
Although, I should state here that I am in no way a science expert.
I am looking at this purely from a parent’s perspective.
The parents have to act as teachers here.
Balls
As we all know balls are a favorite among young ones.
Balls can teach kids about gravity, mass and momentum.
The kids observe various things when playing with a ball.
These learning could be about the bounce of the varied sizes of balls, the speed with which balls of different sizes roll when pushed with the same force.
The parents need to invigorate and encourage the sense of inquisitiveness in the kids by relating these observations to scientific concepts.
Once the kid starts relating a falling ball with gravity or a fast moving ball with speed and momentum, he will not forget these concepts easily and will easily relate to them while studying.
Magnets
Magnets are another favorite of the kids.
Scientific concepts like magnetism, magnetic properties of different metals can be introduced to the kids using one or more magnets.
Opposite poles of the magnets attract while same poles repel etc.
A kid cannot be expected to learn these things at a young age but an introduction of the topics in an interesting manner will certainly leave a footprint in the kid’s mind.
Telescopes
Telescopes are neither simple nor cheap but for a child with an interest in the outer space and solar system, it could be a best tool to explore and learn.
A cheap introductory telescope could be a good beginning for a kid.
The concepts of planets, solar system, starts, galaxy etc. can be easily introduced to the kids. Of course you need to know the basics too.
Kids are by nature inquisitive and most will take an instant liking to astronomy if taught like this.
Spinning Tops
Spinning tops are an ancient toy.
They’ve been used since centuries to entertain kids.
These spinning tops can be used to teach kids about motion and angular momentum.
Ask the kids open ended questions about the motion of the toys and see them get intrigued by it.
Do some experiments like spinning fast and slow, maybe spin with a penny attached to the top. The kids will love it.
Nature
The most important and the most lasting knowledge of science can come from the nature itself.
Although nature is not a toy but we can consider as a form of open learning.
There are various topics in the science world which you can easily teach the kids.
Just pack your bags, take a magnifying glass and head to the nearest garden or the forest along with the kids.
Encourage the kids to explore plants, leaves, fruits, butterflies, and other flora and fauna around them.
The learning opportunities are immense if toys and science are used in conjunction to create interesting education models.
It is important to light the fires of questioning and experiential learning in kids.
This post can go on and on about how we can use simple toys for teaching not just science but we’ll keep that for another day.