Doing Science Every Day

Science is far more than a set of concepts about properties, pushes and pulls and living things. It is a dynamic, creative and social process called inquiry. Inquiry includes wondering and asking questions, exploring and observing, talking about and representing findings and generating and sharing ideas. Young children learn science by actively doing it — and that’s why science and kids are a natural fit!

Three-year-olds learn about the world through direct exploration, using all of their five senses. They also begin to use simple tools and solve problems by trial and error — trying something over and over until they get a result. They are increasingly able to draw on past experiences to describe, make comparisons and talk about their observations. They can sort and classify objects based on one property — such as size, shape or material — or one function, such as playing, eating or drawing.

Opportunities for three-year-olds to do and learn science are everywhere, from the time they wake up in the morning until they go to bed at night. But they need your support to take advantage of these opportunities. Remember, nobody knows your child like you do. That makes you the best person in the world to help your child do science every day!