Seashore Science!
Planning a trip to the beach? The seashore is an excellent opportunity to engage your child in novel science experiences. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recently published an article listing the top 10 STEM activities to introduce your child to science through play! Here are the top 3:
Sand Castle Engineering
Sand castles are an awesome way to introduce your child to simple engineering concepts like structures, weight, and balance. Start with building a tower, then expanding to include other castle features like turrets, courtyards, and moats. The best part, mistakes are easy to destroy and rebuild, offering a perfect opportunity to confront productive failure in a fun, pressure-free way, especially for children who may be more anxious about making mistakes!
Sand Science
The composition of sand is a cool way to introduce children to geology. You can explore these tiny crystals with just your eyes, a magnifying glass, or through the zoom on your phone’s camera. You can collect, categorize and search for different varieties of sand, especially if you travel to different shores or coastlines!
Ocean Physics
Physics is one of the hardest concepts to introduce to your children because it often involves invisible forces that are difficult for children to understand. The push and pull of the ocean is a great way to teach children about simple physics concepts that they can feel and observe!
