Quick, think about it, what is one of the most important academic subject areas for our children's generation to master and excel in due to problems & challenges the world faces currently in ecological,environmental, medical areas and more?  SCIENCE!

And yet sadly, the schools are cheating our children of strong science curriculums for ALL grade levels!  

Yet, all children love exploration, experimentation and observation to better learn things.  So definitely make time this summer to focus on encouraging scientific methods and improving your child's thinking skills...

With the long & warm daylight hours combined with the inevitable summer rain storms, summer is the absolute perfect time to teach children of all ages about science up close and personal in the great outdoors!

Everywhere you look the grass and plants are  growing faster, the frogs are croaking, the tadpoles are swimming, the bird are chirping and of course some pretty terrific rain storms are occuring with frequency.  Scientific learning opportunities are literally bursting around us everywhere during this time of year.  Gather up and recycle old planting pots, jars, buckets,cans etc and set out to collect some local life to study - like insects, plants,tadpoles, etc  Bring out the microscopes, flashlights, magnifying glasses and more and prepare for some Summer hands-on science!

With the longer daylight hours, it allows both working and non-working parents to explore their yards and parks more closely with their children to collect insects like fireflies or grasshoppers and examine them with a magnifying glass and release them or feed and care for for a few days prior to release.  Or how about planting seeds, or collecting plants or vines to propagate yourselves.  Local plant nurseries ,gardens, parks, and pet stores are generally free and full of interesting plants and insects to discover if you are on a budget.  Also visit your local library to learn more about the plant/animal you and your kids are seeing locally.  Maybe even plan and build birdhouses, butterfly gardens, vegetable garden, a pond or garden water feature or aquarium etc together this summer. 

Even the fourth of July offers unique science opportunities to learn about chemistry.  Light sparklers and see what happens.  Explore why and how this happens.  This history of fireworks also incorporates the study of China which is where the Summer Olympics are taking place which opens yet another door - the science of sports and anatomy of how muscles work together and the fascinating workings of the human body.

Or, why not  together explore how weather works by safely sitting and watching an electrifying rainstorm together from your window or porch and talking about how rainclouds form, how thunder and lightning occur or track the brewing hurricanes off the coast of Africa. Summer, hands down has the best rainstorms ever to learn from! Just get the scientific gears & wheels turning in their brains and don't forget to work together about discussing and forming family emergency plans during a natural disaster or inclement weather etc that might occur in your area.

Another fun scientific opportunity is just waiting for you at the local seashore, riverbed, or lakefront.  Marine biology is interesting to all ages!  Just get out there and learn some summer science together with hands-on nature.  The world is a giant classroom that is just calling us outdoors for summer learning and can easily be combined with books, dvds, art projects, nature journals, scrapbooking, museum visits, zoo visits and more.  It's summer and outdoor scientific opportunities are just outside your door - go hiking, gem mining, bug hunting, gardening etc with your kids - trust me, they won't forget how fun science can be if you take advantage of Summer!

Science is for all ages, just keep it age appropriate yet challenging and curiously  loaded with learning opportunities. Science involves exploration, experimentation, observation, mathmatical recordings, research, & divergent thinking- all in one so teaching science improves knowledge and ability all subject areas! Plus, you can't go wrong with summer outdoor science as it's quality time with each other while growing together - I guarantee that you all (parents and kids alike) will learn something and open new doors of interest to help prepare for the future..