Everyday Science and Math Tips

Science and math are all around us! Use these tips to help your child see and talk about the science and math in everyday life, which helps build an understanding of these topics.

Ask How Things Work
While cooking, give your children a kitchen tool that has moving parts (e.g., a can opener, salad spinner, turkey baster). Ask questions as they play with it, such as:

• “How do you think it works?
• What part(s) cause it to move that way?”

Count Without Counting
Build early math skills by asking children to recognize an amount without counting! You can ask, “Without counting, how many chairs do you think are around this table?” Then, count together to see if they were correct.

Be Patient with Repetitive Play
When young children repeat the same action over and over—like dropping peas from a high chair or pressing the same button on a toy—they’re learning about cause and effect, and mimicking the way scientists conduct experiments to learn more about the world around them.

Encourage Observation
Ask young children, "What do you see?" to build the science skill of observation. You can do this anywhere - out in nature or while watching things cook in the kitchen. To keep their observations going, follow up with, "Tell me more."

Take Things Apart
If you have an old appliance, toy, or machine around the house, work with your child to take it apart and see what’s on the inside. You can build their science thinking skills by asking them to describe what they notice and tell you how they think the parts work together.