Science is in everything we see and do. Your cell phone was created by a scientist, as was your TV and computer. A love of science fostered early in life will grow into the teens and adulthood. Your child could be the next Stephen 
Hawking or Thomas Jefferson. Here are a few simple experiments to start your child on his personal discovery of science.
Paper airplanes: While they may seem more like a nuisance than a science experiment, the design, construction and flight of a paper airplane helps teach engineering and aerodynamics. Research different paper airplane designs and sit with your child as you make them together. Try to explain why you need the wings and the importance of the nose. He’ll have fun watching them fly (and crash), but he’ll be learning all the while.
Diet soda and Mentos: There are chemical reactions happening every second of every day, from the salt dissolving on your French fries to the carbonation bubbles in your soft drink. If you want to get your child interested, the reaction has to be big. A safe and fun experiment is to take a 2-liter bottle of Diet soda and a pack of Mentos breath mints. Set the bottle on a stable platform in an area where there is plenty of space. Drop a couple Mentos into the open bottle and, within a few seconds, a fountain of soda will shoot from the bottle as high as 20-feet. The chemical reaction is caused by Mentos causing an incredible sudden creation of carbon dioxide that shoots out of the bottle. Don’t do this near your house, or you’ll be giving that pressure washer a workout.
Grow a Plant: There is nothing more amazing than watching life grow from a tiny seed into a full grown plant. Many scientists have been hooked on the phenomenon, and have dedicated their lives to understanding nature and all its facets. Go to a local nursery and purchase seeds for a small flower that is pretty hardy. You can ask the nursery employee for help if you need help deciding. Let you little one place the potting soil and seed in a small plastic cup, preferably transparent, and tell her what is going to happen. Let her be in charge of watering the seed. Explain to her that it’s important for her flower to get enough water and food to grow, just like her. Within a few weeks, she should have a small plant sticking out of the soil. When the flower is full grown, help her transplant it in the garden and let it grow naturally.
It’s science experiments like these, that help children understand the importance of science and how it’s used everyday. They may take a shine to it or they may not, but at least you have given them the opportunity to experience the wonder of nature and human ingenuity.
Photo Credit: NIOSH
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