Teaching your kids about sciences at an early age is probably one of the best decisions you could ever make. Sure, it’s not something that could be easily done, but it’s definitely well worth the effort and time you’re going to put into it. The younger you start with the kid, the more time you’ll have to work on developing their cognitive abilities and intellect. There are definitely many important things you should educate your children about, but sciences, like physics, are probably more important than most.
A kid growing up with a solid understanding of physics is one who’ll grow up with better understanding of the universe and how it works. This not only will reflect on their mental capacity and comprehension, but also will give them a better understanding of what they want to do in life. Who knows, by teaching your kid about physics, you may just be raising the next Stephen Hawking. The question remains, what unconventional ways can you use to teach your kids about physics?
Show and tell
The beauty of physics lies in the fact that it is all around us, and anyone can easily see its applications, even a small child. One of the best ways to teach your kids about physics is by showing it to them and how physics affects their lives every day, even if they don’t know it yet. How can you demonstrate this? You can always start with gravity. Grab your kid’s favorite toy and throw it off a minor altitude –– don’t break it though –– and when the toy hits the floor, it’s your gateway into explaining the laws of gravity. You can keep explaining that concept and how it works by different examples and using things falling from different heights. Even a person jumping off a couch is an excellent example of gravity.
Then you can move on to Newton’s laws of motion, which can also be easily demonstrated by a live example. Any object will remain at rest until an external force interferes and compels it to change its state. This a law you can easily show by simply pushing a stationary object. Then there’s the ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ law which can be simply demonstrated using a ball and bouncing it off a wall, and so on. Never underestimate the power of visual stimulants. We as adults consume them at a very large rate, and kids do it even faster and more. So, show don’t tell.
Hands on learning
If visual aids work like magic on a kid, imagine what hands on experience would do. Schools are actually moving in that direction more and more these days, and for good reason. A kid understands something best if they do it themselves, and they never forget it. It’s always better if they understand through practical application along with the help of a physics textbook. So, you can let them do a small scale scientific experiment that would lead to them understanding a law of physics. A notched pencil can be their gateway to understanding the laws of motion and rotation, and they can play that game themselves. They can create a string telephone to understand about sound and its propagation through different media, and so on. It’s these types of experiments that the kids do themselves that truly help them understand physics better than any school book.
Tell a story
Everybody loves a good story, and no one does more than a kid. You can teach your kids about the laws of physics through bedtime stories that you can rest assure will be remembered. For instance, ever heard the story of how Newton discovered gravity? That would be quite an interesting story to share with your kids. Then there’s the Archimedes principle and how he ran around in town naked excited by his discovery, yelling “Eureka.” It actually helps that several stories of scientific discovery like these are quite interesting and funny, so the kids can easily understand and remember them, which makes their learning curve even faster.
Role play
Roleplaying is also another unconventional way to teach your kids about physics. You can have your kids dress up as different molecules or atoms, and then through that you can explain the building units of our universe and what makes us tick. The possibilities are endless with something as roleplaying, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s fun, too. Kids always enjoy role playing, and you can use that to your advantage by infusing physics with the game.
Social media
While most parents would frown upon the notion of letting their kids use social media at a young age, you can actually use it to your advantage. YouTube is one of the most interesting and useful platforms in the world, and your kid can stand to learn much from it. You’ll find countless educational videos that your child can use to understand about a certain scientific topic or learn about a new law of physics. Spending time watching these videos can definitely make your child a lot smarter.
Games
You can have your child play video games all night, or you can help them learn about physics through some games you specifically choose for them. There are literally scientific labs now that you can create for your kid as games, and there are replicas of actual scientific tools you can get them. Whether it’s a telescope, a microscope, or a lab, there are tons of games out there to teach your kids all about physics.
Start them young
If you hadn’t already started teaching your children about physics, you should do it as soon as possible. You’ll find that their mental and cognitive abilities develop so much faster, and they’ll start becoming better at nursery and school as they move forward. Truth is, everybody should teach their kids about physics, because it will make the all the better for it when they grow up. You’ll find that there are plenty of resources to help you teach your kids all they need to know about physics, and the process doesn’t necessarily have to be boring, contrary to what you might think.
