Science Activities for Toddlers & Infants

New parents may not realize it, but many ordinary activities in and around the home can teach toddlers and infants concepts that form the foundation for learning about science. Whatever activity you choose, remember that infants and toddlers learn a great deal about their world by putting things into their mouth--so use edible or nontoxic materials, and always monitor their activities closely.

  1. Touchie Feelie

    • Kids learn a lot about the world from tactile experiences. You can help them learn about liquids and solids with simple activities. Take your child to a beach and show her how to scoop sand and water and what happens when you mix the two. Watch the waves and their effects on the beach. At home, fill a plastic or tin container (such as a pie tin) with oatmeal, dry rice or dry noodles and let your child experience the sounds and sensations of touching and moving the food around. Or bring your child outside to explore rocks, grass, dirt and bugs together.

    Beautiful Noise

    • Young children are expert noisemakers when it comes to communicating their needs. You can broaden their world by teaching them about the many different ways sounds are made. For example, teach your child animal sounds. Kids love mooing and barking. Also, when your child utters a sound, repeat the sound back to her. Besides encouraging her to express herself, you will teach her about differences in voice tone and inflection. And you can always sing to your child--even if all you know is the alphabet song, and it's off-key. You're helping your child learn to use his vocal cords and his ears.

    What a Sight!

    • The youngest babies focus on whatever is within about 1 foot of their eyes. As they begin to notice more of the world, parents can help them learn about it with vision-focused activities. A natural game for parents is playing peek-a-boo. Besides making your baby giggle, you're teaching her that something is still "there" even if it's hidden. When you're outside, point out details to your child: "Look at that robin in the grass"..."I see lots of clouds in the sky"..."Let's watch that butterfly." You'll expand his vocabulary while teaching him to observe and interact with his world. Playing color games is another easy teaching tool. After your child learns colors, use paints or crayons to teach her what happens when you mix them.

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