Make opportunities to learn science available
Many parents want to encourage their kids to have fun learning but simply do not know how. There is actually an easy solution; encourage kids to think scientifically by providing them with opportunities to practice. As a parent you must teach this principle by example. When you go outside for a walk or a bike ride, point out some of the things that you see. Ask your kids if they know why the weeds can push through the sidewalk, or how a scraped knee will heal itself. Ask questions and if you don't know the answers see if you can think of an experiment that will help you to figure out what is going on. There is science in everything around us, we just have to be opened to seeing it.

Teach your children to explore their curiosity
Curiosity is said to be the most essential trait of a scientist. Encourage your children to ask questions and express an interest in finding out more about what you notice and read. See if you can find out answers to questions by trying things out. Ask your kids if they have any suggestions for an experiment that they could do to answer the question or confirm the theory that they have. Help them through the process and be available for questioning but encourage your child to find the answers for themselves.

Encourage kids to find the answers for themselves
Some questions lend themselves better to casual experiments than others. A good example would be experimenting to find the answer to the question, "Will seeds in the fruits and vegetables we eat grow?" Put them in the dirt and see! It's most important to communicate the idea that you can find out answers to your own questions, and that the most reliable answers are the ones you find through your own experiments. Yes, you could just answer their questions and save yourself some time and effort, but in doing so you will miss out on an important educational opportunity. Now is this to say that you shouldn't answer any question without first doing an experiment? No! This is not realistic. But with the occasional science project you can teach a child concepts that will bee more deeply engrained in their minds because they found the answers themselves and didn't have to take someone else's word for it.

Other ideas to promote an interest in science
There are lots of mediums that you can use to engage your kids in learning and having fun with science. A blend of many different types of science information exposure is best.

• Visit a science center, zoo or aquarium.
• Garden together.

• Building something together.

• Watching science programs on television (good examples include Zoom, Beakman's World, Bill Nye: The Science Guy, or Mythbusters. Of course, these shows vary in age appropriateness so it is important to always monitor what your children watch).

• Purchasing or borrow books from a library on topics that interest your child.

• Visit JustScienceProjects.com to find science project ideas that you can do as a family.

• Participating in programs that expose children to nature (i.e. scouting, a science team/club, or 4-H).