Learning doesn't have to stop during the year-end school holidays. There are many fun activities you can enjoy with the kiddos to keep them productive and their creative juices flowing. For instance, those interested in science courses can try a hand at some science experiments for kids to do at home.
To inspire children's interest in science, 3M ensures that every kid has access to hands-on learning through their Science at Home kits.
From June to December, 3M has distributed a total of 281 Science at Home kits to underprivileged students and their parents in Singapore. Each kit has an apparatus and materials for simple science experiments for kids to do at home which families can conduct together.
The kits are also accompanied by online workshops conducted by Science Educators from the Science Centre. There are even educational tutorial videos hosted by 3M Science outreach volunteers for participants to watch.
To find out how these kits managed to spark a love for the subject among kids, the theAsianparent reached out to a couple of 3M Application Specialists and participants to share their experiences.
Spreading Love For Science As Shared By 3M Science Outreach Volunteers
"I’m passionate about sharing knowledge with young minds. It’s important to start at a young age because their minds are just ripe to be seeded with the right attitude of learning and the pursuit of knowledge," says Mr Jimmy Ho, 3M Application Specialist.
When asked what advice he would give parents to make science enjoyable for kids, Jimmy tells theAsianparent, "Every opportunity to communicate is an opportunity to learn. Thinking more about how the things around us work is a chance for young minds to absorb knowledge."
"Even a simple activity like having a meal is a chance to talk about how food is created or how cooking is done. There are plenty of opportunities around us!" he adds.
Mr Larry Peter Lo, another 3M Science outreach volunteer and a father of three, is also passionate about spreading the love of science. He says, "I’m passionate about passing on the love for STEM to kids because I believe it is a great way of embracing knowledge of the past to define and build a better future. STEM helps to develop deeper appreciation for nature and the world we share."
"I had the opportunity to demonstrate a simple liquid fireworks experiment on 3M’s Science at Home website, and recreated it with my children. They enjoyed it very much and were able to grasp the science concepts very quickly!" Larry continues to share.
How Simple Science Experiments For Kids To Do At Home Can Promote A Love For The Subject
Among the 3M kits with science experiments for kids to do at home, participants Madinah and Iffah Faiqah tried out the 3M Science at Home Murder Mystery Kit. With this, students get to solve a murder mystery inspired by a real-life case study using testimonies and various forensic science techniques.
"I thought that the kit was fun yet challenging. It was quite easy to follow the step-by-step instructions. I enjoyed learning how to identify the different blood types through the blood typing test and solving the mystery!" 12-year-old Madinah tells theAsianparent.
Aspiring to be a veterinarian in the future, Madinah shares how the kit inspired her to pursue this, "After trying out the kit, I learnt how science is very useful and I hope to attain my career goal as a veterinarian so that I can take care of more animals when they are sick."
Meanwhile, Iffah, who is also 12 years old and hopes to become a police officer, says she enjoyed the experiment a lot. She shares, "The kit provided me an opportunity to carry out hands-on experiments to learn about forensic science techniques on fingerprint analysis, bloodstain pattern analysis and to understand the importance of DNA profiling."
The two participants also shared their enthusiasm in recommending the kid to other kids their age. With Madinah saying, "It’s very fun and I learnt many different things. I was able to do some of the activities with my younger sister and enjoyed the bonding session together."
"It was very fun and I think other people can learn more about science in a fun way," adds on Iffah.
Lead image source from Science Centre Singapore.
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