Kids are natural scientists. They’re curious, and they like to learn new skills. They’re also open to exploring the natural world.
Fortunately, organizations have created a wealth of quality materials teachers and parents can use. Some are specifically intended for learning science and doing science. Some are an extension of community science projects, and the resulting data are submitted just as other community scientists’ data would be submitted.
And, of course, families can participate with their children in any community science project whether it’s specifically designed for kids or not. (Adults should monitor, though, to ensure valid data is submitted.)
Besides community science projects, a wealth of materials and projects are available for school and home gardens as well as for just exploring nature. I’ve listed some of these resources here.
Science and community science resources for kids
Below are some resources to help educators, informal educators, home-schoolers, and parents plan science experiences for their students and children.
CAUTION: Unfortunately some industries provide free “educational” resources on science and other topics, but their motives may be less educational than propaganda for their industry, often disseminating incorrect information.
I’d stick with the non-profits funded by National Science Foundation, National Geographic, or universities. As far as I’ve been able to detect, none of the projects I’ve listed are being funded by industry interest groups. Look for the About section to see where the money is coming from, though it’s sometimes well-disguised with legitimate-sounding project names. For this reason, I’ve noted the sponsoring organizations for each project.
- Annenberg Foundation:
- Journey North – Explores the interrelated aspects of seasonal change.
- Journey North for Kids – a subset of the larger site with a sampling of stories, pictures, etc. just for kids.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
- Participate in Citizen Science K-12 Education – Links to eBird Essentials for Educators and to Citizen Science for Educators
- BirdSleuth K-12 (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) – Inquiry-based science curriculum that engages kids in scientific study and real data collection. Provides educators with kits and free resources, workshops and webinars.
- Lost Ladybug Project – Basic biology and identification information, lesson plans with original and unique games, printable pdfs for distribution and outreach, etc.
- Citizen Science: 15 Lessons that Bring Biology to Life (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) –
- Celebrate Urban Birds – for youth and adults in urban settings
- Best Apps for Birding with Kids – Comprehensive information on bird identification, observation recording, and field guides.
- National Science Foundation et al.:
- Project BudBurst – Monitor plants as the seasons change and submit ecological data based on the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of plants. Many resources for grades K-4, 5-8, 9-12, college-level as well as for informal educational settings.
- MacArthur Foundation:
- Wild Lab Gr. 5-12 – Promote STEM learning and local environmental stewardship
- Univ. of Minnesota:
- Great Lakes Worm Watch – Offers games and activities such as making a worm observatory or playing a forest ecosystem game
- National Audubon Society:
- Audubon Adventures – a variety of projects and activities
Kid-friendly though not specifically for kids
Some community science projects that are appropriate for kids (depending on their age) even if they weren’t designed specifically for kids.
IMPORTANT: Don’t expect kids to be able to understand and follow the protocols on their own. Please provide guidance.
- Mass Audubon:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
- Patterson Park Audubon Center:
- Kid Scientists! How kids can use eBird and iNaturalist
- San Francisco State Univ.:
- Great Sunflower Project – Gathers information about our urban, suburban and rural bee populations; gives tools to learn what’s happening with pollinators in our yards
- Association of Zoos & Aquariums:
- FrogWatch USA – Not for schools since observations are made at night, but great for families
- National Audubon Society et al.:
- Great Backyard Bird Count – An annual 4-day event for all ages – even for beginning birders. Great for families!
- Christmas Bird Count – From Dec. 14 -Jan. 5 every year for families and students, birders and scientists
Other Resources
- Our Habitat Garden (this website):
- Ecological Landscaping Association:
- A cornucopia of experiences – Teaching gardens in the schoolyard
- University of Illinois:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Central New York workshops and camps:
- Baltimore Woods Nature Center School Programs
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo School groups and tours
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo Family Learning Adventures
- Beaver Lake Nature Center Schools and Groups
Reflections
Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.
~ Carl Sagan
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, … he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in …
~ Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder, 1965
If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.
~ Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Our great mistake in education is … the worship of book-learning — the confusion of instruction and education. We strain the memory instead of cultivating the mind. … We ought to follow exactly the opposite course with children — to give them a wholesome variety of mental food, and endeavor to cultivate their tastes, rather than to fill their minds with dry facts.
~ John Lubbock, The Pleasures of Life, **1887**
The issue is not to teach [a child] the sciences, but to give him the taste for loving them.
~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Émile