The Family Center

Science and Nature Education

Science and nature education provide open-ended experiences that expose children to the possibilities that exist within the physical and natural world. By participating in these experiences, children practice observing, investigating, predicting, questioning, hypothesizing, and solving problems. As they explore, children begin to deepen their understanding of the characteristics of living things, the physical properties of objects and materials, and properties of our earth. Nature education provides children with a foundation for a life-long relationship between themselves, the earth and its natural resources.

You see the science and nature education curriculum in action as children...

• experiment with balance, gravity, and cause and effect as they build in the block area
• observe, explore, and investigate living things in the nature space, gardens, and on the playground
• begin to make predictions, ask questions, and hypothesize as part of the inquiry and problem-solving process
• work in the garden to plant, care for, and harvest herbs, vegetables and flowers
• engage in cooking experiences
• investigate various materials and their properties at the sensory and light tables
• participate in a variety of science experiments
• begin to represent and communicate observations in a variety of ways