A New Way to Look at Spilled Hot Chocolate

Your toddler just spilled her hot chocolate. You watch the brownish liquid making its way towards the edge of the table as it gets ready to drop on the newly polished floor. The toddler helps the process by slapping the hot chocolate excitedly.

You feel you are going to snap, but you manage to keep yourself together by pursing your lips tight, while grasping a towel to clean the mess.

But hold on! It might look like a mess to you, but it is actually much more. Your toddler is using his/her scientific thinking skills.

Clearly, we are not saying that you should encourage your child to spill drinks, but this is a perfect example of how important the years between two until eight are when it comes to developing scientific thinking skills.

“When a child spills her drink, it shows the child’s natural ability towards scientific thinking. For example, what happens when I do this? what can I do with it? For this reason, it is important to encourage these scientific thinking skills with young children,” says Jenni Vartiainen, The Founder of Kide Science. Kide Science is a play-based STEAM concept for 3–8 years old children and it is used all over the world at homes, schools and in after-school activities.

“With young children we should talk more about scientificthinking than scientific information. It is more important for the child to learn how the knowledge is built. The actual concepts of science are often too abstract for very young kids and learning them comes later,” Vartiainen says.

For this reason, play and experiment are primary ways in developing scientific thinking.

The importance of scientific identity

STEAM education is much praised for its’ importance in the future. However, what scientific thinking actually means is not always very clear for parents or teachers.

“The parent or the teacher does not have to teach about molecules and atoms. It is more adequate to create moments, where the child can use her natural ability to notice phenomena and learn about causal connections,” Vartiainen says.

But why is scientific thinking so important?

Scientific thinking is based on basic thinking skills: gathering information, making observations and coming to conclusions. These are helpful in many life-situations.

“Education in scientific thinking in early age also helps children to develop their so-called scientific identity. Still, too often, we view a scientist as a middle-aged man with limited social life and eye-glasses. Diversity is missing,” Vartiainen says.

“When I educate, I always make a point to high-light that I am a scientist, but I still dance the tango and enjoy the company of my friends and good food!”

Learn more about Kide Science at https://www.educationhousefinland.com/educational-solutions/kide-science. Kide Science is part of our Joy of Learning Online Lessons, a completely new after school program. Enroll your child now at www.eduhomefinland.com