Image by Flickr – Clairity

Okay, a confession. Science was the yuckiest subject at school for me. I couldn’t wait till I finished high school, and didn’t have to suffer through science anymore.

Part of the problem, I think was the way science was made so intimidating in class. Teachers (and parents) were clueless about breaking things down, and making them simple for ordinary mortals.

Having said that, science is also one of the most important subjects your child can grasp, aside from math. By now, we are all aware that geeks will inherit the earth, so here are a few activities to help your preschooler connect to her geeky side.

Kids love to play with mirrors – these throw up incredible opportunities for play and learning. Here are some fun activities using mirrors:

1. Write her name on a piece of paper, and hold it up in front of the mirror. Why are the letters all wonky? Discuss.
2. Put a marble or other small object on a mirror, and roll it around. Watch what happens to the reflection.
3. Experiment with the many possibilities – Let her look at the back of her head by using two mirrors – hold one mirror behind her to face the back of her head, while she holds out the other in front of her.
4. Let her put a spoon inside a cup by look at the reflection in the mirror.
5. Move on to bigger challenges. Let her insert a toothpick or matchstick inside the mouth of a bottle. This also helps her co ordinate her eye hand movements, great practice for other useful skills later on, like writing.
6. Let her find other surfaces to see her reflection in – kitchen appliances like the toaster, or the screen of a TV that’s switched off.
7. Let her look at her reflection in the waters of a pool. Or fill a large tub with water and let her look at her reflection in it. What’s the difference between this reflection and that in her mirror? What happens when she drops a pebble onto the water?
8. Experiment with the steam in the mirror, or on the shower doors after a warm shower. Let her write her name on it. Introduce the origin of steam, and how it clouds up glass surfaces.
9. Let her use a mirror to see the things she cannot see – for instance, she can hold out a mirror in the garden to see the things behind her. Or, let her hold a mirror out the window to see yard or street scenes that she can’t see from inside the house.

More mirror ideas, anyone? Please share.