How to Get Kids Interested in Math & Science

According to the National Science Foundation, children often lose interest in math and science as they grow older. Hands-on activities, informal observations and formal lessons all have their place in helping kids continue their interest in these topics. Aside from encouraging your child to complete her schoolwork, you can inspire a love of mathematics and science by introducing her to real-life applications. Let your child see you having fun and taking an interest in playing with numbers and scientific theories, and soon she may join you in your creative pursuits.

Step 1

Start showing children that math and science are fun from an early age. Play counting and other math games with your toddlers. Encourage spatial reasoning, suggests FamilyEducation.com, by working on jigsaw puzzles with your child. Point out flowers, birds and different types of animals to your preschoolers. Let him dig in the dirt, plant green beans and have an ant farm.

Step 2

Encourage exploration as your child grows into her elementary-school years. Supply her with dominoes, counting cubes and other manipulatives that make math meaningful. Catch tadpoles and watch them grow into frogs, or look for caterpillar eggs that you can hatch and observe until they turn into butterflies. Give her a microscope and look at everything you can think of up close.

Step 3

Take trips to a science museum or the zoo. Some museums and zoos have reciprocal agreements with others in the area, so if you buy a family membership to one local to you, you may be able to visit others in your state or in neighboring states for free. Go back often so your child can develop an interest in certain exhibits and learn more about them.

Step 4

Visit websites with your child that encourage exploration in the maths and sciences. The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, or TMS, suggests looking for websites that complement what your child is learning about. Let him play math-based arcade games on the computer or watch virtual demonstrations of science experiments.

Step 5

Introduce your older child to games of logic, such as Sudoku and chess, recommends FamilyEducation.com. Television shows on educational stations, such as Discovery Channel and Animal Planet may entertain your child and help her to become more interested in science topics.