Best Way to Teach Science for Kindergarten (+ Easy Curriculum)

Teaching science for kindergarten is something I have always enjoyed doing. Young children love to learn, and science is one of my favorite subjects to study and teach. 

Now as a homeschool mom of a kindergartener and first grader, here are my best science tips (and favorite curriculum and supplies) for kindergarten through second grade.

Keep the Joy in Learning

Learning science should always be a joy, but especially at these young ages science should never be a chore that your young kindergarten students have to push through. In fact, at this age, they probably shouldn’t have to be filling in worksheets or worrying about science test scores. There is a place for that when they are older, but now is the time to foster wonder in their young brains.

Science is simply the study of the world around us and how it works. It should probably be done without a formal curriculum for your little learners.

Don’t make science a subject they have to do when they don’t want to. Inspire curiosity and teach them in such a way that they can learn (mostly from real life) about how the world works around them. 

Ways to Teach Science

There are so many ways for young children to learn science lessons. You can bring it into your everyday life through observation, activities, experiments, books, and DVDs.

Hands-on Science Activities

One great way to teach your young learners some science concepts is through hands-on activities. Let them get their hands in the dirt and out in real life. 

Right now I have some seeds that we are keeping damp in a paper towel on a plate so that we can observe how plants start to grow. Simple things like sowing seeds themselves in the dirt will show them about plant life processes. 

Raise some butterflies or do some other activities where they can watch with their own eyes how things work and grow.

Study simple machines and motion and movement with toy cars and other things you have around the house.

Another hands-on lesson could be to make slime or something in that line. You can find many tutorials online. When children do these things with their own hands, they see the liquids change to something more solid. It is fascinating.

Simple Science Experiments

Kindergarten learners love a fun science experiment. I remember how much fun it was when our teacher would do experiments with us. One of my girls would be happy if I were planning science experiments all day long! 

One fun way to teach about chemical reactions is to do the easy experiment of mixing baking soda and vinegar. Be ready for the mess!

Another easy science activity is to learn about static electricity by rubbing a balloon on someone’s hair. Ask your children why it happens (be ready for their interesting conclusions), and then study up on it to make sure they understand it well.

Of course, in all of this make sure that safety comes first. Don’t just go mixing every kind of mixture without knowing what is safe at home. It might not be a good idea to test out flight by jumping off a barn, or checking out severe weather firsthand by getting out! 

Observing Nature

A lot of science and learning how things work can simply happen by observing the natural world around us. Teach critical thinking by asking your children how certain things happen. Like how does an eagle float in the sky? What’s the difference between living and non-living things?

Have them observe and draw their own conclusions (which is part of the scientific method). Then experiment or study up on what you see to see if their hypothesis is correct.

Reading Books

Reading lots of books on science, nature, or scientific biographies will teach your children about lots of science concepts. For your kindergarten students, it might be best to look for picture books that teach about different processes.

Watching DVDs

There are plenty of online videos (like the ones that come with the Good & Beautiful Science curriculum) and science DVDs (like the Moody Science classic DVDs which you can also find for free on YouTube) that are really interesting and can teach your children a whole lot about things that they may not be able to observe with their own eyes.

Science Worksheets and Guides

I really don’t think it is at all necessary for children at the kindergarten level, or even the younger grades, to be doing any science worksheets. But if you have a child, like one of mine, who enjoys doing some worksheets, go ahead and get some for them. There are many printable worksheets or curriculums that include them. 

While at this young age no child needs a formal curriculum for science, and I personally like to go more with their interests and the books and things I have on hand, if you don’t want a science curriculum but would like a guide about what to teach your children at each age, I came across the ngss standards website. (NGSS stands for Next Generation Science Standards, and it has the requirements for what children should know in each grade according to the experts.) I haven’t checked it all out so this is not saying that I endorse everything they teach and recommend, but it might give you a good starting point.

Things to Teach in Science

Life Science

Life Science is just the study of all living things. This includes plants, animals, humans, and bacteria (basically anything with cells). This is probably the science that comes the most naturally in our day-to-day lives. You can point out how things grow and change, watch seeds sprout, watch the butterfly life cycle and how praying mantises change and grow, observe spiders and other creatures, and learn all about animal life cycles, and the needs of different plants.

Physical Science

Physical science is the study of nonliving things. It includes earth science which is all about our planet such as the water cycle, weather patterns, natural resources, air pressure, simple machines, landforms, earth’s surface, movement, and so much more. 

Physical science also includes space science and the solar system. Right now my children and I are learning about the planets and stars. The vastness of it all humbles me.

Favorite Kindergarten Science Curriculum (Can be used up to Second Grade)

Even though I say that a formal science curriculum is not necessary, I do have a favorite one that we are using. It requires no workbooks and is perfect for Kindergarten through Second Grade. Check out The Good & The Beautiful’s Science for Little Hearts and Hands. It has only 30 lessons per book so you do it just once per week unless you do more than one book a year. Basically, you read a short introduction, and then watch a short educational video or read a story about the day’s lesson. You can also do some optional experiments and projects if you wish, which is why I currently have some seeds sprouting in my kitchen! 

I love the simplicity of it and how it opens up my children’s minds to God’s wonderful creation. When they go out after the lesson, they are always looking for examples in real life, like the day we studied tree bark. If you would like a simple, Christian-based kindergarten science curriculum, check out TGATB’s science for K-2.

(And in case you are interested, check out the curriculum I use to teach my child to read.

My Resources Page

If you are interested in more science resources, I have several listed on my shop page.

There is a list of different resources and experiments that you might find to be just the right resources for your kindergartener’s science. Check out my Shop Page.