You do not need to be an educator to enjoy learning science through the eyes of a young person. You do not need expensive supplies or extensive knowledge, just a sense of wonder, curiosity, and at times some patience and persistence. Here are some great resources for you:

• Snippets of Science from Fermilab: For children in grades 3–8 we are developing lessons for home or school following the BSCS Science 5E Instructional Model. This chart provides three weeks of physical and three weeks of life science learning, as well as more information on the instructional model we are using to organize the lessons.
• You can also make a virtual visit to the Lederman Science Center, where you can:
  • Do activities at home based on our hands-on exhibits
  • Play our PhysQuiz and Jeopardy games to learn about particle physics and Fermilab
  • Take a short video tour
  • Watch a series of short videos on the neutrino

   

  ---

• Let the children take the lead; help them be persistent through a task or problem.
• Talk with the children; ask them questions. Show them how you are thinking about something and encourage them to do the same with their thinking.
• Be willing to say "I don't know—let's find out!"
• Be ready for science moments—watch for science opportunities everywhere throughout your day and through your hobbies.
• Take advantage of culture and context in everyday STEM.
• See the possibilities with a positive, can-do, me-too attitude.

There are many authoritative sources and research about the topic of doing science at home and how children learn science; we share a few of them below. And there are more online activity resources than one can effectively sort through! We are sharing a brief guide with some background information for you so you can dive into exploring science at home.

We can certainly all appreciate how difficult it is to teach children about a future world we do not fully understand. What is most important for children to learn? They need (we all need) to know how to continue to learn and solve problems. Children need to develop the skills of creative thinking, sharing and communicating ideas, and collaboration—working together. These are Twenty-First Century Learning Skills. STEM provides endless opportunities for children to develop these skills both for their personal life and for formal education.

As we grow and learn about our world, we develop a set of ideas based on our surroundings and those with whom we associate. All of our environment and contact with people teach us something that becomes part of who we are and what we expect out of life. We can broaden our thinking—that's how we all grow. Use your surroundings and your culture to explore your world and then broaden your thinking about it. Set a home environment that supports the children in your life to use science to learn about their world.

• Council of State Science Supervisors, STEM Teaching Tools: Teaching Tools for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education (Includes additional resources which are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.)
• National Association for the Education of the Young Child, 10 Tips to Support Children's Science Learning
• National Science Teachers Association, Parent Involvement in Science Learning
• Understanding Science (UC-Berkeley), Teaching Resources (Includes "Know your students" grade-by-grade guide about the characteristics of children and a section about misconceptions.)

• Epic! digital library for kids 12 and under
• Exploratorium Science Snacks
• NSTA Interactive eBooks+
• Lab Out Loud podcast
• PBS Kids/WGBH Design Squad