Beginning Of The Year Science Activities

If you’re looking for beginning-of-the-year science activities that will get your kids excited about science, you’re in the right place.

There’s no reason for science to be boring, scary, or intimidating!

Science is all about the things kids do best: asking questions and exploring things. Kids are natural scientists.

In this post, you’ll find 5 beginning-of-the-year of the year science activities that will build on your students’ natural curiosity, encourage them to view themselves as scientists, and help you introduce them to hands-on science.

Science Activity 1: Read Interesting Stories

Our brains are wired to connect and learn through storytelling. A well-written story draws us in. Why not use the power of stories to introduce kids to various scientists and how they’ve improved the world?

There are tons of great picture books that are perfect read-alouds for k-3 classrooms. Use the power of stories to introduce your kiddos to famous scientists, preview upcoming topics, and build background knowledge.

You can incorporate read-alouds during your literacy block, your science block, or whenever you have a gap in your schedule. One of my favorite ways to incorporate more read-alouds into the school day is to read aloud during snack time.

Picture books are an awesome tool for introducing kids to science. You can find some suggested options below (affiliate links).

Science Activity 2: Create Opportunities For Your Students To Picture Themselves As Scientists

A meta-analysis published in 2018 revealed that when children were asked to draw a scientist, the majority of kids (boys and girls), drew male scientists.

You might be wondering why that matters. The reason it’s relevant is that our students’ perceptions of who scientists are may limit their interest in pursuing science.

With the importance of STEAM jobs and its emphasis in schools, it’s important that ALL of our students see themselves as scientists.

We can help students picture themselves in science-related fields by…

Inviting diverse guest scientists
Sharing news clips that reflect diversity in science
Highlighting children and teens who make a difference in science

We can also teach our students about what scientists do and the scientific method and we can talk about how our students are already scientists too. They ask questions, they make observations, and they use their 5 senses to explore the world every day.

I love using the beginning-of-the-year science activities in this “What is a Scientist Unit?” to build those connections.

Picture books can be a great tool for introducing kids to diverse scientists too.

Science Activity 3: Engage In Experiments

Another way to get kids to see themselves as scientists is to move beyond reading about science and actually DO science. Science experiments provide an opportunity to build on the innate sense of wonder that kids are born with.

Learning to use the scientific method to do real science will build their confidence and increase their competence. Plus, conducting experiments is an essential part of teaching our kiddos to think like scientists.

Also, there’s a certain amount of wow factor in many science experiments. They’re the hook. They’re fun. They can create a sense of wonder.

Experiments can be highly engaging, and they provide the perfect opportunity to move your lessons from paper and pencil to hands-on learning.

Science Activity 4: Explore Their Interests

Science involves the exploration of all aspects of the world around us. It’s such a broad subject that it can tie into nearly any interest.

Build on their interests. If I were a scientists I would study...

Exploring the different branches of science can help kids connect science with their own interests.

Zoology for the kid who adores baby animals
Sports science for the kid that’s obsessed with football
Chromatography for the budding artist.

Find opportunities to incorporate your students’ interests. Help them see how science connects to the things they’re already passionate about.

Science Activity 5: Connect It To The Real World

Speaking of connections, science is one of the easiest subjects to connect with life outside of the classroom walls. After all, scientists are constantly looking to solve real-life problems.

Talk about real problems being solved by scientists. Talk to your students about how they benefit from science every day. Share news stories about current research being done and the real-life problems that scientists are trying to address.

Newsela is a great tool for finding news stories, and you can filter them by text level and suggested age range.

Why Is It Important To Get Our Students Excited About Science?

All kids deserve to believe that they have the potential to pursue science and STEAM fields. Our students deserve to engage in real science.

Where Can I Find More Beginning Of The Year Science Activities?

It’s our job to plan lessons that excite and engage them in science. It is our job to help them understand what science is, what scientists do, and what the scientific method is. It’s our job to help them see themselves as scientists.

You can find some of my favorite beginning-of-the-year science activities for first through third-grade students here.