Science For Tots
Discover the Science for Tots series!
This weekly program is designed around sensory-rich experiences for children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. During Science for Tots, we meet young children where they are by introducing them to STEM concepts like science, engineering, math, and the environment through rich sensory experiences. Each week, experience a different activity based on the theme of the month. Meet new families and make new friends during sensory-rich science exploration.
In this blog post, our Education Program team shares how Science for Tots encourages early STEM learning through playful exploration, fosters community among families, and sparks a lifelong love of discovery. Read on to learn more about how even the youngest explorers think like scientists!
Guest Contributor: Lauren, Education Program Senior Associate at CMTM and the lead teacher of Science for Tots
During Science for Tots, we explore the world in various ways. Every class starts with a welcome circle, name sharing, and our movement-based “science song” about opposites. We then delve into the “big topic of the month,” which can be anything from the solar system to animal adaptations. These activities are always a little different and themed to the “big topic of the month.”
When it was time to “hatch” the dinosaurs, every child got a 'mystery dinosaur egg, a hands-on learning tool that sparked curiosity and excitement, and used vinegar to discover the dinosaurs hidden inside. We explored science in several ways, including cause and effect reactions, natural science artifacts, and early math when we compared small and big dinosaur toys.
Sometimes, we come to class and explore science through other types of learning, like dramatic play and sensory art. Last year, we experimented with mark-making by using a variety of materials, natural and artificial, as paint brushes. We created this collaborative piece of art, exploring texture, shape, and size.
At Science for Tots, we are all scientists and explorers. Caregivers regularly participate in every aspect of class with their young scientists. Adults can do the activity alongside the children and help make connections and observations. They may even discover something new themselves! Science for Tots has also become a space where adults and children can meet other families in their community. Families often attend several times a month, so class can become a place to make new friends, fostering a sense of inclusivity and support.
Guest Contributor: Brittany, Education Program Manager and Support for Science for Tots
Children are natural scientists. As adults, we might picture “science” by imagining images of microscopes, beakers, or flower-like atoms. For all of us, and especially for babies and toddlers, science is far more universal.
Science is observing and experimenting in our world. A baby moving a rattle is a scientific experiment! A toddler building (or knocking over!) a tower is a science experiment! Watching a worm crawl across a wet sidewalk is a science experiment! Patterns of play like squashing, rolling, dumping, and stacking are how babies and toddlers move through their world and naturally lead to scientific understanding.
In Science for Tots, we nurture the seeds of discovery that naturally exist within every child. We distill scientific concepts in natural science, physics, and mathematics into their simplest forms. By engaging babies and toddlers in hands-on experimentation, we enable them to make their own discoveries, laying the foundation for a lifelong interest in observing and understanding the world we all share.
Guest Contributor: Starr, Director of Education and Exhibits and Support for Science for Tots
The Science for Tots series exemplifies CMTM’s mission to set the stage for every child to imagine and learn through play. Since children are scientists, we enjoy creating space, curating materials, and establishing a flow for children to engage with science concepts playfully. These settings allow children to do what they do best– imagine and learn through play. It is central to who we are, and it’s best practice when it comes to early STEM.
This series also allows the Education Program team to create a community of reflective practice regarding early childhood STEM. During team meetings, we create space to review the planned programs in depth, and we actively reflect on the series' success and areas of growth. What I enjoy most is when we ask ourselves big questions about why these topics are important and what the impact is. During a planning meeting for the shapes theme, someone asked why shapes are important to learn. We shared thoughts and made connections between learning shapes, math skills, early literacy, and science. We concluded that something seemingly as simple as shapes is incredibly important for young people, and finding playful ways to explore and manipulate shapes can promote this important skill.
Science for Tots meets most Thursdays from 10 am - 10:30 am in the IDEXX STEM Learning Hub on the 3rd floor. This 30-minute program starts promptly at 10 am. Sessions have limited capacity to ensure materials and staff-to-participant ratio. Included with Admission.