Don't let those cold and blustery days of winter get you down! Winter weather can be the perfect inspiration for some great homeschool science lessons to explore with your child. Bundle up and let the world around you guide you on your way to some frosty fun. Here are some ideas for studying science in winter.
Bring the Outdoors in
Sure, you get tired of shoveling all that snow, but look at it through your child's eyes, and you'll see that there is much to discover. Let your child see what happens when you bring snow inside. Find out why and how snowflakes form. Catch some snowflakes on a piece of black construction paper and study them through a magnifying glass.
Ice is nice! Learn about the freezing point and melting point of water. Explore the way ice expands when it freezes and contracts when it melts. Discover what happens when you put salt on ice, or try freezing one container of ice water next to one of salt water. Try this cool ice experiment: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/lesson-plans/science/experiments/turnice.htm.
Discover Arctic Animals
Winter is a great time to learn about polar animals. Find books about penguins, polar bears, arctic wolves and other polar wildlife. Learn about how they survive in such a harsh climate. Try this fun experiment to learn about how polar animals stay warm in the arctic cold: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/education/science_polar_bear.html.
Exploring Winter Weather
When you're stuck in the house during a blustery nor'easter, it's the perfect opportunity to learn the science of winter storms. You can learn about how they happen and discover the methods meteorologists use to predict winter storms so that we can be prepared. You can find lots of information about winter storms at The Weather Channel: http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia.
Winter Solstice may be the shortest day of the year, but it also marks the point when those long, cold nights start to get shorter while the days get longer. Celebrate with a little winter solstice astronomy. Build models of the sun and Earth, to demonstrate the tilt of the earth's rotational axis and its revolution around the sun.
When all the trees outside are bare, evergreens are still lush and green. Winter is the perfect time to learn about evergreen trees together. How do they stay green? How many types of evergreens are there? Find out what types of evergreens grow in your area. Go for a walk together and gather pine and fir cones to learn about the life cycle of evergreens.
With a winter wonderland of things to discover, exploring and learning together with your child is sure to make those cold winter months fly by.
 | Homeschooling is a rewarding way of educating your child, but it is not necessarily the right choice for everyone. |
 | There are pros and cons to homeschooling; while homeschoolers do tend to do exceptionally well, there are also some challenges to educating your child at home. |
 | When you start homeschooling a shy child, you will be presented with unique challenges. It can be difficult if your child is naturally shy and reserved. |
Successful homeschooling requires an honest assesment by parents, who must decide if they're fit for the job. Are you? |
The bad news is that there are indeed some potentially negative effects of homeschooling. The good news is that if parents are aware of them, they can all be overcome successfully. |
