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Kids' Science Games

Teaching kids science does not always involve willing participants, but using a game can engage them in ways a textbook cannot. Before the children realize what has happened, they find that they have had fun and learned a science lesson at the same time. These games work in classrooms, camps, homeschooling, or scouting activities where children, fun, and learning coalesce.

Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Learn about nature by collecting pictures of items on an outdoor scavenger hunt.
  
  Host a nature scavenger hunt by giving groups of children disposable digital cameras and lists of items to look for in nature. Let them walk through a park to take pictures of the objects on their list, to preserve the natural setting. The first group to get photos of everything on their list wins. Use this activity for children old enough to use a digital camera without adult assistance. Give each group a different list of objects so the groups do not simply follow each other around. Possible items to photograph on a nature scavenger hunt include: local native birds, pine cones, wildflowers, or birds' nests. Have the children study local flora and fauna before setting out so they can better identify the items on their lists.
Science Bingo
- Play educational science bingo with science words and definitions.
  
  Create bingo cards with a five-by-five grid on each card. In the spaces, randomly place 25 science terms currently on your science word list. Write the definitions of the 25 words on scraps of paper and place them into a bowl. Give each child a card and a pile of game board markers or pennies. Draw a slip of paper with a science definition from the bowl. Read aloud the definition, but do not say the term it defines. The children mark on their boards by placing a penny on top of the square with the word which corresponds to the definition. The first child to cover five squares in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally on her game board says, "Bingo!" to win the game.
Pin the Nucleus on the Atom
- Play "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" with an atomic twist.
  
  Draw three concentric circles on a poster board to represent the orbital fields for the electrons of an atom. Hang this atom poster on one side of the room. Blindfold a child and give him a circle with double-stick tape on the back, to act as the nucleus. Point the child toward the poster with the atom model. The child walks blindfolded toward the poster and attempts to stick the nucleus onto the poster. Every child has a turn placing a nucleus on the atom, and the one who gets hers closest to the center wins.

Kids Games