OK, that is not entirely true...I don't dislike all of science, just the messy experiments.
You know, the ones that completely destroy the kitchen, living room, back patio...
the ones with a thousand minute supplies that we may or may not have on hand...
the ones with many bottles or pots or containers that clutter my table for days, weeks...
the ones that we have to lay down all our printed newspapers to protect the tables and counter tops...
Those are the ones I dislike.
Oh, and anything involving a slug. Unless it is how to use salt to clear up a slug problem...just kidding, that makes a terrible mess, and I don't like those kind of messes either.
However, over the years, I have grown to have a keen appreciation for observation.
We have grown accustomed to taking nature walks with nature journals, classification guides, and cameras in hand. On these walks we have witnessed amazing sights, including cicadas emerging, bees eating, turtles traveling, and snakes slithering. We even learned how to measure the height of a tree.
Closer to home, we have completed a few observation projects. We collected butterflies and bugs, set out a rain gauge and thermometer, hung a bird feeder and bird house, planted and tended a garden, hatched chicks in an incubator, and watched caterpillars change into butterflies.
And, of course, some of our favorite observations 'just happen' because we are out and about. Like when we witnessed cloud to cloud lightning after a trip to the pool, or the pelting rain shower that resulted in a double bow rainbow after a trip to the beach. Amazing sights we were blessed to observe!
All in all, messy science experiments will probably never top my favorite homeschool activity list, but science observations are steadily rising.
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