Water Conservation

Water is a precious resource and at times is in short supply. When we conserve water we are protecting our own water supply, the water we drink and wash with, and we are not wasting. Here are a few good habits to get your preschool into.

- Every time your preschooler brushes his teeth or washes his hands ensure that you turn off the faucet during the process and, most importantly, explain why you are turning it off.

- When your preschooler takes a bath, don't fill the water more than 8 inches. A preschooler can have just as much fun (and get clean too!) in a few inches of water than in a full tub.

Energy Conservation

It is amazing what a preschooler will do when there is a full understanding of the reason for their actions. For example, when you tell your preschooler to turn out the lights when he leaves a room, explain that the electricity used to power the lights in your home comes from nature—natural gas, nuclear, coal, water, etc.--that is either extracted from the Earth or created by a nuclear reaction to make energy. Every time we use electricity we are relying on nature. Here are a few good energy-saving habits to get your preschooler into:

- Have your preschooler turn out the lights when leaving a room.

- Turn off the TV or audio equipment when finished viewing or listening to a program.

- Toys that require plugging into an electrical socket should be unplugged immediately after use.

Nature Conservation

Does your preschooler know what recycling is? A great way to teach your preschooler about nature conservation is a trip to the recycling center.

- Take your preschooler and any bottles, newspapers, or other recyclable material to a recycling facility. Let your preschooler see how many things in use at your household are able to be used again.

- Always remember to explain to your preschooler that recycling keeps trees from being cut down and allows for new products to be made from the recycled items.

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Repeat experiments multiple times. Reliability — the same result happening consistently — is a key scientific concept, and repetition gives preschoolers the proof they find satisfying.

• Science is everywhere: the kitchen, the garden, the bathroom, the driveway. Narrating daily life as science keeps curiosity active between formal experiments.

• Accept wrong predictions gracefully — "Interesting! The result was different from what we predicted. Why do you think that happened?" Models scientific resilience.

• Connect science observations to real-world applications: "This is why bridges are built this way" or "This is how your body does that." Application makes science relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I keep science learning going between experiments?

Science is a mindset, not a schedule. Keep a magnifying glass accessible for impromptu investigation. Ask "why do you think...?" during daily life. Notice scientific phenomena out loud: "Look at how steam rises from the soup — where does it go?" Maintain a simple nature observation area (a window bird feeder, a terrarium, a weather chart). The child who develops the habit of curiosity about the physical world is doing science continuously, not just during scheduled experiments.

At what age can preschoolers do science experiments?

Simple science exploration begins in infancy — dropping objects (gravity), banging surfaces (acoustics), mouthing materials (texture and taste). By age 2, children engage meaningfully with water play, sand science, and simple mixing experiments. Between ages 3–5, children can follow simple experimental protocols: predict, observe, record, and discuss results. The scientific method — hypothesis, experiment, conclusion — is accessible at age 4 with appropriate support. The best preschool science is the child's own curiosity, not a formal curriculum.

Related reading: See also our weather science and our bubble experiments for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🔬 Scientific Method — Even a simple experiment teaches the predict-test-observe cycle that is the foundation of scientific thinking — and preschoolers who internalize this process approach problems with genuine scientific confidence.
• ⚖️ Cause & Effect Understanding — Seeing that one action reliably produces a specific result builds the logical framework children use in mathematics, reading (one event causes another in stories), and everyday reasoning.
• 💬 Science Vocabulary — Science introduces children to precise vocabulary — observe, predict, hypothesis, dissolve, absorb, transparent — that dramatically expands language range and supports the academic vocabulary children need in school.
• 🏗️ Engineering Thinking — Testing structures, materials, and designs to see what works develops engineering intuition — the practical understanding of forces, materials, and design that underlies all physical construction and problem solving.

It's never too early to start teaching your preschooler about the importance of conservation. The best way to teach conservation principles to your preschooler is to enlist his or her help in conserving resources around the house. While your preschooler helps with these activities make sure you give your preschooler information on why you are conserving. The following three areas are good starting points for preschool conservation activities: water conservation, energy conservation, and nature conservation.