Kindergarten Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in Kindergarten science in the Alberta Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Matter: children explore the properties of objects using the five senses
- Energy: children explore how objects, people and animals move
- Earth and space systems: children examine and describe the environment around them, from plants, animals and weather to natural and made things
- Caring for our environment: children learn simple ways to protect it by reducing waste, recycling and reusing
- Computer science: children learn why instructions matter and follow and give simple steps
Easy ways to practise science at home
- Go on a nature walk and name what you see: leaves, bugs, clouds, puddles.
- Plant a bean seed and check it together each day.
- Ask “What do you notice?” before you explain anything.
- Talk about the weather each morning and what to wear for it.
What each unit covers
My Five Senses
Take a sensory walk and name what you see, hear, smell and feel. Sort household objects by how they feel, such as rough and smooth.
Materials
Describing everyday materials (soft or hard, rough or smooth, bendy or stiff), what sinks or floats, and naming what things are made of, like wood, metal, glass and cloth.
Push & Pull
Telling pushes from pulls, and seeing how a bigger push, an object's shape and its weight change how it moves.
What Living Things Need
Telling living from non-living things, and what plants and animals need to live: food, water, air, shelter and sunlight.
Animal Features
Noticing body parts like fur, feathers, fins and shells, and how features help animals and plants live where they do.
Natural or Made
On a walk, point out natural things (trees, rocks, water) and things people made (benches, roads). Ask your child to wonder about what they see.
Weather & Seasons
Dressing for the weather, the four seasons in order, day and night, and how plants and animals change with the seasons.
Care for Our Earth
Show how your family reuses and recycles. Spend time outside, and talk about taking only what you need and leaving nature as you found it.
Follow the Steps
Instructions are the first idea behind computer coding. Cook, build or play a game together and say the steps out loud in order.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Alberta report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Kindergarten child with science?
Go on a nature walk and name what you see: leaves, bugs, clouds, puddles. Plant a bean seed and check it together each day. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Kindergarten science in Alberta?
The Alberta Curriculum Kindergarten science units include my five senses, materials, push & pull, what living things need, animal features, natural or made.
Free printable Kindergarten science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.