Kindergarten Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in Kindergarten science in the Nova Scotia Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Physical Science: Sand and water. Learners will investigate sand and water through the senses.
- Life Science: Living Things. Learners will compare living things through the senses.
- Physical Science: Materials and the world around us. Learners will investigate materials through the senses.
- Physical Science: Movement. Learners will test movement of objects.
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
Sand & Water
Practises exploring sand and water with the senses: wet and dry, pouring and scooping, sinking and floating, and soaking up water. It follows the Primary physical science outcome on sand and water in the Nova Scotia curriculum.
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.
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.
- Developing
- 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 Nova Scotia report card guide.
Common questions
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.
The Nova Scotia Curriculum Kindergarten science units include sand & water, my five senses, materials, push & pull, what living things need, animal features.
Free printable Kindergarten science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.