Science with Toddlers

If you are employed in a state that uses a registry to track professional development hours, you will be able to provide your registry ID (Stars, MOPID, Registry or other ECE ID#) after you have completed the quiz for the course. If you pass the quiz we will report your course completion to the state registry using the registry ID that you provide.

Explore how toddlers can discover foundational science concepts through hands-on experiences, sensory activities, and nature-based learning. Designed for early childhood educators and childcare professionals working with toddlers, this course introduces the scientific process and developmentally appropriate ways to use experiments, sensory bottles, observation, and outdoor exploration. Participants will explore practical examples and consider how to adapt science activities for young learners. Apply these ideas to encourage toddlers’ curiosity, observation skills, problem-solving, and excitement about discovering how the world works. Course length – 2.0 hours.

The course helps answer the following questions:

• What is the scientific process?

• How can the scientific process be used with toddlers?

• Are toddlers mature enough to perform and understand science experiments?

• What are some good sensory bottles to use with toddlers?

• What are some ways that I can do science using nature?

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Identify ways to adapt the scientific process into developmentally appropriate, hands-on experiences for toddlers.

• Explain at least three benefits of introducing science concepts during the toddler years.

• Describe how to implement developmentally appropriate science activities that encourage toddler exploration, observation, and discovery.