6 Fun Ways to Teach Science Without a Curriculum ~ The Organized Homeschooler

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Science can be a really fun subject to teach. We have so much flexibility to homeschool in a way that works best for our families. We can even teach science without a curriculum!

There are many reasons why someone might choose to teach science without a curriculum:

Cost
Difficulty finding a science curriculum that fits their needs
Educational philosophy
Want a plan that is tailored to their children

I use a science curriculum now, but when my kids were younger (elementary ages), I taught science without a curriculum. My kids were so naturally curious and asked science questions on a daily basis, so I preferred to follow their natural interests. It worked really well for us!

The following ideas can even be combined to really personalize your child’s science education.

6 Fun Ways to Teach Science Without a Curriculum

Follow Your Kiddos Interests

Kids are naturally motivated to learn when they get to choose the content.

Teach science without a curriculum by focusing on your child or children’s interests. The possibilities are endless!

Sometimes it isn’t as easy as asking children what they would like to learn. Most of the time they answer “I don’t know” or “Nothing.” That is frustrating!

Instead, notice what they find interesting:

Are they obsessed with animals?
Do they love baking?
Do they crouch down to closely examine bugs?
Are you going on a trip that provides a subject to study?

Experiment

Many kids LOVE conducting science experiments, making this a fun way to teach science!

Hands-on learning also seems to increase retention. My kids still talk about the time we experimented with growing bacteria on Petri dishes in our guest room. That was years ago!

Grow germs in petri dishes with the help of a space heater to complete this bacteria science experiment.

We don’t need fancy lab equipment or expensive supplies to do science experiments with our kids. Many experiments can be done at home with common household supplies. Pinterest is full of ideas for fun science experiments!

Science kits are an easy way to conduct science experiments at home. I don’t know about you, but I am much more likely to say yes to a hands-on project if everything is already in my house.

Purposefully Observe Nature

It is amazing what can be learned just by purposefully observing the world around us.

Backyard nature studies are a wonderfully relaxed way to teach science without a curriculum. They are technically a Charlotte Mason educational technique, but my eclectic homeschool family has always enjoyed studying nature.

Nature studies can teach kids about:

Animals
Weather
Geology
Botany

Check Out Science Activity Books

teach science without a curriculum written in between science activity books

Sometimes it is nice to have a little bit of structure, even if you want to teach science without a curriculum. Science activity books can give you that.

These books usually have experiments, projects, and information about a central theme. There are many options available!

Science You Can Eat: 20 Activities that Put Food Under the Microscope by Stefan Gates