Kindergarten Science: how to help at home
What your child learns in Kindergarten science in the Ontario Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- B11 Coding Skills: Use foundational coding concepts and skills
- B12 Scientific Investigation and Engineering Design: Use an inquiry process to engage in scientific investigations and to design, build, and test models and structures
- B13 Exploring Environments: Investigate natural and built environments
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
Be a Scientist
Asking a science question, predicting, observing with the senses, picking a tool such as a ruler or magnifying glass, and telling what was found out.
Safe Scientists
Safety rules for exploring and playing, such as wearing a helmet, telling a grown-up after a bump to the head, and never tasting science materials.
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 & Built Places
Telling natural places from built ones, noticing what happens in nature (rain, melting, falling leaves) and spotting patterns such as stripes, spots and bricks.
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.
Weather & Seasons
Dressing for the weather, the four seasons in order, day and night, and how plants and animals change with the seasons.
Build & Test
Making a plan, choosing the right materials, building a model or structure, testing it and making it better.
Follow the Steps
Unplugged coding: words like up, down, left, right, above and below, following arrow instructions in order, and fixing mistakes in a set of steps.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Level 1
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Level 2
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Level 3
- Has it! Level 3 is the provincial standard. Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Level 4
- 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 Ontario 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 Ontario?
The Ontario Curriculum Kindergarten science units include be a scientist, safe scientists, what living things need, animal features, natural & built places, materials.
Free printable Kindergarten science practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.