Preschool science activities: Encouraging the use of science tools
Ideas for preschool science activities that encourage kids to use science tools, including a balance scale, tweezers, and sticky tape.
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Preschool science experiment: Making mud bricks
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedinThis preschool science experiment is designed for kids who have already had experience playing with mud — both mixing mud and drying out mud. For best results, try this experiment after your child has explored the properties of dirt and mud. Materials Multiple dirt samples (sand, topsoil, dirt-and-gravel, etc.) Dried leaves … Continue reading
Social cognition and people skills: A parent’s evidence-based guide
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2006-2011 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved “Social cognition” refers to the ways we perceive, think, and learn about people. Looking for information about how these abilities develop? In these pages, you’ll find articles about the social abilities of newborns, what babies know about social dominance, and the ways that … Continue reading
Adolescence doesn’t end until you’re 28? How the media got it wrong.
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved As I’ve noted elsewhere, false or misleading stories about scientific research are pretty common. There are several reasons for this. In some cases, the problem is that writers fail to read the studies that they are reporting on. In other cases, writers have … Continue reading
Healthful diets for kids: Why some seemingly natural diets can harm children
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Everyone has heard about the perils of the high-fat, high starch, low-fiber diet common throughout the affluent, industrialized world. So shouldn’t we steer our families toward a more “natural” diet? Eat the way we were meant to eat. Eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors and enjoy better health. It’s not a … Continue reading
Digital cameras for kids: Cool tools and windows into your child’s mind
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Digital cameras for kids have many uses. They give us the opportunity to see the world from our kids’ perspectives. They are also useful learning tools–helping kids expand their vocabularies, hone their story-telling skills, and enrich their scientific investigations. Here I review some … Continue reading
Is the Easter Bunny a fraud? Does Santa make kids gullible?
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Do you remember when you stopped believing in the Easter Bunny? Santa Claus? If you grew up speaking English (or any of the Germanic languages), these fantasy characters probably played a role in your early childhood. A positive role? I’ll bet most of … Continue reading
Neuroimaging and your child’s brain: A guide for the science-minded
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved They’re the technologies that give us “snapshots” of the brain at work: Functional neuroimaging shows us what parts of the brain “light up,” or become active, when we are thinking, learning, or feeling. And this permits researchers to map the brain—pinpointing where specific … Continue reading
The case of Summerhill school: Are today’s parents too extreme to fit the original model of permissive parenting?
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Some people believe that kids shouldn’t be required to restrain their impulses. Adults shouldn’t tell them what to do or how to behave. Children should be free to express themselves and explore the world on their own terms. How far does this … Continue reading
Mancala games for kids: Count and capture games that promote strategic thinking
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Mancala games to motivate young mathematicians Looking for activities to motivate your school-aged kids to count and think strategically? Try out mancala. Also known as “count and capture” games, mancala games have an ancient pedigree. There is archeological evidence that these games existed … Continue reading
Teen brains lack empathy? No! How the media got it wrong
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin When I searched the web today, I found a batch of stories with headlines like “Study: Teenage brain lacks empathy,” and “Teen Brain: It’s all about me.” These stories describe a brain scan study, but key facts are incorrectly reported. Contrary to the headlines, the study didn’t actually measure empathy. … Continue reading
How daycare centers change the stress response system (and what we can do)
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Numerous studies report a link between daycare centers and stress. The more time young children spend in childcare facilities, the more likely they are to develop abnormal stress hormone profiles. What’s normal? Typically, the body produces high levels of the stress hormone cortisol … Continue reading