Planning Cool Science Projects with Help from the Library

If you need inspiration or guidance on planning an enriching science project, your library has the digital and physical resources to support you.

Whether your child is homeschooled or attends public school, it’s important to foster a sense of creativity and a passion for learning. One of the best ways to do this is by helping them do science projects.

There’s a lot that goes into planning a good science project, so you’ll need a suitable place to gather information and access resources. Fortunately, your local library has everything you need to get started.

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Study Resources

There are, of course, plenty of study resources available at the library. A science project can cover a wide variety of topics, so your child needs an equally wide variety of study resources to ensure they can get the information they need. To figure out what resources you need, you and your child will have to do a bit of homework first.

The most important part of helping your child find the perfect science project is considering their interests. It’s hard to be passionate about learning if the subject doesn’t interest you, so any science projects you do with your little ones should answer their burning questions about the world around them or help them discover questions they didn’t even know they had.

Once you’ve decided on a topic for your child’s science project, visit your local library and ask your librarian where you can find literature or databases pertaining to that topic. Your librarian will be able to point you in the right direction, allowing your child to start their project in earnest.

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Hands-On Engineering Projects with Makerspaces

If your child is more inclined towards hands-on learning, there’s no need to worry! The library still has you covered. Rather than a standard science project, your child may be interested in something closer to an engineering project. 

Engineering projects can get expensive in a hurry, though, so you’ll need a place to source materials and tools without the high cost. Library makerspaces offer both tools and materials that you wouldn’t typically find around the house, enabling your child to turn whatever engineering project they’re dreaming of into a reality.

Are they looking to build a machine or robot but can’t find a particular part? They can just 3D print it. Are they trying to develop a game or build an app? Many library makerspaces offer coding corners that’ll allow them to do just that. Once they have access to the makerspace’s resources, the sky’s the limit!

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