My grandsons (Aiden and Isaac, ages 5 and (almost) 7) were asked to go hiking. What do they pack? Magnifying glass, notepad and pencil! These guys don’t hike, they explore!
Have you ever thought about the difference between hiking and exploring?
To me, exploring means observing and wondering about what is around you, while hiking is more about letting the magic of the great outdoors soak in.
Hiking is great and letting the great outdoors sink in is, to me anyway, as important as breathing!
Exploring, though, is all about asking questions: why is that tree so different? what kind of bird is that? why is that hill there? what’s on the other side of that pond? what kind of animal poop is this? (a favorite with the boys). Once the questions are out there, it is natural to make guesses, discuss the possibilities with others, research what others have learned and make some conclusions. This is, of course, scientific method.
It is an invaluable skill for people to learn. The Scientific Method is not as much a way to answer scientific questions as it is a method of answering any question scientifically.
Keep exploring, my boys!
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