What are some good resources to help explain the Big Bang, evolution and, the meaning of life to my delightful 5 year-old nephew? Fairly equal emphasis for each, but I am stumped most by "but why are all the things and people here, mayurasana?" than the rest. [more inside]
posted by mayurasana on Apr 5, 2013 - 10 answers

Looking for child development milestones, with an emphasis on experiments, neural processing goobles, and mad science shenanigans! Tell me what weird experiments I can conduct with my child.... [more inside]
posted by amanda on Sep 20, 2012 - 8 answers

I'm trying to get my five year old step son interested in gardening. We made a special flower bed for him and I to grow plants in together and he is really excited to grow "rainbow blossoms" in it. Help me make this as rewarding for him as possible! [more inside]
posted by gwenlister on May 9, 2012 - 38 answers

Can you recommend good science sets or paint (non-watercolor) sets for an 11 year old girl? She likes to experiment and dabble in her room, and has asked about them as gifts. Thanks!
posted by Clyde Mnestra on Apr 14, 2012 - 11 answers

What is the closest equivalent to the 1960's and 1990's series of books "...Tell Me Why"? [more inside]
posted by MrMulan on Mar 9, 2011 - 2 answers

My kids are now getting to the age where they are asking questions about scientific topics. It seems a lot has changed since my childhood 25 or so years ago: no more brontosaurus, Pluto isn't a planet, dinosaurs were warm blooded, and the Bernoulli effect doesn't explain airplane flight. Are there any other big changes to scientific knowledge of the type kids like that I should know about? [more inside]
posted by blahblahblah on Jan 5, 2010 - 22 answers

Children'sBookFilter: Please help me identify these two young reader novels which I read many years ago. [more inside]
posted by dave99 on Aug 15, 2009 - 5 answers

I’m trying to remember the name of a set of themed encyclopedias for children from my childhood. [more inside]
posted by studentbaker on Mar 9, 2009 - 11 answers

I am trying to put together a list of environmental eco-friendly sites targeted from young children (kindergarten) to grades 3-4, and 4-6. Looking for anything interesting that has stats, games and so forth. Appreciate your time and input. I need a lot (30 plus...even if you give me one, that is a help)
posted by snap_dragon on Dec 17, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm looking for a book I read as a pre-teen around 1977. It was a coming of age story about a girl who was having problems so she went to this big tree and I think she pressed against it and then went into some fantasy world where she became some kind of indian girl or primative girl and she went on adventures. I always wanted to know the name....can anyone remember this book? What I remember most was that the tree was the secret gate to moving back and forth into these two worlds. And also that as the indian, she had to live a very rustic life. Thanks. Lynn
posted by lynnie-the-pooh on Sep 4, 2008 - 10 answers

What are some (at least somewhat) objective studies on healthy children demographics? I'm specifically interested in single vs. multiple children, and for multiple children, differences in age, gender, relationship to parent (adoption vs. biological), and race. [more inside]
posted by scottreynen on Apr 15, 2008 - 2 answers

How do you explain God, death, and infinity to a 5-year old? Please recommend a book or online resource for explaining philosophy, existentialism, and other abstract concepts to a young child not yet capable of abstract cognitions. [more inside]
posted by jujube on Sep 13, 2007 - 45 answers

I am trying to find a good science magazine for my 10-year old son. Any suggestions? I used to love Scientific American, but that is probably too stiff and technical, while some of the other things I've seen are too fluffy. Any non-science magazine ideas welcomed too, for him or for my 4-year old.
posted by Clyde Mnestra on Nov 27, 2005 - 25 answers

fff asked a really good question about how children think. Many responders wrote that they have no memories from their childhoods. This freaks me out. I remember my childhood more vividly than my college years. I have a childhood friend who also has no memories from when she was a kid, which is really odd, because I remember all sorts of things we did together. Have there been any studies that shed light over why some people can recall their childhoods and others can't?
posted by grumblebee on Dec 1, 2004 - 16 answers