Scientific Exploration

Robby has had his scientific exploration fuse lit. He received several science activity kits for Christmas, and since then, it has been all science all the time. He pulls out his microscope several times a day to examine just about everything, from a blade of grass to a squished stink bug. I love watching his curiosity!

I have no doubt that his school curriculum was the impetus for this burgeoning curiosity. His classwork has a strong science foundation where the students are encouraged to ask questions and formulate and then test their theories. Some of the activities that he has done in Kindergarten amaze me!

Last week Robby came home from school chomping at the bit to do his homework. Armed with a kit, he was asked to build a robot. I immediately determined that this assignment was a "Daddy Job," and we anxiously waited for him to come home from work. As soon as Scott walked up the stairs, Robby handed him the kit, a screwdriver and insisted that they "get to work building that robot." Scott barely had a chance to take off his coat before he was immersed in a pile of screws, nuts and assorted plastic pieces.

Working together and following the picture directions, the boys built their robot in about 90 minutes. It would have taken less time had Charlie not slid across the table, sending a pile of small screws scattering across the dining room floor. Cat mishap aside, they seemed to enjoy the assignment, and I heard both boys squeal when they turned on the robot and it actually worked!

With the success of the robot under his belt, Robby has begun to delve deeper into all things science. Yesterday I found him standing in his learning tower while toiling in the kitchen sink. He looked serious and explained that he was "working as a science man on an important experiment discovery." When I asked him what he was inventing, he told me that he was trying to figure out how to turn water into a frog.

In case you are curious, mixing water, hamburger grease, soap, food color, sugar, flour and salt only creates a mess, not a frog. Robby wasn't discouraged when he didn't invent a frog; he merely shrugged and said, "Well, now I know that doesn't work."

Between his microscope and building the robot, Robby's scientific curiosity has been in overdrive. Last night over dinner he proudly announced that he is going to be a scientist when he grows up. When we asked him what his first experiment will be, he didn't hesitate before offering his idea. "Momom, when I grow up and become a scientist, I'm going to build you a new foot. I'm going to build you a prosthetic so that you can wiggle your toes like me." I think that the future for amputees looks bright if Robby is on the case!