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| Biology |  Science is not only laboratories and experiments. There is a lot you can very easily do at home to encourage your child and make him enthusiastic about discovering things. These science activities are suitable for you and children of any age, because they teach (or revise) basic biology which is essential throughout the school science curriculum.
Biology is the study of life and life processes. Here are some ways to inspire your child to study biology:
• Grow some seeds in old pots. You can prove that plants need water and light to grow. Keep one pot of seeds dry put another in the dark. (Plant will not grow in any of these pots. The others should!).
• Sit bulbs such as hyacinths in a wide-necked bottle. Pour water into the bottle so that the base of the bulb is just touching the water. Keep the bottle in a warm, dark place until a shoot appears and then put the bottle into the light. Pour extra water as the plant uses it up. You'll see the roots growing down into the water.
• Put layers of sand and soil into the clear pot, and put some leaves on the surface. Keep the pot in the worm place and observe them digging their way through the layers. Look out for worm casts on the surface. Let the worms go after a few days.
• Gather some caterpillars from hedges and gardens, together with some of the plant you find them on. Put them in a large pot. Three or four caterpillars can live in a large jar with air holes in the lid. Don't put together different types of caterpillar - if you want to compare progress, employ different containers. They will turn into chrysalises and, after a few weeks, into butterflies or moths. Let them go and observe them fly to freedom.
• Examine different soils. Take handfuls of soil from different places (a tended garden, waste ground, woodland) and place each on a sheet of white paper. Look for various colors and textures and try to explain them. You can employ a magnifying glass.
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