Dear Mr. Dad: When I was in grade school and middle school, I had real problems with math and science. Early on, I was pretty good at both, but after a while, I just couldn't see how knowing about quadratic equations, functions, and x and y coordinates, chemical reactions, and all the rest could possibly make my life any better. And I have to say, that in my entire adulthood, I've never had to use algebra or chemistry or physics. Now, my kids are coming to me saying that they're bored by math and science. STEM subjects seem to be a lot more important these days. Is there some way to make math and science more fun so my kids won't be as turned off as I was?
A: You're really on to something here _ millions of people have had very similar experiences and have given up on both subjects. That's too bad, because whether we realize it or not, math and science are all around us and we're using them all the time. For example, catching a fly ball requires wildly complex math calculations, and baking a cake uses some pretty sophisticated chemistry. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources out there; encourage kids to explore math and science by making both subjects fun. Here are a few of my favorite books.
_ "The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists," and "The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math: 24 Death-Defying Challenges for Young Mathematicians." These and other books by Sean Connolly teach basic math and science concepts by weaving them into incredibly engaging scenarios.
_ "Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay up Late" and "Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out." Author Laura Overdeck's goal in creating these books for preschoolers was to make math problems as much fun as regular bedtime stories. She definitely succeeds.
_"Rhythm of Math." Percussionist and rhythm master Keith Terry teams up with educator Linda Akiyama to teach math concepts through body movement.
_"Labcraft Wizards" and "Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction." Toy designer and science enthusiast John Austin shows kids how to make a cloud in a jar, magic beans, and dozens of other creations that would make Albus Dumbledore proud.
_"Oh, Yuck: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty" and "Oh, Ick: 114 Science Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out." Joy Masoff uses barf, snot, farts, and other gross stuff to engage kids (and plenty of adults) in the science in everyday life.
Since your own STEM education was something less than completely satisfying, you might enjoy "What's Math Got to Do with It," by Jo Boaler, and "The Magic of Math: Solving for X and Figuring Out Why," by Arthur Benjamin.
There are also some fun TV programs that show how science and math can solve problems and even save lives. In "Project MC2," a team of middle-school girls regularly save the world. In "MacGyver" (both the early-90s show and the 2016 reboot), one man uses household items and whatever else is around to do the most amazing things." And In "Numb3rs" (which you should be able to find in reruns), the FBI uses mathematicians to catch killers. This last one is for mature audiences.
There are also tons of websites and other online resources that are devoted to making science and math fun for kids and adults. "Parents@Play" (parentsatplay.com) has reviews of dozens of wonderful games and toys in this category.
I realize that I've only scratched the surface here. If you hear about or already know about any other resources, please email them to us and we'll include them on a resources page on our website.
