Welcome to our early science blog.

View posts by our early science blogger to gain valuable insights into the developing brain and learn about activities that you can easily incorporate into your early childhood curriculum to foster the development of early science skills in young learners.

Check back often so you don’t miss a single blog—and join in the conversation by asking questions or leaving comments at the end of each post.

About our blogger Diann Gano, M.Ed

Diann Gano

Diann Gano, M.Ed

Diann Gano—who opened her family child care program, Under the Gingko Tree in 1986—has long believed that “the earth gives us what we need to learn” and that nature is “the perfect environment for little brains to grow and learn in every day.” While conducting research for her master’s thesis on outdoor learning in early childhood settings, she learned about the Nature Explore Classroom Certification Program, which recognizes schools and other organizations that have made a commitment to providing outdoor classrooms and comprehensive programming to help children use the natural world as an integral part of learning. She enrolled in the Nature Explore Classroom certification program after completing her master’s degree in 2010, and Under the Ginkgo Tree was certified as a Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classroom Program in 2011.

A member of the Erikson Family Child Care Portal Project Advisory Board, Gano has also participated in the Erikson Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Summit and served as a webinar panelist for Town Square Illinois, an online resource and professional development tool for home-based providers. She has presented at the local, state and national levels on topics such as indoor and outdoor learning environments, the importance of loose parts in early math education and the impact of immersion in the natural world on brain development in young children. In 2016, Gano was honored as a recipient of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Child Care Innovator Award for creating a school environment that inspires children to become more active and engaged learners. In May 2019, she received the prestigious Terri Lynn Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Teacher Award, which honors 50 outstanding early child care professionals across the nation each year for making a lasting difference in the lives of the children they serve and setting them on a path to success in school and in life. She received her BS in liberal arts from Western Illinois University and her MEd in education from St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana.

Wonder-Filled Science in the Flower Garden

“Hey! How did you make that sound?” Elizabeth comes running over to see what four-year-old Vera is up to. “I’m popping the flowers!” Vera replies. “It’s so fun!” Popping hosta flowers or opening the jaw of a snapdragon flower is a skill that has been passed down from child to child for decades in our […]

Insect Adventures

  “Look what I found!” yells Peter. “Rowan! Come quick! I think it’s a praying mantis!” “Wow! It’s so big!” says Parker. “That can’t be a praying mantis, can it? Is it a grasshopper?” Five-year-old Rowan comes running. Our class science expert and budding entomologist, Rowan really knows her insects. She’s the first person we […]

The Secret Agent of Bubbles

  “If you wiggle your hands like this, you can make lots and lots of bubbles!” exclaims Hudson. “Watch!” Piper and Hudson are elbow deep in a tub of water, splashing about happily as they investigate cause and effect in a moment of playful learning. Science begins with curiosity, which leads to discovery and exploration. […]

Toad-Ally Awesome Science

“Get him, Avery! Get him!” Auuughhhhh!  “Did you get him?” “He’s over there, Rowan, get him!” The children’s search is punctuated by high-pitched screams. Is it a snake? A grasshopper?  What garden creature could be causing such a stir on a lazy Monday afternoon? “I got him!” Rowan declares as she cradles a garden toad […]

Predicting the Weather

“Rain before seven, clear by eleven!” exclaims Pierre as he bounces through the door with his ever-present smile and positive attitude. “My mom told me it was raining before I got up this morning. But she also said we will be outside by lunchtime!” “Is that true?” asks Michael, who is standing nearby.  “It usually […]

Blocks, Balance and Investigations

  “I think we need another cylinder on this side. Can you put that on for me? I will keep it balanced.”   Rowan and Parker are deeply engrossed in block play. Their investigations into balance, gravity, force, and cause and effect have led these four-year-old friends deep into the STEM zone!  “Do you want […]

Can You Measure Fun?

  “Saaliha, can you hold this side down for me?  I am trying to measure the sidewalk!  I have the longest tape measure!” We brought out the tape measures this week. There is nothing like a tool in the hands of young friends to get the juices flowing and the neurons firing. When children are […]

Tinkering with Nuts and Bolts

  “Hey Trey! Want to play hardware store?” asks Jamie. The hardware store that Jamie is referring to? It’s not really a store at all, but an area that we set up at our center to give children an opportunity to play with nuts, washers and bolts. The activity turned out to be a surprise […]

Investigating Inclines

  On an extremely cold morning, an extremely curious three-year-old named Jamison embarked on an impromptu investigation of math and science concepts in our block room. Jamison started the investigation with a small ramp and a single car. The fever caught on with Jamison’s fellow early STEM explorers, who began setting up ramps and obstacles […]

Fix-It Fun!

  “Miss Diann, I need a hammer! Look! Look! See? I need a hammer!” Three-year-old Jonathan—our “fix-it man”—is pointing to a loose wagon screw that needs his immediate attention. We turn the wagon on its side to take a closer look at the wheel. Yes! We definitely have a loose screw. “Do you need a hammer […]