Let’s Talk Science

Let’s Talk Science is an award-winning, national, charitable organization. They have a variety of free programs, resources, hands-on activities and projects to engage children and youth – from preschool to Grade 12 – in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)!

Let's Talk Science - Canada's Science Resource
Chemistry Class on ShutterStock

Check out their hands-on activities database that includes fun activities for all ages. Some activity
examples include:

Can we make butter? An activity for children ages 3-8.
What is white light? An activity for ages 9-11.
Why is it colder in the winter even though the Earth is closer to the Sun? An activity for ages 12-14.
What is an exothermic reaction? An activity for ages 12-17.

Also offered through Let’s Talk Science are their five free programs:

Let’s Talk Science Outreach (Grades K-12)
Through the Let’s Talk Science Outreach program, trained volunteers (university and college students)
visit elementary and high school classrooms, libraries, community events and homeschool classrooms to
deliver exciting hands-on STEM learning experiences to children and youth, free of charge. Volunteer
availability for homeschool classrooms varies by Outreach site, so please contact your closest site. There are over 40 Let’s Talk Science Outreach sites across Canada.

Let’s Talk Science Challenge (Grades 6-8)
The Let’s Talk Science Challenge is a fun-filled STEM competition for Grade 6-8 students that takes place
in April or May at over 20 university and college locations across Canada. Send a team of 2-4 Grade 6-8
students to compete against other teams; homeschoolers are welcome! The Challenge includes an exciting question and answer competition and an interactive, hands-on design challenge! There’s also a handbook of material for students to study leading up to the day, available for free through the website.
Register in December – spots fill quickly!

Tomatosphere (Grades K-12)
Plant “space” seeds in your homeschool classroom! Tomatosphere TM is a free classroom project that uses the excitement of space exploration to teach students the skills and processes of science experimentation and inquiry. Registered groups receive two sets of tomato seeds – one that has been on the International Space Station or exposed to space-like conditions and another set of regular seeds.
Students plant the two sets to determine if there are any differences between the germination rates of
the “space” seeds and regular seeds. Register in the fall to receive seeds in February or March each year.
Free resources for the program are available.

IdeaPark (Grades K-3)
IdeaPark is a collection of free educator resources and planning tools for preschool to Grade 3 classrooms. The resources support a skills-based, co-constructed, learning environment through STEM. Homeschoolers can select resources by skill, type or interest focus.

CurioCity (Grades 8-12)
Looking to make STEM interesting for 12-17 year olds? CurioCity has you covered. It’s a web-based program that supports youth development and learning through engaging and relevant articles, videos, career profiles, action projects, Q&A sessions and more. Check out the hundreds of articles on the science behind topics ranging from How Sunscreen Keeps Your Skin Safe to Energy Drink Cocktails and Addiction. CurioCity also includes a variety of resources to go with the articles and hands-on action projects. It even includes 360° videos for teens to explore STEM-related careers!

Lisa Marie Fletcher
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1 thought on “Let’s Talk Science”

  1. Reader Email Response:
    ——————

    Hi there,

    A while back you posted about a program called Lets Talk Science. I went and checked out. I was able to find a University on that site to provide an outreach program for our homeschool group.

    Well York Unv., came out today and we all had a FANTASTIC time 🙂 It was our biggest group of homeschoolers for an activity that I can remember.

    I just wanted to say thank you for the link 🙂 Because of your site we all enjoyed a fantastic learning experience.

    Much appreciated,
    Amy from Barrie

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