Observation & Inference...

Kid Scientists make observations all the time...they are watching, listening and experiencing their world.  Learning to distinguish between observations and inferences is an important science skill and it's easy to practice.

Ages: This activity is best for Big Kids...see the end of the post for an adaptation for Little Kids

Materials:  Pictures nature or animals...this works really well with science books or an atlas of animals

Procedure:
Observations are factual statements that can be made about the picture.  Inferences are logical conclusions or  predictions that are based on observations.

• While looking at a picture together, ask your Kid Scientist what they observe.  With pictures we are limited in which senses we can use, but prompt them to be as specific as possible.  How many?  What color?  Is it bigger or smaller?
• Use the observations to make inferences...draw conclusions or make predictions.  What do you think? 
• As Kid Scientists become better at distinguishing between observations and inferences, ask them for a specific number or look for more difficult pictures.

Observations:  There is a nest, the leaves are green, the sky is blue, the nest is on a branch

Inferences: there are eggs in the nest, it is spring, it's a sunny day

Little Kids:  Little Kids can focus on just their observations.  As they become better at making observations, prompt them to be more specific and detailed