Children who enjoy science develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

To spark a child's interest, experts recommend taking science education out of the classroom and making it a handson experience. According to a new Purdue University study conducted by the National Science Foundation, students who took part in such projects learned more and showed deeper understanding of science principles than their peers.

"Summer is a perfect time to investigate the world around us," said Andy Allan, director of curriculum development for Champions Science Adventures summer camp. He encourages parents to explore science with their child through daily experiences.

"Parents can be some of the best teachers. They can point out things, explain and inspire before a child has a 'formal' science education," Allan said. He offers these tips:

•Children like to collect things. Encourage a child to build a collection of items easily found outdoors such as leaves, shells, bugs and rocks. Provide a place to display these findings and ask questions about them.

•Explore the great outdoors by taking a family nature hike to identify birds, plants, insects and the like. Have a child keep a journal of discoveries along the way. Add drawings at home.

•Invite kids into the kitchen to cook, no matter what's being made, and have them follow recipes to help improve their math and science skills.

•Visit a toy or hobby shop. There are numerous home science kits available on a variety of topics from dinosaurs to the human skeleton.

•Take a trip to a science museum for some exploration.

•Keep a weather journal.

•Grow a plant. Put something such as a radish seed in a pot and have a child check it every day. Record results in a photo journal.

•Find a dark open space and use a pair of binoculars to scan the night sky for constellations.

•Make paper airplanes and see which design stays in the air the longest.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.