Tips for Parents - Helping your child with THEIR project:

• Give encouragement, support, and guidance.
• Make sure your child feels it is his or her project. Make sure the work is primarily the work of the child.
  
• Realize the main goal of a science fair project is to help your child use and strengthen the skills he or she has learned and develop higher-level skills. The main goal should not be the ribbon or prize.
  
• Provide transportation to libraries, nature centers, or universities that can help your child find project information.
  
• Locate Internet access, either at home or at a school or library.
  
• Help your child design a project that is safe and properly supervised.
  
• Help at your local school Science Fair. Contact your child’s teacher to volunteer.
  
• Help your child plan a mutually agreed upon timeline to prevent a last minute project. Some projects may take 6 to 10 months. It is suggested to allow at least 12 weeks to conduct an experiment and prepare the presentation.
  
• Do not worry or get upset if your child doesn’t win a prize at the science fair. The skills the child has gained are worth all of the effort.
  
• Help your child begin to plan for next year.
  
• Feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when the science fair is over. You and your child have earned it!