Thanks to the PBS Kids show Dinosaur Train, my four-year-old knows that a hypothesis is “an idea you can test.” Or at least she can parrot that sentence when asked. I wanted to get beyond a catchphrase definition, and I wanted to do it without going over her head.
Enter: 11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill. Make no mistake–this picture book is not going to be taken as a textbook about the scientific method. It’s fun and silly, but it’s actually a great introduction to the hypothesis as the girl from 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore has all sorts of ideas–most of which kids are going to recognize as bad ideas–and tests them out with comical results.
Here’s hoping it’s just the beginning of our science adventures! 
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For more about science for kids, see my Secular Thursday page.
Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links.
Sounds like a fun book. I like your Secular Thurs list. It’s for older kids (and adults), but I’d also include the stunning book by Dawkins and McKean The Magic of Reality. It’s probably one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring books I’ve read this year – my kids all loved it.
Thank you for the recommendation!
I actually just recently bought the Magic of Reality. I hope to blog about it sometime in the next few weeks.