Sarah Shaffer has offered science and nature programs for children, parents and teachers for over 30 years. She is the co-author of Compost! A Teacher’s Guide to Activities and Resources in the East Bay, and is the founder and CEO of Sarah’s Science.
Founded in 1987, Sarah's Science provides kids, ages 4-14, a unique and exciting approach to learning about the wonderful world of science and nature. Sarah's mission is to offer kids a joyous experience and show them that learning can be fun and easy. The programs feature hands-on projects built by each child to engage and delight them while making it easy to understand even complex science concepts. Sarah makes the projects fun and dances the science around them. Sarah's Science offers camps during most school breaks, after school classes, and evening and weekend workshops throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
As a teacher, science consultant and naturalist, Sarah continues to develop and shape her unique approach to stimulating children’s curiosity and encouraging their appreciation for science and nature.
sarah's science articles by sarah shaffer
Where Have All the Children Gone?
by Sarah Shaffer on
I worry that there there may be equal cause for alarm in a “silent summer” of backyards devoid of children’s voices. Parents used to have to shoo their kids outdoors to play. Now we hardly know that they are home. And that is not a good thing.... Read full article
Kids and Climate Without Tears
by Sarah Shaffer on
Our kids have enough to worry about without adding the climate apocalypse—fires, mudslides, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes, and floods—to the list. I want the children in my programs to fall in love with the natural world...... Read full article
The Full Measure of a Child
by Sarah Shaffer on
But what if our race to the top has resulted in a race to the bottom, at least in terms of taking the fun out of learning? In our rush to get back to the basics, we may have forgotten something very basic: there’s profound and genuine joy ...... Read full article
What if Questions Are the Answer?
by Sarah Shaffer on
What is it about labeling science a formal subject that robs the endeavor of fun and drains kids of their passion? Might there be some connection between your child’s grade on a report card and his sudden “I-hate-science” statements? ... Read full article
Leaping into Learning
by Sarah Shaffer on
The idea that we’ve removed recess in the name of giving children more time to work on skills that boost test scores is based on an absolute failure to understand the developmental link between play and healthy brains.... Read full article
Catapulting to the Head of the Class
by Sarah Shaffer on
“This isn’t science. This is fun!” “Children are born true scientists. They spontaneously experiment and experience and reexperience again. They select, combine, and test, seeking to find order in their experiences – ‘which is the mostest? ...... Read full article