Post by @eruonna@lgbtqia.space

2026-10-15 01:51 UTC

Actually, I'll ask Fedi's advice here. What would you recommend for a bright 11-year-old who is interested in chemistry and ready to go beyond baking soda and vinegar experiments? They've expressed curiosity about the periodic table and why it is the way it is. They are very good at soaking up and remembering facts, but their reading is a little shaky.

Replies (5)

@Kehvarl@furry.engineer 2026-10-15 03:01

@eruonna@lgbtqia.space Maybe something from this list would be good? https://www.cavemanchemistry.com/bookstore.html There was another one that taught how to make and keep a lab notebook then worked a bunch of projects. But I can't find that bookmark just yet.

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@moss@kind.social 2026-10-15 06:47

@eruonna@lgbtqia.space Cc @SRLevine@urbanists.social

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@Simon_M@mastodonapp.uk 2026-10-15 07:34

@eruonna@lgbtqia.space Slightly left field idea: get a periodic table jigsaw puzzle. It'll take time, they'll be constantly looking at the table, learning the symbols, names, atomic masses, etc. I gave this to my niece when she was a similar age. She's currently in her 5th and final year of a medicine degree. Books are also good, though. This is a supplementary idea, not a substitute.

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@scottwilson@infosec.exchange 2026-10-15 10:56

@eruonna@lgbtqia.space What about something like Khan Academy? https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry

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@Sempf@infosec.exchange 2026-10-15 11:16

@eruonna@lgbtqia.space We homeschooled both kids, and got quite far with a quality home science kit and just general hackery. We got this one, but there are lots. https://www.homesciencetools.com/product/complete-introduction-to-chemistry-kit/ I also second Scott's suggestion of Khan. That helped a lot.

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