Preschooler Sean Oshiro eagerly sat at a table with five of his classmates as their teacher brought out milk, food coloring, dishwashing liquid and other supplies for an experiment called Swirling Planets. "This is going to be so fun!" said Sean, 4, with a big smile.

Jeffrey Bock, Sean's teacher at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Children's Center, helped his young students drop food coloring onto plastic lids filled with milk. They dipped cotton swabs soaked with dishwashing liquid onto the colored drops, which immediately began to swirl into tie-dye-like patterns.

"Whoa! Cool!" exclaimed Sean, who was having too much fun to realize he was actually learning a science lesson in surface tension.

"That's what you're shooting for," Bock said, replying to his students' excited reactions. "That means I did a good job."

Helping children like Sean enjoy science is among the goals of the UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Open House this weekend.

Taking kids to science-oriented events and exposing them to everyday experiences at home or in the community can help them learn to love and appreciate science — and that's essential in this day and age, experts and parents say.

"It's important for parents to help their children feel at home in a high-tech world," said Patricia Cooper, associate dean for academic affairs at SOEST. "Youngsters equipped with a knowledge and appreciation for all things technical and scientific will have an advantage in school and later on in seeking employment."

This is true even if they choose not to pursue a career in science, she said.

"The analytical skills that students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields acquire serve them well in any career," Cooper said.

Cooper has two grown children, including a daughter, 29, who is working on a doctorate in biophysics.

Children "really are little scientists testing the nature of materials and forces in an unknown world," Cooper said. "I think it's important for parents to facilitate their exploration as much as possible."

Cooper encourages families to do things like visit museums, aquariums and nature trails.

"We spent a lot of time 'in the field,' " Cooper said. "Learning about nature was a great way to introduce them to science and help them understand their physical environment."

Cooper also used her family room to set up a little activity center, which she stocked with games, puzzles, art supplies — and when her children grew older — a microscope, bug-catching equipment, magnifying glass and more.

"Not only was the mess contained, but they could choose from a variety of intellectually stimulating pastimes," she said.

Like Cooper, Eric and Claudia Pilger of Kapolei were mindful of seeking out science activities both at home and in the community for their children, now ages 22, 20 and 16.

"Not every child is going to love every aspect of science, so help them find what they do enjoy," said Claudia Pilger, a mom who homeschools her teenage son.

"That's why it's (important) to provide a variety of environments and experiences relating to science."

It's also important to know when to back off, Pilger said.

"They may not be interested or ready to learn at the moment, but you may have planted a seed of interest that will grow over time," she said.

As the Pilgers' children grew older, they looked for more stimulating, age-appropriate programs, including a summer space mission program and a robotics competition.

Resources for such opportunities include a child's school or home-school community, colleges and various summer school programs, the Pilgers said.

"The most basic way to encourage a love of science is to encourage children from an early age to keep on doing what they do as infants and toddlers — allow them opportunities to play and explore the wonders of the world around them — and keep learning alongside them," Claudia Pilger said.

At the UH Children's Center, Bock cleaned up after the Swirling Planets experiment as 4-year-old Sean and Bock's other pint-sized pupils happily hurried off to another activity.

"The point is that you're trying to build lifelong learners, and in order to do that, that means that learning doesn't just happen in the classroom," Bock said.

"It happens wherever you are, whatever you're doing."