Frogwatch is another of those programs-- it was shut down/moved/on hiatus for a while, but then I noticed that I was getting the e-mails again, so I think it may have switched homes.
I think that the whiz-flash-bang science DOES require a lot more effort on the part of a parent/adult in order for it to actually convey meaning.
We always approach that kind of thing with a "multiple trials" and "reproducibility/appropriate controls" standpoint. My DD had learned the importance of controls and variable isolation before she even knew the technical terms for them (at about five).
It's completely internalized at this point. Her first question when she sees something cool/interesting is "huh... wonder if that's reproducible?" and then it goes from there. She's got better instincts for experimental design than many graduate students I've worked with, and I think that the early exposure to proper experimental design with the inclusion of controls is the reason why.
