STEM learning focuses on ‘S’cience, ‘T’echnology, ‘E’ngineering, and ‘M’ath.
In today’s day and age, it’s more important than ever to encourage these skills in our children. It’s never too early to introduce STEM learning activities so children can develop an interest in these disciplines, something that will affect their future positively.
If there’s something children have a ton of, it’s an endless curiosity for the world around them. STEM learning provides opportunities to understand the world a lot better and they do so while having fun, so they don’t even know they are learning important and sometimes complex concepts in a very easy way.
Here are a few activities you can use to encourage STEM learning and see if it’s something your children enjoy!
Oil Spill
This is a science and engineering activity that relates to real-world issues. All you have to do is mix oil and water in a large container. You can also add a few feathers in there. Then, give your children paper towels, spoons, or sponges so they can remove the oil and the feathers, aka the pollution, from the water.
Challenge them to do this without taking out too much water. Plus, you can take the opportunity to explain oil spills and how they affect the environment. Not to mention it will help them understand how difficult it is to remove oil from the water and how oil can affect the feathers.
Number Match
If your children are starting to learn math, it’s important to make it fun so they can develop some love for it. Playing number match with sticky notes is a great way to practice math while having fun. All you have to do is tape a sheet of paper to the wall and write numbers from 1 to 10 or more, depending on your child’s age.
Then, provide sticky notes with other representations of the numbers on the wall, whether it’s dot groups, simple summation o subtraction (5+2 for 7 or 10-4 for 6), or written numbers, so they can match them to those on the wall.
LEGO Maze
This technology activity will allow children to learn coding basics and all you need is a bung of LEGOs. Research Parent explains this activity perfectly and they show you how to adjust it to different ages.
They provide free printables for different kinds of mazes and they give you instruction cards so children can learn the basics of command codes, looping, and sequencing. This will create a foundation so they can learn to code later on if they’re interested in it.
Road Builders
If you are looking for an exciting puzzle that will be interesting for a child for a long time, pay attention to the logic game Road Builders, designed for children of all ages. This game is thought out to the smallest detail and will undoubtedly create hours of fun.
Inside the metal box you will find 36 double-sided challenge cards, 9 magnetic pieces with road fragments, incentive stickers and instructions. The presented tasks have 4 levels of difficulty, thanks to which the game will captivate both toddlers and older preschoolers. You can also solve problems with joint efforts - a great option for families with several children.
Of course, there are many more STEM activities you can try, but these provide a good starting point. Just make sure the activities you choose are appropriate for your child’s age and level of understanding.
If your children are still too young for STEM activities, you can help them develop cognitive skills with these Mideer Cognitive Cards and many other activities to further their growth.
