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Tag Archives: STEM learning

Discover The Parenting Mindset That Will Boost STEM Learning

As an engineer I tend to observe and reflect on many things. Playing with my daughters I have noticed a few attitudes I embrace that transform our play into a STEM learning experience. A mindset I want to share with you.

What you can do as a parent to boost learning:

I TALK out loud and try not to oversimplify. I give them tools to communicate and express ideas. The more rich their vocabulary is, the more detailed their world becomes. And I am mindful of my language because I am aware that…

I MODEL and my attitudes become theirs. So I model excitement for learning and wanting to find solutions, I make mistakes so they can see that they are just part of learning. And I understand that they have a leading role in their learning so…

I MIRROR their curiosity and wonder, their excitement when discovering new things and I slow down and let them set the pace because it is important that..

I GIVE THEM TIME to figure things out by themselves because that is when learning truly sticks. And in the meantime…

I OBSERVE , watch how they approach challenges, what they are interested in. This helps me tailor future activities and hit the challenge sweet spot. And if they ask for help..

I WONDER OUT LOUD. I avoid giving direct answers but rather wonder about different possibilities and ask for their opinion because…

I am a TEAM PLAYER and not the know-it-all parent. Because of this I can enjoy the moment and…

I have fun and we EXPLORE TOGETHER , setting a positive foundation for future STEM learning.

Practice This Mindset With These Family STEM Activities:

  • Playful And Colorful Water Play For Kids
  • Ultimate Holiday STEM: Christmas Indoor Game For The Whole Family
  • Spoon Ding Challenge: Engaging Ramp Activity For Early STEM
  • Gardening With Kids: Beautiful Math And Art Activity
  • Hands-on Engineering For Kids: How To Make A Wind Farm

Check Out Parenting Tips And Inspiration For STEM At Home:

  • What is STEM and why is STEM Learning important?
  • 5 Tips to Transform STEM Activities at Home
  • 5 Reasons for Supporting STEM Learning at Home
  • Discover The Best Strategies For Learning That Sticks
  • Play-Based Learning: How Children Learn Through Play
  • Have You Wondered With Your Kid Today?
  • The Dos And Don’ts Of Free Play. A STEM Perspective
  • Connect As A Family Through Play And Discovery
  • How To Develop Early Math Skills Outdoors

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Ultimate Holiday STEM: Christmas Indoor Game For The Whole Family

With Christmas around the corner we decided to try a fun themed STEM activity. This Christmas indoor game turned out to be so much fun! This game is a great way to fire up the brain and get those little minds working and learning. Recommended ages: preschool ages from 3 to 5. Once they get older you can go for real circuits, this one is just pretend.

christmas indoor game STEM activity for kids

Christmas Indoor Game

Materials

  • 2 x Egg cartons 
  • Paint for coloring the egg cartons
  • Pipe cleaners: we used Christmas style pipe cleaners that were red, green, yellow and blue colors, 5 of each color
  • Bells for extra decoration (optional)
  • 2 x LED battery-operated lights with a switch
  • Fun squeaky toy that can act as a buzzer
  • Paper/markers/scissors to make the cards

Preparation 

To prepare the activity you will need to:

  1. Turn the egg cartons around and paint each row
  2. Once the paint has dried, poke a hole in each colored circle
  3. Prepare playing cards: We cut out card-sized pieces of paper and drew a color code on them: a line for the pipe cleaner color and two circles for the colors that it connects on the egg carton

Christmas Indoor Game Set up

Once you have all your materials it’s time to set up the game. Place the egg cartons on the LED lights and the buzzer between them. Cards can be placed on the table too. 

How To Play The Christmas Indoor Game

We pretended we were connecting wires to see if we could get the lights to work. There are two playing modes:

Mode 1: Follow the code and connect the wires

christmas indoor game STEM activity for kids

2 players: Each player draws 1 – 3 cards depending on age and tries to connect the wires correctly. Once done, each player takes a turn to hit the buzzer and the other player switches the light on if the cables (pipe cleaners) are correct. If the lights don’t go on, then it’s time to take a look at what went wrong and try again.

3 players: Same as before but one player is in charge of the lights and the other two have to connect the wires correctly. The one in charge has to check that the wires are correct before turning on any lights.

Mode 2: Design and replicate

christmas indoor game STEM activity for kids

Each player takes a turn to become a creator and designs their own circuit. The other player then has to replicate it. Once it has been replicated, the player hits the buzzer and the creator (or a third player) turns both lights on if it is correct. 

STEM learning

This activity is a great exercise for the brain! 

🚥 First, it has children using a new language, a code, to follow instructions. This helps develop cognitive abilities. 

🧩 Second, children have to compare and make sure that everything is correct or find out what went wrong, which is great for problem-solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. 

⚡Third, it is pretend circuit play so you can start introducing very basic vocabulary like wires and electricity. Look around the room and talk about what needs electricity to work 

❤️ Fourth, it is quality time spent together. Creating positive emotions surrounding STEM experiences is key for kids motivation for STEM.

christmas indoor game STEM activity for kids

If both parents are playing this with their kids, which we definitely recommend you do, let them be in charge of the lights and play against each other. This really gets their brains working. Once they figure out the code and have followed it a few times, being in charge of overseeing the lights is a great way to boost brain activity. They don’t just follow instructions but they have to check that everything is correct. A crucial aspect of any STEM profession. 

Hope you enjoyed this fun Christmas set up. We wish you a lovely holiday!

More Fun Family Games:

  • Fantastic Outdoor Game With Great Learning Potential
  • Multisensory Learning: The Sound and Feel of Materials

Check Out Parenting Tips And Inspiration For STEM At Home:

  • What is STEM and why is STEM Learning important?
  • 5 Tips to Transform STEM Activities at Home
  • 5 Reasons for Supporting STEM Learning at Home
  • Discover The Best Strategies For Learning That Sticks
  • Play-Based Learning: How Children Learn Through Play
  • Have You Wondered With Your Kid Today?
  • The Dos And Don’ts Of Free Play. A STEM Perspective
  • Connect As A Family Through Play And Discovery
  • How To Develop Early Math Skills Outdoors

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5 Brilliant Ways To Experiment With Oobleck

Making an experiment with oobleck is very easy and a lot of fun for kids (and adults too!). The name oobleck comes from a Dr. Seuss story and is used commonly nowadays to name a non-newtonian fluid made from cornstarch and water. A non-newtonian fluid is a fluid that does not behave according to Newton’s law of viscosity. In other words, it has a different resistance to flow. It is sensitive to pressure and will change from solid to liquid depending on how much pressure we put on it. Because it is so easy to make at home, and it behaves so differently from other things we know, it creates the perfect environment for sneaking in some STEM learning. 

experiment with oobleck materials

In our house, we love to add color to anything. So when we decided to make some oobleck the other day, we got out our food coloring and added it to the mix. The result was fascinating! Because of the special properties of the mixture the colors created beautiful curves and spirals before mixing. In this post, you will learn how to create rainbow art and more brilliant ways to experiment with oobleck. You will also find out how you can engage with your kids so that they can learn from this experiment. 

Oobleck Recipe

All you need to make oobleck is cornstarch, water, and food coloring. We made it in a large oven tray so that we could spread it out before adding color. This way you will get the beautiful effects I was talking about earlier. You will usually need around twice the amount of cornstarch than water (2 cups of cornstarch to 1 cup of water). These would be the steps to follow:

  1. In a large oven tray add 1 cup of water 
  2. Start adding cornstarch until you reach the desired effect (oobleck should feel hard when you try to make it into a ball but as soon as you stop it will flow through your fingers)
  3. Once you achieve the right consistency let it settle and start experimenting

5 Brilliant ways to experiment with oobleck for STEM learning

Making Oobleck in itself is already an awesome and fun experiment. However,  the experiment doesn’t have to end there! If we want learning to stick, we have to go beyond the initial experiment and allow our children to do some discovery on their own. Here are some suggestions for keeping them engaged and curious about the experiment:

brilliant ways to experiment with oobleck
  • Add drops of color and make some rainbow art. This was our favorite part! Yes… adults enjoy this too!
  • Play with loose parts. We used colorful tops and our kid made towers using the oobleck as glue!! Just collect some objects and leave them around the experiment area and see what your kids come up with
  • Use kitchen utensils and observe how different this mixture is to manipulate compared to water
  • Create droplets outside of the tray. We did this outside on our waterproof tablecloth we use for experiments so we didn’t mind the mess. We let some drops fall out of the tray and observed what happened when they dried out. We compared bigger drops and smaller drops and then we added them back to the tray for more fun effects
  • Make a ramp and let the oobleck flow down. We just put a block under our tablecloth, no fancy ramp needed for this but feel free to make one too. We talked about rivers and lakes with this and how different liquids flow

Check out how our rainbow art turned out in this video:

Experiment with Oobleck observations and conversations

If you are doing this with preschool-aged children it is great to just talk and make observations while you do the experiment. By talking with your kids you are helping them build vocabulary so that they can understand the world better. When we make observations, we help them reflect on what is happening and connect ideas. So here are some suggestions when making the oobleck:

  • Add cornstarch gradually and observe the changes: is it getting harder? 
  • Try to make little balls with your hands: what happens? As soon as you stop trying to roll the oobleck into a ball it will flow across your hand
  • What happens if you poke the oobleck fast? What happens if you just gently put your finger on it? When poking fast the oobleck should behave more like playdough being poked and when going slow it will behave more like pancake batter

For older elementary school kids you can add complexity to your conversation by talking about the following concepts and asking questions:

  • Liquid/solid: when does it behave like a liquid/solid? 
  • Viscosity: how does this mixture flow compared to water? You can use a ramp to compare
  • Pressure/force: when we apply pressure what happens? Does the amount of pressure change the consistency?
  • Color mixing: what happens when we add drops of color? Why do you think it doesn’t mix directly?

We always suggest to wonder out loud with your kids instead of asking question after question. For example, “if I apply pressure I wonder what will happen?” or “what do you think will happen when we add color?”. It is always more fun to discover together than to be drilled.

Follow-up activity: Comparisons

Once you’ve explored oobleck, make something else. We mixed plain wheat flour with water to see how different the results were. It’s good for kids to have something to compare and as a bonus the entertainment lasted even longer!

This is definitely something you can repeat many times and it is always fun. And each time you do it you might find some cool way to play and experiment with oobleck. So make sure to always have cornstarch and food coloring available. 

Happy STEM learning!

Check out other brilliant activities for young kids:

  • Simple Science Project For Kids: Float or Sink
  • Math For Toddlers: Easy Sensory Bath Time Activity
  • Fun Color Experiment For Toddlers Who Love A Good Mess
  • STEM Activity: Build a Pyramid and Learn about Shapes
experiment with oobleck brilliant ways
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Great Engaging Activity: Fun Ways To Use Straws

Questioning and thinking outside of the box are such important skills, not only for STEM, but for life in general. By exposing your children to experiences that require them to look at things differently you are helping them to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. In the Stay At Home Discover series I will be giving you tips and ideas for using everyday objects in fun and engaging ways. Invite your children to discover ways to use these objects and have fun experimenting.

stay at home STEM straws

In the last week we have been finding new and exciting ways to use straws! From using them as building materials to blowing bubbles every time is a great chance to sneak in some STEM learning. In this case, I refer to STEM learning as sharpening those problem-solving and critical thinking skills and not necessarily the Science Technology Engineering and Math aspect. 

How can you guide the learning? 

I will be giving you some ideas of what we have been doing with straws but feel free to explore and come up with your own ideas. Depending on your kids age you can then collect the materials from each activity and invite them to find ways to use or play with them. Or you could just gather some straws and without any guidance let them collect things around the house that they could use to create or play in any way they want.

Activities we have been doing

Bear in mind that our daughter is almost 3 years-old so if you have older/younger kids you might need to adapt the activities. 

Bring straws to bathtime! 

This was so fun! We started by just blowing air through the straw into the bath water and to her surprise bubbles started coming out! Our daughter also tried drinking the bath water and spit it back out so be prepared for this. Then we started making soap bubbles with the straw. For this we got some toy cups, put some soap and water in it and just blew with the straw. We were amazed to see how the bubbles came out!  We experimented by blowing fast, blowing slow and watching how the bubbles changed. It was so fun we did it a few days later outside!

stay at home STEM straws

Preparation

For this activity you will need:

  • Straws
  • Small plastic cups
  • Soap 
  • Water

How to sneak in some critical thinking:

  • Invitation to create: Lay out the materials and ask them what you could do with them
  • Once you are set up blowing bubbles you can ask:
    • What will happen if we blow faster/slower?
    • What happens to the water when we blow bubbles?

Use straws for moving things around

Feed the bunny

I had some colorful pom poms lying around from when I did activities with kids on the weekends so I brought these out to use with the straws. If you don’t have pom poms you could use ping pong balls or cotton balls or even try making some balls out of cello tape and paper. We also had a bunny rabbit made out of cardboard so we brought that out and tried to feed the bunny by blowing the pom poms into the bunny’s mouth. You can turn this into a game by seeing how much food you can get into the bunny’s mouth in X amount of time. (I’ll leave it up to you to decide on the time).

stay at home STEM straws

Get the ball through the maze

Another day we used our blocks to make a maze and tried getting the ball from one side to the other. This can be done as a race (you can time each person) or it can be done as a collaborative game. 

These games are great for older kids and younger kids just enjoy discovering what they can do with straws. As I write this I am thinking that it would also be fun to suck the air in through the straw and try to get the balls from one point to another. I’ll leave you with that thought and see what fun games you can come up with. 

Preparation

Materials you will need: 

  • Straws
  • Balls to push/carry around (pom poms, ping pong balls, cotton balls, paper balls…)
  • Containers to push the balls into or drop them into (fun animals made out of cardboard, plastic cups, tupperware…)
  • Materials to make a maze or a road: blocks, tin foil (have fun creating the road too!)

How to sneak in some problem-solving and critical thinking:

  • Invitation to create: Lay out the materials and ask your kids what you could do with them
  • If you have been blowing the balls around, change something in the game and ask them how they would get the balls around now. For example, if the container was horizontal so you could push the balls in put it in a position so that you have to suck the air in and carry the balls in or maybe use two straws to pick the balls up

Use straws for creating objects:

Bring out some straws, something that will connect them (we used scotch tape) and start creating! 

Ideas for things you can create:

  • 2D Shapes (this is what we did)
  • 3D Shapes
  • Bridges 
  • Towers
  • Houses
  • Ramps (slides for toys)
  • Any type of structure really
stay at home STEM straws

Preparation

Materials you will need:

  • Straws
  • Something to connect the straws (playdough, tape…)
  • Scissors (to adjust the size of the straws)

How to sneak in some problem-solving and critical thinking:

  • Invitation to create: Lay out the materials and ask your kids what you could do with them
  • Challenges: How can we make a bridge strong enough to hold a book? How can we make a tower as tall as…? How can we make 3D shapes out of the 2D ones we already made? Is it possible to make a slide for your toys?
  • If we just use 5/10… straws what can we create?

For the challenges you can also do some research online with your kids beforehand. This is a great way to get your kids motivated about the activity and you are teaching them to research before starting a project which is so important in STEM! For bridges for  example you can google “bridge” and look at the images and see which one you could create.


More Fun Activities and Games:

  • Movement and 5 Senses Scavenger Hunt
  • Stay At Home Math: Fun Games For Movement And Learning
  • STEM Game: The Sound and Feel of Materials
  • DIY Math Game with Playdough
  • STEM challenge: The Tower of Random Things
  • Sensory STEM jello experiment 

Make sure to Bookmark the Stay At Home STEM post which will be updated with all our fun STEM activities that are perfect for doing at home.

Have fun and discover new ways to use everyday objects!

So these are the ways in which we discovered straws and I hope you can find some fun and engaging ways too! Enjoy the time with your kids and reconnect with your family through play, exploration and discoveries! 

stay at home STEM straws
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What is STEM and why is STEM Learning important?

If you are interested in STEM it is important to have a bit of background information regarding this topic. There is a lot of information out there so I will try to be concise. I will explain why I believe STEM learning is important and how you can implement it at home.

What is STEM?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is currently being used to define a methodology or educational practice that combines these disciplines into an interdisciplinary approach to learning the subjects. STEM is very broad and encompasses so many different aspects of this world that it can sometimes be a bit daunting. In reality, STEM is everywhere and everything has a bit of STEM in it. And with this blog, my aim is to help you understand it a bit better.

What is STEM and why is STEM learning important

Why is STEM Learning important?

You will read everywhere that STEM is mainly important because of its professional relevance in our current technology-driven society. And this is true, however, it is not only about the future job market. Learning through a STEM approach means applying STEM skills and combining them to solve real-life problems. Contrary to popular belief, it does not only help children develop science and math skills but it also works on their so-called 21st-century skills. Critical thinking, analytical and organizational skills as well as creativity and communication are just some of the skills that go hand in hand with learning through a STEM methodology. It is inquiry-based, meaning it aims to answer questions, and therefore helps children nurture their innate curiosity and love of learning. So, in other words, STEM learning is a way to prepare children to tackle real-life situations, where problems cannot be clearly divided into separate school subjects and this is where the importance really lies.

The Connection

I believe that STEM is connected to the way we see the world and the way our brain processes information. In order to tackle any STEM challenge, your brain has to have a necessary set of tools to help it navigate this challenge.

When talking about STEM learning it is important to note that it is not only about the scientific concepts or the mathematical tools. It is also about the way they think about problem-solving. We have reached a moment in time in which information is at our fingertips! So just knowing the concepts is not enough, we need to know how to use them in context. Or how to apply them to real life so they become less abstract. For this, we have to know how to use the tools. And this is what STEM learning is about. It is about learning the STEM concepts by training the brain to think in a STEM way. For example, tools like the scientific method or the engineering design process are examples of structured problem-solving.

However, even when using these tools it is good to have other skills to support problem-solving. Being creative, looking at a problem from different perspectives, having patience and learning from mistakes, not giving up or knowing when to give up, knowing what questions to ask, these are all examples of skills that can be worked on through STEM learning. And the great thing about this is that it is not specific to STEM. These skills can be transferred to life in general and this is where the importance of STEM learning actually lies. In learning a skill-set which can allow you to problem-solve in an efficient and productive way.

STEM Learning with Children

The beauty of STEM learning with children is that they are naturally curious. That curiosity, that wonder, and inquiry, if guided accordingly can be used to nurture a love for learning and pave the way to discovering how the world works. And STEM learning can be adapted and grow as the child grows, diving deeper into Science Technology Engineering and Math concepts as the developmental milestones of the brain are reached. Small things like collecting, organizing and categorizing can be started early on and can then develop into solving a problem or finding out how something works.

Side note: it is important to note that the child’s brain develops in specific stages and that it is very important to not introduce activities or experiments that may frustrate the child. We want to keep our children motivated for STEM. Pushing activities when they are not ready is not the way to do it.  

Having Fun is so important

So STEM with children is about having fun while they learn. It is also about engaging with them so that they can foster a love for STEM. With this, we can prepare them for being great problem-solvers and life-long learners. And this is the reason I created this blog, to help parents bring STEM into their home in an effective and fun way! Through guided activities, information and resources I hope to help you transform your home into a place of wonder and discovery. Because STEM learning does not need to be a thing of schools and educational institutions. But rather it can start and be nurtured at home. If you want to read more about this check out my post: 5 reasons for supporting STEM learning at home. Or check out some of the guided activities on the blog:

  • Why do things float or sink?
  • The Tower of Random Things: A guided STEM challenge to thinking outside the box
  • Engineer a house out of natural materials
  • Let’s build a pyramid! A guided STEM activity to shapes and spatial awareness

Happy STEM learning!

What is STEM and why is STEM learning important
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STEM Activity: Build a Pyramid and Learn about Shapes

I recently made a pyramid in one of my workshops for kids and it was an absolute blast! The kids loved decorating the different parts and figuring out how to put everything together. I realized that it was such a great STEM activity to explore shapes and work on spatial awareness.

STEM activity pyramid shapes spatial awareness

It was also so much fun that I wanted to share it with you and give you a way to create teachable STEM moments at home. I will first give you the process of creating the pyramid and then provide you with an example of how you could introduce the STEM activity and guide it so that some STEM learning happens!

STEM Activity: How to Build a Pyramid

Building a pyramid is quite simple and you probably have all the materials you need at home!

Tools and Materials

Materials you will need:

  • Cardboard – we used an old cardboard box from a recent package I received from an online purchase, I’m sure you have some of those lying around 😉
  • Decoration materials – we stencilled some hieroglyphics on, but you can just decorate however you want. Paint, glitter, stickers, glue some colorful cutout papers, the options are endless

Tools you will need:

  • Scissors to cut the shapes
  • Tape to hold the pyramid together – we used painters tape because it is what I had lying around but you can use duct tape too. Regular cello tape might not hold the pyramid together so well but you can definitely try! The 3-year-olds enjoyed the tape moment and our pyramid ended up covered in pieces of tape too!
  • Ruler to measure
  • Pencil

That’s it! Pretty simple right?

The Preparation

To build a pyramid you are going to basically need a square base and 4 triangles. Here is an image so it’s clearer:

STEM activity pyramid shapes spatial awareness

I have provided the measurements we used but if you want to do your own, smaller or bigger here are the instructions:

  1. First figure out how wide and how tall you want your pyramid
  2. The width will be the measurement of your square base. Draw a square with this measurement
  3. For the triangles, the base will be the width of the pyramid and the height will be the one you chose. Draw the base first and then mark the middle point. From that point, draw a straight perpendicular line (forming a T) measuring the height of your pyramid. Connect the edges to make your triangle. Repeat 4 times

Decorating and putting everything together

We decorated the individual shapes before putting it together. It is easier to do it flat on the ground and it gave it that extra wow factor once you build it but you can do it whenever you want.

To put the pyramid together, lie it flat on the ground and create this shape (decorated-side down):

STEM activity pyramid shapes spatial awareness

Tape the edges of the square and the base of the triangles together. You can also add some paper to make a sturdier connection.

Now bring all the sides up and have someone hold the triangles together at the top while the other person tapes the sides together. And your pyramid is done! You can keep decorating it or put on some music and dance around it!

STEM Learning Guide

This is a great STEM activity if you are working on 3D figures and/or shapes. By drawing their attention to the shapes in the process of creating something.

Introducing the STEM Activity

First, you need to get your children interested and motivated about building a pyramid. Some kids might be excited just by the idea of building it but others might need some input beforehand. What you could do:

  • Show them photos or videos of pyramids and ask if they think you could build one together
  • Show them a cardboard box and a photo of a pyramid and ask them if they think you could transform the box into a pyramid together

Once they are excited and convinced they can build one you could ask some prep questions. Here are a few suggestions:

  • What shapes do you see in a pyramid? (For this it could be interesting to have a small prototype of the pyramid already made so they can look at it and touch it with their hands)
  • What tools do you think we need?
  • What materials could we use to build the pyramid?
  • Where should we start?

During the STEM Activity

Depending on how old your children are you can increase difficulty in the shape drawing part. Things you could do:

  • Draw a T and ask them how they would connect the edges to draw a triangle
  • Draw two parallel lines and ask them how they would connect edges to draw a square
  • Make just one line and ask them to draw the rest of the square (all sides should be the same)
  • Draw the base of the triangle and ask them to draw a triangle that has a specific height

Once all shapes are drawn, cut out and decorated you can ask them to arrange the pieces to construct the pyramid. Again, depending on age you could increase difficulty. Options:

  • Show them the figure it should form and they have to copy it
  • If you made a prototype, let them look at it and figure out how to arrange the pieces themselves. They could even deconstruct the prototype to see how to build it back up

Some follow up Questions for Spatial Awareness and to get their Brains going

  • If the base were a rectangle/triangle, what would we need to change?
  • What could we build with just squares?
  • Why is the pyramid shorter than the height of the triangle sides?

Bonus fun

To add some extra fun and cultural knowledge you could ask them what they think pyramids were used for and find out together. Bury some treasures inside before putting the pyramid together and seal it up for posterity! A follow up activity could be… how can we get our treasures back?!

Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you hid any treasures in a pyramid lately or if you have any questions.

For more information about STEM and how to transform your STEM activities at home, check out these posts:

  • 5 tips to transform STEM activities at home
  • What is STEM and why is STEM learning important?

Check out other fun STEM activities to sneak in some STEM learning:

  • STEM experiment: Scientific method float or sink activity
  • DIY math game with playdough
  • STEM challenge: The Tower of Random Things
  • Sensory STEM jello experiment
  • STEM Road Trip Experiment

Happy STEM learning!

STEM activity pyramid shapes spatial awareness
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5 Reasons for Supporting STEM Learning at Home

Have you lately been hearing about STEM and how important it is for the future of our children? STEM education is gaining traction in the schooling system but there is still a long way to go. In this post, I want to share with you some information about STEM education and the reasons I believe parents should be supporting STEM learning at home.

STEM learning at home

Let’s Start with the basics, What is STEM?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is currently being used to define a methodology or educational practice that combines these disciplines into an interdisciplinary approach to learning the subjects. The concept is widely extended, however, there is still a long way to go for integrating this methodology into every school. Lack of resources is one main issue for supporting this educational method. But don’t worry! There are ways you can promote and use STEM learning at home!

Why is STEM Learning Important?

You will read everywhere that STEM is mainly important because of its professional relevance in our current technology-driven society. And this is true, however, it is not only about the future job market. Learning through a STEM approach means applying STEM skills and combining them to solve real-life problems. Contrary to popular belief, it does not only help children develop science and math skills but it also works on their so-called 21st-century skills. Critical thinking, analytical and organizational skills as well as creativity and communication are just some of the skills that go hand in hand with learning through a STEM methodology. It is inquiry-based, meaning it aims to answer questions, and therefore helps children nurture their innate curiosity and love of learning.

So, in other words, STEM learning is a way to prepare children to tackle real-life situations, where problems cannot be clearly divided into separate school subjects and this is where the importance really lies.

STEM learning at home

Reasons to Support STEM Learning at Home

By exposing your children to STEM activities and experiences you can help them reap the benefits of this educational approach and have fun at the same time! Because discovering how the world works and solving its problems is motivating and engaging. And doing it from the comfort of your home has many additional benefits that support this educational style. So without further ado here are my top 5 reasons for supporting STEM learning at home:

1. STEM Skills are an Important Toolkit for the Future

STEM learning will offer your child a way of understanding how the world works. Your child may not become a super scientist or the best engineer, but with just a little bit of STEM knowledge their mind will open up to a whole new level of awareness about their surrounding that will help them solve problems, make informed decisions and navigate a technology-driven future. By giving your child a chance to experience STEM learning, they are gaining crucial and relevant skills not only for their future professional life but also for their everyday life and this, I believe, is definitely something that should be promoted at home.

2. Family Involvement is Key

You are your child’s first teacher and they will continue learning from you during their whole life. Research shows that parental engagement in education is associated with a positive impact on student achievement. And especially with challenging subjects such as science or mathematics, it becomes even more crucial that parents support STEM learning. Engaging with your kids in meaningful STEM experiences might just give them that extra motivation to explore the world and become lifelong learners. It might also help them do great in school 😉

3. Home is meant to be a Safe Space

Away from the pressure of school systems and evaluations. Research and many educational theories support the idea that mistakes are great teachers and part of the learning process. However, with schools heavily relying on testing and grades, mistakes can sometimes become a sign of failure and cause stress. This creates a negative impact on the learning experience.  

At home, you can allow children the chance to experiment without being evaluated or being judged by teachers or peers. We learn from our mistakes and in STEM this is oh so much more relevant! In the real world, you don’t solve problems on the first try; you try, fail, learn, try again and so on and so forth. You might even find something you weren’t even looking for. Some of the world’s greatest discoveries were “mistakes”. So coming back, home is a safe space to let your child learn that mistakes are ok and part of the joy of learning.

4. Home allows for Positive Emotional Connections

Research in neuroscience has shown that there is a direct link between emotion and cognition. This means that whenever we learn something we associate it with a particular emotional state and the sensations that this generates. If there are positive sensations associated to learning something, we are more motivated and it is more likely that we will continue learning. A loving home with caring parents is a safe space, so it is easier to create positive emotional connections to STEM. Through non-academic experiences, children are able to connect STEM to something fun, that nurtures their curiosity and their thirst for knowledge. And it is always a plus to feel happy and motivated about what you are learning and not frustrated isn’t it?

5. Home provides a Perfect Space for really Experiencing STEM

STEM education is about connecting the knowledge from these separate subjects and bringing them together to create or solve anything. And what better way is there to learn than a hands-on approach? I bet many of you are familiar with the oriental phrase (and it’s numerous variations):

“I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand”

The brain learns through associations and when it is actively involved in the learning process it is more effective. It is so important for your child’s learning, to learn through experiences. To connect what they are learning to the real world. To involve their senses!

However, STEM is a huge topic and schools need to follow the curriculum. Chances are that lack of time and resources force teachers to skip great chances at experiential, hands-on learning. But you can do this at home and provide teachable STEM moments through active and hands-on experiences. These experiences will allow your child’s brain to make the necessary associations for more effective learning.

Bonus Reason! STEM is Fun For Parents too!

All in all, supporting STEM learning at home has many benefits. But let’s face it, you also want to have fun with your kids. And that’s what’s so great about STEM activities, they actually are quite fun to do as a family! You get to connect with your children, explore and learn together and spend some quality family time. So check out some of the activity posts in this blog and turn your home into a STEMful space!

For more information about STEM and how to transform your STEM activities at home, check out these posts:

  • 5 tips to transform STEM activities at home
  • What is STEM and why is STEM learning important?

Check out other fun STEM activities to sneak in some STEM learning:

  • STEM activity: Build a pyramid and learn about shapes
  • STEM experiment: Scientific method float or sink activity
  • DIY math game with playdough
  • STEM project: Engineer a house out of natural materials
  • STEM challenge: The Tower of Random Things
  • Sensory STEM jello experiment
  • STEM water play: 8 fun activities to try this summer
  • STEM Road Trip Experiment

Happy STEM learning!

STEM learning at home
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Hi! We are Anni and Stefan, a mix of engineering with a dash of education and a pinch of social work, blended together and turned into parents who have a passion for creating lightbulb moments. We want to help you bring STEM learning into your home in a way that is fun, educational and challenging enough so that children can develop their thinking skills. ♥

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astemfulmind

Anni | STEM + Nature Learning
Where will the marble roads take you? 🚗🚦🚧 Where will the marble roads take you? 🚗🚦🚧 🧱
One day we set out to make some mazes or marble runs with clay. I thought my kids would each want to do their own but it ended up being a team project and I'm so glad it went that way! Our project turned into Marble city, with roads and many more fun things along the way. 
I drew a road with a start and a finish, a few loops here and there and some intersections so that they could cover it with clay. And then I just let their imagination take the lead. The beauty of open-ended activities and resources is you never know where it will take you. There were trees, mountains, tunnels, bridges and even stop lights! And after it was created there was imaginative play, role play and a lot of marble traffic!
It was fascinating to observe my kids build a world from clay and other resources we had around the house. The process of building it was play and then that play was extended and transformed by actually playing in the world they created 🧡
It is also definitely something that can be done outside. We did it out on our terrace but I'm excited to try it out in nature where there are even more open-ended resources!! 🌿🌰🍂🌸🪨
Learning new things ✨🥰 I have started a new Learning new things ✨🥰
I have started a new journey, training to be a Forest School Leader. I am not exactly sure in which direction it will take me but it was something that felt right. 
The ethos of Forest school and the role of the reflective practitioner just resonates with me, the outdoor, simple and slow child-led playful learning community. It is what I try to do with my own children and it's wonderful to extend and consolidate everything that I have learned over the last years into something that will serve me and my family as well as other families with children. 
I am very excited to show you how I adapt the Forest School practice to my parenting. We have already created some pretty cool indoor shelters, hammocks for dolls with ropes and cloth, and continue to use our natural materials for child-led experiments and activities. I am also learning to observe my children better and reflect on their needs and interests, which is key to their holistic growth and development.
Hope you find this as inspiring as I do and follow along for some reflections and of course for the nature play and wonder 💚🧡
The wonder of simple experimentation ✨ When you The wonder of simple experimentation ✨
When you let the child lead you never know what will happen. Sometimes nothing really happens, and that's ok too. But then there are times when you bring out some materials and "tools", add a bit of water and you suddenly have a full on experiment station on your hands!
I saved some pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin I had baked, thinking they might come in handy some time. I didn't have anything in mind, but when my 5-year-old said she wanted to do an experiment I offered them to her. 
She directly asked for water to check if pumpkin seeds sink or float. So we gathered water, some containers and a few extra tools (just some kitchen utensils). Turns out some actually sink and others float! We discussed why this might be happening and then I asked her if she thought she could find a way to separate them with the tools we had… this led to some critical thinking, some trial and error and a lot of experimentation and conversations. She was engaged, on a mission, and she had initiated the experiment herself. 
💜 I love watching these moments unfold and they just further convince me that experiments don't need to come with flashy reactions, or bright colors. They can be simple, like this one. Experiments should make us think, tickle our minds with questions about what we see and drive us to test possibilities that will reveal answers, solutions or rethink our questions. And childhood is full of moments like these if you look close enough.
The art of noticing the small details 🐚✨ A s The art of noticing the small details 🐚✨
A simple activity with natural materials and a magnifying glass. I just set this up on the table and we started looking at each material and paying attention to what we could see. It made us think and wonder about patterns, irregularities and just other things we might not notice otherwise. 
We learned to pay attention to details and that things might look different depending on how close you look. And these observations lead to questions and these questions lead to a search for answers, discovery, learning. 
And all it takes is a magnifying glass and some nature 🤎🧡
DIY OOBLECK BLOCKS 🧱🌽💧 These Oobleck blo DIY OOBLECK BLOCKS 🧱🌽💧
These Oobleck blocks are so easy to make and were a perfect addition to our dry Oobleck play as it gave us the chance to build structures and create small worlds. 
Materials you'll need:
🌽Cornstarch
💧Water
🧊Ice trays
🧘‍♀️Patience
To prepare the Oobleck you mix 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water. If you have never tried Oobleck you are in for a fun treat! It is a great sensory experience for kids and really engaging as it behaves both like a solid or fluid depending on the pressure it's under. 
Once you are done experimenting with Oobleck try filling some ice cube trays with it and then let it dry (it can take some days, which can be tricky for little kids but is also a great opportunity to practice patience).
❗A lot of ours cracked and broke so make sure you prepare enough. We made 3 trays.
🧱 That's it! We crushed some of the broken blocks and used the other ones to create, nurturing some STEM skills through play. 
For more ideas for STEM and nature play follow along!
"If children are to keep alive their inborn sense "If children are to keep alive their inborn sense of wonder… they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in." Rachel Carson
These words truly resonate with me.
Sharing the path of learning and discovery with our children is so beneficial and not only for our kids. It is so positive for us too! It reawakens our inner child, our own sense of wonder. It allows us to slow down, to play. 
We explore together, we seek out the answers to our questions, we experiment and play, we struggle to find solutions, we persevere and through these experiences we learn. About the world, about each other, about ourselves, giving us the chance to bond over something beautiful.
👉 Follow along for inspiration on family activities that nurture curiosity and drive learning
Have you ever let Oobleck dry? ☀️ Letting Oob Have you ever let Oobleck dry? ☀️
Letting Oobleck dry is the best way to clean it up but it also gives you the chance to use it again in a different way. 
I like to leave it in a tray or cooking pan so it spreads out and dries faster. Once it's dry you can just poke it and scrape it out.
It crumbles and cracks nicely between your fingers and has a lovely texture that my kids (and I) really enjoy.
You can keep it dry or combine it again with water to get the gooey, slimy, and fascinating Oobleck back.
👉 I'm also testing a different way to use dry Oobleck so make sure you stay tuned!
DIY STONE STACKING GAME 🌈🪨 Stone stacking h DIY STONE STACKING GAME 🌈🪨
Stone stacking has many benefits, for both kids and adults. It encourages patience, creative processing, concentration, focus, and hand-eye coordination. We love doing this when we are outdoors and in nature, it gives us a moment to stop and relax. 
This simple DIY is inspired by all those stone stacking moments and adds a bit of a challenge to nurture those skills even more. 
👉 This is how we prepared it:
We collected stones and selected 6 of them for the game, we painted them using acrylic paints, and borrowed a color dice from one of our board games. If you don’t have a color dice just add stickers to a normal one.
👉 How we played:
Players take turns to roll the dice, find the stone that matches the color and place it on the stack. 
🌈 It’s pretty simple, but it adds a new layer to simple stacking, as you navigate having to put bigger and heavier stones on top. It also encourages problem solving, conversations and observations which are key drivers of learning. 
💫 For more simple nature and STEM play you can take outdoors and that nurtures learning make sure to follow along
Motherhood is definitely reawakening my childlike Motherhood is definitely reawakening my childlike curiosity and wonder 💫🌱🦴 
As we were on one of our nature walks one day we found some animal bones in the forest and our reaction was… wow!! Let’s take them home! After packing them in a bag, we decided it would be a good idea to clean them before examining them.
A quick google research revealed that we could use hydrogen peroxide to clean and whiten the bones. Gloves on and to work!
With great care we handled the bones and the hydrogen peroxide, saw the fizzy bubbles come out and observed the reaction (a bit of chemistry at play here!) We talked about what was happening and about the bones themselves, how they are different from ours, what type of animal they could be from according to their teeth (herbivore?) and a lot more.
This process of curiosity, hands-on exploration and discovery is a key part of childhood. Children are naturals at this, and if we follow along and support this process who knows what amazing things we might discover together. What is certain is that by exploring together like this we are nurturing their natural curiosity, cultivating a love for discovering new things and giving them the tools to drive their own learning. 
Never would I have thought that cleaning bones would turn into a great hands-on learning experience. But I have learned that following my children usually leads to moments of discovery like this.
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