Incorporating STEM into your child’s day-to-day life might seem like a difficult task, but in reality, it’s pretty simple! There are elements of STEM all around us, so all you have to do is get creative, look around, and you can be teaching your young children STEM anytime you want! STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teaching your child these things starting at a young age is a great way to jumpstart their learning, so here are a few simple STEM activities you can do with your kids at home!
Ramps
Ramps are a very easy thing to build in your home or outside. You can take a variety of items, round or not, put them down the ramp, and see what happens! Your child learns how the angles of ramps affect objects and how the shape of the objects affects how they travel down the ramp. You can use something simple like a piece of cardboard, stand it up against a chair, and you have a ramp right there!
Building
Teaching your child about building can be done through doing or seeing/reading. Give your child plenty of blocks or other objects they can build with and see their imagination and brain at work! They learn about what happens as they build, how the structure holds up, what happens when they place blocks in different places, and so much more. Read books with your child about building as well. Both hearing and doing provide your child with multiple ways to learn about subjects.
Mirrors
While supervising your child, you can give them a shatterproof mirror for them to play enjoy. They can take a variety of objects and place them on the mirror or even build on the mirror as well. This kind of activity helps them learn about reflection and light.
Water Play
You can do many different things with water play that teaches kids about STEM. Adding objects to the water to see if they float or sink is a great starting point. You can add a boat to the water and ask your child to add rocks until it sinks. Even letting your kids play with sponges in the water is an excellent way for them to learn how a sponge absorbs, retains, and releases water.
STEM is all around us, like we said before. Get creative with how you play with your kids. Chances are there is some form of STEM in what your child is playing with, but if you need more suggestions, Heritage Learning Center would be happy to help you figure out more activities. Just give us a call! We can also talk to you about our award-winning learning programs that your child can participate in as well. Contact us today to learn more.