As a parent, you can teach STEAM/STEM right from the comfort of your home. This blog post will guide you through practical and enjoyable ways to introduce your kids to STEM concepts through different preschool STEM activities.

It’s all about inquiry-based learning, a fancy term for encouraging our kids to learn by exploring, questioning, and discovering things hands-on. It’s like turning them into mini detectives, trying to solve world mysteries through the lens of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. It’s not just about learning the “what” but, more importantly, the “how.”

Remember when we used to keep a weather diary in school? That’s a great place to start at home. Have your kids record daily weather conditions and summarize them weekly. Not only are they learning about science and math, but they’re also getting a taste of gathering and analyzing data.

Once you understand what STEM means in education, you will be able to help your little ones learn better and faster than ever before!

The beauty of STEM/STEAM education lies in the interconnectedness of these subjects. They’re like different lenses to view the world and promote similar learning processes. Your children will ask questions, connect them with what they already know, gather and analyze data, and communicate their ideas. Dive in, parents, and watch your little explorers grow!

Teach With STEM Projects

STEM projects are a fantastic way for parents to teach their children STEM concepts. They offer a hands-on, engaging method to explore science, technology, engineering, and math in a real-world context.

Through projects like math activities, preschool science experiments, and other hands-on activities, children learn to apply theoretical knowledge to solve problems, think critically, and innovate.

Hands-on learning activities allow kids to experience the relevance of STEM in their lives, making learning exciting and meaningful. Here are a few of my favorite tips to help you build projects to teach your little ones about STEM:

• Choose projects that spark interest: The best STEM projects are those that align with your child’s interests. Whether they’re fascinated by rockets, love building structures, or are curious about nature, they use their interests as a springboard for project ideas. This ensures that learning is engaging and fun!
• Make it hands-on: Hands-on activities help children grasp abstract STEM concepts in a tangible way. For instance, constructing a bridge with popsicle sticks can teach principles of engineering and physics. The key is to let kids experiment, build, and learn through trial and error.
• Encourage problem-solving: STEM projects should challenge children to think critically and solve problems. If a project doesn’t work out as planned, that’s a great opportunity for learning! Encourage them to figure out what went wrong and how they could improve it.
• Integrate real-world applications: Show your children how STEM concepts apply to the real world. For instance, if they’re learning about fractions through baking, they’re seeing math in action. This helps children understand the relevance of what they’re learning.
• Promote collaboration: STEM is often a team effort. Encourage your children to work on projects with siblings or friends. This fosters communication skills, teaches them to respect others’ ideas, and promotes a sense of community. It also makes hands-on learning STEM activities even more fun!

By fostering these essential skills, parents are preparing their children for a world increasingly dependent on STEM expertise. Let the fun-filled, enlightening STEM projects begin!

Teach STEM With Problems

Parents, solving real-world problems at home is an excellent way to introduce your children to STEM. It’s practical, relatable, and helps kids understand the relevance of these subjects in their daily lives to show how STEM is used in everyday life.

By engaging children in issues like optimizing water usage, improving energy efficiency, or designing a more organized play area, you’re teaching them to apply scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical concepts to find solutions.

I love using real-world applications to teach my son about STEM, and here are some ways I like to include problem-solving throughout the day as a STEM teaching opportunity:

• Engage in kitchen experiments: Cooking and baking are filled with opportunities to discuss measurements, temperatures, and chemical reactions, all while creating something delicious!
• Explore nature together: Whether it’s a walk in the park or a day at the beach, nature provides endless opportunities to discuss biology, physics, and environmental science.
• Include kids in household repairs: Next time you’re fixing a leaky faucet or assembling furniture, include your child. It’s a great opportunity to discuss the principles of engineering and problem-solving.
• Discuss tech around you: From smartphones to the Wi-Fi network, discuss how technology works in simple terms, sparking interest in the ‘T’ in STEM.
• Use travel as a teaching tool: Road trips, airplane journeys, or even public transport can introduce concepts of speed, distance, and time. Also, visiting different places can spark discussions about geography and cultural diversity.

This approach not only enhances their STEM skills but also nurtures critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and a sense of responsibility towards their environment.

Teach STEM With Play

As parents, we know that playtime is when our kids are most engaged and excited. And guess what? This makes it the perfect time for some stealthy STEM learning! Incorporating STEM activities into play can create a vibrant learning environment that encourages curiosity, enhances problem-solving skills, and fosters a love for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Play-based STEM learning is essential because it feels less like ‘instruction’ and more like ‘exploration.’ It’s about transforming ordinary toys into exciting learning tools. Think building blocks for engineering concepts, kitchen utensils for chemistry experiments, or nature walks for biology lessons.

Learning through play, like an interactive science activity, is a great way to help your preschooler learn STEM in early childhood, plus playful activities can help develop fine motor skills at the same time.

Here are some great tips that you can use to help teach your child the principles of STEM through playful STEM activities:

• Incorporate STEM toys: Use STEM education toys like building blocks, puzzles, and science kits that promote logical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
• Outdoor exploration: Encourage outdoor play that involves exploring nature, observing weather patterns, or examining the properties of different materials found in the environment.
• Role-play careers: Engage in pretend play with roles like scientist, engineer, or astronaut to inspire interest in STEM fields.
• Interactive games: Use games that involve number recognition, counting, or simple physics principles to introduce math and science concepts in a fun way.
• Creative projects: Initiate craft projects that involve design and construction, such as building a birdhouse or creating a homemade circuit, to teach basic engineering and technology concepts.

There are plenty of great science toys for kids, toys for budding engineers, and even coding robots for kids of all ages that promote various STEM lessons for preschoolers.

And here’s the magic of it all – as they play, they’re not just learning STEM concepts. They’re also developing critical life skills like creativity, resilience, and teamwork. So, let the fun (and learning) begin because, with STEM and play combined, the possibilities are endless!

Teach STEM With Questions

As parents, one of the most powerful tools we can use to teach our children about STEM is the art of questioning and critical thinking. There are lots of great STEAM resources available to you, and asking questions stimulates curiosity, which is the heart of scientific discovery and technological innovation.

When we ask thought-provoking questions, we encourage our children to think critically, analyze situations, and solve problems – all essential skills in STEM. You can ask questions as you work through STEM experiments with your preschooler to help them become a stronger learner.

The beauty of questions is that they lead to more questions, triggering a cycle of inquiry that propels learning forward. A simple question like “Why does the moon change shape?” or “How does this machine work?” can ignite a spark of interest in science or engineering.

It can be difficult to ask the right questions to children, so here are some tips that you can use to encourage STEM curiosity:

• Start with curiosity-driven questions: Ask questions that tap into your child’s natural curiosity about the world. Questions like “Why does the sun set?” or “How does this toy work?” can spark a scientific conversation.
• Ask open-ended questions: Questions that don’t have a simple yes or no answer encourage children to think more deeply. “What do you think will happen if we mix these two liquids?” prompts experimentation and prediction.
• Encourage questions from your child: Foster a culture where your child feels comfortable asking their own questions. Reinforce that it’s okay not to know everything and that asking questions is an essential part of learning.
• Model scientific thinking with questions: Show your child how to form a hypothesis by asking questions like “If we do X, what might happen?” This illustrates the scientific method in action.
• Use follow-up questions: After an experiment or activity, ask questions like “What did we learn from this?” or “What could we do differently next time?” This helps children reflect on their learning and plan for future investigations.

In addition, asking questions shows our children that it’s okay not to have all the answers. It teaches them that learning is a continuous process and that making hypotheses, testing them, and learning from the results is a fundamental part of that process.

Help Your Preschooler Learn STEM Today!

Teaching STEM to preschoolers is a journey filled with discovery, creativity, and problem-solving. By turning your home into a mini laboratory, asking thought-provoking questions, and encouraging hands-on exploration, you’re not just teaching your children about science, technology, engineering, and math – you’re instilling a lifelong love for learning.

So let’s get started on this exciting STEM adventure, and watch as our children blossom into future innovators and problem solvers!