Inspire a Love of STEAM With These Activities for Kids

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) has grown in
popularity in recent years as a way to educate children for the 21st
Century. STEAM programs have been adopted in many schools, and the future
will include STEAM-related jobs. Foster a love of STEAM with these fun and
easy ideas.

Science

• Children are naturally inquisitive, and curiosity is the backbone of
  science discovery. Here are some easy ways to inspire kids to dive into
  science.

• Give children a scientific start. Use scientific words and make exploring a
  part of everyday life.

• Welcome questions like “Why is the sky blue?” Questioning is the first step
  of the Scientific Method.

• Encourage household problem-solving. Bread dough that doesn’t rise, an
  inside door that sticks in winter or an insect infestation in the garden
  are gateways to hypotheses, experiments and answers.

• Create a kitchen science lab with common ingredients. Make homemade ice
  cream in a Ziploc bag, make butter out of heavy cream in a mason jar or
  grow geodes in eggshells.

• Have a blast — literally! Many safe experiments involve things that erupt.
  Make a paper mache baking soda and vinegar volcano. Go outside and drop a
  pack of Mentos in a 2-liter soda or launch a bottle rocket. Discuss the
  science behind the blast.

• Grow a garden. Start seedlings from kitchen vegetable seeds or trimmings.

• Relate science to hobbies. Learn the physics behind the fastball or discuss
  how a gymnast balances on a beam.

Technology

Most parents set screen-time boundaries, but kids love devices and future
jobs will require skills in technology. Embrace screen benefits that build
technology skills.

• Make the computer your friend. Teach your child how to do research, make
  brochures for school projects and use spreadsheets for chores and
  allowance. When you take a family trip, let your child research places to
  visit.

• Start coding early. Check out code.org for fun ways kids can code online or
  without technology. Other coding sites to try are Codeacademy, Kodable,
  Lightbot, Scratch and Tynker.

• Introduce Raspberry Pi. Kids can use this card-sized single board computer
  for basic programming.

• Let them make a stop-motion video. Apps to try: LEGO Movie Maker, Stop
  Motion Studio, Lapse It, iStopMotion and Clayframes.

• Use digital tools to help with schoolwork. Try Dictionary.com,
  Thesaurus.com and khanacademy.com. Explore study aid apps such as Tinycards
  and use apps like myHomework and My GradeBook.

Engineering

Does your child love LEGO blocks or Minecraft? Does she want to take apart
the toaster or fix the cell phone when it breaks? Here are some ways to
encourage a budding engineer.

• Teach kids the Engineering Design Process (Check out a kid-friendly version
  at teachengineering.com).

• Let them join a LEGO Robotics Club.

  Keep building supplies on hand. Try LEGOs, wooden blocks, K’nex, Lincoln
  Logs, Tinker Toys and Duplo bricks. Also keep recyclables like cardboard,
  paper towel tubes and cereal boxes. There are even edible options like
  cheese, grapes and marshmallows. Pair one of these with toothpicks or
  pretzels for building.

• Encourage children to complete tower building challenges. One fun and easy
  way to do this is with notecards or old playing cards and no other
  materials. Kids can only fold the cards, no ripping or cutting.

• Create Catapults. Some materials to try: Popsicle sticks, spoons, drink
  lids, rubber bands and pom poms.

• Build a Rube Goldberg machine out of household materials. This machine is
  intentionally designed to perform a simple task through a series of complex
  chain reactions. To learn more, visit rubegoldberg.com.

• Join a radio control club. Planes, helicopters and boats often inspire
  children. Building their own involves creativity and problem-solving
  skills.

• Build a miniature roller coaster. Give your child materials like pipe
  insulation, marbles, cups and duct tape. Watch them take their creativity
  for a ride.

Arts

Children can be artists by painting, drawing, sculpting, singing, playing
an instrument, dancing or writing. Take note of inclinations in these areas
and foster a love of the arts.

• Inspire creativity. Immerse your home in different types of art. Listen to
  music, collect art or art books or check them out from the library.

• Be positive. Even if you don’t think you’re good at art, try some art
  mediums along with your child. He will be more willing to try, too.

• Stock up on art supplies. Water colors, finger paints, crayons, colored
  pencils, pastels, construction paper, sketch books and origami paper are
  some examples.

• Experiment with evaporation art. Mix salt with water and paint. Have your
  child predict what will happen to the salt and water.

• Borrow a how-to-draw book from the library. Step-by-step directions will
  give your child more confidence.

• Sculpt with air-dry clay. Your child doesn’t need a pottery wheel to create
  with clay. After the clay dries, it can be painted.

• Listen to a variety of music genres. This will open your child’s mind to
  different artists and styles of music.

• Sign up your child for a creative writing class.

• Read poetry books.

Math

There are many ways to make math relevant and interesting. Research shows
that most children can succeed at math.

• Teach number sense. Mentally work through problem-solving logic with your
  child. “Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late” by Laura Overdeck is a
  good book for promoting math discussions.

• Check out Texas Instruments’ “STEM Behind Cool Careers”
  (education.ti.com/en/activities/stem/gen-stem) for videos connecting
  algebra, geometry and physics to jobs like fashion design, flying jets and
  more.

• Cook or bake together. Measuring, equivalent fractions and conversions are
  all part of recipe building.

• Try grocery store math. Have kids weigh enough produce without going over a
  dollar amount, compare prices for the best buys and stay within a weekly
  budget.

• Measure the miles. When going on family outings, find the distance with
  your child. Calculate the miles and time it will take to get there and how
  much gas will cost.

• Assign chores and give an allowance. They’ll be asking for ice cream and
  movie money anyway, so why not teach practical budgeting skills in the
  process?

STEAM Supplies

Keep these materials on hand for experiments and STEAM projects.

• cardboard
• paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• straws
• aluminum foil
• empty water bottles
• plastic lids
• beakers or jars with lids
• funnels
• tongs
• Epsom salt
• rock salt
• aluminum sulfate
• baking soda
• vinegar
• food coloring
• marbles
• potting soil