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STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These are the leading academic disciplines that begin with an S. Most educational systems in the world have not yet adopted any official policies to offer science, technology, or mathematics courses in elementary school. However, these are essential elements in particular careers. For example, if a child wishes to become a programmer, he must have basic mathematics concepts. If she intends to become a doctor, it will be vital for her to understand the idea of technology.
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The Name of STEM Activities for Kids & Children – Better Learning STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These are the leading academic disciplines that begin with an S. Most educational systems in the world have not yet adopted any official policies to offer science, technology, or mathematics courses in elementary school. However, these are essential elements in particular careers. For example, if a child wishes to become a programmer, he must have basic mathematics concepts. If she intends to become a doctor, it will be vital for her to understand the idea of technology. Name: STEM Activities for Kids Responsible adult: Make sure that there is always an adult who can assist. Materials: You can either reuse materials or use new ones. Workspace: Make sure that the workspace is clean, orderly, and safe. Time required: The time to complete each project can vary considerably based on how experienced your child is with STEM. We will also consider the individual characteristics of each activity below.
STEM Activities for Kids - Project #1: Balloon air racer Things you'll need: Balloons (at least 4), straws (4 of them, different sizes), and a pan with water. How this activity works: Blow up the balloons and tie them off. Cut four straws to various lengths (one should be slightly shorter than the other). Make a little boat out of the long straw and place it in a pan with water. Blow up another balloon and tie it off, but this time cut only partway through so that it can remain inflated. Use one of the smaller straws to pierce a hole and push the uninflated part of the balloon through it. Place the two balloons together and attach them to one end of the long straw (see picture). Using a different smaller straw, pierce another hole in the uninflated part of the balloon and push it onto this straw so that it is halfway toward the other end. The finished product will look like an air racer (see picture). Now you are ready to race! Let the uninflated balloon go first. Blow up another balloon and tie it off, making sure it is bigger than the other two balloons. Let this one go next. Finally, attach your boat to the shortest straw and let it grow its way through the water (see picture). This activity aims to introduce children to the concept of technology. The balloons represent the propulsion system, and the straws are used for direction change. The boats used in our example are made of paper, but any small object that floats well on the water will do just fine (e.g., leaves). STEM Activities for Kids - Project #2: Water tower Things you'll need: A sizeable clean bottle, a marker, or another object that can be used to draw lines on the bottle, water, and food coloring. How this activity works: Mark the place on the bottle where you want your spout to be located. Fill it with water up to that point. Add a few drops of food coloring, and then let your child experiment to see if he can change the spout color by moving it up or down in the bottle. If you would like, you can show him how to do this without using your hands (see picture). STEM Activities for Kids - Project #3: Spaghetti Tower Things you'll need: Any dry pasta, a plate, and a pin or another sharp object. How this activity works: Have your child try to build the tallest possible spaghetti tower. Make sure that he uses as many different shapes as possible.
After finishing his masterpiece, have him try to knock it over using the pin or another sharp object and observe what happens. STEM Activities for Kids - Project #4: Balloon Pinball Things you'll need: A balloon, a straw that is shorter than the width of your child's palm. You will also need small items that can serve as small balls (e.g., rice, lentils, beads). How this activity works: Blow up the balloon and tie it off. Place some of the small items inside the balloon (see picture). Stretch out your child's hand and use the straw to poke a hole in the top of his palm (see photo). Hold the balloon by the part tied off with one hand and blow into the open end of it to inflate it a little bit. Let go of the balloon with your other hand so that it hangs from your child's palm. Poke another hole at the bottom of his palm and attach a small ball or some beads using a different straw. Watch the result (see picture). STEM Activities for Kids - Project #5: Threading beads onto a string Things you'll need: A length of yarn or thread, a large needle, some buttons, or other small objects with holes in them. How this activity works : Start by showing your child how to push the needle through the hole in the button. Invite your child to try doing it himself. If you use an object with a shank (around part behind the hole), make sure that he uses his thumb to push it through. Encourage him to hold on to whatever piece of yarn he is using so that it doesn't slip away while trying to push the needle through. STEM Activities for Kids - Project #6: Paper Helicopters Things you'll need: A couple of sheets of paper, a ruler, some tape and a stapler. How this activity works: Fold your child's sheet of paper in half lengthwise and then in half again. Make a diagonal cut from the fold to about halfway down (see picture). Unfold it and use your ruler to make another diagonal line from the top of this folded portion towards one of its corners, as close as you can get to the point where all four sides meet. Please fold the paper along this line and staple it in place. Unfold your form again and repeat this step on the other three corners so that you have a square with four propellers (see picture). Fold it in half along its diagonal axis, then turn it around and fold it in half one more time. Staple these two folds together. Show your child how to hold his paper helicopter by looping the middle of his propeller through his fingers and show him how to throw it up into the air. Once he is done throwing it, have him watch as it lands on the ground. Every Child can develop the best creative problem-solving abilities & critical thinking mindset with our fun learning activities for kids. Just contact us now.