Exploring STEM Activities for Kindergarten Kids

Education is one of the most crucial agents of change that provides a platform for every individual to better themselves. Likewise, education is vital even for children in kindergarten. As parents, we are always looking to enrol our kids into the best schools. Have you ever stopped to think about the reason behind it? Well, it’s simply because we believe that education will help our children live up to their full potential. In recent years, preschools, schools and various educational institutions have been focusing on STEM activities. If you’re wondering what STEM activity is, you’re in the right place.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is believed that each of these disciplines imparts particular knowledge to kids that can be applied to their own lives. STEM activities or projects are developed and initiated to give kids a chance to learn how to apply each of these disciplines to their daily lives. In other words, one can say, STEM activities teach kids life skills and how to implement them throughout their lives. Given the practical problems that the modern world of technology has left us with, STEM activities have proven to be even more beneficial in the life of kindergarten students. Before we take a look at beneficial STEM activities for Kindergarten and how to properly implement them, let’s get a glimpse of the need and importance of STEM activities.

Need For Stem Activities For Kindergarten Students

STEM activities and projects teach kids skills which can be practically applied to their lives to solve various challenges that come their way. It allows them to learn theories that can be practically applied and not just learned for the sake of learning.

These activities encourage the development and growth of critical thinking skills as they allow kids to put theories to practical use. It gives them space to analyse and think critically about concepts.

STEM projects provide kids with a fun way of learning. Rather than just learning from a textbook, kids have the opportunity of engaging in activities while learning.

It keeps them engaged and provides for peer-to-peer interactions. This is crucial as it builds interpersonal and as well communication skills.

How To Promote STEM Activities For Kindergarten Kids

Allow kids to experiment with different materials- Believe it or not but STEM activities yield the best results when kids use a wide array of materials. For instance, kids can create a rainbow craft by simply using a mix of colours, construction paper and some pipe cleaners. By allowing them the space to use these various materials, kids not only learn about mixing colours but also about the shapes and symmetry of cutting paper.

Use SETM activities in a group- Rather than engaging individual kids in individual STEM projects, it is better to engage them as a group in one project. This teaches them the importance of teamwork and allows them to all contribute to the completion of the project in some way or the other. It teaches kids how to work together. This is beneficial for kids as it is carried over to practical situations in a real-life work environment.

Bring STEM home- By this, we mean that STEM activities can be assigned in the classroom and can be completed at home. STEM activities do not only need to be based on topics in textbooks. This is what makes them so versatile. It can be a project on opening containers, arranging them, or even an organised method of putting toys into the toy box.

STEM activities outdoors- STEM activities for kindergarten students shouldn’t be limited to the classroom or home, it should even be implemented outdoors. Camping and hiking trips provide an ideal platform for conducting STEM activities.

Encourage STEM activities with family- To pique the interest of kids concerning STEM activities, it is important to involve family. While these activities are mainly for the kids alone, involving family makes them feel like it is a collaborative effort. Furthermore, kids look to their parents as protectors. So having them around during the activities makes them feel comforted and safe.

Kindergarten STEM Activities

If you’re wondering, what are STEM activities in a classroom? You’re about to find out. To illustrate the benefits of STEM activities, we have outlined certain projects that can be conducted at home and even outdoors.

Sprout seeds in a jar- This is one of the most commonly used STEM activities to enlighten students on the process of germination. At some time in our lives, we’ve all tried this school project. The seeds are usually laid on a cotton bed with water in a glass jar. You will see the miracle take place over a few days as the seeds begin to sprout.

Ice melting experiment- The benefits of STEM activities can be seen in this little project. You can easily demonstrate the change of state from a solid to a liquid by making the ice melt with salt. Freeze water in a bowl overnight. To make it fun and engaging, you could also add a few drops of colour to the water to make coloured ice. Once the water is frozen, remove it from the bowl and lay it on a tray. Simply shake salt over the ice and see the magic happen.

Make an apple boat- This STEM experiment could be conducted to teach the kids that apples are buoyant in water and that’s why they float on the surface of the water. Since a large part of the apple’s volume is air, it is less dense than water and doesn’t sink. This project is easy to conduct and fun to try out.

Engineering marshmallow shapes- Children can learn to create different shapes by combining different pieces of marshmallow on a toothpick. This encourages engineering skills and teaches them how to create and imagine practically and realistically.

Building paper rockets- What may seem like a silly little exercise, is an educational activity. Children will learn how to make a rocket with paper. You could make them paint or colour the paper. To make the task even easier, different coloured paper could be used.

Here at EuroKids, we take great pains in designing and formulating new STEM activities for kindergarten kids. STEM activities foster an interest in learning subjects that teach practical skills which can be used for problem-solving in real-life scenarios. Our group of experts conduct STEM activities individually and in groups to yield the best results possible for your little ones. If you want to learn more about how kids can engage in STEM activities or how they can better develop their cognitive skills, visit our blog.