Early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education has benefits
galore for the young child. With spring on the horizon, the change of season
provides the perfect backdrop for starting STEM with your little learner. If
you're not sure where to begin, take a look at these simple spring STEM ideas.
Even though the early spring weather isn't prime growing season, your
preschooler can start their STEM activity right now. Pick a seed or seedling to
start indoors. Sunflowers, marigolds, and morning glories are easy to grow from
seeds.
Start with a container, potting soil, a child-safe trowel, and the seeds.
Don't worry about buying fancy containers. Make your own by upcycling an old
coffee can or milk carton. Reuse existing materials for this planting project
to add in an environmental lesson - increasing the STEM impact.
Before planting the seed, talk to your child about the growing cycle. Ask
your preschooler to:
- Predict what will happen to the seed.
Making
predictions is a first-step in the scientific process.
- List what the seed needs to grow.
This
includes soil, water, air, and light.
- Outline the growing cycle.
Go
step-by-step for each part in the process.
- Create a plan.
What happens
after the seed starts growing and the weather warms? Your child can make
their own plan for moving the plant outdoors.
As the plant (or plants) grow, help your child to measure them, which adds a
math lesson to the activity. Give your child a journal or notebook to take
notes and draw the progress of their plants.
Spring showers bring more than just May flowers. They also bring rainbows.
Help your preschooler to understand the science behind these colorful light
shows with a simple STEM activity. While a real-life rainbow is a sight to see,
you may not have enough time to wait for one to develop naturally. Instead try:
- A flashlight and water.
Fill a
clear glass with water. Place the glass on a piece of white paper and
shine a flashlight on it until a rainbow develops.
- A prism.
Hold a prism up to
the sunlight and watch what happens. Ask your child why they think the
prism makes a rainbow and other objects don't.
- A light mist.
Go outside on a
sunny day and set the garden hose to mist. Move the mist spray in the
light until a rainbow forms. Ask your child what they think is happening.
Again, like with the planting activity, give your child a science journal or
notebook to draw what they see. They can go back to their drawings or notes the
next time they see a natural rainbow, to compare the two.
The slime craze that swept the nation a few years ago is still alive and
strong. Connect this science and math activity with the spring by making a
seasonal slime. You can find a variety of slime recipes online.
Most involve mixing equal parts water and school glue with a binding product
such as liquid starch or contact lens solution and baking soda. For this
activity you can mix up your own batch or buy a ready-made product.
Give the slime a spring theme by adding natural objects that your child
collects outside. These can include flower petals, green leaves, dandelions, or
blades of grass. Use the slime to:
- Explore through the senses.
Encourage
your child to discover the different textures of the natural materials as
they mix with the slime.
- Discover states of matter.
As
you mix the slime (and your child plays with it), discuss how the
substance changes. Compare it to liquids and solids, asking your child to
describe the differences.
- Document the exploration.
Help
your child to use your phone or digital camera to document this activity.
They can reflect on the exploration later, which reinforces the concepts
included.
Save the slime for later by placing it in an airtight container. Add extra
items to it as the spring continues or make new slime for the other seasons, to
compare and contrast the substances.
Are you looking for an early childhood setting to continue your child's
education? Contact Riviera
Children's Center
for more information.
