What is STEM?
STEM stands for ‘Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics’. It is a term that excites some yet terrifies others. Introducing children to STEM concepts can begin from birth. There are opportunities for this learning in our homes, being
Did you know?
When a baby drops their food off their high chair they are exploring gravity!
You can incorporate STEM at home!
- Let’s go to the shops
Take your children on your weekly grocery shop. There are so many opportunities for learning STEM.
- Count what you need before putting it into the trolley. Ask your child to pick up a specific number of things.
- Weigh your fruit and vegetables.
- Talk about the shapes of different things, for example; apples are round, bananas are long.
- Talk about the cost of things as you go. Use cash so your child can learn about money.
- Need something in the freezer section? What a great time to talk about temperature.
- Volcanoes
This is a fun and easy experiment you can do at home with items that are likely to already be in your pantry. Please note that this can get messy so best to do outdoors 
You will need:
- Vinegar
- Bi-Carb Soda
- Food Colouring of choice
- Glass jar or bowl
Mix the bi-carb soda and food colouring into jar. Slowly add vinegar and watch to see what happens.
- Dancing Sultanas
Learn about buoyancy with this crazy experiment. You children will love it!
You will need:
- A handful of sultanas
- Lemonade
- Glass Jar
Put the learning back on the child by placing the items in front of them and asking what they think should be done with them.
Conduct the experiment by pouring the lemonade into the jar. Add the sultanas and watch the dancing begin.
Use STEM words with children!
- Hypothesis
- Enquire
- Experiment
- Investigation
- Speed
- Discuss
- Design
- Force
- Surface Tension
- Tally
- Cause
- Observation
- Data
- Effect
- Half
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