The shift of many of our everyday tasks from manual to automation technology signals the = continued creation of millions of new jobs in the future. We have self-checkout at the grocery store, touchless payment applications and 3D printing. What is the foundation that makes these technological advancements possible? It all leads back to STEM. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. (Occasionally you will see the acronym written as “STEAM” to include the Arts). The term is used to describe careers or activities that utilize one or each of these industries.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that STEM jobs will increase over 8% by the year 2029, in comparison to a 3.7% increase in all occupations overall. Introducing your child to STEM subjects as early as possible will provide them with the knowledge to set them apart as they progress through their academic career and enter the workforce.
One of the best ways to acquaint your child with STEM is through fun and educational activities. There are hundreds of activities available with just a quick Google search, but here we will look at four easy STEM activities you can do with your child at home.
The slime craze is taking over for a new generation. It’s a fun science activity that incorporates chemistry components. It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients and it allows your child to display their creativity. This is a great activity for elementary and middle-school aged children, and it can be done independently or in a group setting. To make slime, you’ll need the following ingredients:
To create different slime colors, you can use any food coloring of you have on hand.
First, put the glue into a bowl. Add the food coloring to the glue if you’d like. Next, add a few drops of the contact saline solution and combine with the glue mixture. Continue adding the saline solution until the slime gets to the desired consistency. Mix the slime by hand until the mixture combines and thickens in texture. Voila! You have your slime!
A science fair favorite, making your own volcano experiment is easy and fun for all ages. To construct the volcano, bring out some clay or Play-Doh. To create the volcano effect, you will need three household ingredients you probably have in your kitchen: vinegar and baking soda and dish soap.
Once you have your volcano constructed, now for the fun part:
One activity that may bring back memories is the paper plate fraction activity. I recall doing this activity as young as 1st or 2nd grade. It’s a simple yet effective activity that can help your child visually understand the concept of fractions.
All you need to get started is some paper plates, a few markers or crayons to write your measurements and some scissors to cut them out. For a little more excitement, you can turn the next dinner into a teachable moment. If you have a pizza or a pie, help your child practice cutting out their measurements while eating their favorite foods for an informative and yummy activity.
As we enter Fall, pinecone multiplication is a fun, hands-on math activity that’s prefect for the changing season. This is a great activity to help familiarize your child with multiplication while mixing in some arts and crafts. You’ll need paint, a paintbrush and some pinecones to get started.
To begin, have your child pick a number to act as the foundation, for example, “3”. Then have them pick a second number to act as the multiplier (ex. “2). Have them solve the problem (3 x 2 = 6). And paint the number of bristles (“6” in this example). Next, multiply the product, “6” by the multiplier “2,” again to get a new result (12), painting the new number of bristles in a new paint color. Continue multiplying each product by the chosen multiplier until the pinecone is covered.
These activities will hopefully spark a new interest in your child by showing how STEM activities can be fun and creative. Our Mathnasium program can reinforce the "M" discipline in STEM that you foster with your child at home. We can provide your child with specialized math instruction that not only caters to their needs, but to their interests. Give us a call today!
