Exploring Stem Subjects With Your Child
Learning about STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Maths) subjects will set your child up for life as they learn not only the theory of these topics but also important practical skills which they can apply to other areas of life. You can support your child’s STEM learning at home through a variety of enriching activities. Read on for some tips from a private college in the UK on how you can explore STEM subjects with your child.
Take learning outside
Exploring the great outdoors with your child will give them many opportunities to see science in action through observing wildlife and their surrounding environment. You could go on a bug hunt and learn about different habitat and ecosystems or take a trip to a garden centre to look at different types of plants while explaining to your child how they survive and grow. Try pond dipping and see what you come up with, and experiment with different objects to see which ones sink or float. You could also visit the zoo to learn about different species. There are so many opportunities to bring STEM subjects to life by getting outside.
Play-based learning
You can explore STEM subjects without your child even realising by incorporating them into everyday activities. Let your child experiment with cooking and baking, and learn about weights, measurements and states of matter in the process. You could also ask them to read the recipe out which will help with both their reading skills and learning to follow instructions. If you’re building a tower out of blocks or creating a Lego figure you could ask them to count and identify different shapes. Building things will teach your child about different materials and forces.
Technology
If your child has a tablet, you could look for educational games which explore STEM subjects and encourage them to play them regularly. Get involved if you can and show your child that you’re also learning with them. They might enjoy learning how to code or look after virtual animals or plants. If they love TV, look for educational programmes which cover STEM subjects in a fun and exciting way, such as through Science experiments. Children learn best when they’re stimulated and having a good time.
Exploring STEM subjects with your child at home will help nurture a love of science and equip them with useful skills such as investigative and problem-solving abilities which will serve them well later in life.
