Activities for STEM/STEAM Learning at Home
According to the Children and Nature Network, kids spend up to 44 hours per week in front of a screen, yet less than 10 minutes per day playing outdoors. By getting children outside, we have the ability to make their real lives more interesting than what’s on their screens.
Group educators reach thousands of students every year. We utilize environmental education to implement STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) learning in fun, engaging ways. Whether it’s exploring the estuary, gathering data on weather at the beach, investigating the layers of the forest, or studying freshwater ponds, our outdoor field lessons provide an opportunity for children to experience the natural world like a scientist as they use scientific instruments to get a hands-on experience. With nature as the classroom, physical and mental health benefits abound.
Why is STEM/STEAM learning important?
Environmental education is inherently interdisciplinary. STEM/STEAM learning helps children to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that are essential to improving the health of our planet. These same skills are applied to careers in similar fields. By connecting students to nature through STEM/STEAM, we can instill stewardship values that last a lifetime.
How can we incorporate these lessons at home?
Start by getting outside! These seven outdoor projects encourage children to think critically and solve problems like engineers and scientists (while also being lots of fun)! With each activity, we include a number of questions to ask your child to help explore further.
Play with Pulleys
Throw a rope over a tree limb. Tie a bucket, basket, or bag on one end. Can your child pull on one end of the rope and get the bucket up to the branches? What happens if you pull fast or slow? What if you pull from farther away? What could you put in the bucket to send up to the squirrels? How heavy can you make the bucket and still pull it up high? Would a stuffed animal pal like to go for a ride? These questions spark conversations about different ways of thinking. Adding a stuffie can help teach empathy as well.Build a Solar Oven
Learn about the sun’s energy and solar power by creating a solar oven using things around the house. Take a cardboard box (a shoebox works!) and cut a flap in the top. Cover the inside of the flap with aluminum foil and cover the new hole in the box top with plastic film — try to make it air-tight. Line the inside of the box with black construction paper.
It’s time to make some s’mores! Put some graham crackers inside with a bit of chocolate and marshmallow. Aim the open foiled flap in a way that reflects the sun’s light into the clear film window of the box.
Try these in different seasons or facing different directions. Do the s’mores cook at different speeds? What if you insulate the outside of the oven with newspaper – does this change the cooking speed?Launch a Nature Boat
Gather natural treasures that could be turned into something that floats. Be artistic! Can you make a boat for an imaginary mouse? Can you make a boat that will move fast with the wind or current? Can you make one that glides slowly in the same conditions? Try this year-round at different types of waterbodies. The bay or a pond may offer very different conditions and therefore need different types of nature boats.Dissect Flowers, Seeds, and More
Collect flowers, thick leaves, stems, acorns, pinecones, nuts, or seeds. Slowly pull them apart to see what’s inside. Is there anything surprising? Or anything you don’t know why it's there? If your item is hard to open, can you carefully use a rock to break it open? This hands-on opportunity to learn about the parts of plant life also develops problem solving skills, providing confidence in tackling future challenges.Learn About Surface Tension with Bubbles
Pour bubble solution into a large flat dish. Make a wand with sticks and other nature finds. Maybe a pinecone can help you make bubbles. What can you build with natural materials that could help you make larger bubbles? Would some string or rope would help? How does the wind impact the bubbles? Find a puddle or pond – can you notice any signs of surface tension there as well?
Exploring nature items with something known (and mesmerizing) like bubble solution can help you see things in different ways.Open an Insect Hotel
Gather some recyclable cardboard and head outside. Spend some time outside searching for insects (hint — they’re everywhere!). Did you find any under leaves or in stick piles? Next, look for pine cones, dry leaves, pine needles, sticks, and more to help build an insect hotel. Could you have a variety of openings so insects of different sizes can enter in different places? Could you make it look creative and fun to display? What will the inhabitants of your insect hotel enjoy the most?
You are providing habitat for these essential creatures and building an art piece for your yard. Check for insect activity at least once per week. Did your building’s shape hold up? If not, could you come up with a better structure that still provides a space for insects and focuses on using natural materials only?Start a Weather Journal and Create a Cloud in a Jar
Start a weather journal and observe the clouds. On a daily walk, take notes about the clouds, cloud cover, precipitation, and temperature. Why do they have different shapes? What do those shapes tell us about the weather? What patterns do you see in the weather?
Deepen this new connection to nature by creating a cloud in a jar. Pour warm water into the bottom half of a jar. Cut a balloon in half, and have it ready to place over the jar. Make sure there will be some room for the balloon to move. This next step is for the parents — light a match, hold it inside the jar for a few seconds before dropping it in, and quickly cover the jar with the balloon. This traps some smoke in the jar.
Gently push down and release the balloon to change the air pressure in the jar. As you release the balloon, the air pressure will decrease and a cloud will start to form! When air pressure decreases, the water vapor condenses on the smoke particles creating a cloud.
By getting children outside, we can instill a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world that keeps them heading back outdoors again and again.
