Parenting

5 fun ways to boost your child’s STEM skills

11 August, 2023 . 0

From bouncing eggs to balloon cars, these activities tap into STEM learning to help your child grapple with our fast-changing techno world.

You may have heard of STEM learning.

The acronym stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As a parent, there’s a reason you need to know about it.

Being equipped with skills in STEM fields is becoming more important for our kids than ever before – for success in both their careers and private lives.

Why are STEM skills important?

According to the Department of Education, Australia needs to keep up with technological change for “a thriving cycle of jobs and opportunities”, or companies needing these skills will set up elsewhere.

It also notes that understanding and applying data and solving complex problems will be “important life skills” in the future.

CSIRO Education and Outreach director Ruth Carr says STEM skills “teach you to think and problem-solve” and are critical for young people.

“Our world is only going to get more complex, more technologically based, and we’re really going to need those skills to deal with the level of complexity coming our way,” Ruth says.

Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence deputy principal Ian Preston says learning these skills brings big personal gains to kids too.

“When children engage in STEM activities, they become more creative and learn how to collaborate through solving authentic problems,” he says.

What parents can do to support STEM learning

As parents, we can look at building on our children’s natural curiosity, even if they’re very young.

Research published earlier this year shows there are many ways parents can incorporate STEM learning during everyday activities with young children.

These range from encouraging them to solve puzzles to packing their toys into a box so they can close the lid.

Ian recommends parents keep learning activities fun.

“It’s still going to be a learning experience but if they’re not having fun, they’re not going to want to do it,” he points out.

He suggests hands-on projects where children can take control.

“It’s really important to let them have agency.”

Here are some fun ways to support STEM learning in kids at home

Build a balloon car

Using simple items, including plastic lids from soft-drink or water bottles, a straw, a balloon, bamboo skewers and some tape, your child can build a balloon-powered car.

The activity promotes learning in engineering and physics.

And it’s loads of fun if you build two and race against each other.

Create a bouncy egg

The bouncy egg activity demonstrates a simple chemical reaction.

Place an egg in a jar or glass, cover it with vinegar then leave it for 48 hours.

Take out the egg and gently rub off the eggshell.

Drop the egg a few centimetres off the ground and watch as it bounces on the floor.

Get kids into coding

Online coding platforms, such as Scratch by MIT Media Lab, allow children to learn programming in a fun and engaging way at home, promoting creative thinking, reasoning and collaboration.

Kids learn to program stories, animation and games with a community from all over the world.

Grow plants from kitchen scraps

Propagate and grow new plants from fruit and vegetable scraps.

Some plants to try include carrots, celery, onions and spring onions.

Kids can measure the plant’s growth each day and study why one plant might be growing better than another.

Build a paper rocket

Does your child love space?

Help them build a paper rocket, with a fuselage, nose cone and fins, and learn about aerodynamic design and propulsion.

You will need A4 paper, sticky tape, markers and scissors.

For more inspiration on great kids’ activities:

Written by Sarah Vercoe.