Sometimes the idea of STEM education can seem daunting. I mean, what if you’re not a math whiz? How can you even care about getting your kids interested in math or science if you’re not feeling capable? Thankfully, it isn’t that difficult to get your preschoolers into STEM activities and thinking. Even if you aren’t into the STEM fields, you can handle these ideas for easy STEM learning for your preschoolers.
STEM learning is a major topic in education. This acronym, STEM, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Now, these may sound a little too lofty for our preschoolers. But getting them started in STEM education is not too lofty for us at all. Here are some ideas for implementing some easy STEM learning for preschoolers.
Science
Science might be the easiest subject for us to introduce to our preschoolers. Little ones love to learn about the natural world, and often they do this just fine on their own. Still, we can guide them along in learning about the natural world.
Nature walks
Many of us take our kids on walks or hikes. And those times are perfect opportunities to add in a little learning. By simply asking a few questions, we can help our preschoolers notice more of the natural world and wonder how it works. We can point out different plants and flowers along our route, and we can ask about differences between them. Often we can hear animal sounds, especially from insects or birds, and we can listen with our kids and try to figure out what animals we’re hearing.
If you want to make your hikes and walks more educational, try adding a journaling activity to them. Let your child bring a little backpack with a small sketch pad and some colored pencils. Then, you can add in some easy STEM learning for your preschooler by having them draw something they saw. If there’s time, you can sit down on the spot and let them sketch. And if there isn’t time, then leave the notebook at home, and let them sketch when they get back. You can help them label things or ask questions about the sketch to help promote more learning.
Experiments
If nature isn’t what engages you or your child, maybe experiments in chemistry or physics would be better for you. Yes, that sounds intimidating, but chemistry and physics on a preschool level is super fun. There are simple experiment kits you can purchase, or you can look up some easy experiments online.
Also, you don’t necessarily have to be hands-on for these. There are lots of shows for preschoolers to help with science. At My Signing Time, we have several science shows. There are shows about nature and shows about figuring out how things work. Check out Rachel & The TreeSchoolers or SciShow Kids for some easy STEM learning for preschoolers.
Technology
Technology might be the least urgent thing for us to pursue easy STEM learning for preschoolers. Our kids are pretty adept at learning how to use multiple forms of technology. So for technology, we should probably start teaching our preschoolers about safety and responsibility in the digital world.
Engineering
Does your preschooler love blocks or Duplos or Legos? Well, that’s easy STEM learning for preschoolers. Building toys are the first steps in the thinking needed for engineering. Magnet tiles and gear sets count here too. Do you have a marble run that has to be built or that can be set up in different ways? All of these help our preschoolers to develop age-appropriate engineering skills. See, we told you that STEM learning for preschoolers is easy!
And while you’re at it, try to learn the sign for build!
Mathematics
Again, we’re looking at easy STEM learning for preschoolers, so no need to panic about math. On the preschool level, all we’re aiming for is basic number sense. So we need our preschoolers to understand quantities up to 5 or 10. When we say “number sense” we mean how many items actually make up a number. Even the symbols for numbers (the actual written 1, 2, 3…) aren’t important yet. We just want them to be able to identify if there are 2 rocks, 2 marshmallows, and 2 fingers. Or 3 rocks, 3 marshmallows and 3 fingers. Our brains can actually recognize quantities up to 5 without counting, and that’s what we’re trying to help our preschoolers do.
At My Signing Time,we have some number sense videos to help you get started. Take a look at Mother Goose Club’s Count With Me and Counting 1 to 10 or Mother Goose Club Playhouse’s 5 Green and Speckled Frogs.
Another mathematical skill we can work on for preschoolers is the ability to recognize shapes and patterns. Again, this is a pretty typical preschool interest anyway, so easy-peasy.
There are so many resources to help us come up with ideas for easy STEM learning for preschoolers. So look online, check out Signing Time and My Signing Time, and have a bunch of fun learning with your preschooler!