Why does it rain? What is a cloud? How do machines work? Is there a difference between climate and weather? These are a few out of many 100 questions that students wonder about every day. Thinking from a learner’s mindset, they want to get out into the field and try out new things on their own. Sticking to the same old curriculum and only practicing theory is not enough for children and their growing minds. While they may not have the right resources to seek answers to the many questions they may have, it becomes the teachers’ role and duty to encourage their curiosity and explain all these theories in a way that is easy to understand and comprehend. 

In today’s world, STEM education has become necessary for students to compete in a global economy and be prepared for the future. To spark an interest in STEM careers in students’ minds, introducing them to this whole new world gets much easier through hands-on and experiential activities. These activities are not only inquiry-based, but they also activate critical thinking in the mind of the learners. 

We have come up with a list of exciting activities that will open children to a new world of information and urge them to think in the direction of STEM subjects. To make it easier, we have classified these activities by subject – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. 

SCIENCE 

1. Water Cycle in a Bag – Make this is group/pair activity. Grab a transparent sandwich bag and use a permanent marker to draw a sun, cloud, and water on it. Fill it with ¼ cup of water and four drops of blue food colouring. Cover its lid and use tape to hang the bag on the window of the classroom. Sit back and watch it work. The science behind this is that the limited amount of water on Earth has to change periodically. This is called the water cycle. Over the next few days, children will see water evaporating into vapour and slowly change back into condensed liquid, just like a cloud. Finally, they will notice that the air cannot hold the water anymore, and hence, it falls down in the form of precipitation and therefore it can be called it.
2. Oil Spill – This activity is simple and can be modified according to the age group of the children. Here, take a large container and mix oil and water. Add a few feathers to this combination and provide the children with equipment like spoons, sponges, cotton, paper towels etc. Ask them to try and separate the oil from water and the feathers. This shows how drastically oil spills can affect the environment. Students will observe how oil affects the feathers and how difficult it is to separate it from water. You can further teach them about environmental change and the ill effects of such calamities. 

TECHNOLOGY 

1. Coding a LEGO Maze – Through the use of Lego mazes and instruction cards, students begin to use different codes and act as the “user,” one who is building something of value. They will be the ones guiding you through the maze, understanding command codes, and estimating from the perspective of a third person. This will help students to start understanding and learning the basics of coding. The best part is that it can be modified according to the needs and expertise of the children. They will learn to make predictions, minute calculations, and do sequencing.
2. Creating a Stop Motion Animation – You can use the Stop Motion Animation App for ease of activity. All you have to do is decide on a backdrop; it can be as simple as a window or anything fancy. Gather toys and other props that can create motion and be included in your animation. Put your shooting device on a stand and use the app to start making a movie! Give students a chance to experiment and use their creativity. There are not one but many benefits of this activity. It not only supports storytelling but also teaches children the mechanics of movie-making. They can learn to experiment, test, and plan out where a story is heading. Finally, it encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.

ENGINEERING 

1. Jelly Bean Building – For this, you can use marshmallows and toothpicks. All you have to do is ask the students to try and connect toothpicks with marshmallows. Tell them to observe the shapes that hold together, ones that are interesting to look at, shapes that do not have any symmetry etc. You can modify these questions according to your understanding. This activity will make students understand the design behind structural engineering. Make them use structural thought and technology, challenging them to make different structures with these materials.
2. Up, Up and Away – Provide the children with a limited set of supplies. Some important ones are tape, straws, wooden dowels, paper, cardboard, and clay. Leave it to the children to come up with designs and tweak their product to construct an airplane. While some may look at pictures to get a fair idea, others may use their knowledge of wings and technology. Make sure the students make the airplane fly as the end result. This project is open-ended and very hands-on. Students can use their prior knowledge, research skills, and innovation, and creativity to design an aircraft of their own. The lesson can be one of trial and error as well as teamwork. 

MATH 

1. Math Hunt – While this is one of the easiest, it makes children get out of the classroom and go out into the field. All you have to do is take up a math worksheet, handpick a few Math questions and create a hunt. Number these chits and hide them around the playground or the classroom. Keep at least ten clues and let children open the next one only when they solve the first question. This can be done in groups. Sometimes, it is all about these simple activities that spark an interest in children. You can make this a weekly or a monthly habit, one that students look forward to.
2. Nerf Gun Math – Gather plastic cups, a permanent marker, something to keep a record, eye protection, and a nerf gun kit. Instead of nerf, you can also use a ball. Write your numbers (can vary according to age group) on a cup and set them up in pyramid form. Make this into a small competition and get the students shooting at the pyramid! This lets students identify the number on the cups and calculate the total points they have scored. It will not only be fun but also challenging to count and add. 

While these are just a handful of activities, they are enough to equip the children with all they need to know about STEM subjects! Ample STEM activities are floating around on the web, but not all of them are authentic, and not all of them fulfill the purpose of giving out knowledge and useful information. It is on you to choose wisely and decide what is the most appropriate for your children.

A wise tip is to make sure that you, as a teacher, are thorough with your instructions and try to shuffle between subjects when introducing these activities to the students. We are confident that once you have a fair idea of how these activities work, you will have enough knowledge to create such experiments of your own too! 

We wish you all the best with introducing these to your children and look forward to them engaging and interacting with enthusiasm! 

At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!  

References – 

“More than 30 resources for STEM Project based Learning Activities” Wabisabi Learning. https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/stem/36-stem-project-based-learning-activities

“11 Engaging Stem Activities for Kids that will foster curiosity” Brianna Flavin, 26th August. 2019, www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/simple-stem-activities-for-kids/