Every Day STEAM Is at Play

l Baking

Stir up crazy science in the kitchen by cooking or baking together. Double or halve his favorite recipe for supper to practice measuring, equivalent fractions and conversions. Find out what ingredients do. What happens if you leave baking soda out of bread dough? Look up how to make ice cream in a bag or butter in a jar. Bake cake or cookies and give him free reign to decorate.

l Logging onto the Computer

Too much screen time is often vilified, but especially if your kids are older, it’s a part of life, so creating healthy habits is key. Teach her the right way to use the computer and talk about the ways in which this technology has made our lives better, as well as any drawbacks. Get her started coding with an online tool or after-school lessons. If she loves video games, encourage her to try making her own with programs like Drawn to Life. If you have a smart device with Alexa or Siri capabilities, ask her how she thinks it works. How does it link to your smart oven or refrigerator?

l Gardening

Get your hands dirty with a garden for veggies and herbs. Draw a diagram of where your garden will be and its size. Plants need different amounts of space, sunlight, soil and water; will this change your child’s design? Start seedlings from vegetable seeds or trimmings. Have her decorate pots, labels or painted rocks for identifiers. Study the growth patterns of the plants you use and what happens to them depending on the weather. What tools or technology does a farm need to cultivate food for more people? If you don’t have room for an outdoor garden, use the kitchen windowsill for potted herb plants.

l Cleaning

From cleaners to surfaces to technology, keeping a tidy house is a STEAM activity. Explain to kids how soap repels germs, and hypothesize why different cleaners are needed for different surfaces, such as the stainless steel refrigerator vs. glass windows. Experiment with household items to find the right cleaner for the kitchen, bathrooms and furniture. Some materials to use are vinegar, baking soda, water, olive oil and lemon juice. Discuss the way electricity has changed cleaning. How do you think people used to wash their clothes before washing machines? If you have a robot vacuum cleaner, discuss how you think it works and can sense messes.

l Playing a Sport

Sports are an excellent way to explore STEAM concepts. Learn the physics behind hitting a fastball with a bat or discuss how a gymnast balances on a beam. Play around at the tennis court to see what happens if you try to hit a baseball or golf ball with a racquet. Evaluate the clothes needed: why do baseball and softball players wear cleats, why are roller skates and ice skates different? At a game, explore math and the probability a player will make a certain goal. If you’re interested in a curriculum, check out stemsports.com.