February • 2022
globalheroes.com
ADVERTORIAL
Engaging Kids in STEM at Home Through Play-Based Learning
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Kids are natural, curious learners and the way they discover the world around them is inspiring. They have an innate desire to ask questions, explore everything, and test theory after theory. So at a time when many parents fear their child may be falling behind during the pandemic, how can we nurture these skills, inspire curiosity, and help kids to keep asking great questions? Engaging them in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at home can get us there— and it’s easier than you think. By encouraging kids to ask and answer questions, you foster the development of reasoning
skills that are essential to understanding and discovering STEM-based concepts. They begin to think about their world by making connections and exploring new ideas, which is essential to developing curious, critical thinkers as they grow older. Questions open the door to inquiry and wonder. They stimulate discussion, interest, and exploration that may otherwise go untapped.
curiosity can be fostered no matter where they are—even while playing. In the process of identifying, comparing, and predicting, kids can be encouraged to explore sizes, shapes, patterns, and quantities, and question outcomes. Recent studies show that play builds many abilities, including language and grammar skills, which in turn develops the curiosity to support continued learning. But best of all, it may open opportunities SO HOW DO YOU to create positive family moments as GET THERE? you get involved with your child’s Kids are inquisitive and it’s learning experiences in a fun and important to lean into this engaging way. desire from an early age. This Play-based learning can take
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© PEXELS/TATIANA SYRIKOVA
many forms, using materials how to build math skills and probyou probably have at home. lem solve as they create different structures and buildings. 1 WATER PLAY Water can be used to help children For more activities to fuel grasp concepts such as more/less, the power of creative, critical same/different, many/few, empty/ thinking with STEM, check out full, before/after, greater than/less Let’s Talk Science’s free resourcthan, and counting. es. Through virtual, hands-on programs, Let’s Talk Science 2 SAND PLAY uses STEM to support critical Incredibly versatile, sand can be skill development and inspire used to learn about states of matter. kids of all ages. Show your kids that though sand may seem like a liquid, when it’s in water, it is a solid. Visit Stem at Home at letstalkscience.ca to see the full 3 BLOCK PLAY range of programs that will leave Through block play, children learn them asking for more.
Fuel the power of creative and critical thinking with STEM at home
Let’s Talk Science offers hundreds of free, virtual, hands-on activities using STEM that develop curiosity, support critical skill development, and inspire kids and parents.
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