Reimagining STEAM with open-ended play –

What is STEAM and why is it important for our kids? The team at Connetix explains why STEAM is already a part of many activites in our children’s lives and looks at how we can build on this through play.

In recent years we have seen growing awareness of the importance of play while noting a rise in STEAM learning in early childhood education.

STEAM learning is often defined as an educational approach that integrates the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Valued for promoting 21st-century skills, this approach is increasingly gaining popularity with parents, educators and health experts alike. Now more than ever children need to be creative, critical problemsolvers with a social-emotional toolbox that will enable them to adapt to fast-paced, unpredictable circumstances.

What is less understood, however, is that STEAM learning isn’t something we necessarily need to ‘teach’ or plan for. STEAM is an intrinsic reality of how we live and experience the world. Moments of our everyday life are brimming with STEAM skills and experiences. For example, when we cook we are engaging in science, technology, literacy, arts and mathematics.

STEAM skills and concepts are also an integral part of how children play and explore the world. Early learners are natural scientists and engineers, without even realising it, they engage in STEAM play every day! STEAM play empowers children to think more broadly about real-world challenges, ask questions, solve problems and be innovative.

Understanding this not only helps us appreciate the learning that happens when children engage in unstructured play and exploration, but also empowers us to scaffold their play and learning experiences. As parents or educators, we can tune into children’s natural curiosities, provide quality resources and facilitate making explicit links in their enquiries. Enter Connetix magnetic tiles – a leading STEAM and educational brand championing STEAM play. Let’s explore five ways Connetix is reimagining STEAM learning:

Open-ended toys that encourage creativity and imagination

As high-quality, open-ended magnetic tiles, Connetix can be used in limitless ways. Sparking imaginations and creativity, they spur children to bring their ideas to life, find innovative solutions to their play needs and explore STEAM concepts in a handson way. Consider building a rocket out of Connetix tiles – this simple play involves science (magnetism, gravity, balance, weight), technology (magnetic building blocks), engineering (design and problem-solving) arts (creativity, colour and creative problem-solving) and mathematics (shapes, counting and measurement). Whether STEAM concepts are explored explicitly or simply experienced during child-led play, there is untapped potential for STEAM play and learning with Connetix.

Inclusive STEAM resources and experiences

STEAM skills have historically been identified with scientists, engineers, artists and mathematicians. Nowadays, toys like Connetix transcend typecast barriers and champion STEAM as a form of play that is accessible and fun for everyone.

Intuitively meeting the needs of each user, Connetix adapts to a wide range of interests and abilities, while inherently drawing upon STEAM concepts and skills. Whether children are looking through a single tile to view the world in a different colour, building epic castles or designing complex ball runs, they can play and experience STEAM in a way that meets their current curiosities.

Connetix not only adapts to individual play, but also draws people of all ages and backgrounds together. It is a collaborative dynamic that supports the development of language and communication skills, resilience and perseverance, as well as empathy and compromise.

Maximising play value

Often when we seek to support children to learn, we focus on specific learning goals; for example, developing fine motor skills or learning about gravity. However, when we observe children at play, we appreciate the wide range of learning and development experienced. If we dissect Connetix play, we can see the use of fine and gross motor skills to manipulate the tiles, creativity, imagination, engineering and problemsolving to achieve designs, alongside flexible thinking, resilience and perseverance to overcome hurdles. Simultaneously, experiencing first-hand magnetism, gravity, weight, balance, colour, refractions and reflections, while navigating the features of shapes and how they fit together.

What’s more, Connetix’s signature bevel design and stronger magnets extend the play value of both magnetic tiles and STEAM learning. It enables children to build bigger due to lighter tiles with stronger magnets, experience clearer refractions, enjoy looking through tiles without obstruction, and have a smoother surface to write or create on. This innovation of design is yet to be matched in terms of aesthetics and functionality for both open-ended and STEAM play.

STEAM play that evolves as children develop

The wonderful thing about open-ended play and resources is there is no right or wrong way to play and no limitations to what can be created or explored.

As children become more familiar with both open-ended play and Connetix, their creativity and imaginations ignite, as does their potential for STEAM learning. From initially exploring shapes and colour in 2D, to designing increasingly complex 3D constructions and elaborate creations. As a quality open-ended toy, Connetix will evolve with children as their development and interests progress.

Where play and STEAM learning connect

Connetix are more than just magnetic play tiles, they inspire creativity, imagination, curiosity, cognitive development and social-emotional learning all through play – effortlessly connecting learning and fun.

Connetix is an Australian familyowned business creating award-winning, STEAM-accredited toys favoured by families, educators and allied health professionals around the world. With almost a third of Connetix staff being masters’ qualified educators, the team is passionate about open-ended learning and the educational benefits Connetix provide.

Inspiring STEAM play and learning

Open-ended play and STEAM are not concepts or modes of learning and play that everyone is familiar with. As a company co-founded by a Masters-qualified educator, Connetix understands the importance of educating, supporting and inspiring people to engage in ongoing openended STEAM play.

Connetix passionately provides this support through inspiration across social platforms, education through expert blogs, and developing free educational resources and tutorials, plus a highly responsive and invested support team.

If you haven’t already discovered the joy that Connetix play provides, you can learn more at connetixtiles.com or head over to social media to see the remarkable community Connetix has inspired!