Ryan Shore is president and STEM Guru at Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead based in Naples, fullsteamaheadfl.com.
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RYA N SHOR E
activities you can do at home
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Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead’s STEM guru must have a Ph.D. in fun because these activities are sure to entertain you kids for hours, maybe days or weeks — and they’re educational.
n sitting down to plan this article months ago, I never could have imagined how topical it would become. With the pause button pressed locally and across the globe due to COVID-19, parents have unexpectedly assumed the role of teacher in millions of households. With this comes extra responsibility. For many, it’s not enough that children get their digital learning done daily. Parents who aspire to give their kids more are always seeking enrichment opportunities for their children. These enrichment opportunities become particularly important as kids fall into routines defined by monotony. The STEAM activities that follow are great ways to mix things up, all while having fun and providing much needed higher-level thinking opportunities.
STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math (although we like to use the “M” for music at Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead). More than just the individual topics, good STEAM activities combine multiple topics and disciplines to help build what we refer to as the “maker traits.” These maker traits take learning above and beyond your typical low-level content mastery. They encourage a growth mindset and facilitate the thinking skills that kids need to be successful in nearly everything they do. These traits are: » Perseverance » Idea generation » Fearless problem-solving » Self-guided learning A student who regularly practices these traits and learns to master them
is infinitely more prepared for the future, whatever it may bring. These kids think flexibly, creatively, and don’t shy away from a challenge or a problem. Teaching these maker traits to kids is easier than it sounds. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and training a child to be a fearless problem-solver can take half a lifetime. Like anything, however, the more opportunities our students have, the easier it becomes. These five STEAM activities are selected because they combine STEAM topics, encourage use of the maker traits, and can be done at home with little to no cost or additional supplies. They are great to be done with your child — you will both have fun! As with many great STEAM activities, they have no “right answer” or singular way to accomplish the goal.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PARENT & CHILD » MAY 2020 » 17
