4 Fun STEM Projects Designed for Elementary School Kids

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, called STEM for short, is a focused type of curriculum that gives extra importance to the topics it names. Elementary school students enjoy STEM projects because they tend to be more hands-on, and children themselves have proven over and over again that play-based learning is extremely effective. Here are 4 ways that STEM subjects can transform into exciting classroom activities.

1. Cooking Science

Cooking and science go hand in hand in a Montessori elementary school. From learning about the qualities of ice to discovering similar properties of soluble materials to observing how heat transforms one substance into another, the kitchen is science in action. Baking cookies or making soup are excellent ways to add a tasty twist to science experiments, and impart excellent practical life skills in the process.

2. Magnet Power

Toy cars and a few magnets can make for an exciting day of play-based technology. Try things like using magnets to push or pull a toy, or combining magnetic forces through cardboard or stiff plastic to make things move by invisible means. Children love magnets and will think up some interesting ideas of their own if they are given the tools and opportunities to do so.

3. Marble Maze

Marble mazes are easy to make with a piece of flat cardboard, Elmer’s glue, and pipe cleaners. Practice with curves, dead-ends, and obstacles, building fun mazes and then racing the marble through without making mistakes. It can be challenging to tilt the cardboard correctly to get the marble where it is supposed to be, and that is the engineering challenge of the game: a maze that can be completed efficiently.

4. Lego Math

Lego-styled blocks are perfect for all sorts of STEM activities, but the very design of this type of block is built around math. From the pegs on a block to the number of blocks needed to build a feature. These stackable blocks are great for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and even things like percentages. And that’s before kids even begin learning about architectural techniques like arches that use math to determine design strength.

Use these ideas as jumping off points to discover new ideas and investigate scientific conclusions.Pay attention to the subjects your kids enjoy most and use those areas of attraction to feed their desire to learn. Stem projects include many different subjects, and can be approached from all sorts of angles, but everything depends on developing a love of learning at an early age.

3 Entertaining Activities to Teach Map-Reading Skills in Kindergarten

Learning how to read and create maps is a perfect subject for kindergarten. For most children, making and following maps is a whole new way to communicate and express themselves to others. From choosing subjects to map to learning how to create information indicators and the map legend that explains them 

1. Home and Garden Maps

Learning to understand maps by making them to display well-known features is a great way for Montessori kindergarten kids to practice map reading skills, create personal art, and work on critical thinking skills. Any space can be the model for a map, including the home, the classroom, local parks, or whatever interests the children. Once children have acquired basic map skills, they are ready to put a map into use. Maps can be of smaller spaces, as well, such as making a map of the family bookcase, dining cabinet, or similar.

2. Treasure Maps

Kindergarten kids can work in teams of 2 or more to choose an object, hide it in a specific location, and then create a map to help someone find it without guidance. Another idea is for the whole class to work on creating a mapping treasure hunt, with each child contributing one item and the map for it, and then exchanging maps to allow everyone to enjoy a fun treasure hunt experience. Learning how to identify landmarks is an important aspect of map-making, and the kids will have a great time hunting simple treasures.

3. Making Maps

Create a community-wide map by having children make individual segments that are put together to form a sort of mosaic map. make sure to have a detailed map of the area for children to refer to when drawing their own parts. Making “real” maps helps develop strong critical thinking skills, builds math awareness, and allows children to bolster their vocabularies by learning the points of the compass, left-right, and other related terms. This project encourages creativity in making the maps and then hones critical thinking and problem-solving skills when following the maps.

Even in the digital age, the ability to read and make maps is important. Your kids may be using apps to get around when they are older, but all of those apps are based on actual maps, and understanding how to use maps will make navigation easier. Every culture uses maps, and they are critical for understanding geography and history. For things like exploring the origins of foods or customs, maps provide context for understanding climate, conditions, and terrain.

3 Examples of Ways Kids Learn Practical Skills in Daycare

The daycare environment is designed for learning. From motor skills and language arts to practical skills that teach children to perform everyday tasks, the daycare day is filled with activities and exercises geared toward early development. To that end, these three practical tasks offer a wealth of developmental activities ranging from social development to academic instruction.

1. Picking Up

The first time you enter a Montessori daycare, you will be surprised by the orderliness and quiet concentration of the students. That happens because Maria Montessori recognized that children perform better when their environment is organized. To that end, learning to pick up toys that aren’t being used makes it easier for children to focus on the ones they are currently involved with. In that way, picking up is a practical skill that makes it easier to focus and learn.

2. Measuring and Pouring

Learning to measure and pour helps children develop critical thinking skills, and helps bolster their self-esteem. Kitchen skills are some of the best practical skills because they will be used repeatedly over the years and overlap with experiences outside of the kitchen. An excellent way to practice measuring and pouring is to use a sandbox with two measuring cups at first, and then move up to working with actual kitchen ingredients. You can also “measure” in different ways, like counting segments of citrus, or slicing a banana into disks.

3. Place Setting

Preparing the table for mealtime helps children learn math skills, develop a stronger vocabulary, and reinforce critical thinking skills. Counting the dishes and placing them in the proper place is a simple exercise, but it is also a repetitive activity that helps children develop an understanding of routines and the flow of time. This daily task is also an excellent way to help children feel like part of the larger group because they are performing a service that benefits everyone– and is one part of the larger evening ritual that the whole family plays a part in.

Practical skills are good for children in many ways, including developing fine and gross motor skills, building social interactions, and learning to count, sort, and use basic math operators. In the process, small children feel better about themselves and their abilities, and that encourages them to participate in more activities. Plus the most obvious benefit of all: Learning to perform practical tasks teaches children how to do things that they will repeat over and over again for most of their lives.

4 Ways Montessori Infant Care Addresses Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are the ones needed to pick up small objects, move them around, grip, and grasp. A Montessori infant care program helps children learn by providing them with enjoyable, play-based learning activities. In the process of having a playful time, small children are also learning how to use their fingers, improve hand-eye coordination, and build strong muscles for manipulating objects.

1. Play is Work

In Montessori, children spend their time engaged in playful activities, but the toys they are presented with have been carefully chosen. Each toy requires interaction with the user to achieve results, teach a variety of developmental lessons, and help young children develop fine motor skills. For Montessori students, play is work and learning is part of the game. Children begin life as a clean slate, so even playing is an opportunity to learn about shapes and objects, interactions and effects.

2. Sensory Activities

From sensory– or discovery– bottles containing items that stimulate one or more of the senses to outdoor playtime, just about everything your child does in daycare will benefit fine motor skill development. The nice thing about discovery bottles is that they can be used to stimulate all of the senses, and typically combine at least two. From beads to flower petals, each bottle can be turned and shaken, examined from every angle to help children learn more about the world around them.

3. Finger Movements

Drawing, painting, and learning to make letters and numbers involve fine motor skills that will be crucial to later development. Learning to pick and manipulate small objects like beads, pencils, and scissors begins in daycare with the complexity of the activities increasing as the child gains proficiency. From building with magnetic blocks to performing simple science experiments, proficiency with fine motor skills is where success begins.

4. Movement and Music

Music is an essential tool in the Montessori environment. In addition to offering many opportunities for children to develop motor skills, music and movement activities promote critical thinking, creativity, and social interaction. Many children’s songs provide other educational opportunities, such as learning animal names or body parts, developing strong vocabularies, and learning to spell or count.

Montessori schools are working toward the total development of young bodies and minds. The play-based activities that children love provide self-correcting learning experiences while encouraging children to develop critical physical and social skills. The idea is that enjoyable activities will attract children to use them, fostering a love for learning new things and developing new abilities.