5 Easy Ways To Turn Your Home Into a STEM Laboratory
As a parent, you want to give your children every opportunity to succeed. You may not have the time or resources to take them to expensive STEM laboratories, but there are many ways that you can turn your home into a STEM laboratory.
With a little creativity and imagination, you can provide your children with endless opportunities to learn and grow their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
The Primary + STEM team have found some resources to help you get started.
1. Make a science lab in your kitchen.
Your kitchen is likely full of simple equipment that can be used to explore the world of STEM.
We found some great suggestions on The Parents Website, which is an initiative by Independent Schools Victoria.
On their website, you’ll find four easy experiments that you can conduct in your kitchen, including:
- Growing beans
- Growing crystals
- Exploring sound
- Colour and walking water!
2. Use your garden as a living laboratory
If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, don’t estimate the learning opportunities it provides.
As part of an initiative for Earth Day, The Home School Resource Room developed 15 fun activities to learn about backyard biodiversity, including building a DIY Insect Hotel.
There’s also the activity we’ve written about in an earlier blog post ‘Create an Air Bee n Bee’ which gets kids active in the outdoors whilst learning about bees, plants, and pollination.
3. Create a LEGO laboratory in your loungeroom
LEGO is a timeless toy that’s brought entertainment across generations.
It can also be a fantastic learning tool.
The team at LEGO have put together a website full of activities to encourage curiosity and learning in STEM and STEAM.
On the website, you’ll find lots of free lesson plans and downloadable activities.
“Just be sure to get your kids to clean up afterwards…” says a woman who’s stepped on too many LEGOs in her time!
4. Turn your walls into a STEM / STEAM art gallery
The Australian Museum has created a fun and engaging activity called ‘D.I.Why: What can you catch with a camera?‘
The activity encourages kids to take some time to be still and notice their surroundings.
You’ll need a camera (iPhone, digital camera etc.) to complete the activity. But if you don’t have access to camera, you could always use a pencil and paper.
Consider printing the photos your kids create and turning a wall in your house into a STEM art gallery.
5. Create a geology museum in your bookshelf
Rocks. Pebbles. Shells. It’s amazing what can be found in your backyard or on a walk around the block.
Kids can be encouraged to learn about what they’ve found, create little name cards for their treasures and display them on a shelf in your home.
You never know… when you’re looking for treasures in your backyard, you might even find some dinosaur fossils. Which, we admit is highly unlikely… but you could consider watching this cute video to learn how to make dinosaur fossils on your kitchen table.
It’s never too late to teach your kids STEM skills. There are many opportunities for them to learn and grow their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math with just a little creativity and imagination. The 5 easy ways we’ve provided will help you turn your home into a STEM laboratory that provides endless opportunities for learning and growth.