A guest post by Wendy Dessler
As a parent, one of your main goals should be providing your child with a great educational foundation. For years, both parents and educators have focused heavily on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). As the modern world gravitates more towards a technology-based workforce and society, it is imperative that children get the skills they need to one-day land jobs in this new world.
Studies show that people who come from a STEM education background make more than workers without this background. The key to getting your child to embrace STEM is making it fun for them. The following are some of the best fall STEM activities you can get your child to participate in.
1. Pumpkin Volcanos Can Be Fun
Are you looking for a way to make science fun and more understandable for your child? If so, making a pumpkin volcano is a great idea. You will need supplies like a pumpkin, dish soap, baking soda and vinegar to do this project.
Once you carve out the center of your pumpkin, you can place the baking soda in the bottom of it. You then need to provide your children with small containers of vinegar to pour into the pumpkin. As the vinegar and baking soda start to react, it will create a frothy mixture.
2. Work on Choreographing a Dance Routine With Your Child
What kid doesn’t love to dance? Instead of letting your child bound around the room with no direction, help them choreograph a routine to show off to their friends and family members. When crafting these routines, your child will need to command control of both counting and their motor skills.
If you are unsure about how to create a fun and complex dance routine with your child, then consulting with the professionals at Just For Kix is a good idea. Not only can they help you teach your child to dance, they have all of the attire and footwear needed for this activity.
3. Making Spider Parachutes is Enjoyable
Getting your child off of electronic devices is something you should view as a priority. While there are some educational apps that can be used on these devices, your child is much better off performing a STEM project that forces them to think outside of the box. Teaching your child about the natural silk parachutes spiders have is a great idea.
Driving this fact home is easy if you perform a STEM project where you construct your own spider parachute. Making these parachutes will require you to get coffee filters, a plastic spider and some string. Looping the string through small holes made in the coffee filter and then tying it around the plastic spider is the next step.
Using a box fan is a great way to provide the wind power needed to show your child these parachutes in action.
Source-Pixabay
4. Create a Candy Grabber
If you are a teacher or homeschool your children, finding STEM projects that keep them interested and engaged is vital. If you have a few kids in your class, creating a competition can be beneficial. Breaking your kids up into teams and instructing them to make a device that can pick up candy is a good idea. Providing them with various tools and items to construct this candy grabber is your next step. By turning the kids loose, you can see how creative they can be.
Make Learning Fun
The main goal you should have as a parent or teacher is making learning fun. With these fall-themed STEM projects, you can keep your kids engaged and interested.
