These STEM activities will boost your kid’s concept-based learning

STEM activities are fun, hands-on experiments and projects that can teach real-life concepts to children. It also fosters and instills creativity, problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, resourcefulness, patience and curiosity in children. Starting early on with STEM-based education allows children to learn and maintain a knowledge base they can expand later on in life.   

There are countless questions that you are likely to face if you have a curious kid at home. What exactly is a cloud? What makes boats float? What is the mechanism of a car? Questions like these might catch you off guard almost every day. Well, encouraging your little learner to carry out experiments at home will ensure that all these questions are answered and doubts cleared. Here are two easy-peasy ones that you can help him try.  

Cloud in a jar 
With this fun game, your kid may learn about condensation, water cycles and different states of matter. For kids, a few common household items (water and hair spray) can be combined to demonstrate the making of a cloud. 

What you’ll need  

• A jar with lid 
• 1/3^rd cup hot water 
• Ice 
• Hair spray 

How-to  

Get these on a table, call your child, and start the experiment.  Here’s a step-by-step guide: 

• Pour the hot water into the jar. Swirl it around a bit to warm up the sides of the jar. 
• Place the lid on top of the jar by turning it upside down. Place some ice cubes on the lid and let it sit for about 20 seconds on top of the jar. 
• Remove the lid, quickly spray the jar with hair spray, and then replace the lid of the jar with the ice still on top. 

• Look for a cloud-like formation which has happened due to condensation. 
• Remove the lid when you observe a significant amount of condensation form and watch the ‘cloud’ escape into the air. 

How does this work? 
When you pour the heated water into the jar, some of it evaporates. Due to the ice cubes on top, the water vapour rises to the top of the jar and comes in touch with cold air. When water vapour cools, it condenses. A cloud, on the other hand, can only develop if the water vapour has somewhere to condense. The water vapour, in this case, condensed onto the hair spray during this process. 

Sticky note number match 
This movement-oriented Math activity will help your kids comprehend the meaning of numeric values.  

What you’ll need  

• Chart paper 
• Sticky notes 
• Marker 
• Tape 

How-to  

Here’s a step-by-step guide for the experiment: 

• Draw dots all over your chart paper as you roll it out. Instead of regular dots, you should draw the number of dots. For instance, draw 9 dots for 9 and 7 dots for 7 and so on. 

• Pick up the sticky notes and start writing numbers on them. 
• Stick these numbered sticky notes wherever your child may reach them. As a result, he will be able to see the sticky notes more easily. 
• Ask your child to match the number dots with the sticky notes. He/ she has to count the dots on the chart paper and find the number written on the sticky notes. 

How does this work? 
Through this activity, your child will be able to read and write numbers. This task will dispel the myth that Math is monotonous and boring as a subject.