Toddler STEAM activities with MOM and POP

STEAM –Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics - tall words, when we are talking toddlers ! Well, the term and its use are not new but of course, its common use by aware parents of kids has definitely picked up a lot now. However, in context of toddlers it still seems to be a misnomer to most.

Before  moving on to implement it, let us first try to understand STEAM. It is much more than the acronym described above. For me STEAM is an approach, a thought process on how parents and other educators should be encouraging children to integrate knowledge across disciplines, to think in a connected and more holistic way.

STEAM originally STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) has a huge advantage over plain STEM learning. The added A of Arts has opened up a huge new world of possibilities by integrating these STEM disciplines with real world practices of design and so much more.

Thus, STEAM has brought into focus the essential skills of the present and future- critical thinking, inquiry and innovation .Of course the sense of wonder and joy at every little thing in the world exhibited by babies and toddlers cannot be matched. It is that very sense of wonder, which fosters this essential skill set.

Toddlers are very intelligent

people .They are experimenting

 every day !😇😇😇

A rising number of people now believe 

that early exposure to the STEAM approach can help their children establish a strong foundation in skills they need later on. So, what better age to start the STEAM approach than with your toddlers.

Before you implement the STEAM approach for  your toddler remember:

• ·Your toddler is a natural explorer, so provide lots of opportunities for playful exploration. Let your toddler play. Let her be curious.  

• STEAM for infants and toddlers should be a lot about providing multi sensory  experiences in all that is STEAM. So Seeing, Hearing, Tasting, Touching and Smelling are all important.

• Technology is much more than just smart phones and other devices. In the very true sense technology , for any age is anything created by humans. Technology focus for toddlers should be crayons, paints, dough, cardboard etc.

• You  must provide materials, safe natural and other environs  for children to explore, discover and be curious.

·       Both the parents DO join in the fun. Build your relationship with your child as a bonus.

·       Connect the current experiences with your child’s previous experiences.

So now let’s get ready to introduce your baby/toddler to the power of creative exploration and problem solving that the STEAM approach gives us.

The best way to begin STEAM -  Take children out into nature

• ·Once taken out anywhere be it a park or just out, the first thing your crawling  baby or toddler is going to do is explore. Tap into that sense of exploration. Keep on talking about what you see, ask questions of your tiny researcher, encourage more exploration, provide  several such opportunities.

• ·        Parks ,gardens not accessible? Make a start ! Plant in some pots or simply grow some seeds in a cup! 

•        Ask questions and build your toddler's  confidence.

    Questions to ask   Ask ‘what’ questions. Such questions focus on what they are  

   noticing and doing . Questions like- ‘what’ are those ants doing? , ‘what’ is the shape of 

   this stone? encourage children to observe and communicate . 

         Questions not to ask   Avoid ‘why’ questions. They imply that there is a correct 

         answer and shift the focus to being correct. Questions like ‘Why do birds have feathers?’ 

         may not be answered or may discourage further exploration.

• ·          When out, encourage their natural curiosity for exploration. Let them collect leaves, seeds, stones or even maybe small worms in a tiny box or whatever reasonable catches their attention. While collecting, go on musing aloud about the number of objects collected, things you see, look at different designs/patterns in nature.

     I have personally used and recently too, saw some super useful inexpensive bug boxes 

           with a magnified side for observation , lenses  and sun filters at- 

                                            http://jodogyan.org/science-material/  ,

             You can also go the full hog with fascinating bug catcher viewer  sets with butterfly net 

             and all at    

                          https://www.amazon.in/Outdoor-Adventure-Catcher-Backyard-exploration/dp/B06W9L47KT/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys&ie=UTF8&qid=1510799527&sr=1-1&keywords=insect+catcher+for+kids 

                                                          Found these to be little expensive however.

·       Augment all this with beginner nature picture books and few videos (plenty of excellent toddler videos  available on YouTube-If required suggestions can be provided.). Thus, same ideas are experienced from a variety of sources. 

·       Allow your baby (even a 6-7 month old baby) to touch and feel different textures - leaves, soft flower petals, rough cloth , to listen to sounds and thus experience STEAM. Make her treasure nature rather than to ravage it.

This, was the first post on Toddler STEAM activities with Mom and Pop. There is a lot more to explore - numerous multi sensory , maths, science  and other experiences waiting to be undergone with your toddlers. Will be back soon with more on this .Till then break away from passive instruction and allow play and investigation.