Getting kids excited about math and science often comes down to finding fun ways for them to interact. When they can get hands-on, they learn the lesson better, and it’s more fun to learn. As students get older, they may need more challenging hands-on activities to help them remain engaged. This is where STEM resources come in.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There are STEM exercise for all ages, but it seems it’s much easier to find activities for younger students. As they get older, it may seem more difficult to find STEM projects that are engaging, but also teaching them something. The good news is, there are many resources available to help you. In fact, there are more than ever before. We’re going to go over a few ideas to get you started but don’t stop exploring or even creating your own ideas. You can get students aged 11-13 or so involved in coming up with some of their own STEM activities as well.
Here are some resources to look at for your tween students:
- Math Moves U
- Sports Science
- Get the Math
- Math Pickle
- –ology
- Math Snacks
- Brain Cake
- Sci Girls
- Engineers’ Advice for Girls
- Inspiring heroes
- My Hero Project
- Girls for a Change
- Real Men, Real Heroes
- Do Something
- Students Rebuild
Coding:
Some great STEM activities for the tween years are beginning coding projects. Everything is digital these days and beginner coding projects might even be some things your students are doing already. Code.org is a fantastic place to start. You can also check out CodeAcademy to learn how to build a website. Students of this age can have a lot of fun with this.
Khan Academy’s Intro to JavaScript course is another great one to look into for tweenage students. What about making a GIF? GIFs are everywhere and kids find them fun to make and share. Check out Google’s Made with Code section on GIFs.
You can have them Program a virtual robot. It’s easy to learn over at Lightbot. You will also want to check out Scratch, Google CS First, and W3Schools for more great STEM coding projects and ideas.
Our Favorite STEM Activity…
Hands down, our absolute favorite STEM activity {and surprisingly, both of my daughters agree on this!!} are Tinker Crates. My girls absolutely LOVE getting this subscription box in the mail each month! And, I love it even more because I can also guarantee it will keep them busy for hours and it requires NO electronic devices! Double win!
If you haven’t heard of Tinker Crate before, it is a monthly subscription box designed for kids ages 9-16+. Each month your child will receive a hands-on STEM project delivered straight to your mailbox. These boxes encourage hours of problem-solving, engineering, and creative play. May’s Tinker Crate project was the pulley. My oldest daughter {age 12} especially loved this project. I will say it was a bit challenging for her and she walked away from it a couple of times, but she continued to come back to it and when it was finished she was incredibly proud of her accomplishment.
Check it out:
I can’t even tell you the level of excitement in our home when this package comes in the mail! Not only that but it comes addresses specifically to the child. What child doesn’t LOVE getting mail?
When you child opens up their Tinker Crate, this is what they’ll find:
: all materials to complete the project for that month
: a detailed blueprint {instruction guide}
: a TinkerZine which includes additional experiments and activities
: video tutorials which are a huge help if your child gets stuck on a step
So much nicer than seeing her looking at an electronic device!
The finished product…..which she is still playing with three days later!
Would you like to give your child the chance to experience a Tinker Crate for themselves? If so, click here! You can choose to have it delivered monthly until you stop your subscription, or you can choose a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription length.
What is your child’s favorite STEM activity?
LearnWhileYouPlay says
We love all of these great educational toys and think incorporating scientific learning into playtime is ideal! We’re a team of scientists and engineers that compile lists of STEM toys by age, season, and topic area. Thanks for continuing to share all of your experiences!
http://www.learnwhileyouplay.toys