Best STEM Projects For Kids – 2023

You may have heard of STEM projects for kids. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Although the acronym makes STEM projects seem purely educational, they are actually really fun and educational.

Although you may know what STEM means, learn more about what STEM projects can do for your kids and how they can accelerate their learning.

This article discusses the various benefits of STEM projects for your children. Here is a short list to get you started.

• Helping kids develop a love for learning
• Encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Promoting creativity and imagination
• fostering teamwork and collaboration
• Helping kids prepare for the future

The Benefits of STEM Projects

As you are about to find out, STEM projects and toys have various benefits for your kids.

Here is a list of popular and highly reviewed STEM toys on Amazon.

12 of Benefits of STEM Projects

1. STEM Projects Promote Creative Thinking

STEM projects encourage children to use their brains, be creative, and solve problems independently. Being creative and able to think outside the box are essential skills that children need to develop.

Life rarely goes to plan, and the sooner children learn to deal with unexpected circumstances, the more able they will become to deal with the real world. Being creative and quick to react will come in handy all throughout life.

2. STEM Projects Train Various Cognitive Skills

In addition, STEM projects help develop the various cognitive skills crucial to your child’s success. This involves more than the creativity and problem-solving skills mentioned above.

Many STEM projects help promote logical thought, deduction skills, and critical thinking. While some people might call these things problem-solving, it’s a bit more advanced than that.

For instance, your child can connect various components to create an electrical circuit with circuit STEM projects. If just one component is off, the whole thing won’t work.

Your child, therefore, has to engage in a logical step-by-step process to determine what went wrong. This is just one example of how STEM toys help develop overall cognitive abilities.

3. STEM Projects Develop Fine Motor Skills

STEM projects are not just all about mental education but also about physical development. Many STEM projects involve the use of hands and fine motor skills.

STEM projects such as Legos, other building blocks, and even puzzles help children develop fine motor skills. These involve hand-eye coordination as well as manual dexterity.

Of course, children need to use their hands in the real world. Many science, technology, and engineering careers require good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Virtually all STEM projects will help develop these skills.

4. STEM Projects Teach Basic Numbers and Literacy

Although this is rarely discussed, the most basic STEM projects introduce your children to letters, numbers, and even words and mathematical equations.

Of course, reading, writing, and counting are essential to a child’s success later in life. After all, literacy and numbers are the basic educational building blocks.

Teaching your child how to count and read at a very early age will prepare them for what is to come. In addition, these basic STEM projects for young children and toddlers will teach them the skills they need for the more advanced STEM toys and advancing in school.

5. STEM Projects Teach Colors, Shapes, Patterns

Most STEM toys for very young children will teach other basics that they will need later in life, such as colors, color matching, shapes, patterns, and other basic concepts. For example, identifying various colors and patterns and how to compare them will all come in handy later on in life.

Not only do these toys introduce your children to colors, shapes, and patterns, but they also help improve cognitive thought by being able to recognize a pattern that involves both creative thinking and logical thought. For instance, identifying a pattern will come in handy in computer programming.

6. STEM Projects Teach STEM Topics

Since STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM projects and toys teach your children about these four concepts.

You likely realize that these concepts are increasingly needed in our world, especially in technology, engineering, and science. Our world relies more heavily on these concepts as the years go on.

Teaching your children about these various concepts, such as technology, will help them be better prepared to deal with virtually everything in life. After all, more or less everything that happens in our world is technology-based.

7. STEM Careers Are on the Rise

In addition, it is estimated that the number of careers available in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will increase by almost 10% in the coming years.

Since more jobs are being created in the STEM sector, it only makes sense to prepare your child for a career related to one of these various topics.

Your child will find a career in the job sectors where careers are most available.

8. STEM Projects are Actually Fun

Many parents are concerned that STEM projects and toys might not be much fun to play with. After all, education is important, but children are children, which means that they should be having fun.

However, many STEM toys will provide hours of fun for your child. Building kits, Lego sets, circuit toys, and science kits are interactive and fun to play with. Education doesn’t have to be boring, and STEM toys do their best to ensure this.

9. STEM Projects Allow Parents to Participate

STEM toys allow parents to participate and engage in their child’s play. This is beneficial on two fronts. First, these toys enable the children to bond with their parents.

Second, studies show that when parents are engaged in their children’s education, those children perform much better in academic settings. STEM toys allow parents to be actively involved in their children’s learning process.

10. STEM Projects Don’t Have to Be Intimidating

STEM toys introduce children to complex and advanced subjects in easy-to-understand ways. Many people shy away from science and mathematics due to their level of complexity. However, these toys introduce children to these topics in nonintimidating ways. They’re designed to teach children without scaring them off.

11. STEM Projects Don’t Have to be Expensive

When parents hear the word STEM toy, they automatically think a high price tag is involved. Although this may be true in some cases, STEM toys are generally not that expensive.

You can find excellent STEM toys from $5 to $100. Compare this to a video game system, which can cost up to $1,000 and as much as $100 for each game. Unfortunately, most video games aren’t overly educational yet are still very expensive.

12. STEM Toys Aren’t All About Murder and Mayhem

Parents appreciate that STEM toys don’t involve any kind of violence. Unfortunately, however, children are more exposed and desensitized to violence due to extremely violent video games. Generally speaking, this is not good. Simply put, STEM toys aren’t only educational, but they are usually wholesome and age-appropriate.

How to Play With STEM Toys

Playing with your child is one of the best ways to stimulate learning and creativity. You need to ask questions and give suggestions when playing with your child. Try to be positive when you interact with your child as well.

One great STEM toy that children and adults love are LEGOs.

One of the great things about LEGOs is that they can be used to teach a wide variety of STEM concepts. In addition, they are a lot of fun for kids and adults to play with.

Here are some of the benefits of using LEGOs for STEM projects:

1. LEGOs help kids learn about engineering and construction. They can build all sorts of structures and machines, and learn how they work.

2. LEGOs are also great for teaching math concepts such as measurement, geometry, and patterns.

3. Kids can use LEGOs to experiment with simple physics concepts such as force, motion, and energy.

4. Working with LEGOs helps kids develop important problem solving and critical thinking skills.

5. Adults can play, interact, and bond with their children in fun and engaging ways

Here is a list of some highly reviewed LEGO toys.

Here are some tips on how you can play with your child:

1. Get involved in the activity: Parents should try to be as involved as possible when playing with their children. This means asking questions, making suggestions, and being positive.

2. Talk about the activity: Talking about what you’re doing is a great way to stimulate learning. You can ask your child questions and give them something to reflect on.

3. Make it fun: Education doesn’t have to be boring. Try to make the activity fun for your child. This will help them to stay engaged and interested.

4. Be patient: Children learn at different rates. Some may pick up on things quickly, while others may need more time. Be patient with your child and let them learn at their own pace.

5. Be creative: Let your child be creative when playing with STEM toys. Encourage them to come up with their own ideas and solutions. This will help them to think critically and creatively.

Best STEM Projects for Children

Toddler

Your little one will love to assemble things at this age. Building blocks, peg boards, and jigsaw puzzles are perfect for toddlers. These toys will help to develop fine motor skills and problem-solving skills.

Preschooler

At this age, children are ready to learn about science and mathematics. STEM toys that are perfect for preschoolers include science kits, math games, and puzzles. These toys will help to develop critical thinking skills and prepare children for elementary school.

Kids

Older children will enjoy more complex STEM toys. These include robotics kits, chemistry sets, and telescopes. These toys will help to develop advanced problem-solving skills and a love for science and mathematics.

Examples of STEM Projects

Looking for some easy and fun science projects you can do at home with your kids?

There are many science projects that kids can do at home with minimal supervision. Check out these great ideas!

Here are a few examples:

1. Make a homemade volcano. This is a classic science project that is both fun and educational. All you need is some baking soda, vinegar, and a container to put it all in.

2. Grow your own crystals. This is a great project for kids who are interested in geology or mineralogy. All you need is the right materials and a container to grow them in. After a few days, you’ll have beautiful crystals!

3. Build a simple circuit. This is a great project for kids who are interested in electricity and electronics. With just a few common household items, you can build a circuit that will light up an LED.

4. Make your own slime. This is a popular project for kids of all ages. It’s simple to make and can be customized with different colors and ingredients. All you need is some glue, Borax, and water.

5. Conduct experiments with plants. Kids of all ages will love doing things like testing how different liquids affect plant growth or seeing if plants really do grow towards the light. There are many different experiments you can do with plants, such as testing their growth in different types of soil or determining how much light they need to grow properly.

6. Make a homemade lava lamp. All you need is a clear bottle, some oil, water, food coloring, and an effervescent tablet.

7. Build a balloon-powered car. This is a great project for older kids. You’ll need some basic supplies like popsicle sticks, straws, and balloons.

8. Make a simple sundial. With just a few supplies like cardboard, aluminum foil, and a straight pin, you can make your own sundial!

FAQ

Are STEM Toys Only for Nerds?

Absolutely not! STEM toys are not just for nerds. In fact, STEM toys can be great for kids of all ages and interests. Whether your child is into dinosaurs, cars, or even dolls, there’s a STEM toy out there that will get them excited about learning.

In fact, most STEM toys are designed to be non-intimidating and easy to understand. They’re perfect for children of all ages.

Even though it may seem like STEM toys are only for nerds, that isn’t the case at all!

In fact, these types of toys can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in learning about science, technology, engineering, and math. Not to mention, they are also a lot of fun to play with! So, if you are looking for some great STEM projects for kids, don’t worry – there are plenty of options out there that will be perfect for them.

What If My Child Struggles With Mathematics?

Don’t worry – many children struggle with mathematics at first. Plus, you do not need to be good at math in order to excel with STEM projects and topics.

Regardless of your child’s skill level, STEM toys develop problem-solving skills, mathematical abilities, counting skills, and so much more. With a little practice, your child will be able to excel in mathematics.

I am Afraid My Child Will Get Hurt With Science Kits. Is This Safe?

Generally speaking, science kits are safe for children. As with anything you give your child, however, you should always read the instructions carefully and make sure your child follows them correctly. It is also a good idea to have an adult help with more complex science kits and to read product reviews online before you buy them for your children.

Will These Toys Take up Too Much Time?

STEM toys don’t have to take up a lot of time. In fact, many of them can be completed in a short amount of time. However, it’s important to make sure your child is taking breaks and not spending too much time on any one activity.

The Benefits of STEM Projects – The Bottom Line

STEM projects provide various benefits for your children. They are excellent because of the fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, and the basic education that these toys develop. They will promote the skills and abilities your child needs to succeed in life.

STEM projects develop important life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and perseverance. STEM projects can also boost kids’ creativity and imaginations. In addition, STEM projects can help kids learn about science, technology, engineering, and math in a fun and engaging way.

Here is a short list of additional benefits.

1. Helping kids develop a love for learning: STEM toys are often very hands-on and interactive, which can help spark a love for learning in kids.

2. Encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills: STEM projects often require kids to think critically and solve problems, which can help them develop important life skills.

3. Promoting creativity and imagination: STEM projects often allow for a lot of creativity and imagination, which can help kids tap into their creative side.

4. fostering teamwork and collaboration: STEM projects usually require kids to work together in teams, which can help them learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

5. Helping kids prepare for the future: STEM projects can help kids learn about important concepts that they may encounter in the future, such as coding or engineering.

For a cool STEM-related website, check out the NASA website to learn more about STEM in the real world.