Growing Thinkers through Everyday Play

This week I had the opportunity to facilitate STEM Starts at Home: Growing Thinkers Through Everyday Play for the Department of Education. I left the session thinking about how much of this our children are already doing, and how easy it is for us to miss it.

As parents, we sometimes hear STEM and picture robotics clubs, coding classes and expensive kits. The truth is, when we look at what are children are already doing we can find STEM everywhere. The thing is, it is easy to miss it! STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Let's break this down even more:

• Science is asking why and finding out.
• Technology is using a tool to solve a problem, and yes, the wooden spoon counts.
• Engineering is building a tower, watching it fall and building it again.
• Math is counting, sorting, measuring and noticing patterns.

Our children are already doing this every day. Our job is to notice it, name it and keep it going.
During the session we talked about five habits I see in every young thinker.

1. Noticing - which means paying attention on purpose. Try playing I-Spy with describing words instead of names.
2. Wondering - or asking a question worth chasing. I love a Wonder Jar for the questions we can't answer right away.
3. Predicting - guessing what will happen and saying why. Hold up two bags and ask which one is heavier before anyone lifts them.
4. Testing - where you try it and watch. Sink or float with five things from around the house will keep a six-year-old busy longer than you'd think.
5. Explaining - Let your child tell someone else what the two of you found out. That's where the learning settles.

For parents who attended, and for those who couldn't, I've put the highlights on a companion page. You'll find activity ideas for the kitchen, the yard and the beach, block-building challenges, and a one-page handout to print and keep on your fridge.
practice.learnandleadltd.com/thinkers