Spaghetti STEM

Tuesday, June 23, 2020



🍝Spaghetti STEM🍝⠀
I’m definitely on a STEM activity kick right now and my kids are not mad about it🤣 ⠀
Kids love STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities because while they are playing they get to explore, make discoveries, and try and test out new things. They are naturally curious about the world (how many “why?” questions do YOU get in a day?🤪) and STEM activities and challenges are a great way for them to start answering some of their “why” questions. ⠀
🐻The Activity🐻⠀
▪️Set out some uncooked pasta (I did spaghetti and some odd looking lasagna noodles), animal figures, and playdough⠀
▪️Challenge your child to make a home for the animals. I didn’t give any other directions besides that. ⠀
▪️Watch your child create, test out and try different things, and see what they come up with! ⠀
🐻I really like easy STEM activities and challenges because they are a perfect activity to do with both my kids (2.5 and 5) and they usually both equally love them! ⠀
While you might think your toddler is too young for some of these STEM challenges, you would be surprised! Brooklyn was fully engaged with this hands-on challenge and while her “houses” were obviously not as intricate as Austin’s, she was learning, playing and discovering just as much as Austin was! They loved breaking the pasta pieces into different sizes and using the playdough as “glue” for their houses!⠀
🐻I also love STEM challenges because they give your child so many opportunities to fail and try again (which is a good thing). When Austin had a house collapse multiple times, he immediately turned to me and asked, “Why does it keep falling down?” Instead of answering him, I put the question back on him. “Why do you think it’s falling down?” This really got him thinking and eventually he figured out what was wrong (the lengths of the spaghetti pieces for the house frame were nowhere near the same length). ⠀
I would love to see your children’s creations if they try this! 

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