Your preschooler loves to explore. The best way to expose your child to the principles of science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) is through immersive play.
Research has shown that children learn best through structured play. During the warmer summer months, your preschooler can complete STEM activities outside. When your preschooler is outside and interacting with nature, learning is not only fun but also captivating. Here we share three summer themed STEM based preschool activities that your preschooler will love.
1. Soda Bottle Compost Heap
The soda bottle compost activity is a practical way to introduce your preschooler to the principles of natural science. Using an empty soda bottle will allow your child to watch the composting process up close.
For this activity you need:
- An empty 2-liter soda bottle
- Soil
- Organic materials such as spoiled produce, shredded newspaper, grass, or leaves
Start by cutting off the top of your soda bottle. Then rinse the bottle and remove the label to ensure that you’ll see your compost heap grow clearly. After preparing the bottle, fill it with your soil and organic material. First, layer the bottom of the bottle with soil and then alternate with compostable material until your bottle is full.
If you’d like to take this project up a notch, you could also ask your preschooler to record weekly changes to their compost heap in a workbook.
2. Giant Dish Soap Bubbles
Most preschoolers love blowing bubbles. This activity gets preschoolers running about and blowing giant bubbles outside. Teachers and parents will love it as it teaches children basic principles of science too.
For this activity you need:
- ½ cup of household dish soap
- ½ cup of corn flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp corn syrup or glycerin
- 6 cups of purified or distilled water
- 54-inch cotton string
- 2 sticks that are 1-3 feet long
- Metal washer
- Large plastic container
To make the bubble mix, you must first mix the water and corn flour together in a larger plastic container. Then mix in all the remaining ingredients. You should use the bubble mix immediately or stir it again after every hour.
Once you have made the bubble mix, it’s time to prepare your bubble wand. All you need to do is tie the string to the end of one stick. Slide the washer onto the string then tie it to the second stick. The washer should hang around 36 inches of the string. Tie the remaining 18 inches of the string to the first stick so that it makes a triangle.
To create giant bubbles, your preschooler must hold the two sticks parallel to each other and dip them into the bubble mix. Then lift the sticks and slowly open them to create a giant bubble.
3. Five Senses Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is an excellent way to get your preschooler to spend meaningful time in nature. The five-sense scavenger hunt is simply a treasure hunt that encourages children to use their five senses. You will need a piece of paper listing the various sensory items to find and a pencil for your preschooler to check off their findings.
Start by listing items for children to find based on their sensory characteristics. For example, you could instruct your preschooler to find something green for sight. For sound, on the other hand, your preschooler might have to find something in the garden that snaps. List these items for your preschooler to collect based on sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste.
This activity allows children to reason by themselves while being acutely aware of their environment and their senses.
STEM Based Preschool In Coconut Creek
Enrolling your preschooler into a STEM based preschool is the first step to increase their school readiness. At Providence Children’s Academy, we aim to support children through their developmental stages. Our STEM based curriculum is fun, interactive, and highly educational. Contact Providence Children’s Academy today to find out how we can help your child reach their developmental goals.