Parents, you don’t have to be a STEM guru (or a homeschool parent) to do science activities with your kids. Studies show that children who do tinker with science (and STEM stuff) at home do better in science in school and build important life skills like patience and confidence.

While you do the activity remember these objectives:

• Build science literacy: learn and use the STEM words that the activity uses
• Promote a growth mindset: if you mess up, it’s okay to keep trying
• Involve everyone: take turns and let ALL family members contribute
• Have fun: STEM can be fun (not fussy) and stress-free; remember to laugh at your mistakes

Below, check out the list of blogs and online resources that are designed to help parents do science activities at home with their families. You might even find that you like it. Don’t focus on getting everything “right” and don’t worry about the mess. STEM can be messy sometimes.

• The STEM laboratory
• Teachers are Terrific
• Momgineer
• The Maker Mom
• Smore
• Little Bins for Little Hands
• Home Science Tools

That’s it for now. There are lots more. Some of the activities can take some time to prep for (for example, creating a STEM escape room). Make the prep part of the experience. In other words, everyone helps prep (not just the parents).

Remember, have fun and keep dreaming big.

It contains a month’s worth of hands-on STEM activities with a profile of a STEM professional. You’ll enjoy the family-friendly fun but so will your pocket book. Most of the “kitchen science” experiments can be done with materials you already have on hand. STEM at home does not have to be expensive.

You can purchase it on Amazon as a paperback.

“Busy boxes” are one way to bust boredom. You can go one step further and create an at-home STEM center (AKA, a makerspace).

This special ‘center’ or space in your home does not have to be large, but it does have to fit the needs and capabilities of you and your kids, and it does have to be where they can reach it.

I recommend situating your STEM center in or near your kitchen for easy clean-up and access to water. Some of the activities do require water as an ‘ingredient’ and sometimes things get messy. Messy fun can be the “funnest”.

Do you have a home-based makerspace or STEM center? What kinds of projects have you and your crew completed? Share some successes and fails. Don’t be shy.

Here’s the STEM Dreams list of supplies that could be included in your center. Some are free (think: repurposed and recycled stuff); but others are very pricey (like a $300 3D printer). There are lots of projects that can fit any budget. Here’s my list on Pinterest of quick low-cost projects to try using recyclables.

Image source: Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

After they’ve done their lessons (thank God for school activities!), they come to you with the age-old complaint: I’M BORED.

STEM-based fun to the rescue!

Activities based in science, technology, engineering, and math principles don’t have to be “hard” and they don’t have to be expensive. Even if STEM subjects were not your favorite in school, you can be a STEM parent. Trust me, with a little preparation, you can.

What to do:

• Make up your mind to do at least one age-appropriate STEM activity or project a week. Remember, this doesn’t have to cost a lot (ideas below)
• Gather or order the supplies in one place. This can be a cardboard box, designated kitchen drawer or cabinet, or corner of your garage or closet.
• Showcase your results on social media (Use the #STEMDreams hashtag if you do)

Your goal with at-home STEM projects isn’t formal teaching. No, you will not be a STEM specialist by any stretch. Your goal is exploration together, fostering curiosity, and having fun. Resist the urge to take the hands-off approach to at-home STEM stuff. By doing at least some of the STEM activities together, you’re sending a powerful message to your child: You are worth my time and so is STEM.

Here are a few ideas to get you started with your STEM quarantine plan:

• Do a virtual tour. Many museums, zoos, National Parks, and tourist destinations have created online 3D tours of their venues. Check out this tour page from one of my favorite Smithsonian museums.
• Play a STEM Bingo game. I found this one by Googling “STEM Bingo kids”. Enjoy!
• Go fishing. Have your kids measure the fish and make a colorful bar chart of your haul. Didn’t catch anything? Try again next week.
• Bake some cookies from scratch. Make sure you let the kids do all the measuring.
• Watch a different STEM-ish Youtube video each night before bed. How It’s Made has a great series. So does Ted Ed. Keep a weekly log of what you watched and lessons learned.

How have you enjoyed STEM at home with your kids? Share in the comments below.

Oh yeah, when you get a minute, listen to our podcast series. Have you downloaded the STEM Dreams Parent Guide yet?

In-home exposure to STEM-focused activities, books, and resources can make a huge difference, especially if parents lead the way. Parents have the power to foster an environment of discovery and feed a child’s curiosity about STEM.

STEM Dreams is devoted to cultivating STEM awareness for parents and caregivers. Our free STEM Readiness Guide is a great place to start.