This post may contain affiliate links. Full privacy policy and disclosure here.
Toddlers are naturally inquisitive and love to experiment and explore. Encouraging a toddler’s love of learning at this young age will help them develop important problem-solving skills, which they will carry with them throughout their life.
Because STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — is so heavily focused on problem-solving, it’s the perfect subject for little ones to get introduced to early on in their education.
The acronym STEM is widely used in education and industry to describe fields of study. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are all interconnected fields of study that have grown in importance over the last few decades.
These subjects prepare young children for future careers and life more generally by developing analytical thinking skills as well as training them in key practical areas such as reading measurements or interpreting graphs.
There are many fun STEM activities and science experiments that you can do with your toddler.
Whether you’re looking for something simple to excite their natural curiosity or something more challenging to test their problem-solving skills, we’ve got you covered with these toddler approved stem challenges!
STEM Activities For Toddlers: What You Need To Know
It’s never too early to start introducing your child to STEM activities. Even at a very young age, your child can start to develop important problem-solving skills and getting familiar with simple machines, which they will carry with them throughout their life!
Toddlers are naturally inquisitive, so they’ll enjoy exploring STEM topics. They’re also easily engaged and curious about the world around them, so STEM learning activities are a good way to keep those little hands and minds busy and engaged (without needing to use screens). You can introduce STEM concepts by using toys that are related to these areas of study.
For example, you can use household items and materials to do some fun engineering and building activities that will spark a toddler’s imagination and interest in STEM topics.
The best thing about these activities is that they can be done anywhere and with items you already have lying around the house like popsicle sticks, ice cream buckets or an unused coffee filter. You don’t need to go out and buy special STEM toys for your toddler.
Preschoolers Love Music
Music is often used in early education because it’s an engaging way for little kids to explore learning.
Your toddler may already love to sing, dance, or clap along to music, but you can take this a step further by introducing them to the world of music theory.
You can do this with a simple activity that involves your toddler singing the scales. Hold a note at the same pitch as your child’s voice and have them sing along with you.
Keep singing past when your child stops and then start again from the beginning. This will help them to explore how music works and how it can be structured. It’s also a great idea to get your toddler used to the sound of music instruments.
You can do this by introducing them to the sound of different instruments and letting them try them out. You can make music instruments with simple materials you’ll have at home.
Mixing Bowls
Mixing bowls are an essential household item that toddlers can get a lot of use out of. You can use these to do some fun STEM activities with your toddler to get them excited about science!
You can start by using the bowls to create your very own water table. To do this, get a couple of mixing bowls and fill them with water. You can also add toys to the water, so your child can play with them underwater. You can teach your child about water cycles with this simple toddler stem activity.
You can also use the mixing bowls to do some fun simple experiments with your toddler, such as finding out what happens when you mix two different liquids together.
You can also use a different liquid every day and see how it changes over time. For more simple stem activities using a simple household bowl, check out this awesome mommy blog and the best lava lamp science activity.
Shakers & Maracas
Shakers and maracas can be used in so many different ways and applied to many different activities to explore STEM topics.
You can use these fun instruments to help your toddler learn about rhythm, sound, and music. You can also use these instruments to introduce your toddler to numbers, letters, and shapes. For example, you can use the shakers to help your toddler learn about numbers.
You can shake them while counting up to ten and then have your toddler match the numbers with the letters that they represent. You can also use shakers and maracas to introduce letters to your toddler.
You can also use these instruments to explore shapes with your toddler. Put different types of shapes in the shakers, and have your child match them up with the right shapes. You can also use the shapes to make music and explore rhythm with your toddler.
Koosh Ball Science
Koosh balls look like giant tennis balls, but they don’t require a tennis racquet to enjoy them. They are stretchy, spiky balls that are great for toddlers to get their hands on and explore.
Koosh balls can be used to explore topics such as force and momentum, gravity, and elasticity. You can use them to make a giant slingshot or catapult. You can also use them to help your toddler learn about the scientific method.
You can also use a koosh ball to help your toddler with their gross motor skills and develop their fine motor skills in the process.
You can do this by having your toddler throw the ball and then catch it as many times as they can in a row.
Pipe Cleaner Science
Pipe cleaners are great for toddlers to explore science topics such as electrical conductivity. They can also be used to make fun and colourful STEM activities for toddlers. You can use pipe cleaners to make circuits, which is a great way for toddlers to learn about electricity.
To do this, you’ll need to first separate the pipe cleaners into two different colours — red and black. Stack the red and black pipe cleaners on top of each other and twist the ends together so your toddler can’t pull them apart.
This will create your circuit. You can then place objects such as paper clips, cotton balls, and LEDs at the end of the circuit and have your toddler press a button to turn on the light. This will help teach your toddler about how circuits work.
Sticky Science Activities
Kids love to be creative, and there is nothing more creative than getting them to make things. And what better way to introduce them to some aspects of science, than through creating with different materials?
You can get your toddler started with some fun sticky science activities. You can use sticky goo to explore chemical reactions, such as baking soda and vinegar reactions. You can also use sticky goo to explore electricity such as circuits or create a giant circuit board. You can also make a giant ball of silly putty to explore different states of matter and density.
You can also make a giant bubble mixture with a big bubble wand to explore the science behind them.
STEM Activities With Paper And Shapes
There are plenty of easy STEM activities that you can do with your toddler involving paper and shapes.
Paper is one of the most versatile materials you can get your toddler’s hands on. It’s cheap, easy to come by, and can be transformed into so many different items. For example, you can use paper to create a giant tic-tac-toe board with your toddler.
You can also use paper and scissors to help your toddler learn about shapes, such as triangles, squares, and circles.
You can also use paper to create a giant maze and explore engineering skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial awareness.
Cardboard Tube Maze-Like Activities
Toddlers love crawling into small spaces and exploring nooks and crannies — so why not transform that into a STEM activity?
You can create a cardboard tube maze and get your toddler to explore it. This can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. You can create a basic maze or an intricate labyrinth for your toddler to navigate.
This is a great STEM activity for encouraging your toddler to explore engineering and problem-solving skills. It’s also a great way to keep your toddler busy and engaged if you don’t have any screens on hand.
You can also use a cardboard tube maze to create a giant bubble mixture. This is a fun way for your toddler to explore the science behind bubbles and create their own giant bubble mixture.
Summing Up
There are many fun STEM activities that you can do with your toddler. From mixing liquids, to mixing bowls, to creating a maze with a cardboard tube, there are endless possibilities. you can teach your toddler how a chemical reaction happens with food coloring as a fun activity. the point of teaching your toddler stem at young age is to prepare them for problem solving in elementary school.
Have so much fun with your toddler stem activities.
