The STEAM movement began with a push to bring back some of the basics that kids were missing. It was a chance to spark interest in the various STEAM fields, and research has shown that, often, children introduced to these concepts early choose related career paths in high school or college. Done well, STEAM incorporates families into the activity, and not just the children but the adults too.

Interested in exploring some fun STEAM family activities at home? You may want to follow some basic guidelines, such as keeping your activity open-ended. There isn’t a right or wrong way to complete your activity, nor does there have to be a specific objective. Choose your goal, but you may find that it changes as your activity develops. Be flexible enough to let your child guide you in the direction they feel the project is headed. Another option is to incorporate STEAM into everyday activities.  Are you making a grocery list? Work in a math example of how much money you will need or the change you anticipate. When walking, estimate the number of steps you might need to get to the next corner and then see how close you are. Engineering-based concepts can be as easy as collecting sticks to make shapes on the ground.  Find out who can come up with the most accurate or most original shape.

Remember, lots of daily activities can be turned into a few minutes of STEAM fun.  The key is to think outside the box. Like so many things in life, sometimes the best memories are found in the strangest of places.