From some of the quirkiest minds inside the Little Scientists team come some personal insights into experiencing and exploring STEM in the world around you. With this collection of curious facts and observations, we aim to inspire you to find STEM in the everyday.
It might be surprising that self-awareness and awareness of others can be learned in a STEM context. When we look at STEM as a tool to explore and make sense of the world, it becomes clear that every aspect of life is linked to a STEM subject. In a recent Human Body workshop, we discussed children’s fascination with…
I loved the simplicity and the sound the spirals made in the wind. View detailed instructions on how to make wind spirals from recycled bottles.
Describing things is a good way to increase vocabulary and improve observational skills. Sometimes it’s hard to get those conversations going though. Ask a five-year-old what she sees and the reaction may be disbelief. Are you having me on? Is this a trick question? You do have eyes, don’t you? Or even…
Collecting Autumn leaves to create a hedgehog picture? Creating snowman craft around Christmas time? Many places in Australia don’t have seasons that fit neatly into European concepts of Winter. Collecting Autumn leaves is a little difficult if you don’t have many imported feral trees in your area. and Spring flowers may have been flowering all ‘Winter’…
You know we love talking about magnets. But it’s quite the polarising topic…
If you are attracted by magnets, we encourage you to dive right in and explore what they can do with the children while introducing some new STEM vocabulary…
Are you looking for new ways to experience nature with children? It is amazing what you can find along the way and how you can train your observation and orientation skills by creating wayfinding sticks…
Discussion of the why is often the step that people skip, rushing on to the next experiment, looking for the next big explosion, what happens when, … but not getting to or staying with the ‘why does it happen?’ That’s the crucial bit. It crops up time and time again in some of the world’s greatest discoveries. So Isaac Newton is one of the world’s greatest scientists, not because he carried out great experiments but because, when observing a phenomenon in everyday life, he asked why…
Coming from the word tri, meaning ‘three’ – think tricycle, triplets, triceratops (three horns) – and the word angle, its name describes exactly what it is. This beautiful shape can be spotted everywhere. It’s a game I like to play with my children when we are waiting for something. How many squares can you spot? How many circles? But the common triangle is always one of the easiest…