At our preschool, we believe learning doesn’t stop when children leave the classroom. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities are a fun and engaging way to support your preschooler’s development right at home. The best part? You don’t need fancy equipment or a degree in science—just curiosity, a few household items, and a willingness to explore together!

Here are 10 simple and fun STEM activities you can do with your preschooler:

1. Sink or Float Experiment

Fill a tub with water and gather small household objects. Ask your child to predict whether each item will sink or float, then test it together. This activity encourages observation and hypothesis-making—two core STEM skills.

2. Build a Marshmallow Tower

Grab some mini marshmallows and toothpicks, and challenge your child to build a tower. This fun engineering activity improves fine motor skills and teaches basic structural design concepts.

3. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Take a walk outside and look for patterns in nature—shapes of leaves, sizes of rocks, or colors of flowers. This encourages observational skills, classification, and an early love for environmental science.

4. DIY Volcano

With just baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring, you can create a mini volcano! Your preschooler will be amazed by the chemical reaction and eager to learn more about science.

5. Counting with Snacks

Use snacks like cereal or crackers to practice counting and simple addition or subtraction. Make it fun by creating patterns or using them in sorting games to reinforce early math skills.

6. Shadow Tracing

On a sunny day, place toys on paper and trace their shadows. This introduces concepts like light, angles, and the movement of the sun, all while building creativity.

7. Ice Excavation

Freeze small toys in an ice tray and give your child tools to “excavate” them. This sensory science activity is great for problem-solving and learning about states of matter.

8. Magnet Hunt

Use a magnet to search for objects around the house that are magnetic. This introduces basic physics in a way that’s hands-on and exciting.

9. Create a Weather Chart

Track the weather each day with your child—sunny, cloudy, rainy, or snowy—and graph the results. This helps with pattern recognition, data collection, and charting skills.

10. Make a Balloon Rocket

Thread a straw through a string, tape a balloon to the straw, and watch it fly when you let it go! It’s a fun introduction to propulsion and physics concepts.

 

STEM for Preschoolers at Home

STEM learning doesn’t have to be complicated. These easy STEM activities for preschoolers are perfect for home and help reinforce what children are learning in our classrooms. At STEM Child Care, we incorporate hands-on STEM experiences every day to build curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking.

Looking for more ways to support your child’s development? Contact us to learn how our preschool integrates STEM in playful and age-appropriate ways!