Helping Your Kids Prepare for STEM Careers, Part 2

Posted on 11/15/2015

young children playing at the playground

In addition to the all-important atmosphere of inquiry which parents can establish during day-to-day life ( see Part 1), there are some ways parents can help implement STEM-related skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into their children’s lives via play and practical activities. Far from “boring paperwork,” these experiences can help ignite a passion and interest in careers that many of today’s young people are shunning, due in part to misconceptions and lack of early preparation.

Get Them To Unplug

I’ve always found it interesting that Apple founder Steve Jobs didn’t allow his kids to have much exposure to electronics. He realized that if they were going to gain the tools necessary to succeed like he did in the areas of technological innovation and marketing, they needed to stay away from the constant mindless and closed-off trappings of the very technology that he created. Ah, the irony!

As kids reach middle to late elementary school, they can start to learn how to apply scientific thinking to electronics, and that’s an entirely different thing. But mindless screen time and entertainment? They can literally handicap your child’s brain for later use.

young girl with pouty face next to kangeroo

Buy Open-Ended Toys

Instead of toys that include all the bells & whistles, kids (and their parents’ pocketbooks!) can benefit from more basic, open-ended toys like those in this teacher-mom’s list. Many of them are building toys that require creativity and physical engagement, the same kind that sets the stage for engineering.

For a variation of the same idea, you can also make life-sized “tinker toys” from PVC pipes that provide opportunities for problem-solving and building skills on a much larger scale. Board games have the benefit of combining the core STEM skill of problem-solving with interpersonal involvement. Since scientific careers rely so heavily on collaboration, growing in this area is of paramount importance for those who wish to succeed in STEM fields.

mother helping children build various items

Think Outside the Toy Box

Many parents and educators agree that some of the best “toys” aren’t actually toys, at all. The outdoors has many benefits for physical and emotional health, but it also helps further creative, scientific thinking. From building snow forts to figuring out how to make boats and sails from natural objects, never underestimate the learn and play potential already available through Nature!

For more structured opportunities for kids to gain greater STEM skills, you can sign your child up for monthly boxes with kid-friendly instructions and for interesting projects, like these Tinker Crates that are getting rave reviews.

Home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s also offer monthly kids’ workshops that can help younger kids, especially, to start understanding the building process, with the added incentive of getting to take home a new play thing!

As you prepare your kids for STEM careers, you’ll be helping them learn to make the most of life and understand, appreciate, and impact the world around them in significant ways — whatever career path they choose in the end.

front view of The Bedroom Source showroom store

From the Bedroom Source blog:

The Bedroom Source

Located near the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, The Bedroom Source is your source for the best collection of children's and teen bedroom furniture. From flexibly configurable Maxtrix furniture to fashionable Smartstuff collections, The Bedroom Source offers high end furniture and professional design assistance to create the bedroom of your child's dreams.

Contact the friendly staff at The Bedroom Source by calling (516) 248-0600 or by submitting our online contact form. We're a local family owned mom & pop store. When you shop with us, you're dealing directly with the owners. We professionally assemble everything we sell. We deliver to Nassau, Suffolk, the 5 Boroughs, Southern Westchester, Southwestern Connecticut & Northern New Jersey.

Image credits: Top © nyul/Fotolia; 2nd © Peter Galbraith/Fotolia; 3rd © Matka_Wariatka/Fotolia.