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Each top section is organized by the letters of STEAM: Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math. Scroll through the sections to discover articles, activities, and resources you can use to help further your child's curiosity.

Let others know that you liked the resource, article, or activity by clicking the hearts!

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Articles are highlighted in green.

We've curated some articles for you to continue your own learning journey as you support your child in their curious exploration.

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Activities are highlighted in blue.

A lot of STEAM-focused activities have intertwined STEAM principles. Here are many activities that touch upon all aspects of STEAM, but may have a special focus on one particular STEAM letter!

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Resources are highlighted in purple.

The curated resources on this page are pulled from a variety of sources. These resources have a wide range of information on their pages, from articles to activities, to source material, you can find it all.

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Technology is all around us, with scientists constantly reworking and improving designs. Introducing hands-on technology activities at younger ages benefits kids who will inevitably be introduced to more technology as they grow.

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Designing and building different structures encourages resiliency in scientific exploration. This includes trial and error, problem solving, collaboration, and more.

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Allowing children to explore scientific topics through hands-on activities expands learning opportunities. Incorporating arts helps to spark creativity, imagination, and the desire to explore in children and adults alike.

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Article on why STEAM activities are great for kids

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As we move further along into this post-pandemic quarantine, parents everywhere are looking for ways to keep their child busy throughout the day. While binge watching television shows may be a solution for some, there are better ways to engage your child. You can even help them gain new skills while staying at home. It's time for your household to get closer than ever to STEM education. You should keep practicing social distance, but you can also complete exciting STEAM activities that will help your child explore their creativity while fostering the development of important STEM skills. Let's dive in!

What's a STEAM Activity?

A STEAM activity is a lesson that covers one of the core STEAM subjects : Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. It's a common acronym in the education world to reference these important subjects and skills - in out of school. STEAM activities are cross-curricular, meaning they cover several topics at the same time. Many teachers will choose to use STEAM activities to cover other disciplines, including history, reading, art, and music along with traditional math and science activities. Parents can follow this approach, too. STEAM activities, unlike traditional STEM activities, focus on exploring the familiar fields of science and mathematics while using the creative problem-solving and inquiry-based techniques usually seen in more creative fields like the arts.

Here's what this looks like in action. A traditional prompt might read: label the parts of a bicycle. A STEAM prompt would ask kids to create a prototype for a method of transportation that uses less fuel and still gets people to work on time. See the difference?

"Sometimes people think that STEAM just means adding paint to science projects; it's not. It's about mixing the left brain and right brain, making the study of math and science more visual and creative and seeing things more openly," says Lesa Wang , K-V STEAM Coordinator at Marymount School of New York. By engaging in these kinds of activities, kids can develop important 21st-century skills while having fun.

Why are STEAM Activities Important?

With so many kids stuck at home right now, it's more important than ever that kids are able to channel their energy somewhere meaningful. When kids enjoy the project they're working on, they're more inclined to engage with the material and retain that knowledge. For example, a day with Sphero is often described as a kid's "best day at school." Play is a powerful teacher - not just for younger kids but for older ones, too. Through creative play, kids can develop a deep understanding of hard STEM skills as well as other 21st-century skills needed to excel in the professional world.

What are the Best STEAM Activities for Kids?

The most successful STEAM activities are ones that engage kids in STEM-based learning - like learning to code - and that go beyond core STEM subjects to nurture the development of additional skills like:

By practicing these soft skills, kids can develop both the soft hard skills needed to thrive in STEM fields. Oftentimes, kids will even enjoy these kinds of learning activities far more than traditional learning exercises. We're encouraging parents and teachers everywhere to take a cue from these kinds of success stories and use STEAM activities at home to help kids become creators.

8 STEAM Activities for Kids

Looking for great STEAM activities for your kid? Consider these exciting and accessible activities.

With a few simple materials, kids can use the sound of their voice to create bubbles - an amazing opportunity to experiment with sound waves, get inventive with technology and learn more about how common items interact with each other to make something entirely new.

If you have a Harry Potter fan at home or in your classroom - and let's be honest, who doesn't - here's a great way to get them engaged in an incredible learning experience that will have them excited for weeks. In this STEAM game, kids will program their Sphero programmable robots to score points for their team. It's almost like magic!

3. Do some code breaking.

Help your kids develop analytical skills by teaching them how to decipher common codes. Teach explain transcription, or use another common code type to help your kids develop vital problem-solving and decoding skills that they'll carry into the classroom and beyond.

In this STEAM activity, kids will build a maze out of whatever everyday objects they can find in the house or classroom. This is a lovely way for them to flex their problem-solving muscles and express their creativity. After setting up paths, kids will program a Sphero robot to make its way through the maze. This game is sure to delight your kids while engaging in hands-on learning.

5. Explore popular music in new ways.

The music from Peter and the Wolf has distinct patterns for each character. Tell the story, play the music, and invite your kids to guess which character each piece of music represents. If space allows for it, you can encourage kids to stand up and dance along.

6. Inflate a balloon with dry ice.

This is a simple activity that involves relatively few tools - perfect for when you're short on time at home. Use dry ice to inflate a balloon while teaching kids about important science concepts in this easy to do project.

7. Measure animal footprints.

Find a book with illustrations of different animal footprints. Use a ruler to measure the footprints and compare the various sizes. Then encourage your kid to trace their own footprint and encourage their classmates to do the same. Set up a video call with the group and have the kids share their screens and order the group's footprints from smallest to largest.

This STEAM activity is a great way for kids to get a handle on Sphero products while introducing them to programming using block code. This activity pairs beautifully with lessons about space or as part of a wider STEM unit or STEM curriculum.

STEAM Activities with Sphero

Are you looking for even more STEAM activities your kids will enjoy at home and in the classroom - activities that will get them excited about learning through exploration and hands-on play? We've made a resource for parents to learn more about our STEAM tools and how to use them in your household.

Not only do we give access to thousands of STEAM activities , but both our in-house team and members of the share the latest information, tips and tricks, and ideas in our apps.

Have more questions about what's right for you or how to include these tools in your home or classroom? to learn more about our classroom resources or browse our full selection of Sphero robots and educational tools in our online store.

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As we move further along into this post-pandemic quarantine, parents everywhere are looking for ways to keep their child busy throughout the day. While binge watching television shows may be a solution for some, there are better ways to engage your child. You can even help them gain new skills while staying at home.

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The Importance of Technology in STEAM Education

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The Importance of Technology in STEAM Education

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Article on technology in STEAM education for children

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Technology in STEAM education is of particular importance as a basic understanding of technology is now required for almost any kind of work. The idea behind STEAM education is to place a focus on the areas of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, emphasizing their importance for developing transferable skills and highlighting their value within the workforce. In today's world, the field of technology is vital because it is all around us, assisting our everyday lives, driving entire industries, and keeping us connected. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of technology in STEAM education or visit our education solutions page for further insights and teaching tips.
What is STEAM education? Put simply, the central idea is to emphasize the importance of the five main STEAM fields and to help students to engage with them. In addition, the STEAM concept is designed to encourage integrated teaching of the fields, and this is an area where technology has an especially useful role to play.

After all, technology can be used to assist with science, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, while it can also be taught as a distinct subject of its own - known as technology education. Furthermore, education technology, or EdTech for short, has also emerged as a crucial tool for teachers and students. In this article, we will explore what technology means in this context, why it is so important, and how it influences STEAM education as a whole.

What is Technology?

Out of the five STEAM education fields, technology is arguably the most abstract in terms of its relationship to academia. This is partly because technology is constantly evolving, but it is also because technology is less established as a clearly defined academic subject than things like science or mathematics.

Technology education is defined by the Technology Education Lab as:
"An integrated, experience-based instructional program designed to prepare students to be knowledgeable about technology - its evolution, systems, technologies, utilization, and social and cultural significance."
A major focus of many technology programs is bridging the gap that exists between widespread usage of technology and less common knowledge about how technology actually works and how to create or fix it. The STEAM field of technology can also be said to include Information Technology (IT) and computer-based disciplines too.

The Importance of Technology

Technology is an important focus area for educators because students need to become familiar with how to use computers, machines, and other devices, not only within education settings but also within their daily lives. Of course, this use of technology also continues once students move into employment too.

However, beyond this, students have the opportunity to learn how technology actually works, rather than simply engaging with it as a user. This is also crucial because people with these skills can potentially move into fields where they will be involved in designing, testing, or manufacturing devices or equipment.

Information Technology is also at the very heart of many organizations, and developing IT skills is absolutely essential, not only for lessons based on IT, but for almost all modern lessons. The importance of IT skills has only increased further with the rise of EdTech and by the increased demand for distance learning options.

Technology in STEAM Education

With the overall importance of technology and technology-based lessons established, it is also important to understand how technology works in a STEAM context. As stated, one of the big focuses of STEAM education is on integration, and it could be argued that technology is the easiest of the five STEAM fields to integrate with the others.

The links between science and technology are numerous and, in an overview of STEAM education, Georgette Yakman argues that "science provides the framework by which all technology is developed and structured to function." Similarly, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering are obvious examples of areas where engineering crosses over with technology and where the two concepts can be taught in unison.

The arts is a broad field, but areas like computer-aided design and photography are good examples of cross-over with technology. In addition, technology can assist with mathematics in a number of ways, from the use of calculators or computer spreadsheets to perform arithmetic through to the use of software to make graphs and charts.

Final Thoughts

Modern society is largely driven by technology, and this requires people to understand how to use it, as well as how to make it and how to fix it when it goes wrong. Technology-based subjects are a key part of a good academic curriculum, helping to equip students with transferable skills, and technology is also relatively easy to integrate with the other main STEAM education fields - science, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.

Despite this, technology is arguably the most abstract of the STEAM fields because technology education is less clearly defined than many other academic subjects, and this continues to present a challenge to educators.

If you have not been following our short series on STEAM education, please feel free to read our introduction to STEAM education as well as our look at the importance of science within the STEAM framework. You can also visit our education solutions page where you'll find numerous insights into the digital transformation of education.

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The Importance of Technology in STEAM Education - ViewSonic Library

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Technology in STEAM education is vitally important as a basic understanding of technology has become a minimum requirement for almost any kind of work.

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Libraries Help Connect Families with STEM and STEAM Programs

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Libraries Help Connect Families with STEM and STEAM Programs

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Article on STEAM programming in libraries

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STEM and STEAM which are acronyms for "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics" and "science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics", respectively, are widespread programs in libraries all over the place. Libraries and other educational institutions understand the important impact that STEM and STEAM education makes on students and families. Implementing these types of activities into the calendar creates opportunities for young learners to explore and experiment with new concepts. Libraries all over have come up with new learning experiences for students of all ages.

Incorporating STEM and STEAM activities into a student's schedule is a great way to supplement the education they are receiving in school. These programs usually consist of well-thought-out experiments, builds, and other activities that spark interest and engage students. STEM and STEAM programs can specifically operate from a library's makerspace or they can take place in any other collaborative learning environment the library is able to set aside. Those who attend the programs can find themselves working with their hands and could be doing a number of activities from making robots to crafting Lego houses.

These are ideal spaces for kids to explore. Libraries have always been seen as a neutral and welcoming space. Students aren't under pressure to perform well or get good grades. The sole purpose is to have a good time while being exposed to new ideas. This gives students the opportunity to focus on their passions and the task at hand. It also gives students a place to go after school that is safe and productive.

STEM and STEAM programming is also important for kids to experience throughout their education because it gives them a chance to practice and explore different skills they may need in figure careers while also breaking traditional gender roles or varying poverty levels. Math and science are fields that are well-known for having gender gaps as well as inequality when it comes to access. When libraries prioritize these programs for students, it helps to break down another barrier in access and allows them to freely learn.

The "A" in STEAM is another important and beneficial aspect of these programs. Adding arts into an otherwise math- and science-heavy field helps with creative thinking and teaches students that there are many ways to explore. The arts are just as important as the sciences and give students another outlet for expressing themselves.

Lots of public libraries have already developed robust STEM and STEAM programs for students to participate in. These programs usually include collections of resources, online guides, and plenty of in-person sessions and materials to drive innovation and exploration.

The Massachusetts Public Library System, for example, has an entire section on their website dedicated to STEAM in libraries. This highlights the STEAM programs that are available as well as information on why STEAM programming is critical for students. There are lots of useful tools on the site. For one, they share their Library of Things which lends out non-traditional items to support learning. Patrons can borrow microscopes, robots, and circuitry kits to aid their discovery. The site also comes with program ideas related to music, sound, design, and technology and encourages scientific thinking in those who participate.

Lancaster County's Library System is also extensively involved in providing STEM education to students from preschool and up. They focus on early learning experiences, hands-on workshops, and the roles of parents and caregivers. Some of the events they've held at area libraries include tech storytimes, baking challenges, and science projects. With each event, they also encourage parents and caregivers to get involved. Not only is this a great opportunity for them to learn how to foster a curious mind from a young age, this also reinforces STEM learning for the student.

Some libraries are even bringing STEM to the students. Hartford Public Library branches are showing up after school with mobile science labs that allow students to explore with classmates. This is beneficial especially for students that may not have the ability to make it into the libraries themselves. These science labs allow them to look at specimens through microscopes, play with robots, and perform chemistry experiments. This was part of a coordinated effort with the Urban Libraries Council to bring STEM education to middle schoolers in underserved communities.

It is obvious that having these types of supplemental education and programming benefits students. Not only are they having a great time exploring new ideas in a hands-on environment, but these programs can also stick with them for years to come and lead to passions in their future careers. STEM and STEAM programs prepare students to take on the world and are helping to create the next generation of thinkers and doers.

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Libraries Help Connect Families with STEM and STEAM Programs

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STEM and STEAM which are acronyms for "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics" and "science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics", respectively, are widespread programs in...

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Article on engineering for kids in STEAM activities

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What exactly is engineering? Let the folks at NASA tell you.

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Infographic on bringing curiosity and joy into educational settings

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Build your own designs using this free, kid-friendly CAD program

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Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

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Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding.

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Programming community and activities for children. Free resource and available in 70+ languages.

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Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.

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Understanding STEAM and How Children Use It

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Understanding STEAM and How Children Use It

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Introduction to STEAM

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STEAM activities for kids from PBS.

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Be creative and help people with engineering at DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL. Watch videos, play games, try activities, and share designs with the community.

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Kid-friendly coding activities for you and your child

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Hello Ruby for homeschoolers - Computer Science in One Minute! Watch now "

Hello Ruby is the world's most whimsical way to learn about computers, technology and programming. The story started with a book, and now Ruby continues her adventures in exercises, activities and videos. It's suited for kids age 5 years and older (but even adults might learn something new).

"Hello Ruby is way more than a children's book"
Fast Company

"The heroine of Liukas' book is a girl, but it's not a book for girls."
Guardian

"Hello Ruby has obviously struck a chord. "
Wired

"Getting girls into programming, one children's book at a time "
TechCrunch

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Welcome to the whimsical world of computing. Hello Ruby is a children's book and an app that teaches programming fundamentals through stories and kid-friendly activities. It's suited for kids between 5 and 8 (but even adults might learn something new).

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From the band OK Go and the Playful Learning Lab. Resources, articles, and activities with a science focus.

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OK Go Sandbox is an online resource for educators that uses OK Go's music videos as starting points for integrated guided inquiry challenges allowing students to explore various STEAM concepts.

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From NASA, engineering activity with dry pasta

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This activity is part of our Engineering in the Classroom tool for educators! Click to learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for engineering, make connections to NASA and discover more standards-aligned activities.
› Explore the tool

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Educator Guide: Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta | NASA/JPL Edu

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Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.

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Incorporating arts into science activities promotes curiosity, creativity, innovation, and "outside the box" thinking. These skills are important as children discover and rethink solutions to everyday problems.

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Incorporating math into your child's daily life is easier than you think. Use STEAM activities to show children that learning math can be fun.

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Article on why art benefits STEM activities

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The Transitions from STEM to STEAM
In the early 2000s, the state of science, technology, engineering, and math education troubled policy makers in the United States. Together, these four subjects became known as STEM, and there was a greater push to ensure they are properly taught in schools. The impetus behind this push largely arose from a landscape of jobs that need more skilled workers with a knowledge of these subjects, as our world became more focused on technology and its implementation in everyday life. In more recent years, however, there has been a shift to add arts into this focus, making the acronym now STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math). The government itself developed a Congressional STEAM Caucus, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 included the arts and music as part of a "well-rounded education. " However, there isn't a clear outline or framework of what exactly a STEAM education is, or how schools and classrooms are supposed to be implementing this learning. Even among the academic articles about STEAM, there is disagreement about STEAM, its definition and implementation.
What is the "A" in STEAM?
In 2018, a pair of researchers, Elaine Perignat and Jen Katz-Buonincontro from Drexel University, published a literature review of STEAM education . They identified two problems within the literature surrounding STEAM education: a lack of agreement on the meaning of "art" in STEAMs, and a lack of agreement on the implementation of STEAM learning. They identified four main definitions of the arts in STEAM: non-STEM, visual art, arts education, and pedagogical practices. Non-STEM refers to any subject that is not captured by the STEM subjects, often used to refer to things like the humanities. Visual art refers only to art forms such as painting or sculpting. Arts education refers to many different kinds of arts like visual or performing. Pedagogical practices include things like project-based learning or design-based learning.

A lack of clarity about the definition of the arts still persists. I conducted a (less-extensive) literature review which showed similar disparities (see Figure 1). Arts education was the most commonly used definition, but there still exists a lack of clarity on what the arts in STEAM are supposed to mean. Without clear messaging on this topic, implementation is difficult. Teachers already do not feel equipped to implement STEAM in their classroom, how can they be expected to implement it if there is not a unified definition of what it means to incorporate the arts in with the STEM subjects?

How should STEAM be implemented?
Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro also identified and defined different implementation models for merging the STEAM subjects: transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and arts-integration. Transdisciplinary refers to disciplines that are fully merged without lines differentiating them. Interdisciplinary refers to bringing disciplines together under a theme, but allowing each to remain distinct. Multidisciplinary refers to collaboration among the disciplines without any merging. Cross-disciplinary refers to looking at one discipline through the lens of another discipline. Arts-integration refers to using arts projects or ideas in the other disciplines.

Once again, there is still disagreement around what the implementation of STEAM looks like. Continuing to use this framework, the literature review found that arts-integration was the most frequent, followed closely by interdisciplinary. Similar to ideas surrounding the definition of the arts in STEAM, there is a diversity of opinions on how to put STEAM into practice within a classroom. Often, articles don't address this issue. Many articles refer to their thoughts on the implementation of STEAM not as an opinion, but rather as the only course of action. However, there is clearly some disagreement about the best way to work across or between the disciplines in STEAM. Once again, without a unified definition of what it means to implement STEAM, it is difficult to see how it can be used in a classroom.

Arts in the STEM classroom
Initially, educators created the STEM acronym to emphasize the importance of these subjects. Since introducing STEAM rather than STEM, there has also been a shift in how the acronym is viewed. Now, the focus is on how the subjects work together, rather than a discussion of the importance each subject has on its own. With this shift, STEM subjects view the arts in STEAM as a tool to further their own subjects. STEM background articles often discuss topics such as the soft skills like creativity and collaboration as a reason for why the arts should be used in their classrooms, rather than presenting the merit in taking arts classes, even for STEM students. STEM subjects often use STEAM to argue for a specific pedagogical approach, as is described in an article from an engineering perspective that uses STEAM to make the case for project-based learning over lecture-based within the engineering field.

The arts are often viewed as a path to attracting those who do not feel represented in STEM subjects. For instance, robotics events and competitions are often brought up as a way to attract girls to STEM subjects , as they offer the chance to be more creative beyond just learning programming. While there may be an issue of representation within the STEM subjects, and it is incredibly beneficial to figure out ways for people who are not usually represented to be more involved in these subjects, the arts have more to offer.
STEM in the arts classroom
There are absolutely justifiable reasons for why arts education should exist within the STEM subjects, such as higher rates of long-term retention when the arts are integrated into lessons , but why should the STEM subjects exist within an arts classroom? And how would that really work?

In answer to the first question, while it doesn't appear to be written about quite as much, there is a lot for arts students to gain from the STEM subjects. Carnegie Mellon University has , or Integrated Design, Arts, and Technology Network, which offers courses that aim to "merge technology and creativity and provide learning opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration." In speaking with the Assistant Director of IDeATe, Kelly Delaney, it was clear that she has seen the value that students get from working with both arts and technology. She states that students have reported "thinking about their own discipline differently... not just 'I didn't know artists could do that'... but 'I didn't know that I as a designer could tackle this.'"

Many models exist to implement STEAM techniques and learning in a classroom. For instance, LEGO has done extensive work to build kits and products specifically for classrooms that merge STEAM disciplines in an integrated way. Students access arts skills through designing/building robots and technology skills through programming the robots. While these areas may seem advanced, even young students can pick up on them with surprising speed. In fact, Dr. Kim Hyatt of Team RobotiX , a nonprofit focused on providing robotics education to K-12 students, witnessed its success firsthand when her son and some of his friends completed a teacher training course in robotics before sixth grade. While robots may not seem like the first option, artists like Madeline Gannon are using robots in their art , so learning these skills may be useful for future artists.

There are also more arts-focused integration options available. Recently, more and more technology is being used as a part of the arts. Visual art can stem from things like a 3D printer, or a laser cutter, and electronic music continues to grow in practice. Plus, it cannot be ignored that arts areas such as design rely on technology in order to practice. In schools, places like makerspaces offer students the opportunity to create art with these new technologies. Other options can include things such as , a robot for young students that can encourage students working on artistic endeavors. No matter the integration method chosen, there are many ways in which the STEM subjects can be leveraged in an arts classroom.
The value of a STEAM education
Regardless of the exact approach taken, each of the disciplines within STEAM has something to offer to every student. For educators in both the arts and the STEM subjects, it is useful to remember that there is something to be learned from other disciplines, and at the same time, each discipline has something to offer on its own. Often, the arts are taken for granted, with a focus on arts pedagogy, or other skills learned rather than the inherent value of an art education. But within the arts, it can also be difficult to see how the STEM subjects can fit in. However, there are only more opportunities being made to incorporate these ideas into an arts education. One of the wonderful things about art is that it has no limit, and adding new ideas and approaches can only lead to an increase in the new and unique perspectives that we see within art itself.

John Maeda, the former president of the Rhode Island School of Design, spoke passionately and wonderfully on his own experience with STEAM, and the value it has added to his own life. If you have an extra hour and a half to spare, it's a fantastic argument for STEAM education.

Special thanks to Jeff Poulin, Dr. Kim Hyatt, and Kelly Delaney for their assistance with this research.
References
"2016 Nancy Hanks Lecture." 2019. Americans for the Arts. May 15, 2019. https://www.americansforthearts.org/events/nancy-hanks-lecture/lecturetranscript-archive/2016-nancy-hanks-lecture .

Berger, Rod. 2019. "LEGO Education Increasing Its Interest In STEAM Learning." Forbes. November 14, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodberger/2019/11/14/lego-education-increasing-its-interest-in-steam-learning/ .

Bonderud, Doug. 2019. "How to Leverage Your Classroom Tech for Project-Based Learning." Technology Solutions That Drive Education. November 27, 2019. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/11/how-leverage-your-classroom-tech-project-based-learning .

---. 2020. "Technology Helps Schools Answer the 'Why' of STEAM Learning." Technology Solutions That Drive Education. January 31, 2020. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/01/technology-helps-schools-answer-why-steam-learning-perfcon .

Castelo, Micah. 2020. "How Immersive Technology Champions the Four C's of Learning." Technology Solutions That Drive Education. March 11, 2020. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/03/how-immersive-technology-champions-four-cs-learning .

Connor, Andy M., Sangeeta Karmokar, and Chris Whittington. 2015. "From STEM to STEAM: Strategies for Enhancing Engineering & Technology Education." International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (IJEP) 5 (2): 37-47.

"ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)." n.d. National Art Education Association. Accessed April 17, 2020. https://www.arteducators.org/advocacy/essa-every-student-succeeds-act .

Feldman, Anna. 2015. "Why We Need to Put the Arts Into STEM Education." Slate Magazine. June 16, 2015. https://slate.com/technology/2015/06/steam-vs-stem-why-we-need-to-put-the-arts-into-stem-education.html .

Hardiman, Mariale, Luke Rinne, and Julia Yarmolinskaya. n.d. "The Effects of Arts Integration on Long‐Term Retention of Academic Content - Hardiman - 2014 - Mind, Brain, and Education - Wiley Online Library." Accessed April 7, 2020. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mbe.12053?casa_token=DR-4e6440mwAAAAA%3Ac5HiJpXEzlvlE-Vk6CIOgUWmhTtuLjkWkje7OxWftI_vthYRnbDazUPxX4HTvol_DS9-Brt2yPHIijY .

Jolly, Anne. n.d. "STEM vs. STEAM: Do the Arts Belong? - Education Week Teacher." Accessed April 7, 2020a. https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/11/18/ctq-jolly-stem-vs-steam.html .

Jolly, Anne. n.d. "Too Much STEAM? Rethinking STEM & the Arts." Accessed April 7, 2020b. https://www.middleweb.com/10412/rethinking-arts-stem/ .

Krigman, Eliza. n.d. "Gaining STEAM: Teaching Science Through Art." US News & World Report. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2014/02/13/gaining-steam-teaching-science-though-art .

Milanesi, Carolina. 2020. "LEGO Education SPIKE Prime Is STEAM Made Easy." Tech.Pinions. January 22, 2020. https://techpinions.com/lego-education-spike-prime-is-steam-made-easy/59284 .

Milgrom-Elcott, Talia. 2019. "When STEM Becomes STEAM, We Can Change The Game." Forbes. November 7, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/taliamilgromelcott/2019/11/07/when-stem-becomes-steam-we-can-change-the-game/ .

Nash, Jennifer. n.d. "Understanding How to Interest Girls in STEM Education: A Look at How Lego Education Ambassador Teachers Engage Female Students in STEM Learning - ProQuest." Accessed February 25, 2020. https://search.proquest.com/openview/5679ad4c6be443f2b61b358672e65bb1/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y .

Newton, Derek. 2020. "LEGO Is Probably The Biggest Education Company On Earth." Forbes. February 8, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2020/02/08/lego-is-probably-the-biggest-education-company-on-earth/ .

North, Eleanor Peterson, Bonnie. n.d. "LEGO as an Educational Tool for Arts and Creativity." Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.wuwm.com/post/lego-educational-tool-arts-and-creativity .

"(PDF) STEAM as Social Practice: Cultivating Creativity in Transdisciplinary Spaces." n.d. Accessed March 24, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268221521_STEAM_as_Social_Practice_Cultivating_Creativity_in_Transdisciplinary_Spaces .

"Policy Considerations for STEAM Education." n.d. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.ecs.org/policy-considerations-for-steam-education/ .

Powers, Anna. 2019. "LEGO Education Launches An Innovative Teacher's Program." Forbes. February 10, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/annapowers/2019/02/10/lego-education-launches-an-innovative-teachers-program/ .

Robot, Roybi. 2018. "Art in STEAM Learning with Robots." Medium. October 16, 2018. https://medium.com/roybi-robot/art-in-steam-learning-with-robots-f15f7a01763b .

Sharapan, Hedda. 2012. "From STEM to STEAM: How Early Childhood Educators Can Apply Fred Rogers' Approach." Young Children 67 (1): 36-40.

Shu, Les. 2020. "Lego Makes STEAM Education Fun with Spike Prime, a Learning Tool That Combines Lego Bricks with Computer Programming." Business Insider. January 16, 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/lego-spike-prime-review .

"Statement from STEAM Caucus Co-Chairs Defending National Endowment for the Arts, Important Cultural Agencies." 2017. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. March 17, 2017. https://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/statement-steam-caucus-co-chairs-defending-national-endowment-arts-important-cultural .

"STEAM: Using the Arts to Train Well-Rounded and Creative Scientists." n.d. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5969448/ .

Taljaard, Johann. 2016. "A Review of Multi-Sensory Technologies in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Classroom." Journal of Learning Design 9 (2): 46-55.

Thurley, Christopher. 2016. "Infusing the Arts into Science and the Sciences into the Arts: An Argument for Interdisciplinary STEAM in Higher Education Pathways." The STEAM Journal 2 (2). https://scholarship.claremont.edu/steam/vol2/iss2/18.

Tagged: STEAM, education, arts education, arts integration, arts advocacy

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So Why is there an "A" in STEAM? - AMT Lab @ CMU

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In the early 2000s, the state of science, technology, engineering, and math education troubled policy makers in the United States. Together, these four subjects became known as STEM. In more recent years there has been a shift to add arts into this focus, making the acronym now STEAM (science, techn

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STEAM Art Activities that Put the "A" in STEAM

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STEAM Art Activities that Put the "A" in STEAM

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STEAM activities that focus on art

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STEAM Art Activities that Put the “A” in STEAM

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One of the most forgotten things is art. It’s so easy to focus on science or math, and then at the end of the day, you’ve done nothing else! If you are looking for a

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STEAM information and resources from NASA

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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STEM resources for children and families. Curated by Nova Southeastern University.

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This guide contains information about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) resources for children 12 and younger.

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15 Engineering Challenges for Kids

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For nearly a year and a half now I have been teaching STEAM classes for homeschoolers. (STEAM is an acronym for Science / Technology / Engineering / Art / Math.)

One of the classes I taught late last year was focused on engineering challenges. The kids had so much fun working in groups and working individually to design and build a number of structures and projects.

I decided it would be fun to compile a list of awesome engineering challenges that are sure to stimulate kids' creativity and critical thinking skills.

The wonderful building challenges below utilize a wide range of materials and encourage children to design, build, and adjust plans to create some very cool structures, towers, boats, and more.

Build a hex bug maze from Buggy and Buddy

Build gumdrop structures from Little Bins for Little Hands

Build a tower out of straws and tape from Lemon Lime Adventures

Build a marble run using cardboard rolls and tape from Tinkerlab

Build a raft that floats on water from Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Build a structure using cups, craft sticks, and blocks from Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

Build a LEGO boat that can hold pennies from Kids' STEAM Lab

Build a race car using K'nex from Playdough to Plato

Build a road using an egg carton and paint brushes from Preschool Powol Packets

Build a structure from paper blocks from Babble Dabble and Do

Build a Rube Goldberg machine from Brain Power Boy

Build a turbo charged LEGO car from Geek Pack Hack

Build a bridge using straws from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

Build a candy tower from Science Sparks

Build a structure using cardboard from Happy Hooligans

Looking for more hands-on activities that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)? Then you'll love STEAM Kids! This book features 52 hands-on activities are helpfully identified by category (science / technology / engineering / art / math) so you know exactly what skills your kids are developing.

Grab a copy of the e-book delivered as a PDF download (or this e-book for EU residents) and in print at Amazon.

More resources for STEAM learning

Most STEAM posts from Gift of Curiosity:

Looking for even more STEAM ideas for your classroom? Check out these printable resources:
Find more awesome building challenges on my Engineering Challenges Pinterest board.

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15 engineering challenges kids love {STEAM}

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For nearly a year and a half now I have been teaching STEAM classes for homeschoolers. (STEAM is an acronym for Science / Technology / Engineering / Art / Math.) One of the classes I taught late last year was focused on engineering challenges.

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Article on why math benefits STEAM activities

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Like many parents and educators across the country, you may be looking for ways to address recent learning losses or unfinished learning in academic subjects including mathematics. Here at the National Inventors Hall of Fame ® (NIHF), we know that one of the best ways to keep children engaged in effectively building their math skills is to integrate math with other subjects in STEAM (science, technology, engineering,arts and mathematics) education.

Math includes the study of numbers, shapes, structures and space organized by reason, symbols and rules.

Math is essential in identifying patterns, interpreting data, producing measurements, managing finances, and understanding the spaces and structures around us. It's also at the core of many career fields, from architecture to IT to medicine.

For some, math is regarded as one of the most intimidating and least engaging of all academic subjects. But by integrating it with other areas of study, educators and parents can encourage children to embrace math and find success (and even have fun!) in building skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.

Each year, NIHF's education team creates an all-new curriculum for our flagship education program, Camp Invention ®, and math plays an important role throughout.

Our 2021 program, Recharge, provides opportunities for children to actively acquire and apply math skills each day. For example, in Duck Chuck, children build and test their own device for launching rubber ducks to reach landmarks across the world. This involves using a ruler to measure the distance of each duck's flight and using a protractor to experiment with different launching angles in efforts to help the ducks fly farther.

In addition to Duck Chuck, each opportunity to engage in collaborative, hands-on activities in Open Mic, SolarBot and Road Rally helps children to gain confidence in their capacity to master math skills, practice persistence and realize their innovative potential.

For more information on this summer's Camp Invention program, and are encouraged to visit invent.org.

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The National Inventors Hall of Fame® looks at the role that mathematics plays in STEAM learning, and how programs like Camp Invention® help children explore STEAM subjects.

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STEAM activities that focus on math

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If you're looking for math activities for kids, you already know that standard math problems are boring, and sometimes hard for kids to get. That's why hands-on STEAM math activities are incredibly valuable!

The math activities on this list combine elements of math with other things, like art, science, and other methods of hands-on learning to make the experience of learning math concepts a lot more fun!

What are STEAM Math Activities?

A STEAM math activity usually has one of two variations.

1. An element of hands-on activity or art is added to the math activity to make it more fun for kids and help them understand the concepts in a concrete way. The spirolateral math art project is an example of this.

2. The math problem is used to solve real-world problems or ideas, such as this math challenge where kids are asked to estimate how long it would take Santa to deliver presents.

A STEAM math activity has the goal of helping children maximize their understanding of a math concept while also showing them that math skills are necessary to solve many of today's problems and that a lot of the day-to-day problems they encounter can be solved with math.

What Supplies Do I Need for Hands-on Math?

You'll want to have several math manipulatives on hand for these STEAM math activities ( here is a full list of what we recommend).

But for these STEAM math activities, having something physical to help solidify math concepts can be really helpful. Here are a few STEM math manipulatives you might want to invest in for your classroom or home:

Hands-on Math Activity Books

There are a few hands-on math activity books that we really love. If you want even more hands-on STEAM math ideas, you might want to pick up one of these books!

Hands-on STEAM Math Activities for Elementary Kids

While we often spend a lot of time at STEAMsational on science experiments for kids and quick STEM activities for kids, math skill are important as well!

We've done a lot of hands-on math projects over the years, and my girls love doing these math activities a lot more than standard worksheets!

The math STEAM activities on this list are suitable for both classroom use and as a supplement at home as well.

Parents and caregivers will be able to follow the instructions and the activities are fun enough that you won't lose your kids along the way, even if its a summer holiday.

Some of the activities on this list are designed for early elementary, while others are designed for upper elementary.

Pick the math activity that aligns with the concepts that your students or children are learning at the time.

Take a look below at these hands-on STEAM math activities for elementary kids!

More Math Activities for Elementary Kids

If you love math activities for kids, try these hands-on math activities for elementary kids!
6 Fun Hands-On Math Projects for Elementary Kids
Fun Hands-On At Home Math Activities and Games

Make Math Fun with a Hands-On Valentine Bingo Game

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STEAM Math Activities for Curious and Bright Kids

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If you're looking for math activities for kids, you already know that standard math problems are boring, and sometimes hard for kids to get. That's why hands-on STEAM math activities are incredibly valuable! The math activities on this list combine elements of math with other things, like art, science, and other methods of hands-on learning to make the experience of learning math concepts a lot more fun!

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Blog with STEAM resources for families to explore and recreate at home.

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STEAM Powered Family: STEM Resources for Curious Kids

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Welcome to STEAM Powered Family! STEM projects, science experiments, and positive children’s mental health practices.

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100 Math and STEAM activities using LEGO bricks

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100 Sensational and Smart LEGO STEAM Activities for Kids

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LEGO STEAM. 100 new ways to use the LEGO bricks you already have in your home and have fun practicing math, science, engineering, art, and technology with your children.

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Includes lesson plans and activities for school-aged children

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The belief that learning should be joyful for both students and teachers has driven LEGO ® Education to lead the way in innovative, hands-on learning for more than 40 years. Our range of solutions are designed not only to meet academic standards, but also inspire all students to see themselves as the change makers of tomorrow.

Shop for Pre-K & Kindergarten, Elementary, and Middle

The belief that learning should be joyful for both students and teachers has driven LEGO ® Education to lead the way in innovative, hands-on learning for more than 40 years. Our range of solutions are designed not only to meet academic standards, but also inspire all students to see themselves as the change makers of tomorrow.

Shop for Pre-K & Kindergarten, Elementary, and Middle

Meaningful learning, extraordinary engagement, and the resources and support to ensure success.

Meeting Standards - Having Fun

Engaging, standards-aligned lessons that are easy to get started, with the scalability to meet all learners where they are.

Excite, Engage and Inspire

Hands-on playful learning solutions featuring the familiar LEGO® bricks that inspire all types of students to become active learners.

Everything you need to succeed

Built in scaffolding, professional development and a community of like-minded educators ready to support you.

A familiar brand known for playful, hands-on learning, and high quality products that support creativity and critical-thinking, year over year.

A familiar brand known for playful, hands-on learning, and high quality products that support creativity and critical-thinking, year over year.

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Classroom Solutions for STEM and STEAM | LEGO® Education

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LEGO® Education solutions teach children 21st century skills for future success, starting with preschool and moving through elementary, middle and high school.

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Step-by-step projects and activities for hands-on learning

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Step-by-step

We make it easy to learn how to make anything, one step at a time. From the stovetop to the workshop, you are sure to be inspired by the awesome projects that are shared everyday.

Made By You

Instructables are created by you. No matter who you are, we all have secret skills to share. Come join our community of curious makers, innovators, teachers, and life long learners who love to share what they make.

A Happy Place

Making things makes people happy. We can't prove it, but we know it to be true. Find your happy place, and join one of the friendliest online communities anywhere.

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Instructables is a community for people who like to make things. Come explore, share, and make your next project with us!

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Resource for math skill development. From PBS KIDS.

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Math | Development for Kids | PBS KIDS for Parents

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Math shapes the world around us in fascinating ways. It's more than just counting or adding or memorizing math facts. When parents help kids explore everyday math - at home, at the store, in the park and at play - we help our children begin to think like creative, curious mathematicians.

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From the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a toolkit for parents to encourage scientific curiosity in daily life.

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Think, Make, Try - Bay Area Discovery Museum

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Think, Make, Try®  is the Bay Area Discovery Museum's unique three-step engineering design process designed for young learners. The process builds upon a child's natural curiosities and introduces the engineering design process as a way to support the development of creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.