STEM is a common topic, and I know you’re all eager to find ways to incorporate it into your kids’ daily lives. Because children are naturally curious, the beauty of STEM for toddlers is that it appears to happen naturally. All you need are a few simple STEM activities that you can incorporate into your daily parenting routine.
STEM , an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. A great STEM activity is created by combining two or more of these four pillars. But what does STEM look like for one-year-olds?
I strongly recommend you to incorporate STEM activities for 1 year olds into your daily routine. Every day, your child’s world is filled with new experiences, and the discoveries and possibilities are limitless. Toddlers need to explore rather than be given a structured step-by-step activity. Yes, they can experiment with these nine best STEM activities that are open-ended.
In this Guide
9 Best Stem Activities For 1 Year Olds
1. Ramps
Make ramps and send down all kinds of moving objects! You can also introduce non-rolling things to see what happens! Take some cardboard and toy cars, balls, and blocks to play with. Your child will have a great time. Easter Egg Races and Rolling Pumpkins are the best Ramp STEM activities.
2. Building
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Build, build, and more build! Whatever your toddler constructs with his blocks, such as super-high towers or houses, expands his design process and engineering skills. During these stem activities for 1 year olds, He’s discovering what happens when a block moves here or there and how a series of blocks can be used to create something. Provide a multitude of cool blocks and read books with the kids as they construct fantastic things!
3. Mirrors
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With a toddler, mirror play, light, and reflection are always entertaining. Set out a shatterproof mirror (supervised) and allow them to decorate it with small toys or even small foam blocks.
4. Shadows
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Make shadow puppets on the wall, show them your shadow, or do shadow dances. Demonstrate to your child how light casts a shadow on an object when it enters the room. You can even put stuffed animals on the table to see their shadows. Flashlights are always a lot of fun to use. Shadow Science Physics Activity with Animal Silhouette Puppets is the perfect stem activity for 1 year olds.
5. Water Play
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Water play is a fantastic way for kids to experiment with STEM concepts. Choose a variety of items to see if they sink or float. Alternatively, fill a toy boat with rocks to make it sink. Have you ever put a sponge in a bucket of water? Allow them to investigate water absorption! Volume, weight, and measurements are introduced simply by filling and dumping a variety of shaped cups.
6. Bubbles
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Blowing bubbles is a classic childhood pastime, but it’s also a science experiment! Blow bubbles with your kids, chase them and observe the colors. All of these simple stem activities for 1 year olds will prepare your kid for more interesting science in the future.
7. On The Playground
The playground is a fantastic place to play while learning about gravity, different forces, and acceleration. A jungle gym or playground is a great place to learn about physics while having fun.
Toddlers will have a blast climbing, sliding, and hanging. As they get older, you can start incorporating physics into the game.
8. Nature
Nature is, of course, a huge area of science and STEM for a toddler to investigate. Every day, go outside and make discoveries. Keep an eye out for budding flowers or plant your own and monitor their progress.
Play in the dirt and look for worms or go on a bug hunt. Catch snowflakes, chase butterflies, measure rainfall, watch the leaves change color. Discuss the clouds in the sky or feel the grass beneath your feet while lying on your back. A kid-friendly magnifying glass is my favorite science tool for any child during these stem activities for 1 year olds.
9. Five Senses For Toddlers
Finally, introduce and explore your toddler’s five senses. Each of our five senses is distinct, and it’s fascinating to watch young children experiment with them. Taste, touch, sound, smell, and sight are the five senses. Feeling new textures, listening for birds, tasting a new fruit (and inspecting the seeds! ), smelling flowers, and watching the rain are all good things to do.
Conclusion
These nine best stem activities for 1 year olds encourage kids to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from their mistakes to achieve the best results. It also fosters and improves critical thinking, logical analysis, inquiry, and curiosity, making the learning or parenting process more enjoyable, relevant, and long-lasting. These activities will also prepare your one-year-old to develop fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and in general, prepare them to handle the challenges of the various stages of growing up, among them kindergarten.
