Tips for Incorporating STEAM into Your Homeschool Curriculum
Homeschooling is a challenging task fit for only the bravest and most resilient parents. While teaching your child to read and count is relatively simple, the thought of teaching science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) can feel overwhelming. But with a little help, STEAM can offer some of the most entertaining and rewarding learning experiences that you and your child can share.
STEAM education is all about making education fun with integrated lessons that bring many different disciplines together. Not only can your child learn about the world around them effectively, but they also give you plenty of time to bond. And we’ve got some great STEAM projects and activities that you can use to add these subjects to your homeschool curriculum stress-free!
What is STEAM education, and why is it important?
STEAM improves upon the technical knowledge of STEM by bringing creativity and out-of-the-box thinking of art into the mix. With STEAM education, you can give your child the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that prepare them for a rapidly changing world. As they develop practical solutions to real-world situations, they’ll also enjoy a huge boost to their confidence and love of learning.
One of the main benefits of STEAM activities is how they employ a diverse range of subject areas at the same time. By mastering academic learning in this way, your child will have the educational background they need to manage a variety of job roles. Children who learn through STEAM projects are better prepared to approach challenges from many different perspectives, letting them thrive and achieve success in later life.
How to add STEAM activities and projects to your homeschool curriculum
The best way to introduce STEAM into the home classroom is with STEAM activity kits. These contain hands-on activities that use educational play to guide your child through STEAM learning.
Here at STEAMbright, we offer plenty of STEAM activity kits for children aged 3-18. Each one uses simple materials and easy instructions to provide big experiences that engage your child’s mind. Below, we’ve picked out some of our favorites to give you a taste of how STEAM projects supercharge your homeschool curriculum.
Pioneering Series (Ages 3-8)
From nurturing plants and making instruments to building structures and producing code, our simple Pioneering craft kits are perfect for preschoolers on up. Each one combines art and crafts with fun games to expand your child’s mind and develop their motor skills. These kits help your child get to grips with a variety of simple tools and let them experiment with the world around them.
Our top picks:
iSprowt Series (Ages 5-11)
These phenomena-based science kits bring the wonders of the planet and the universe into your home. With topics such as the Earth, volcanoes, fossils, herb gardens, and renewable energy, our iSprowt STEAM projects let you engage your child with the natural world. Each one includes a fun-packed 40-page activity book, and every project is quick to prep with low mess and eco-friendly materials.
Our top picks:
Exploring Series (Ages 9-11)
Our all-inclusive hands-on Exploring STEAM education kits build upon the skills developed in the Pioneering series with a focus on research, design, and creating. They introduce elementary-age kids to vehicles, hydraulics, structures, flight, and more by getting them to make their own devices. The Exploring kits also come with English and Spanish activity guides, letting you teach in your preferred language or help your child to practice a second one.
Our top picks:
Creating Series (Ages 12-14)
The Pioneering, iSprowt, and Exploring series is all about engaging kids with new concepts in fun and exciting ways. With the Creating series, we encourage children to take the reins and experiment with how they can make their designs faster, stronger, and better than ever before!
This series features hands-on STEAM activities involving vehicles, bridges, coasters, gliders, circuits, and more. There’s even a kit all about making new inventions. By finding out what works and what doesn’t, and applying that learning to other tasks, kids can stretch their imaginations and creativity to the fullest.
Our top picks:
Innovating Series (Ages 15-18)
Our last STEAM education series emphasizes the interplay between physics and engineering, with a strong focus on structures in action. With kites, catapults, trebuchets, and solar cars, kids have the tools to build, test, gather data, and improve their models independently. This brings all the STEAM skills they’ve learned so far into play and presents a final challenge before the big step to higher education.
Our top picks:
Other amazing STEAM activities
The bright sparks in our development team put these series’ together to help provide structure for both at-home and in-school STEAM education. But these aren’t the only STEAM projects your kids can enjoy.
Among our other popular activities are the customizable Drone Maker Kit to learn the basics of engineering and aviation, and the Code Cube for simple animation with drag-and-drop software. We even have a STEAM Builder Bin with 15 categories of open-ended ideas and hundreds of possible builds for self-paced mastery of engineering design. Check out our online store now to see all the incredible kits available, and make your homeschool curriculum a powerhouse of STEAM learning!
