Easy STEM Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers are so interesting in everything around them - it’s all new to them!

You might not be interested in where clouds come from or why the sky is blue, but preschoolers definitely get a kick out of answering the important questions. We should always applaud curiosity and encourage it, so STEM activities can help us to keep their burning passion for the world alive. 

STEM activities concern Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Combining two of these pillars together makes for an excellent STEM activity that can provide your toddler with a fun and valuable lesson. These types of activities allow your child to explore new discoveries instead of just being taught from books. 

Implemented STEM activities can help you to watch your toddler’s eyes light up as they engage with what they are learning before them. Make sure to keep an eye on your toddler to see which STEM activities they find the most interesting, as this will help you to keep them wanting more fun experiments to learn with. 

Toddlers have less developed brains than older children do, which is why your toddler might not engage as much with more intricate STEM activities that are talked about online.

Below are some of the most popular STEM activities for children of all ages to learn from so that your toddler isn’t missing out on valuable learning experiences.

Bubbles

Yep, playing with bubbles is considered a STEM activity!

Bubbles shine all different colors as they float through the air and the science behind bubbles is very interesting for both toddlers and adults. You can make your own bubble blowers to create different shapes of bubbles, and you can freeze bubbles to see what will happen to them. 

A simple bubble experiment that you can show your toddler is blowing bubbles through a straw. Simply fill a bowl with washing up detergent and mix it with some water.

Give it a stir and allow your toddler to blow bubbles through a straw! Just make sure that they aren’t drinking the liquid instead of blowing bubbles. 

Your toddler can then pop the bubbles with their hands on the straw. A bowl of soap and water will last your toddler for hours of fun, and we’re certain that they’ll be so fixated with the bubbles that they don’t want to do anything else for the rest of the day! 

Ramps

Making a ramp and watching things roll down it is perhaps one of the easiest STEM activities for toddlers to create.

Simply grab a rectangular piece of cardboard and fix it to a box so that it creates a downward slope. Now allow your toddler to go and find whatever they want to roll down the ramp. 

They might be a little apprehensive at first, but just wait until they see something traveling down the ramp and across the floor.

Your toddler will be running off left right and center to find all sorts that they want to throw down the ramp! STEM activities don’t always need to be expensive or grand to offer a lot of fun. 

If your toddler is not as interested in ramps as you’d expect, you can always see if they’d like to conduct a race down the ramp. Find two items that can roll down the ramp, decide which you think will win the race, and set them off down the ramp at the same time to determine a winner! 

Water

Water is another inexpensive way to implement STEM activities into your toddler’s daily schedule - and there are so many possibilities that come with it.

Find a large plastic tub and fill it with water. Show your child what happens when you place your hand in the water (spoiler alert: the water rises). 

Allow your child to gather different items and see whether they float or sink in the water. Once you find something that floats, tie rocks to it to see how many you need to get it to sink.

Find a clean sponge and let your child learn the wonders of absorption, or simply let them take water out of the bucket with different sized cups. 

An interesting experiment to conduct with water is to freeze a big block of ice. You can allow your toddler to chip away at the ice, simply watch it melt, or try and find different ways to make it melt faster.

You can even freeze your child’s toys in water and watch them try to figure out the science behind frozen water. 

Mirrors

Have you ever watched a toddler staring at their reflection in the mirror for the first time?

They will stay there for hours watching the person standing in the mirror slowly lifts their arm up at the exact moment that they do. It’s really a marvel to watch, so it makes sense that mirrors can be used for STEM activities as well. 

Simply take a mirror and lay it flat on the ground. Your child will take their time noticing the reflections of their favorite toys and how they look in the mirror.

Take the opportunity to teach them about reflections by having them put the edge of their hand on the mirror - why are their pinkies touching? 

Shadows

How come you can see a dark reflection on the wall when standing in front of a bright light?

Shadows can be amazing to learn about for toddlers. Have them stand in front of the window and move their arms while they observe their shadow. 

You can also use a flashlight to make shadow puppets and shapes with their hands. Try holding a lit match in front of the flashlight and explain to them why the flame doesn’t have a reflection. 

Summary

STEM activities for toddlers don’t have to be expensive and can offer you hours of fun and excitement.

You can often find most of the supplies around your house! Water, shadows, and mirrors are just some of the items that you can use as valuable learning resources from around your house.

If you want your child to never lose their desire to explore, make sure to implement STEM activities into their weekly routine!