View posts by our early engineering blogger to gain valuable insights into the developing brain and learn about activities that you can easily incorporate into your early childhood curriculum to foster the development of early science skills in young learners.
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“Wow! Look how fast the pinwheels are spinning!” says Harper in wonder. This windy spring morning has Harper and his fellow STEM explorers racing toward the pinwheels in our outdoor play area. “They are really, really fast today,” agrees Jasper. “They move faster on windy days," notes Noah. “You can stop them and then watch […]
Out of the corner of my eye, I am drawn to the persistence of three-year-old Saaliha, who is calmly and patiently working her way through a rainbow puzzle. Her friends are busy in other parts of the classroom, but Saaliha is problem-solving her way to mastery. I sit down next to her to observe […]
"Hey guys! Look over here!" Harrison calls out to his friend. "My magnet sticks to the trike!" On this warm morning, our magnetic wands are sparking a new wave of STEM exploration in our outdoor classroom. I’m encouraging the children to let their curiosity and creativity lead the way as they engage in their own […]
"Do you have any of those . . . connector things?" asks Petey. "I need some for my robot." "What kind of connectors do you need?" I ask. "I want to make the robot's leg connect to his stomach," he answers. "Do you need tape?" I inquire. Petey shakes his head vigorously. "Will glue work?" "Nope," […]
“I’ve got some acorns and some water!" announces five-year-old Gabriela, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Who wants to make potions with me?” “What’s a potion?” asks Amara as she jumps off of her swing and heads over to see what Gabriela has in mind. “You mix things up, like a recipe,” Gabriela explains. “Sometimes the […]
"Wow! How did you make that whole family?" Maura asks her friend, Maya, as she joins her at the clay table. Maya giggles. "I started off with one person in a boat, but then I just kept adding to it. Sometimes the heads were too heavy and I had to make the bodies thicker, so […]
“Will you read this first?” Rowan pleads as she moves The Most Magnificent Maker's A to Z to the top of the pile of books that the children have chosen for their morning story time session. "It's my favorite." I love that book," agrees Josephine. "Her dog always helps her." “She reminds me of us,” […]
At the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in November 2024, our own David Banzer, PhD—a postdoctoral fellow at the UIC College of Education—presented Connecting the E and M in STEM: Supporting Early Mathematics through Engineering Design. This hands-on breakout session highlighted the importance of incorporating engineering concepts and activities into […]
“What are you doing?” asks four-year-old Declan, who has been watching me with growing curiosity as I measure out a distance of eight feet in our outdoor play space and mark the distance with two rocks from our rain garden. “Well, you know how we have been watching that Eagle-Cam?” I answer. “I did some […]
"Can I slide to the bottom of the hill instead of walking down the steps?" asks four-year-old Micah, who is bundled up in winter gear from head to toe. It’s a late Thursday afternoon, and I'm already feeling the weight of the day. My body and brain are on autopilot. There’s no good reason for […]