Presented by the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.
Science, technology, engineering, art and math may sound like things you learned in school, but if you have kids, you’re probably experiencing STEAM all the time.
Creating a tower out of blocks and wondering why it keeps falling? That’s engineering. Combining two colors of paint to see what happens? That’s art and science. Sorting rocks, counting how many LEGO pieces you have or trying to build the most elaborate blanket castle ever? That’s math and problem-solving in action.
For little kids especially, it doesn’t have to look like school. Some of the best learning experiences happen when kids don’t even know they’re learning!
STEAM isn’t just about five school subjects. It’s about kids wondering, making connections and developing their own ideas. They aren’t just being told something is true; they’re getting to experiment and try it out for themselves. What if I put this here? Why did that fall down? What could I change to make it work?
The skills are important, too. Hands-on STEAM activities give kids a chance to practice critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and creativity. They get to go from I wonder if… to trying it out and then figuring out what to do if it doesn’t quite work the way they thought it would.
The “A” is also important. The addition of art opens up another way for kids to explore an idea or solve a problem. Give five different kids a cardboard box and they will likely come up with five totally different things to do with it. There isn’t always one right answer or one final product. In fact, there shouldn’t always be.
STEAM gives kids a chance to approach things in a different way, to be creative and to see where an idea can take them. Play gives kids a chance to wonder, experiment, make a mess, get it wrong and then try again—even if that means getting a little frustrated along the way. If the tower falls apart, they build it again. If their idea doesn’t work, they come up with a new one. Give them a little space to work through that frustration and figure it out on their own and sometimes they surprise us with the solution.
Try It at the Museum
September is SepSTEAMber! at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, and the Museum is going full STEAM ahead with programs all about science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Head to BlockMania! on the first floor, where kids can engineer their own creations using PVC pipes and connectors. Ladders, mazes, forts, tunnels—there’s really no telling what they’ll come up with. Along the way, they’re experimenting with structural design, problem-solving and creative thinking.
But you can experience STEAM at the Museum any day of the year. You’ll find it everywhere!
At Whoosh!, kids explore air and motion as colorful scarves whiz through a maze of transparent tubes and shoot high into the air. In the Grand Ballroom, balls drop, roll, spiral, bump and trigger all kinds of movement as kids watch cause and effect in action. Even a trip to The Market can sneak in some math as kids measure and weigh pretend food while they play.
And let’s not forget that very important “A” in STEAM! In the Art Studio, there are always a variety of hands-on activities with plenty of glue, color, cutting and creating. The Museum even uses art to help kids connect to science, math and more.
Another place to find STEAM in action? Try It Tuesday, an ongoing weekly program that gives kids a chance to experiment with something new. Past activities have included making slime and learning about the science behind it; using silverware, string and paper cups to explore how sound waves travel; experimenting with magnetism to move objects without touching them; and even crushing spinach and shining a UV light on it to see how food can fluoresce.
On September 15, it’s all about chemistry. Kids can pour, stir, mix and safely combine ingredients to see what bubbles, glitters, changes color and even glows.
That’s really the beauty of STEAM. Kids don’t have to know they’re doing it. To them, it’s building a fort, launching a scarf, making slime, creating art or seeing what happens when they mix two things together. We know there’s a whole lot of learning happening along the way.
Throughout SepSTEAMber, there are even more opportunities to build, create, experiment and problem-solve through play. September’s programming is generously supported by ACE.
Try It at Home
You don’t even have to have a science kit or a long list of materials to experience STEAM at home. Some of the best activities use things you probably already have around the house.
Construct a sculpture! Use toothpicks and mini marshmallows or cut-up straws and play dough to create whatever your child comes up with. Can you make it tall? Wide? Strong enough to stand on its own? Let them experiment with what works and what doesn’t.
Paint with a little science! Place drops of washable paint on a sheet of paper and use straws to blow the paint around the page. Blow gently and then blow harder. Does the paint move differently? Or make designs with glue, sprinkle salt over them and add drops of watercolor to watch the color spread.
Go outside and make art! Collect leaves and make rubbings, examine their shapes and veins or use them to create patterns and designs. Create and decorate a paper pinwheel, then head outside to discover where it spins the fastest.
Experiment with balance! Construct a hanging mobile with string and other lightweight objects. Let kids play around with where everything should go to create balance, then add their own colors and patterns.
Combine math and art! Use blocks, craft sticks or paper shapes to make patterns, pictures or symmetrical designs. For older kids, draw half of a picture and challenge them to complete the other half.
You don’t even have to explain all the science behind it. Ask a few simple questions: What do you notice? What do you think will happen? What could you change?
Then get out of the way. The mess, the mistakes and the figuring-it-out are all part of it.
Plan Your Visit
General admission to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is $19 per person ages 1 and up, $18 for seniors 62 and older, and children under 1 are free. Museum members receive free admission.
If your family visits the Museum often, a membership may be for you! Memberships start at $149 and include free admission to the Museum for one year, two one-time-use general admission passes, discounts at the Museum Gift Shop and Café, discounts and advance notice for camps and programs, special birthday party rates and invitations to members-only events and exhibit previews.
Explore Children’s Museum of Phoenix memberships
One September date to add to your calendar: The Children’s Museum of Phoenix will be closed September 21–25 for its annual Spruce Up. That means all hands on deck as the Museum gets a good deep clean and refresh before reopening September 26 for even more fun and learning!
