STEM is such a popular topic, and I know all of you are interested in finding ways to incorporate STEM into every day with multiple ages. The beauty of STEM for toddlers is that it just seem to happen naturally because young kids are so curious. All you need are a few easy STEM activities that can be incorporated into what you already do every day!

What Is STEM For Toddlers?

What is STEM and can toddlers really take part in STEM and appreciate it?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s a combination of two or more of these four pillars that makes for a great STEM activity. But what does STEM for toddlers look like?

I highly encourage you to introduce STEM for toddlers through the everyday. A toddler’s world is filled with new things every single day and the discoveries and possibilities are endless.

Instead of providing a structured step by step activity, toddlers need to explore. Yes, they can explore with open-ended STEM activities too!

What I am going to share with you below is not a list of structured formal STEM activities with all sorts of necessary supplies to go out and get. Instead I am going to share with you my favorite list of STEM infused play ideas your toddler is probably already doing.

Watch your toddler carefully and see which of these activities he or she is already highly engaged in and see what else you can add to the fun and learning! The point is to keep everything playful!

Keep in mind the following: Toddlers have a limited attention span and like to keep moving. It’s not about teaching and instructing, as it is discovering and exploring!

Hatching dinosaur eggs is always a blast for the youngest scientist!

Tips For Getting Your Toddler Interested In STEM

Provide Sensory Experiences

Many STEM activities for toddlers incorporate sensory experiences. These activities might involve touching, feeling, smelling, and even tasting different materials. Sensory bins filled with items like rice, sand, or water beads can be used to explore different textures.

Problem-Solving Challenges

Age-appropriate puzzles and challenges can encourage problem-solving skills. For example, toddlers might be asked to figure out how to fit shapes into a puzzle or build a structure that won’t topple. See our engineering activities for toddlers below.

Art Integration

Art can be an integral part of STEM activities, as it encourages creativity and the application of scientific and mathematical concepts. For example, painting with objects that float or sink can incorporate both art and science.

Books and Stories

Reading STEM-themed books and stories can introduce concepts in an engaging way. There are many children’s books that focus on STEM topics. See our list of books below!

Get Involved

Many STEM activities for toddlers benefit from the guidance and involvement of parents or caregivers. These activities can be a fun bonding experience and an opportunity for learning together.

Books About STEM For Toddlers

Add a book or two to the play and learning! These books are designed to be simple and engaging for very young children, with colorful illustrations and age-appropriate explanations of basic concepts. Books are a great foundation for a child’s early exploration of the world of STEM.

“Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering!” by Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan: This board book introduces basic aerospace concepts in a playful and colorful way, making it accessible for young children.

“Baby Loves Quantum Physics!” by Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan: Another book in the “Baby Loves Science” series, this board book introduces quantum physics concepts in a toddler-friendly manner.

“Little Scientist Board Books” (series) by various authors: This series includes board books like “Little Doctor,” “Little Engineer,” and “Little Naturalist,” each focusing on different aspects of science and professions.

“Rosie Revere, Engineer” by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts: While not a board book, this picture book tells the story of a young engineer named Rosie Revere and her imaginative projects. It’s an inspiring story for young children.

“Hello, World! Solar System” by Jill McDonald: This board book introduces the solar system in a simple and visually appealing way, making it easy for toddlers to grasp the concept.

“Baby Loves Structural Engineering!” by Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan: Part of the “Baby Loves Science” series, this board book introduces basic structural engineering concepts with engaging illustrations.

“Curious George Discovers Science” (series) by various authors: This series of board books features the beloved character Curious George and introduces various science concepts suitable for young children.

“ABCs of Science” by Chris Ferrie: This board book introduces science concepts in an alphabet format, making it a great introduction to scientific terms for toddlers.

Toddler STEM Activities

1. Ramps

Create ramps and send down all sorts of things that go! You can also introduce things that don’t roll and see what happens! Grab some cardboard and toy cars, balls, and blocks. Your toddler will have a blast!

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2. Engineering Activities

Build, build, and build some more! Super high towers, houses, and more! Whatever your toddler is building with his blocks is expanding his design process and his engineering skills.

Your toddler is learning what happens when a block goes here or there or how a series of blocks builds something. Provide different types of blocks, and read books with kids building neat things!

Set simple challenges, like build the tallest tower that you can! Or build a simple bridge that spans from one place to another. What happens if you add some weight to your bridge?

TIP: Materials like playdough, stacking cups, or connecting magnetic tiles, are great for simple engineering activities for toddlers.

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3. Mirrors

Mirror play, light, and reflection are always fun with a toddler. Set out a shatterproof mirror (supervised) and let them add small toys to it or even build with small foam blocks.

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4. Shadows

Show your toddler their shadow, do shadow dances, or make shadow puppets on the wall. Show your toddler when the light comes in how it creates a shadow for an object. You can even set up stuffed toy animals to see their shadows too. Flashlights are always great fun for shadow play.

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5. Water Play

Water play is wonderful for 1 to 2 year olds to explore some fun STEM ideas. Pick a variety of objects to test out sink or float. Or try adding a toy boat and filling it with rocks to make it sink.

Have you ever added a sponge to a water bin? Let them explore water absorption! Simply filling and dumping a variety of shaped cups introduces volume and measurement.

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6. Bubbles

Blowing bubbles is a childhood must, but it’s also science too! Make sure to blow bubbles with your kids, chase them, look at the colors. All of these simple STEM activities set you up for more cool science later on.

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7. On The Playground

The playground is an amazing place to explore gravity, different forces, and acceleration all through play. A jungle gym or playground is the perfect place to use physics in a playful way.

Toddlers will simply love going up and down and sliding and hanging. As they get older and older you can actually introduce physics into the play.

You may also like: Fun Exercises For Kids

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8. Nature

Of course, nature is a huge area of science and STEM for a toddler to explore. Get outside and find new discoveries every day.

Look for budding flowers or plant your own and check on their growth. Go on a bug hunt or play in the dirt and discover worms.

Chase butterflies, measure rainfall, watch the leaves change color, catch snowflakes. Lie on your backs and talk about the clouds in the sky or feel the grass below you.

TIP: My favorite science tool for any young kid is a kid-friendly magnifying glass!

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9. Explore with the Five Senses

Lastly, introduce and explore the 5 senses with your toddler. The 5 senses are unique to each of us and it’s fun to watch young kids explore these.

The 5 senses include taste, touch, sound, smell, and sight. Encourage feeling new textures, listening for birds, tasting a new fruit (and examine the seeds!), smelling the flowers, or watching the rainfall.

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Create wonder in every day and you will automatically incorporate a bit of STEM learning too!

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10. Shapes

Shapes are a foundational math concept that can be incorporated into all kinds of fun play activities. Provide toddlers with a variety of objects and shapes (e.g., wooden blocks, foam shapes, or even household items) and ask them to sort or match objects by shape.

Create simple shape puzzles using cardboard or foam cutouts of various shapes. Take toddlers on nature walks and point out natural shapes like leaves, rocks, and clouds.

Involve toddlers in the kitchen to learn about shapes through baking and cooking. Cookie cutters or pancake molds can be used to create and recognize different shapes. Or even go on a shape hunt around your home or in the neighborhood.

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Bonus Idea: Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are not just a fun play activity for 1 and 2 year olds, they are also a great way to explore all kinds of fun themes for STEM.

Check out all of our sensory activities here.

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Butterfly Sensory Bin

Printable Preschool Themes Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle! Or grab the individual Preschool 5 Senses Pack.

What’s Included:

There are 10+ preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost and book suggestions add to the learning time.

3 Comments

  1. I would like to share your website and the Toddler STEM Activities at an Infant Toddler Conference where I am presenting.

  2. Pingback: Three Fun STEM Activities to Get Infants and Toddlers Learning Fast – TOOTRiS Education Center

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