Our very first experiment was on January 31, 2016, and what began as something simple has grown into something very special. Unexpectedly, something was created that day, when we, my children and I, decided to challenge ourselves to try a STEM-related activity every single day. We have (mostly) succeeded since that first day, and it is now part of our daily routine - this is STEM Play Every Day. Although we have lost count of the number of STEM Play adventures we have undertaken, we estimate that it is likely close to 1000!

Today, STEM Play Every Day hopes to inspire parents and teachers to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics each and every single day with our children. Just as I have done with my own kids.

We accomplish this goal by using hands-on experiments, innovative projects and by learning to explore the STEM world around us.

STEM Play is based on three main pillars: Experiment, Explore, and Engage (the 3 E's), with each serving a different purpose to allow us to discover the spectrum of STEM subjects.

Let's get kids excited about STEM by making learning fun and interactive every single day.

EXPERIMENT

These are activities designed with a specific goal in mind. These may include setting up an experiment where the kids guess what will happen while controlling certain parameters. Or these activities may involve building an innovation that solves an engineering or technological problem. We often use our math skills to evaluate our results. And all projects have been kid-tested and grown-up approved (it’s fun for everyone) as we try to figure out the STEM behind each experiment.

EXPLORE

Sometimes we can learn the most when we simply observe. Here we do not control anything, instead, we learn from watching. It is important to take a few moments to marvel at the beauty of the science and engineering world that surrounds us. Go outside and look up, down and all around and don't be afraid to ask questions and wonder. We learn to share our experiences and lessons from our backyard and neighbourhood explorations. We learn to pause and think about what we are observing, in turn building our curiosity.

ENGAGE

Here we develop strategies to teach our kids (and the grown-ups too!) how to become good scientists. We learn about proper laboratory practices and the scientific method using activity-based approaches. We have developed tricks to set up our very own kid-friendly laboratory at home. We also address the importance of exposing our children of all age levels and genders to all the different branches of sciences and related areas, in a positive and enriching way.

Together we can engage and enrich our children, one science step at a time, every day.