With the cold weather still lingering and school holidays approaching, I thought this would be the best time to share my favorite indoor play idea…
Are you aware of the emphasis on creativity and STEM (science technology, engineering and mathematics) skills for children?
These two concepts may appear to be at odds, but creativity and innovation are essential to technological and scientific advancement.
How can we instill these skills in our children at home?
You can give lots and varied set-ups that are engaging and open-ended to encourage them to use their creative and analytical muscles. This fun and simple building activity is a great way to achieve these goals.
The exciting materials used in this activity make it very appealing: candy!
This project traditionally uses mini marshmallows for building blocks and toothpicks to connect them. Brightly colored gum drops candies were added to the project because they are more visually appealing and stable than marshmallows. This makes it easier for little engineers.
The different colors offer the possibility to practice pattern making and color sorting.
When introducing this activity to your children , don’t give too much direction. Let them take it wherever they want . Our four-year old son wanted to make a car.
Our two-year-old daughter, began to sort candy by color and made several “dumbbells” that match.
These materials are and can be used to explore many 3D geometric structures. They can even be used by older children to make molecular models.
As you can see, kids were enthusiastic about this activity and before long all kinds of bizarre contraptions had appeared.
The project was enjoyed by everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, and all ages. We will definitely return to it again and again.
More from MPMK
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The post Rainy Day play: Gum Drop Engineers was first published on Modern Parents and Messy Kids.
Did you miss our previous article…
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