STEAM @ Home
STEAM can be seen and experienced hands-on in every home and can broaden one’s literacy immensely.
Activities like fixing or repairing things, gardening, cooking, taking care of a fish tank etc, all require STEAM. In fact parents can involve themselves with their children at home in all activities including observing, enquiring or asking questions and defining problems, looking for evidence, evaluating information, planning and investigating, measuring, using hand tools etc. It would only be fair to state that most mothers are STEAM experts in the kitchen. Children should be encouraged to observe and evaluate all the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematic integration activities mothers do in the kitchen on a daily basis to make sure food is on the table for the family.
Parents are important in their child's out-of-school education. Therefore, the best way parents can encourage their children to be attain 21st century skills is by exploring and encouraging children to look at the STEAM aspect of everything they do, whether it be a day out at the movies, museum, zoo, shopping mall, dinning or sporting club. Your children can help change the world. STEAM is all about understanding and solving real-world problems. The world is going to need more and more graduates with the skills to identify problems and design solutions.
Activities like fixing or repairing things, gardening, cooking, taking care of a fish tank etc, all require STEAM. In fact parents can involve themselves with their children at home in all activities including observing, enquiring or asking questions and defining problems, looking for evidence, evaluating information, planning and investigating, measuring, using hand tools etc. It would only be fair to state that most mothers are STEAM experts in the kitchen. Children should be encouraged to observe and evaluate all the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematic integration activities mothers do in the kitchen on a daily basis to make sure food is on the table for the family.
Parents are important in their child's out-of-school education. Therefore, the best way parents can encourage their children to be attain 21st century skills is by exploring and encouraging children to look at the STEAM aspect of everything they do, whether it be a day out at the movies, museum, zoo, shopping mall, dinning or sporting club. Your children can help change the world. STEAM is all about understanding and solving real-world problems. The world is going to need more and more graduates with the skills to identify problems and design solutions.
NASA STEM @ Home Resources
'Various activities you can do at home'
Cognitive Exercise
Use your brain. There is a lot of knowledge up there, so put it into action. Doing tasks such as thinking through problems or avoiding the calculator for simple arithmetic is one way to exercise your mind.
Crosswords. If you get the newspaper, work the crossword puzzles each day. They usually get progressively more difficult as the week goes on, culminating in the most challenging puzzle on Sunday. If you don’t get the newspaper, you can find many free crossword puzzles online.
Scrabble. Play Scrabble with friends in person or play online. Scrabble is a great way to get your brain thinking.
News. Keep up with current events. Whether your interest is politics, world news, or your local small-town gossip, staying current with the news stimulates your mind.
Read. Read anything books, magazines, the back of cereal boxes. Reading keeps your mind pumping, and you learn new things at the same time. It’s definitely a bonus if your reading material has some depth to it, though.
Puzzles. While working jigsaw puzzles, you must think about how the shapes and colors match up. The problem-solving skills of working puzzles help keep your mind sharp.
Word puzzles. Solve brainteasers such as anagrams, logic problems, or rebuses. You can have fun with these puzzles any time you have a few extra minutes.
Hobbies. Start a new hobby or take up an old, forgotten one to get your creative juices flowing.
Physical Exercise
Yard work. Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or just picking up the twigs that have fallen on the yard are all great ways to get exercise.
Walk the dog. Getting Fido and yourself outside for a walk improves both your mood and your health which both lead to a stronger mind.
Bike. A leisurely bike ride through a park or down a dedicated bike trail is not only good for your body, but you will enjoy the scenery too.
Yoga. Practicing yoga is an excellent way to get your body and mind moving any time of the day.
Dance. Take dancing lessons. Learn to tango or do the latest line dance and put your body in motion. You’ll age better and feel better.
Games. The mental and physical stimulation of this popular games will have your brain health in top form.
Challenge your Brain
Learn. Be curious about the world around you. If you hear an unfamiliar word, look it up. See a flower you don’t recognize? Find out what it is.
Music. Learn to play a musical instrument, learn how to read music, or take a music theory class.
Language. Study a foreign language.
Art. Learning a new art form doesn’t require that you have talent, just an interest to learn. Study the art of photography, learn to paint, or find out how to throw pottery.
Switch hands. Try using your less dominant hand for simple tasks like eating or writing. Changing hands really stimulates the brain.
Chess. Learn how to play chess or find a chess partner if you already know how.
Reduce Stress
Emotions. Keep in touch with your emotions. Pretending you don’t have certain feelings such as anger, sadness, or loneliness will just push these feelings down until they come back out in less than ideal ways. Identify your emotions and accept them for what they are.
Bath. Soak in a hot bath to feel the stress just melt away from your body. After a 15 minute soak, your body and mind will both feel refreshed.
Meditation. For improving focus and stress relief, meditation can’t be beat. It can even permanently impact your brain for the better.
Breathing. The deep, relaxing form of breathing used during yoga practice can bring benefits to your brain as well. Not only will this deep breathing serve as a form of relaxation, it also oxygenates the body, which keeps the brain healthy.
Relaxation exercises. Try some of these relaxation exercises, and you will teach your body how to feel calmer, thereby reducing your stress levels.
Yes! Think positively and you will discover that your approach to life is one of much less stress. You will feel empowered to make things happen and to appreciate what you’ve already accomplished.
Smile. Smile and laugh often. Not only will a happy demeanour help you feel better, it will also affect those around you.
Sleep. Getting enough sleep and sleeping well contribute to a reduction in stress levels. Find out how to get a good night’s sleep without a sleep aid.
Be Social
Email. With the widespread usage and popularity of email, there’s no reason not to keep in touch with old and new friends alike. Be sure you actually send a message, though, and don’t just forward jokes.
Letters. Rediscover the lost art of writing letters. Don’t just type it up, either. Find a beautiful stationary and hand-write a letter to an old friend.
Volunteer. Volunteering can be a great way to meet people, stay social, and be making a difference.
Phone. In this age of electronics and heavy scheduling, the art of a leisurely phone call to a friend can become lost. Pick up the phone and talk to someone.
Book group. Combine reading with the social aspect of discussing your book to gain two benefits to brain health.
Cooking class. Taking a cooking class will not only get you out and meeting new people, you will be learning how to eat more healthily, too.
Online. Join an online discussion group. Find a topic about which you are interested in learning or you are already an expert and join in a discussion. Online friendships are a nice complement to the ones you have in person.
Movies
Encouraging your child to watch the following movies, under parental guidance, and engaging them in discussions about the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematic aspects in some of these movies will help them understand the interdisciplinary manner in which the world functions. You can help your child understand how issues of different sorts, including bullying, disagreements, disabilities etc can affects real people and help them to be mindful. When they're shown these movies and documentaries as part of learning about real world problems, parents can help children understand and analyse what they've seen. You will help them broaden their literacy not only through text-based media, but also visual media, audio, and more.
Suggested list of movies:
1. Big Hero 6 (For Age Group 7+)
2. Dream Big: Engineering Our World (For Age Group 7+)
3. Because of Winn-Dixie (For Age Group 9+)
4. Hidden Figures (For Age Group 10+)
5. Underwater Dreams (For Age Group 10+)
6. The Call of the Wild (For Age Group 10+)
7. I Am Eleven (For Age Group 11+)
8. Fed Up (For Age Group 11+)
9. Little Women (2019) (For Age Group 11+)
10. Life, Animated (For Age Group 12+)
11. A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (For Age Group 12+)
12. Inequality for All (For Age Group 12+)
13. Apollo 13 (For Age Group 13+)
14. Interstellar (For Age Group 13+)
15. The Martian (For Age Group 13+)
16. Bully (For Age Group 13+)
17. Girl Rising Bully (For Age Group 13+)
18. He Named Me Malala (For Age Group 13+)
19. Right Footed (For Age Group 13+)
20. If You Build It (For Age Group 14+)
21. The Imitation Game (For Age Group 14+)
22. I Am Not Your Negro (For Age Group 14+)
23. Miss Representation (For Age Group 15+)