Just another reason I love magnetic tiles....

What was on today's agenda? Building a garden out of magnetic tiles. Yep. Well, actually, it started as a dance floor. Then, it became a garden. 

I use magnetic tiles at home with my kiddos because they are open-ended, foster outside the box thinking, and I am always pleasantly surprised by the creativity my kids exhibit when using them!

At school, we use magnetic tiles in a few different ways. One way is for our STEAM program. Many teachers use them for morning work bins each day. Additionally, our after school program sets them out as one of their stations. And, of course, they are a big hit at recess!

My love for magnetic tiles continues...

Challenge: Build the tallest structure!

Challenge: Build a structure you can go inside!

Challenge: Build an igloo!

Challenge: Build a fort for yourself!

But, actually, I did not give my kiddos any challenge at all! That's the beauty of toys that foster creativity and use of your imagination. Sometimes there isn't a challenge. Sometimes you dump some toys, items, crafty supplies, etc. out on the floor and see where it takes them!

Just give kids a box. That's it. Save your money.

Seriously. I have spent A LOT of money on toys in my life. Wonderful, open-ended, purposeful play-type of toys, all highly recommended. But you know what really entertains? A box.

A box can be a fort. 

A box can be a canvas for artwork.

A box can be a ride.

A box can be a boat.

A box can be ANYTHING kids can imagine. And it's GREAT play! 

When we get a massive order in a giant box, my kids immediately come and help me unload everything. It makes my heart happy that they like helping until I realize that they are only doing it to get to the empty box faster. Which is okay, too, because then I get to witness the toddler imaginations at work and it really is a beautiful thing. 

LEGO Building Brick Challenges for Kids of ALL AGES!

You know what I really love about STEM challenges? SO many of them can be posed for kids of all ages. You'll always be surprised by the responses from kids! They can truly be thoughtful, innovative, and motivated!

I have created LEGO Build Brick STEM Challenges for seriously all ages. Using them in school for our STEAM program, as well as for myself as a classroom teacher and a summer school teacher, I continue to be dazzled by the new ideas kids come up with. (I even test some of these challenges out on my 3-year old, pictured below!)

STEM challenges create a community - kids love sharing and reflecting on their creations, supporting each other through hiccups, and cheering their peers on when there are successes. It also builds on the collaboration of classmates. I oftentimes hear kids say, "How did you build that?" or "Can you help me with this?" or "Wow, I never thought to try that! Great idea!"

Now, when I use these challenges in my own classroom, I have always used plastic pencil boxes or larger plastic totes to house the actual LEGO building pieces, and typically each child gets their own. Each tote may have a varied assortment of pieces, and kids are allowed to share, but they have their own place to store their pieces. From there, I usually project the quick challenges on the Smart Board, discuss them, and set a timer for building. We have a share time, and move on. For challenges that take longer, I have written responses for kids to plan, build, reflect, and revisit their build. But really, the beauty in using STEM challenges like these in your classroom or home is that you are able to tailor it to fit your specific needs!

Click here for ideas to incorporate LEGO STEM into your home or classroom today!

Just Another Way to Use My Favorite Toy Ever

Magnetic tiles are my favorite toy EVER. Hands down. BEST. TOY. EVER.

We have a vast collection at home. At school, I have encouraged teachers to order them to use in Brain Bins, soft start morning tubs, recess tubs, and STEM challenges. The kids love them, no matter their age. They are so incredibly versatile.

(And you do not need to buy name brand. You can, of course, but most magnetic tiles work together, no matter the brand, and pretty similarly. We have a hodge podge of different brands and no one knows the difference.)

Anyway, a fun idea is to build on the windows or glass doors. Building up on a surface that is not magnetic is a challenge. But then results? The light shines through and creates beautiful colors on the floor! VOILA! Magic. And a science connection for kids who are ready. :)

SUM BLOX - Make math hands on again!

Have you heard of Sum Blox?

We got them for Christmas last year and they make me want to go right back into the classroom. (I am currently an instructional coach and reading interventionist in my building.)

Currently, I use them with my three-year old. They are BEAUTIFUL wooden blocks that are shaped like numbers. The bigger the number, the bigger the block, which makes the concept of 5 being greater than 2 a lot easier for small kiddos to understand. That's a basic way to use Sum Blox, and that's where we are right now with the three-year old, but there are plenty of other ways to increase the rigor!

Primary:

- Adding or subtracting becomes visual! the 2 block and the 3 block will match up with the 5 block! Create some number bonds to connect it to math in school.

Intermediate:

- Multiplication and division are suddenly interactive! Stack up four 2 blocks and match it up with an 8 block! Deconstruct numbers!

The Sum Blox also come with challenge cards! These are STEM cards that any age can work on, such as stacking the numbers from 1-10, and then reversing the order!

Anyway, if you are looking for HIGH QUALITY blocks that will last forever and engage your kiddos in math, check out Sum Blox!

Click here to check out the Sum Blox website!

 

LEGO BUILDING BLOCK CHALLENGES GALLORE

I love all things STEM! 

Currently, I am an instructional coach and I encourage the teachers I work with to incorporate STEM into any part of their day possible - soft start morning tubs, STEM bins, Brain bins, recess, whenever! But also, the subject areas! STEM is not always a separate activity. It can fit right into your current curriculum.

Now, at my house, we have bins of LEGO build bricks from when my husband and I were kids. Like, TOTES. Tons. So I used them in my classroom as a teacher.

Below are some really fun, ready to go ideas for incorporating LEGO building bricks into your teaching, whether you are in the classroom or teaching little ones in your own home. (Believe me, I have a three-year old who I test many of these challenges out on and she is a little bit obsessed.)

Click here for more LEGO building brick STEM challenge ideas!

FOCUS ON WRITING:

There are so many opportunities to ENGAGE kids during writing with a STEM challenge. Sometimes, when they have the opportunity to break up the physical act of writing with some building (as long as the building does not take over), the writing is actually better. There's true purpose there because it is tangible.

I used these STEM challenges for YEARS during Summer School as our STEM initiative and I was always impressed by the creativity and perseverance of the students. They're special challenges because you can present them to primary learners or intermediate learners, and they can all be successful in their own way.

Station Rotation during MATH!

Set up a challenge station during math to review concepts previously covered in a new and motivating way! Such a simple area - task cards and a tub of LEGO building bricks!

Click here for more LEGO building brick STEM challenge ideas!

Purposeful Play: Kids Learn Through PLAY! STEM at its finest.

Looking for some STRUCTURED purposeful play?

Learning Resources has you covered.

I have used this great STEM activity with primary grades...and with my own 3-year old. (It is meant for ages 5+ but younger kiddos can have success with some support.)

Kids are tasked with designing and building a playground. They can build something completely creative and unique, or they can use the challenge cards that provide some scaffolding to design the elements pictured.

It's so much fun!

My kiddo loves building a structure (her words) and then taking the little fake plastic people it comes with to test out the sturdiness of her structure.

So, if you are looking for a quality and engaging STEM activity, check out Learning Resources for their Playground Design kit!

STEM for Kids: Magnatiles/Picasso Tiles

Whether I am teaching in my classroom or teaching my toddlers at home, I try to think of ways to incorporate STEM. (Science Technology Engineering Math)

I was gifted a set of Magnatiles a few years ago and since then have continued to add to my collection! (Not just name brands, but the knock off brands, too! They work just as well and all of those magnetic tiles are compatible.)

What can you teach with magnetic tiles?

- free play encourages perseverance, dealing with frustration, and problem-solving

- colors

- counting

- presenting engineering challenges

- vocabulary development (structures, foundation, sturdy, etc.)

- put them on the window on a sunny day or in a dark room with a flash light to talk about light refracting

- the possibilities are ENDLESS!

In the classroom, many teachers use magnetic tiles as a piece of their STEM bins.

Check out my little ones beginning their engineering journeys below!

If magnetic tiles are out of your budget, but you have Lego building pieces laying around, like my husband, who has totes of them from his childhood, check out some Lego STEM Challenges for all ages here.

Magic Milk...or Magic GLUE! Another science experiment we revisit...A LOT!

Violet and I have reused this science experiment from my fourth grade classroom A LOT recently. She loves it. It's magical. AND...it's SO EASY to set up. I literally have all of the materials in my house at a moment's notice! 

This quick and easy science experiment can be set up in a matter of minutes!

Everything you need to launch experiment writing in your classroom/home and hook your kids immediately! Get kids engaged and WRITING!

THIS IS AN AWESOME ACTIVITY!

You will need:

-Milk (whole is preferable, or 2%)

-Food coloring

-Shallow dish or bowl

-Dish soap

-Toothpick or q-tip

Pour milk into the shallow dish or bowl so that the bottom is completely covered. Next, add a few drops of food coloring, about 2-4 drops of each color.

You can add the dish soap right to the center of the milk, or you can dab a toothpick/q-tip in soap and then gently touch the middle of the milk with it.

Watch as the colors DANCE and move quickly across the surface of the milk. Continue to swirl the colors. Eventually, it will no longer work.

Want to try a TWIST???

SUBSTITUTE TO MILK WITH WHITE GLUE. WOW!!! Blow your kids' minds! They will be amazed and request to try this one again and again. Science will be their new favorite subject.

Click here for this experiment!