You might be hearing a lot about S.T.E.A.M. learning lately, but what exactly is it and how can you incorporate it into your everyday life? Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine contributor, Grayson Kamm, communications director at MOSI is here to show us how to incorporate STEAM into our everyday lives and to share some information about DINOSAURS at MOSI.
What is STEAM?
So what is STEAM? S.T.E.A.M. is Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
At MOSI, we have an awesome new temporary exhibit called Dinosaurs in Motion, where families can take control of giant metal dinosaurs using gears and levers. The dinosaurs are huge (the T. rex is 44 feet long!), amazing works of art made from recycled metal. But to me, the coolest part is that as you make the dinos move, you learn about science and engineering — ideas like how gears, levers, and pulleys work. And you never felt like you were being “taught” anything — it was just fun!
These are the fields that are going to lead to the best careers in the 21st century — S.T.E.A.M.: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Learning about S.T.E.A.M. can be fun and exciting, and even if your child isn’t interested in learning about them at first, they will be excited about all of the ways you can bring STEAM into normal activities.
How Can I Bring STEAM to My Family?
Part of how Dinosaurs In Motion brings STEAM to kids is by letting them play with and test out pulleys, levers, and gears. They will be able to see exactly how the lever or pulley works and will be able to see all of the gears in the dinosaur as they turn. It will really get their gears turning.
One of the everyday ways you can talk to your kids about STEAM is as simple as riding in the car. When your kids are looking at the center console, you can talk about engineering and design when you explain how each button relates to each function, talk about the different types of gears that might be in the car’s engine. When you are driving, you can also teach kids about STEAM by talking about the speed of the car.
You can also talk about STEAM just by looking at something as simple as a soda can. Talk to your kids about the design of the logo, why certain colors were chosen, etc. and that will open up the door to talking about art. You can also try our magnet puzzles and learn about art and science and so many other components of STEAM through that.
STEAM at MOSI
You can also come out to MOSI for some interactive hand-on experiences with STEAM learning. Aside from Dinosaurs in Motion, MOSI also offers workshops for kids on everything from web design to game design and even 3D printing. The Idea Zone in MOSI is a great place to put STEAM learning into practice.
MOSI also offers an exciting summer camp with STEAM learning programs for kids of all ages. Kids will be able to get hands-on experiences at MOSI’s camp and parents can relax knowing their child is in a great summer program.
For more information on STEAM and summer camps, visit TBParenting.com.
