2 Ways to Keep Your Child Curious About STEM at Home

STEM isn’t only a school thing! 

You don’t need a lab to raise a ‘scientist’. With just a few everyday habits, you can keep curiosity switched on at home.

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Studies has shown children who learn science through an inquiry-based curriculum tend to develop stronger foundational science knowledge compared to those taught through traditional methods (Westerberg et al., 2022).

At Hawkeyes Drone Academy our STEM programs are designed to integrate core concepts with hands-on projects, so students test hypotheses, revise their thinking when results surprise them, and refine their understanding through investigation. Such curiosity-driven experiences help them correct misconceptions and build deeper, more lasting comprehension of scientific concepts.

However, curiosity doesn’t stop at the classroom door.  Research has also shown that parents and families play an important role in helping children build curiosity and construct science knowledge if children ask “why & how” questions, make observations with parents’ guidance, and given rich opportunities to learn about scientific phenomena (Westerberg et al., 2022).

Here we’d like to introduce 2 parent-friendly tips to turn ordinary moments into mini-STEM adventures you can do at home.

(generated by ChatGPT)

Tip 1 – Talk science in everyday moments with “notice-wonder-explain” pattern.

At breakfast, on the walk to school, or during bath time, ask some WH questions as a 2-minute micro-routine.

1)        Notice: “What do you see/hear/feel?”

2)        Wonder: “Why do you think that happened? How could we find out/fix it?”

3)        Explain: “What did we learn? What would you try next?”

A prediction question can also be added (e.g. “What do you think will happen?”), with a simple test. Let your child try and compare the result to the prediction. But remember, keep your tone curious and let your child talk most of the time.

A 30-second complete example:

“Those bubbles popped fast. What do you notice about the water? It’s warm? Why might warmer water pop bubbles faster? How could we check—warm vs. cold water? Let’s explain what happened and what we’d try next.”

Tip 2 – Make a 15-minute weekly “STEM Mini” & keep a low-cost starter kit

Pick a regular 15-minute slot (e.g., “Saturday Tinker” time) and rotate mini-investigations. Prepare a small kit, for example make a “science shoebox” ready with everyday materials: clear cups, sharpies, measuring tape/ruler, sticky notes, paper clips, flashlight, food coloring, baking soda & vinegar, and a magnifying glass, etc.

4-step micro-plan:

1)        Pick a challenge: sink or float, ramps, magnets, shadows, or a kitchen mini (recipe).

2)        Predict with WH question: “What do you think will happen?”

3)        Test & measure: time it, count it, or measure distance.

4)        Change one small detail and try the experiment again.  

30-second kitchen example (banana bread):

• Separate dry and wet ingredients and start.

• Predict before making: What does baking powder do?

• During mixing: What do you notice about the batter?

• During baking & watching: Why is it rising?

• When it’s done, compare the result to your prediction.

• Change one thing next time—rack height or a bit more/less baking powder—and compare.

Regular home activities and having simple materials on hand are associated with better early science knowledge (Bierman et al., 2025; Zucker et al., 2024).

Reference:

Bierman, K., Liben, L., Small, M., Connell, J., Heinrichs B., Menold, J., & Miller, S. (2025). Guided activity kits impact parents’ scaffolding of child STEM play. Learning and Instruction, 96, 102082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102082

Junge, K., Schmerse, D., Lankes, E., Carstensen, C., & Steffensky, M. (2021). How the home learning environment contributes to children's early science knowledge—Associations with parental characteristics and science-related activities. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 56, 294-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.04.004

Westerberg, L., Schmitt, S., Eason, S., & Purpura, D. (2022). Home science interactions and their relation to children’s science core knowledge in preschool. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 222, 105473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105473

Zucker, T., Mes, M., Assel, M., McCallum, C., & DeMaster, D. (2024). Virtual Teaching Together: engaging parents and young children in STEM activities. Front. Psychol, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1334195