With daycare in short supply, distance learning, and parents working from home, many families are trying to find ways to entertain and mentally stimulate their children. Screens are becoming more integrated with our day-to-day lives, and it is no mystery why children gravitate toward the iPad or want to watch TV all day. It’s engaging, entertaining, and in some cases interactive. Though this is an easy way to keep children occupied, according to the CDC, the early years of a child’s life are very important for their health and development. And healthy development requires that children of all abilities–including those with special health care needs–experience activities where their full range of social, emotional, and educational needs are met.
STEM learning and its benefits
STEM is an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. While it sounds very advanced, STEM starts early and brings extraordinary benefits to your young learner. Principally, STEM learning encourages experimentation, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptation. STEM pushes your child to be creative and think outside of the box.
Take the simple building block set. With a toy like this, the floor becomes your child’s blank slate, for any number of creative challenges. How high can he stack the blocks? What shapes can she create? The act of play with building blocks hones your child’s hand-eye coordination so that through trial and error, she learns to place things so that the tower will not topple, and he learns how to pick the blue block out from the rest. All of these simple acts help a child to develop brain function and motor skills.
Simple science
Older kids enjoy the wonder and discovery of science. A simple science kit can provide hours of exploratory fun. Start with a ready-made science kit and before you know it your child will be on to DIY experiments that can teach about the wonders of biology, geology, and more. These types of toys are guaranteed to get your kid’s brain popping.
In our online kids' consignment shop, we’ve stocked a great selection of gently used toys that aid in your child’s development. That means that at Toycycle, STEM is affordable AND sustainable. STEM learning is incredibly beneficial for early development. So go for it! Sustainable STEM learning: the perfect combination.