STEM 45

Play dough activities for early years maths helps to combine sensory activities, fine motor skills and number work which is a great way of bringing numbers to life.

Children must learn the shape of numbers before being able to write them with confidence. This activity uses dry penne pasta to promote number recognition.

Fingers make the best pencil when it comes to practicing letter formation. Develop writing skills with this fun, sensory repetition exercise.

In this simple science experiment, introduce children to the water cycle. Demonstrate the basic concept of how rain is formed with this hands-on activity.

An engaging STEM activity for Halloween! Build a ghost tower using white plastic or paper cups, stacking them to create the largest ghost possible.

This cotton bud skeleton is a fun craft activity for any time of year. Get into the spirit by reading a spooky halloween book like 'Funnybones' or by teaching your child about Day of the Dead.

In this simple science experiment, ask children to predict whether an object will sink or float. Drop the items into water. Are they sinkers or floaters? Why?

This experiment explores the chemical reaction that occurs when you combine acid and base compounds. When these two substances are combined, they produce carbon dioxide, creating bubbles.

Digging the seeds out of a pumpkin can be messy! This slimy activity is a great sensory experience for children who enjoy getting their hands dirty.

Making paper chains is a fun way of creating decorations at Christmas, or any other time of year. Cutting the strips of paper uses bilateral hand coordination, meaning both hands are doing different tasks. Gluing the ends together practises hand-eye coordination and concentration. 

Sorting building blocks is a fun way to encourage scientific thinking. Deciding on different ways to categorise items is an important developmental step towards thinking scientifically.

This activity is a great way to combine phonics practice with fine motor skills. An alphabet puzzle can also be used as a frame to fill with small objects. Small beads are the perfect size to use as a filler. Alternatively, you could use grains of rice.

Have fun using this Alien Play Dough Counting worksheet. Decide how many arms, ears, eyes and even mouths the alien has and create it out of play dough.