WHAT IS STEAM LEARNING?
STEAM learning, while a popular education concept in many parts of the world, remains relatively unknown in the UK. So, what exactly does it mean? And why is it so important to us here at That Kid Life?
What is STEAM learning?
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.
STEAM learning is a philosophy of education that embraces teaching skills in a way that resembles real life. With this integrated approach to learning, critical thinking skills are developed and kids are encouraged to think more broadly about real-world problems, with a hands-on approach.
Why is STEAM learning important?
Introducing STEAM to children from a young age cultivates collaborative exploration and problem solving. Problem-based learning-through-play is hands down the best way to get kids excited about STEAM learning.
Each of the STEAM elements share a common approach; they require gathering information to create knowledge or solve problems.
STEAM learning inspires kids to:
Ask questions
Make connections
Problem solve
Think creatively
Be innovative
So, why is STEAM learning so important at That Kid Life craft workshops?
There are so many benefits to approach crafts with a STEAM-based approach, rather than just dishing out materials and hoping for the best! We are huge advocates of using our refined STEAM-based approach, through a whole plethora of carefully planned sessions, in order to:
NURTURE CURIOSITY - Inspiring kids to ask questions and problem solve is vital across all age ranges.
LET GO! - Kids are natural STEAM learners. For adults, it may look like they are just making a mess, splashing paint around and unpacking and repacking and sometimes even bending things until they break, but this is how they learn - by investigating, discovering and trying new things.
CELEBRATE THE PROCESS AND THE FAILURES - Learning from failure is how we innovate. We celebrate the whole creative crafting process - the struggles, the decisions, the ups and downs. We have no ‘mistakes’ at That Kid Life craft clubs; we improvise, we learn and we develop.
Do check out our classes and events page if you’d like to experience our unique STEAM-based craft sessions. And, if you can’t find a class to suit, give me a shout and I’ll see what I can do!
