The cool thing about STEM activities is that there is no right or wrong and you do not have to give your child a lot of guidelines. Problem solving and imagination just come together.
Here is a wonderful STEM idea that uses jelly beans and toothpicks or small wooden skewers:
After gathering the above items, have the child use the jelly beans to connect the toothpicks and make any structure they want to. Little hands may need some parental help poking the toothpicks into the jelly beans, so you can help them get the hole started. You may find a similar easier activity would be to substitute marshmallows for the jelly beans. For older children, you could ask them to build something specific, like a bridge that would hold something (light). This activity can be repeated over and over, just like hiding Easter eggs. Note: I wouldn't eat the jelly beans you use because there may be small wooden pieces left by the toothpicks. Just have a cup nearby of edible ones!
JELLY BEAN MATH:
Because of the many colors of jelly beans, they lend themselves well to sorting. Have the child find the matching colored jelly beans and group them into piles. Just picking them up with their little pincer fingers is a great strengthening exercise which they need to have a proper pencil or crayon grip.
After your child has grouped their jelly beans, have them group like colors into specific number groups. For example, Group the greens into two's, the blacks into three's, and the red into five's.
You could make a chart for them if they recognize their numbers, otherwise sit with them and either tell them how you are going to group a color, or let them decide. They love to feel like they are important, and these are easy ways to 'let them be in charge!" After they are grouped, the older children can count the groups, and even do some addition with the piles. Make it fun and remember, some of your children will need help with some of these concepts.
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