INTRODUCTION

STEAM LAB FOR KIDS introduces 52 art-forward projects to help kids explore the relationship of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).

While art is an emotional interpretation of what we experience, science is an analytical pursuit based on experimentation. Both are children of observation and go hand in hand with technology, math, and engineering. A group of artists called the Cubists didn’t consider themselves mathematicians, but they created masterpieces of geometry by deconstructing and re-assembling familiar objects in new ways, allowing the viewer to observe a single object from many angles at the same time.

Ada Lovelace may have been inspired to see the future of computers as the result of her understanding of how looms create patterns in textiles. Louis Pasteur’s love of art and experience in printmaking probably played an important role in his breakthrough ideas about mirror-image molecules, and Katherine G. Johnson applied mathematics to aerospace engineering to create a trajectory that carried the first humans safely to the moon.

While STEM education emphasizes critical thinking through problem solving using math and science as a basis for engineering and technology projects, STEAM Lab for Kids brings art into the equation—front and center.

Hands-on creative projects such as paper marbling help kids explore the concept of density. Colorful “stained glass” made from crushed hard candy teaches kids about melting temperatures. Cut up fruit is a hands-on way to learn about fractions and understand how the Ancient Greeks came up with the concept of the atom. STEAM Lab for Kids makes it easy for kids to explore technology by making simple robots, sewable circuits, and graphite drawings that carry enough current to light an LED.

This art-forward approach to STEM welcomes every kind of learner. Each project is designed to illuminate the concepts behind the fun in an engaging way that encourages young minds to pursue what interests them most. The labs can be done individually, in a classroom, or with friends and family. So put on some music, get out the paintbrushes, and charge full STEAM ahead into creative learning.