Inside: Coding for Preschoolers starts with learning screen free coding. Teaching Steam Activities for Preschoolers enhances their sensory skills as well as enables learning through thinking and problem solving skills.  This is just the beginning and basics of coding for kids. 

Valentine’s Day is next week, so we are all about Preschool Coding activities this week while learning to Sequence patterns and colors to learn coding.  Incorporating STEM Activities for Kids in your everyday life is so vital in engaging and encouraging your kids to problem solve.  I can’t emphasize it enough!

You may wonder how preschoolers can learn coding at such a young age, you have to start somewhere, right?  Yes coding has all to do with one day coding for computers – but this activity is only preparing them for the next step in learning to code.  This activity has all to do with screen free coding and is the first step for preschoolers in the world of coding.

As this Middle Web article stated it well – “Coding is just plain fun. It gives kids insight into the inner workings of technology and how it can be used to solve problems.”  When a child visualizes and recognizes patterns and can sequence, we are winning in the preschool world of STEAM.

Coding for Preschoolers

Materials You Need:

Valentine Conversation Heart Candy
Free Printable for Preschool Coding Ages 2-4 

Free Printable for Preschool Coding Ages 3-5

I always laminate my printables so we can do them numerous times within a few weeks, before we move on. This way I can wipe up if they get dirty or if we are having a problem understanding I can also get a dry erase marker and draw on it to help understand a concept, then wipe it off.  A laminator is a beautiful tool to have for you mama’s and teachers!

How to Sequence Valentine Conversation Hearts:

First- we sorted our colors, each into a color pile.

Second- we counted each pile of colors

Third- we talked about shapes and how these were all hearts

Fourth- we followed the patterns in the printable by laying the matching heart on top of the given heart.  The lines underneath we did the same pattern just on her own without having to match on top.

Now lets break down those steps of our STEAM process for this activity:

1. Investigate: Let them look at the materials they are using.  This is why it’s really good to sort the conversation hearts, talk about the colors, shapes and count them.  Which all led into the Discovery (next step)
2. Discover:  Use every ounce of an activity to teach your preschoolers something.
3. Connect: Keep it simple!  Connect colors or shapes to their world.  Ask if they can name other items they know of with similar shapes or colors.  The main result you’re looking for here is to get them to talk!!!
4. Create:  Let them do the matching, sequencing and challenge them.  They pick up on this super quick and if for some reason they don’t…come back to it in a day or two and do the activity again – you’ll be surprised.
5. Reflect: Now is a time to ask them what they learned.  Again with preschoolers this will be super simple and short…but again get them to talk- that’s what you want in the end!

How is this Preschool Activity STEAM? 

As my husband says to classify it as a STEAM activity it needs to incorporate at least two aspects of the word STEAM.  So in our activity we have T, A and M.  Technology, Art and Math!  Plus don’t forget all of the cognitive skills and fine motor skills – wowzers that’s a lot for those little preschool minds to process and learn off of!

Why is STEAM important in early childhood education?  

Well I’m glad you asked…I’ve written more about the idea and process of STEAM and STEM for kids with Everything You Need to Know about the Buzz Word STEAM.  

Want to see all of our Valentine’s Day Preschool STEAM Activities?  Just tap on the link <–

Screen Free Coding for Preschoolers – St Patrick’s Day Theme

 

 

 

 

 

 

Screen Free Coding for Preschoolers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentines Day RAK Preschool Heart Purse

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building Marshmallow Shapes – Valentines Day STEAM Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are a husband and wife team, pairing our strengths together to teach our preschooler in the most fun and engaging way we possibly can.  The mister is a high school educator at Northlake Christian school in Covington Louisiana and over the Innovation Center, which is all things STEAM.  I am a SAHM that blogs pretty much everything we do in our little paradise, from what we eat, to where we travel to how we teach our little one.  We hope you are inspired to incorporate STEAM into learning with your children.