Math STEAM activities – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math for Preschoolers.  With basic office supplies you’ve got a quick and engaging STEAM activity!  BONUS VIDEO!  

Math STEAM Activities

This activity incorporates math in with science and art – creating a very engaging, hands on activity – that I can guarantee your preschoolers will love.  Ever since we created this activity together we’ve done it multiple times within days.  There are so so soooo many great ways to actually engage with this activity, which is nice to change it up a bit each time you pull it out! 

Within this one activity there are at least 11 short learning activities you can incorporate for your preschooler or kindergartener.  Not only is it an easy prep activity it also offers us so many variations which is super fun!  Keep in mind that STEAM topics include Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.  Incorporating at least 2-3 of these topics and areas into an activity really make for a great hands on tool for the early learner. 

Paperclip Math

Supplies needed:

• Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
• Magnet Strips
• Permanent Marker
• Paper Clips

That’s literally it!!! 

How do you do the STEAM Math Activity?

So to prep and get ready this is what you’ll need to do:

1. Decide what numbers you will focus on.  (We did 1-10) 
2. Take a magnet strip and stick one onto each jumbo stick.
3. Next write each number on a jumbo popsicle stick.
4. You are now ready!

Math games to play with the STEAM paperclip Math Activity:

1. Review the numbers on the sticks.
2. Have your preschooler place all of the popsicle sticks in numerical order.
3. Have them count aloud saying each number.
4. Place the amount of paperclips onto each stick according to their number.
5. With #4 you can go in order or mix the numbers up.
6. See the ART section below – with sorting and counting!

If your preschooler or kindergartener is ready for some very basic addition:

• Write an addition sign and equal sign on separate popsicle sticks.

1. Using your numerical sticks create a simple addition math problem
2. Place the amount of paperclips on each numerical stick.
3. Add all of the paperclips up to answer your math problem.

My preschooler hasn’t completely grasped the concept of addition…but I continue doing these very simple and basic hands on math problems with her because it’s going to click. 

The more I can do with her hands and visually seeing objects to count and add will only aid her as we find ourselves into the basic math problems in the near future and she’s grasped the concept.

STEAM Activities

How can you incorporate SCIENCE into this STEAM Activity?

Be sure to take advantage of this activity in all aspects of STEM or STEAM areas!  With science we talked about the materials we were using here:

• wood sticks
• magnetic strips
• metal paper clips

I let her explore the magnets with the paper clips – she had fun just playing with those for a bit.  Hands on engagement creates a fun aspect of learning!

The area of ART!

• Talk about the colors you are using with your paper clips!  It’s simple but talking and asking your preschooler these questions evokes a thought process to deeper thinking!  That’s what we want, right?!
• Sort the stack of paper clips into color stacks.
• Bring in MATH again and have them count each paperclip in the stack of colors!  
• How many stacks of colors do we have? 

This math activity can be bagged for individual preschoolers to use throughout a school year or semester of learning.  Using this interactive math set will be a great tool for a classroom or individual use. 

Be sure to always ask your student questions along the way.  Here are some questions to help you get started with conversations:

• What colors are our paperclips?
• How many colors of paperclips do we have? (as they sort the color piles)
• How many paperclips do we have? (give them time to count!!!)
• What materials are we using? i.e. wood, magnets, metal paperclips
• Does the wood work with a magnet?
• What sticks to the magnet?  (the metal paperclips!)
• What numbers are we using on our popsicle sticks?

Looking for more…

Quick and Easy STEM Activities

Do you have any extra plastic Easter eggs laying around?  If you do you can get 6 easy Math activities with those little eggs!   –> 6 Preschool Easter Egg Math Games  

Preschool Math Mats – have any small objects i.e. beans, beads, rocks etc – these are GREAT time fillers and fun hands on math! 

FREE Printable – Donut Math Activity for Preschoolers – Celebrate National Donut Day or any day with this fun activity – laminate it for multiple use for days to come!  

Spinner Math – Grab some fruit loops (or any small snack because who doesn’t love a food related activity) and have fun with this math activity for preschoolers!  

Do you have any favorite Math STEAM Activities you do that you could share?  Leave a comment, I’d love to try it out!