How to fuel my 6-year-old's STEM passion? School's not cutting it. Any cool websites, toys, or advice?

[thestemengineer]

So I am an electrical engineer single dad of a small kid (6) in Oxfordshire who seems to be interested in STEM/Electronics. I have never done this before, how do I make sure he can grow his passion? Schools don't really do anything, do they?
Do you use any websites, resources, or toys?

Please help 😂

You don't need to buy a telescope until you know the child is interested in star gazing. You can use binoculars until then.

Yes... binoculars are easier to whip out on a cold crisp winters evening, and of course good for wildlife too.

Turing tumble ! My STEM focused kids love it. 😊

regular trips to the science museum. Definitely the Wonderlab. Its amazing. As is the bit in the basement. And a stroll round the shop will give you ideas.
Lego challenges - google for lots of cool ideas that have engineering principles
Twinkl has science content and is a cheap subscription (for teachers but has cool stuff that I’ve always used to help support particular interests)
Baking is chemistry but for more formal stuff Galt has kitchen science sets and I remember Learning resources had a bathtime science set that was fun
DK find out is a great series with good science titles
Cbeebies has a great series called Maddie’s Do you know which is all about how various things work - may be a bit young I can’t remember when we watched it

And busy things is great for maths games and then for coding scratch junior and later python.

I just wanted to say that the National Space Centre in Leicester is excellent.

It's reasonably priced and going once allows you free return visits for a year.

We went recently as a group with the youngest 4 years through to teens and adults and there is plenty for everyone to enjoy.

If you want to do some experiments together, I'd start with the GALT kits (as they are nice and easy and aimed at fun at least as much as learning), and then once you outgrow them, have a look at the CREST website and pick a few CREST Star activities to do at home - you don't have to do them super seriously with a writeup in a lab book if you aren't 'handing them in', you could just chat as you carry it out.

@thestemengineer you could encourage your child's school to sign up for this: https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/stem-superstars

It is also worth you registering for the Smallpeice Trust's mailing list. They provide lots of age-appropriate activities for children from about age 9 - 18.

If you are in the London area, the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington do some good outreach, including an annual Water Rocket Competition which is lots of fun: https://www.npl.co.uk/outreach

Free Code Club resources for use at home (useful if you don't live near a club and are confident enough to go it alone: https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/codeclub)

More free computing resources at Hour of Code: https://hourofcode.com/uk

One to bookmark for later is the Smallpeice Trust who run loads of STEM events for state secondary pupils.
Another vote for Turing Tumble and Snap Circuits.
Go to an IMAX cinema to see films about the space shuttle on a huge screen (museum of film and TV in Bradford but there must be others) science museums in Cardiff (Techniquest) and Telford (Enginuity) Museum of mechanical Art and Design (MAD museum) in Stratford. Jodrell Bank in Cheshire.

From the British Science Association, lots of home learning resources here (more general STEM but easy to do with things around the house)
https://collectionslibrary.crestawards.org/star-home-learning/63263936
And here (European space education resource office website, aimed at teachers primarily, but still interesting to do with your child)
https://www.stem.org.uk/esero/primary/resources

I'd also recommend junk modelling, snap circuits, and Lego or Duplo. Bicarb volcanos are also fun, I Papier mache the volcano and paint it too.

National space centre is great as is the mad museum which has a magnetic build your own marble run wall.

@MrsAvocet how did you get your school interested in the Lego league? I suggested it to my child's school but they're not showing much interest and it's not obvious how to do it yourself.

If affordable combine it with him doing Motorsport racing as a hobby. See these people;

www.globalkartingleague.com

There's not much science in primary schools

There is however a ton of it with loads of practicals in secondary school

You have to think about risks and hazards when doing practicals so not great for most primary kids

A book like this one can be better than one-experiment kits. A quick basic activity from everyday materials can lead into interesting discussions that then gave you seeking out more in particular areas of interest as well as being fun by themselves.

Also Lego, K’nex and marble runs. And magnets, always.