STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are both an exciting and essential part of early education. At this critical stage of development, a young child’s brain will be making connections at speeds that it will never reach again. Therefore, immersing children in activities where they are communicating, solving problems, thinking critically, and creatively, is enormously valuable. Mrs Smith set up an intriguing afternoon of STEM activities in 1S this week, where the children worked with curiosity and determination in response to a range of challenges, such as … What is the tallest structure you can create using marshmallows and dried spaghetti? Every group has the same amount of paper, but who can create the longest paper chain? When dropping an egg from a small height, how can you stop the shell from breaking? And finally, using playdough and plastic cups only, who can create the longest marble run? The egg experiment was particularly fascinating. Whilst the adults spent time carefully wrapping different materials around their eggs to protect the shell, the children immediately focused on creating a soft, cushioned landing pad – there were certainly plenty of marshmallows put to good use that afternoon!