Looking for a super simple DIY STEM activity for your little one? With just some craft sticks and magnet dots, you can make this easy open-ended STEM toy for your toddler in 5 minutes.
Keep reading to learn how!
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How To Make Magnetic Craft Sticks For Building, Counting, & Learning Shapes
You’ll Need:
Super Easy DIY Instructions:
This DIY activity is so simple, you probably don’t even need instructions. BUT to cover our bases, I’ll share anyway:
- Attach magnet dots to the ends of each craft stick
- Make sure to add magnet dots to BOTH sides of your craft sticks if you want to be able to stack them
- That’s literally it! Now give your little one a metal sheet pan or set them up next to the fridge, and let them explore.
Scroll down for more activity ideas you can do with these magnetic STEM sticks!
*Important Safety Reminder*
Make sure to always supervise your little one during play! These magnet dots can be choking hazards for young children, so it’s important to watch your toddler to make sure the magnet dots don’t fall off during play and to remind your child not to mouth or chew on these sticks.
If your little one is inclined to stick everything in their mouth, you’ll probably want to save this activity for when they’re a bit older. Safety first, guys!
Now that that’s out of the way, keep reading for more ideas!
3 Easy Toddler STEM Activity Ideas Using Magnetic Craft Sticks
1 | Learning Shapes
Encourage your little one to build shapes like triangles, squares, diamonds, and rectangles. You may also want to provide your child with pictures of shapes they can refer to as they play!
2 | Building & Construction
Your toddler can also use these to build and construct! Pro Tip: Make sure you make enough sticks to allow your child to stack and build effectively. (Yes, I only made 6. And yes, more is better.)
3 | Counting & Basic Math
You can use your DIY craft sticks as simple math manipulatives to practice counting with your toddler. “How many sticks do you have? Let’s count! 1, 2, 3…” If you have an older child, you can also use these magnet sticks to work on addition and subtraction with your child. “You have 2 sticks over here. What happens if you add 1 more?”
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