‘Can we go to the park, it’s a nice afternoon?’ says my child.  

I have already spent 2 hours this morning supervising my kids in the local swimming pool and I have a mountain of chores to do. 

‘Errm, well you have been to the pool already, and I’m not sure I have the time now’. 

‘Aww, so what shall I do?’ says child. 

How much I hate those words. In fairness, my kids are pretty good at amusing themselves, but they always seem to want my attention when I’m short of……..TIME!  Now there’s a thought! 

What to do?

I dig out the list of STEAM challenges that I collect for these very occasions. Some challenges require lots of my time to assist, but others like a good old poster competition are far less intensive.

Do you see the theme that’s emerging? Time. And by happy serendipity, that’s the theme for this year’s British Science Week! 

While still at my desk I locate the British Science Week website and brain dump the theme and guidance to my kid. The website suggests many possible topics on the subject of time: Evolution, seasons and time zones, lifecycles, lifespans, clocks, sundials, engineering, science in the future and lots more. 

After a few minutes of discussion, my kid says, ‘I know, I’m going to do a poster about what my school will look like in the future’. 

‘Good idea, maybe you can show a classroom in the past AND a classroom in the future. Maybe have a blackboard and chalk in the old classroom?’, I suggest.  

‘What’s a blackboard?’ says my child. I am stunned and feel very old. They walk off to get some paper and pens and have a chat with Google. I’m assuming it’s about classrooms of the future. 

I go back to my in-tray and get over an hour of peace and quiet…perfect! 

When my kid comes back, they are carrying a half decent drawing of a past and future classroom complete with flesh and blood teacher in the past and full-on robot educator in the future.  

C’mon I say, let’s go Google for some fun science stuff to write on the drawing.  

Result!

The final result looked like this, and I didn’t think it was half bad considering it was a pretty autonomous activity: 

Thank you, British Science Week! I got some peace and quiet, and my kid now knows what a blackboard is as well as some fun facts about AI, robots, 3D printers and VR headsets. 

As a little extra fun, we asked our AI friend Image Creator to create the same image, and this was the result. We loved it but we thought human generated original was better! What do you think? 

Note that the closing date for entries to the poster competition is 6.00 pm on Thursday 28 March 2024, and there are loads of wonderful resources on the British Science Week website to get you started and to inspire your little ones. 

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This year’s List to Santa included a request for “science projects” (hmmmm, I wonder where they got that idea from?) and the big day yielded, among others, this solar robot in kit form. The kit says quite clearly that it’s designed for kids aged 8 and above and mine are a little younger than that, so they needed a fair bit of help. However, it should be feasible for older kids with good concentration spans to complete these independently. 

But let’s face it, that wasn’t the point of building it! There’s a great opportunity here, as with lots of other STEAM-type toys and projects, to kick off some conversations about things like gears, electrical circuits and solar power. As we were figuring out how to assemble the robot, we talked about how the gears work together to make the robot move, how the circuit connects the solar panel to the motor, and how the solar panel converts sunlight into electrical energy. We even had a side conversation about electric cars and the environment and how solar power needs to be stored in batteries so we can have electricity when the Sun doesn’t shine.

So many pieces – let’s build!

The solar robot kit includes enough pieces to build 12 different types of robots that supposedly can move on land or water (we are yet to test this). It can feel a bit daunting after opening the box and seeing all 190 pieces (!) spread out alongside a fairly dense-looking instruction manual, but I’ve seen Lego kits that look just as complicated. One grumble I have is that the manual mentions a “diagonal or spruce cutter” that is needed to cut away the various parts for assembly, but this wasn’t mentioned anywhere else. Luckily, a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors did the trick.

You start by assembling a couple of common modules: the “body” which houses the motor and the gears, and the “head” which has the solar cell. To be totally honest, I did about 80% of the work, but there was more than enough to keep the kids interested and occupied. Besides “teaching moments” there were plenty of opportunities to get them to read the instructions carefully and to interpret the diagrams that show how the pieces are meant to fit together.

Your first big test comes after you’ve fitted the body and head together – it’s time to test that the solar cell actually works and can deliver enough power to make the gears move! The winter light we have at the moment is far too weak to power the robot, and we had a few moments wondering whether we had connected something incorrectly forcing us to disassemble the whole lot. Luckily, placing the cell near a bright lightbulb proved we’d done a good job; it just remains to be seen whether we’ll ever get enough sunlight to see our little robot in action.

Because the kit comes with enough pieces to build 12 different robot designs, this means that at any given time, your robot is only using a subset of the whole kit. Once thing I did appreciate was the inclusion of several labelled bags to keep the pieces you’re not using so you can find the ones you need easily again.

Was it worth it?

Well, you get what you pay for – this kit costs about £20 and the solar cell needs a very bright light to deliver enough power to the motor. We’ll see once summer gets here whether sunlight is enough but, for the Conflicted Family, it was a good investment of money and time. A lot of the fun was in following the instructions as a team and talking about some of the STEAM concepts that were sparked off (see what I did there?) during that process. I think the fact that you can convert it into 12 different robots will also help give it some longevity. 

I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try it, or whether you have any suggestions for similar toys or projects that can be used to have those STEAM-related discussions with your kids.

This post contains an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate that means that, if you click on the link and end up purchasing the item, Conflicted Parent will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

The post Teach STEAM Literacy by Building a Robot first appeared on Conflicted Parent.

For the past few years, during “Biology Week”, the Royal Society of Biology has launched their BioArtAttack 3D competition, inviting people of all ages to fuse biology and art to create biology-themed artworks inspired by the natural world. These can be anything from collages to models, sculptures or animations. 

We only found out about this competition a short while ago, while the Conflicted Parent was trying to find new ways to channel the kids’ creativity into activities that also provide learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths. This yielded a whole list of STEAM challenges (the ‘A’, for art, is critical), but we only had a few days left to enter BioArtAttack 3D. What to do? 

Having a naturally expressive creative child helps. Over the past several months, week in, week out, they’ve been attending art classes at our local art-K studio. This has resulted in a huge profusion of artworks using different media, materials and techniques. The theme of the Great Barrier Reef pretty much suggested itself as they had covered it in school while discussing ecosystems and there were already some relevant pieces (a beach/sea scene and a sea turtle).

The process of creating a 3D artwork is a valuable STEAM activity for parents to do with their children. It encourages children to think creatively and critically, while also developing their scientific knowledge and skills. To create a 3D artwork, children need to plan, design, and build their creation, which also involves a range of skills such as problem-solving, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills. It’s the full package! 

The complete vision of how to take all these elements, create and add a few more and then combine them into a 3D ‘diorama’ of the Great Barrier Reef just seemed to spring fully formed into the Conflicted Parent’s child’s mind. This is one of the aspects of creativity that always astounds the Conflicted Parent. Did we all have this ability as children, and if so, how/when did we lose it? 

We spent the rest of the afternoon researching and then recreating the various creatures and plants to add to the scene: sea stars, clownfish, anemones and coral. They repurposed some cardboard out of the recycling bin with some blue paint as the base and put everything together. 

The competition submission needed some labels and lists of materials. We could have done this by hand, but the afternoon was turning into evening and the submission date loomed, so the Conflicted Parent made good use of their ICT skills to do this digitally. 

In conclusion, we all had a fun time researching and building the final artwork, while learning things almost without noticing. I’d say that was a job well done, wouldn’t you? 

The post STEAM Challenge: The Great Barrier Reef in 3D  first appeared on Conflicted Parent.

Endless wonderful organisations fund or run school programs, provide free resources and set up and fund exciting STEAM challenges and competitions to inspire our children – but parents must know that those resources are out there – and, crucially, engage with them. 

Engaging is the tricky part as everyone is time poor, so the important points are that it should be child driven and minimum hassle for busy parents. We’re just trying to stretch our child’s interests, not create a whole new curriculum for us to teach! (Unless it’s AI – but that’s a discussion for a future post).

For example, the Conflicted Parent’s kid loves to paint. It’s their thing, and they’re always asking for drawing ideas. Now, instead of racking my brain for projects, we’ve stumbled upon these awesome STEAM challenges. It’s like a creative boost without the extra hassle. 

My child gets to dive into their art, and I get a breather because there’s already a theme in place. Plus, it’s not just about making art; it’s about making art that means something. The challenge ties everything together, weaving in some learning without them even realising it. 

And the best part? They’re not just working on a piece; they’re part of a whole community. They check out other artworks, get inspired, and even pick up a few tricks. Throw in some certificates, online gallery love, or the wild idea that their art might end up in space, and you’ve got a seriously exciting experience.  

As a bonus, my child is more likely to finish the project rather than abandoning it halfway through. It’s this whole journey that keeps them motivated, engaged, and proud of what they create. It’s like magic—creative, community-building magic. And give yourself a put on the back my parenting friend, you’ve just exposed your child to a whole bunch of those 21^st Century Skills right there! 

In future blogs the Conflicted Parent will put their money where their mouth is and share their experience of engaging with some of these initiatives. 

In the meantime, some of my favourites are listed below – try some and have fun:

• BioArtAttack 3D – Entries- (3D pieces of art using any combination of materials and media) can take inspiration from any part of the natural world or biological concepts.
• Science without Borders Challenge – This annual competition inspires students to be creative while promoting public awareness of the need to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources.
• British Science Week poster competition – Posters on an annually changing STEM topic showing creativity in approach, while being clear, accurate and informative.
• The European Astro Pi Challenge: Mission Zero – Write a simple program to take a reading from a sensor on an Astro Pi computer on board the ISS, and use it to set the background colour in a personalised image for the astronauts to see as they go about their daily tasks 
• The Big Bang Competition – Create solutions to real world problems using STEM.
• TeenTech Awards – Innovation competition: brainstorm ideas, clearly identify an opportunity or a problem, suggest a solution and research the market. 
• BIEA Youth STEAM Competition – Annual STEM competition with teams of up to 5 kids aged 6-18.
• Young Minds Prize – Essay competition designed to provide students with an opportunity to engage in debate and hone their writing skills.
• Moon Camp Challenge – Education project using innovative learning technologies to challenge students to design their own Moon settlement with a 3D modelling tool.
• Mission X – Train like an Astronaut – Free educational and inspirational project that challenges students to train like an astronaut through physical exercises and scientific investigations, helping them learn the key elements to keeping fit and staying healthy in space and on Earth.
• UK CanSat Competition – Students are tasked with designing and building their own simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can.
• Space Gallery Competition – Every month ESA Kids is looking at a different theme in more detail. Themes include everything from orbits and planets to astronauts and asteroids.

The post Unleashing Creativity: Exciting STEAM Challenges To Inspire The Family first appeared on Conflicted Parent.

What are 21^st Century skills?

Many organisations and thought leaders have tried to list what they think are the important skills for the 21^st century. But when you look closely, they’re all talking about the same things: thinking critically, being creative, communicating well, solving problems, working with others, and being able to use and manage information. For the purposes of this blog, the Conflicted Parent is going to use the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) list of 16 critical skills that I mentioned in this post.

The WEF splits these skills into 3 areas: foundational literacies, competencies, and character qualities. 

Foundational Literacies

The basic skills and knowledge you need to understand and engage with the world effectively, like reading and writing

• Literacy: The ability to read, write, speak, and listen in a way that allows us to communicate effectively and make sense of the world. 
• Numeracy: The ability to understand and work with numbers. 
• Scientific Literacy: The ability to understand and use scientific concepts and processes to make informed decisions about the world around us. 
• ICT literacy: The ability to use digital technology, communication tools and/or networks to define, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information effectively and ethically. 
• Financial literacy: The ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills including personal financial management, budgeting and investing. 
• Cultural and Civic Literacy: The ability to understand different cultures and perspective and participate effectively in civic life. 

Competencies

How you approach and handle a specific situation to achieve success 

• Critical thinking: The ability to analyse information, evaluate arguments, and make decisions based on evidence. 
• Creativity: The ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to problems. 
• Communication: The ability to express oneself clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. 
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. 

Character Qualities

Personal traits and behaviours that shape how you interact with others and approach situations 

• Curiosity: The desire to learn and explore new things. 
• Initiative: The ability to act and make things happen. 
• Persistence: The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and setbacks. 
• Adaptability: The ability to adjust to new situations and changing circumstances. 
• Leadership: The ability to inspire and guide others towards a common goal. 
• Social and cultural awareness: The ability to understand and appreciate different cultures and perspectives. 

To succeed, we don’t have to be experts in everything, but we do need a balance of foundational literacy, competencies, and character qualities. It’s the mix of these three that really makes the difference. 

How do these skills get applied in the real world?

Let’s illustrate this with some real-world examples: 

Sir David Attenborough has been exploring and documenting the natural world for over 60 years. Grounded in geology and zoology, which he studied at Cambridge, he has leveraged his scientific literacy to produce and present documentaries on natural history and environmental issues, where he uses his excellent communication and critical thinking competencies to explain complex scientific concepts in an engaging and accessible way. Among his character qualities is obviously curiosity: he has never ceased to be fascinated by learning new things that he can then tell us about. What may be less known are his leadership abilities. As controller of BBC2 in the channel’s infancy, he set the standard for “authored documentaries” and was responsible for commissioning programmes as varied as Match of the Day, Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The Money Programme. 

You (and your children) may know Emma Watson primarily from her work on the Harry Potter movies, but she has also exhibited her literacy and cultural and civil literacy skills as an author of books and speeches on gender equality and women’s rights. She needed her communication competency to deliver those speeches at the United Nations and in many interviews. Emma Watson’s character qualities such as initiative and leadership drove her to create the HeForShe movement to promote gender equality. 

Martin Lewis, founder of the MoneySavingExpert.com website has been promoting financial literacy and consumer rights for over 20 years, demonstrating not only his own financial literacy skills but also a healthy set of competencies and qualities including initiative, communication, collaboration and leadership. He explains complex financial concepts in an engaging and accessible way, and founded the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, which aims to improve the lives of people with mental health problems by promoting financial education and support. 

Success, for these British luminaries, as well as our children, requires a combination of all three areas – foundational literacy, competencies, and character qualities. This is what they need to thrive in an uncertain, complex, and frankly, tough world. 

Convinced? Great, you’re in good company. Globally, there’s a consensus, from UNESCO to the WEF, EU, and the UK government, that new learning approaches are needed to address challenges. However, there’s a problem: ‘there is currently little or no substantial evidence available on the most effective tools and approaches to deliver those skills’.¹

In the meantime, our education systems maintain the status quo – focusing on foundational competencies and standardised assessments. That’s not the right answer for today’s parents who must try to supplement the gaps. 

But here’s where parents can make a difference. In the absence of a globally agreed map, many innovative educators are simply taking action, and you can too! 

Join me on my journey to enrich my children’s education through meaningful family experiences, to prepare them for a future we’re only beginning to understand.

1. 21st Century Skills | Institute of Development Studies ︎

The post A Parent’s Guide to 21st Century Skills first appeared on Conflicted Parent.