This article references content from a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) article published in Winter 2025.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) help youth develop a variety of different skills. Tinkering, or the open-ended exploration of materials without a specific end goal, allows kids to use their imagination and critical thinking skills. It’s important to remember to play around and tinker right along with the kids so they can see how you explore the STEM learning process. Take time to reflect on what kept you interested in the activity, and what challenges you had, and what skills you used to solve them.
Tips for Tinkering
To begin exploring the tinkering process, consider the following strategies from NAEYC’s tinkering article:
- Create a tinkering and making environment at home. In addition to materials you already have, look for low-cost or free tinkering and making items, like small tools, loose hardware, building blocks, gears, locks, machine parts, and wood pieces. Collect containers (egg cartons, tissue boxes, yogurt cups) to hold the materials. Designate a place in your home to store the items or keep them in a large toolbox. Affordable ones can be found at thrift stores or garage sales.
- Tinkering and making an ongoing family activity. Identify future tinkering and making opportunities to explore. Is your dog’s leash broken? Is there a nightlight that doesn’t work? Be flexible—tinkering and making don’t have to occur at planned times, and they can last if your child is interested. What’s important is that your child is curious, creative, and engaged in these playful, hands-on activities.
As you work with the youth in your center or at home, keep offering new materials and activities to tinker and try out STEM activities. Also, take a look at SDSU Extesion’s STEM on a Dime resources, which offer a great list activities that you can use to help keep them learning and tinkering.
