Creating a watermill through steam activities for preschool children in the school yard

Abstract

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) initiatives engage in classroom and schoolyard activities in early childhood education. In early childhood, learning through play provides children with the resources they need for an enjoyable learning environment, especially when the activities take place in the schoolyard, as this is where children can better concentrate and, at the same time, increase their creativity. This work investigates whether preschool children can create watermills through STEAM activities in the schoolyard. Thirty-four children aged 4-6 years participated in the research, and the results were encouraging as the children liked that the activities were outside. At the same time, the teachers were worried if they would be able to support such activities. Preschoolers have a spontaneous disposition toward science with a sense of curiosity and creativity. More research needs to be done on out-of-class activities with the STEAM app, and this training should be incorporated in all kindergartens.