STEM Minis Summer Club

The STEM Minis Summer Programme returned once again in 2025, bringing with it another season of curiosity, discovery, and imaginative learning for young children aged three to seven. As always, the programme was entirely free of charge and run on a voluntary basis, supported through the generous provision of materials from the Findel CASTME Education Award. This support allows STEM Minis to remain accessible to all families and continues to make a meaningful contribution to STEM engagement in early childhood.

This summer’s programme consisted of five sessions led by Dr Daniela Cassola, Hon. General Secretary of NCW Malta. Each session was designed to introduce children to different scientific ideas through play, hands-on exploration, and sensory-rich activities. The first session explored the world of sound. Children experimented with vibrations by creating their own telephones using cups and string and then moved on to make musical instruments out of everyday “trash” such as soap boxes, toilet rolls, yoghurt tubs, stale cereal, rubber bands, and small plastic containers. Working together, they learned to keep a steady beat and had the chance to play their inventions alongside a selection of real percussion instruments. The session blended physics with creativity, showing children that science can be found in the simplest household items.

The second session shifted the focus to insects, with particular attention to bees and their essential role in pollination. The children learned the basic anatomy of insects – head, thorax, abdomen, and six legs – and explored insect life cycles. They engaged in a fine-motor activity where they used tweezers to pick up wooden ladybirds, butterflies, and pompom “eggs,” transporting them to felt flowers. A pollination activity followed, where handmade bees and butterflies, created from popsicle sticks, tissue-paper wings, and pipe-cleaner legs, “flew” onto paper flowers dusted with yellow powder. The excitement on the children’s faces as the “pollen” stuck to their insects’ legs perfectly illustrated how hands-on learning makes scientific concepts meaningful.

The third session, Secret Spies, was one of the most memorable. Children arrived to find a dress-up box full of props and costumes, allowing them to become spies for the day and choose their very own spy names. They learned about fingerprints and examined their own using paint before identifying loops, whorls, and arches. Equipped with this new knowledge, the young detectives worked together to solve “The Case of the Missing Diamond,” where they had to match fingerprints to identify the robber. The excitement continued with invisible ink messages written using lemon juice and revealed over heat, a matching game involving animal tracks, and a series of escape-room-style puzzles using codes, number lines, and problem-solving challenges. Solving all the puzzles rewarded them with a three-digit code that opened a locked treasure chest filled with biscuits. The combination of science, mystery, and teamwork made this session a clear favourite.

Magic Potions, the fourth session, introduced the children to chemistry through a series of fun and safe reactions. The children watched in amazement as balloons inflated through the reaction of baking soda and vinegar. They created simple lava lamps using oil, coloured water, baking soda, and vinegar, marvelling at the bubbling movement within the cup. Finally, they explored oobleck, the fascinating non-Newtonian mixture of cornstarch and water that behaves as both a solid and a liquid. Their enthusiasm while squeezing, tapping, and watching it ooze demonstrated the power of sensory-based science learning.

The final session of the summer took place outdoors at Buskett, where the children became Nature Explorers for the morning. With scavenger hunt lists in hand, they searched for items such as spiders, moss, seed pods, tree stumps, and green or brown leaves. Along the way, they collected a variety of leaves, which they later examined at the picnic tables, comparing edges, shapes, and sizes before creating leaf rubbings. The session also included time for free exploration, during which some children attempted to build a “snowman” using sticks, pinecones, and leaves. The morning ended with a small picnic, making the final session both educational and memorable.

Feedback from parents this year was exceptionally positive. Many expressed appreciation for the creativity and organisation of each session, as well as gratitude for the welcoming and calm environment created for their children. Parents consistently highlighted how much their children looked forward to each session and how eagerly they spoke about their experiences at home. Their comments reinforced the value of keeping the programme free and accessible, and the importance of providing high-quality early STEM opportunities within the community.  The 2025 edition was a wonderful example of how simple materials, thoughtful planning, and a spirit of exploration can come together to create meaningful and joyful STEM experiences.