How To Introduce Your Child To STEM: Girlstart’s Guide For Parents
One of the most common questions we get at Recess is, “How do I get my kid started in [X] subject?” As a new mom to Maya, I am asking myself the same thing. When should I start swim lessons? Music? How do I give her access to the kinds of experiences that will shape who she becomes? I think constantly about the kind of world I want Maya to grow up in, and even more about the confidence I want her to have as she navigates it. I am always looking for programs that will help her start to see herself as capable of anything, especially in fields where women have historically been underrepresented.
That is why I am so excited to introduce Recess families to Girlstart, an organization doing truly transformative work in STEM education for girls. When I learned about their mission to empower girls in grades 4–8 through hands-on STEM programs, I knew this was exactly the kind of partner we wanted on our platform. Girlstart does more than teach science and math. They create a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. This is the foundation Maya and every girl deserves.
We asked our partners at Girlstart to put together a guide for families who are looking for practical, age-by-age guidance on how to get their kids started in STEM.
I hope you’ll explore what Girlstart has to offer, from their incredible STEM Saturdays to their year-round programs. These are the experiences that help girls believe they can change their world, and I can’t wait to see what they create!
—Amy Kiska, Co-Founder & CEO of Recess
About Girlstart
Founded in 1997, Girlstart is a national women-led nonprofit that empowers girls through STEM. Through after-school programs, summer camps, and community events in Texas, California, Massachusetts, and beyond, Girlstart engages girls in grades 4-8 with hands-on, confidence-building STEM learning. Learn more at girlstart.org.
Why STEM Matters for Girls
The upper-elementary and middle-school years (4th-8th grade) are a pivotal time for girls to build confidence and see themselves as capable problem-solvers. This is also when self-doubt and stereotypes about “who belongs” in STEM can start to appear.
At Girlstart, we believe that more girls with more ideas will create more solutions to benefit us all. Our mission is to empower girls through STEM, and we envision a future where all who identify as girls believe they can change their world through science, technology, engineering, and math.
How Parents Can Support STEM at Home
Parents and caregivers can make a huge difference by modeling curiosity and exploration. You don’t need to be a scientist or engineer; just show a genuine interest in learning together. Ask questions, celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities, and connect STEM to things your child already loves. At Girlstart, we cultivate a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected, and that same spirit can thrive at home.
If your child insists she’s not into STEM, try connecting it to her interests:
- Loves art? Experiment with color-changing chemistry through homemade slime or bath bombs.
- Into music? Build a simple instrument and explore how sound travels.
- Fascinated by fashion or design? Engineer structures with different materials and test their strength. Or design a light-up circuit charm to attach to her favorite shirt!
Here is an age-by-age guide with more details:
- Ages 3–5: Planting the Seed
- Focus: Curiosity, language, and play-based problem solving. At this age, you are not “teaching science” so much as building the habits STEM relies on later: noticing, predicting, sticking with small challenges, and putting ideas into words.
- At home you can:
- Build “science talk” into daily life. In the bath, kitchen, or playground, ask: “What do you notice?”, “What is the same or different?”, “What do you think will happen if we…?” Then actually try it with water, sand, blocks, or food and see what happens together.
- Grow early math and spatial skills through play. Sort toys or snacks by size, color, or shape and ask how she sorted them. Use words like under, over, next to, taller, shorter, heavier, lighter while you stack blocks or climb at the playground. Count real things as you go through the day.
- Use stories to model problem solving. Read books where kids build, tinker, or fix things. Pause to ask, “What do you think she will try next?” and after the story connect it back: “When did you have to keep trying like that?”
- Normalize trial and error. When something does not work, say, “It did not work yet. What else could we try?” Praise the process: “You tried so many ways to make that tower stand up.”
- Big idea for this age: If kids learn that questions are welcome, their ideas are taken seriously, and trying again is normal, you are already building a strong STEM foundation.
- Ages 6–8 (1st–3rd Grade): Making STEM Feel Fun
- Focus: Hands-on experiments and connecting STEM to what she already loves. At home you can:
- If she loves art, try color changing chemistry with slime, bath bombs, or watercolor “experiments.”
- If she is into music, build a simple instrument from rubber bands and boxes and explore how sound changes.
- If she loves building, give her open-ended materials (recycling, tape, string) and ask her to design a bridge, tower, or “house for a favorite toy.”
- Look for low-pressure after-school options like maker clubs, LEGO clubs, or intro coding classes that feel like play, not extra homework.
- Focus: Hands-on experiments and connecting STEM to what she already loves. At home you can:
- Ages 9–11 (4th–5th Grade): The Confidence Window
- Girlstart’s sweet spot begins here. Focus: Identity, confidence, and seeing herself as “a STEM person.” At home you can:
- Talk about how mistakes are part of figuring things out. Praise effort and problem solving, not just right answers.
- Ask her to explain how she got to an answer in math or how she would improve a design next time.
- Connect STEM to her interests in a more intentional way:
- Art or design: Engineer stronger structures from different materials and test them.
- Fashion: Try simple e-textiles like a light-up circuit charm she can attach to a bag or jacket.
- Sports: Track stats, speeds, or distances and turn it into a mini data project.
- With Girlstart you can:
- Enroll her in Girlstart after-school programs or camps where she builds, codes, and experiments with girls who are just as curious as she is.
- Use Girlstart activities to show that STEM is collaborative and creative, not just sitting at a desk with a worksheet.
- Girlstart’s sweet spot begins here. Focus: Identity, confidence, and seeing herself as “a STEM person.” At home you can:
- Ages 11–13 (6th–8th Grade): Owning Her Voice in STEM
- This is where Girlstart programs go even deeper. Focus: Tackling real problems, leadership, and peer community.
- At home you can: Encourage longer projects: coding a simple game, designing and testing a water filter, building a more complex robot or structure.
- With Girlstart you can:
- Lean into programs that put her in the role of creator and leader, not just participant.
- Look for Girlstart experiences connected to real-world partners and role models, including initiatives like Lewis Hamilton’s Mission 44, so she sees women and girls like her reflected in STEM. More info below!
Girlstart Programs
Through Girlstart’s hands-on programs, in after-school clubs, summer camps, at community events, and even through cool partnerships with organizations like Lewis Hamilton’s Mission 44, we help girls see that STEM is everywhere. This December, families across the world can join in through DeSTEMber! DeSTEMber is an annual, month-long program, sparking curiosity and spreading the word that “STEM is everywhere!” Join Girlstart at DeSTEMber.org for 31 days of innovative STEM fun, featuring daily hands-on activity blogs, photos, videos, and contributions from incredible organizations.
Enjoy STEM Saturdays at Girlstart!
Join us on select Saturdays at the Girlstart STEM Center for exciting, themed, hands-on workshops! STEM Saturdays run from 9:30am to 12:30pm and cost $35. Open to girls of various ages, each workshop allows participants to dive into STEM topics, explore unique careers, and make new friends!
Upcoming STEM Saturday: Stay tuned for additional STEM Saturdays in Spring 2026!
Saturday, December 13th: Robotic Pet Vet You are about to discover how engineering, technology, and pet care come together! Perform surgery to explore the inside of a robotic dog and compare its mechanics to the anatomy of a real dog. Everyone will take home additional STEM activities—courtesy of Camp Invention—to continue exploring and creating with their families after the event!
STEM Saturdays Details:
- Location: Girlstart STEM Center, 1400 W. Anderson Ln, Austin, TX 78757
- Time: 9:30am-12:30pm
- Price: $35
- Age: 4th-6th graders
STEM Saturdays is a drop-off program, and advanced registration is required. Additional logistics information, including detailed drop-off and pick-up instructions, will be emailed directly to all registered families.
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