STEM-Enriched Back-to-School Routines

by | Jul 8, 2025 | STEAM

Building summer routines to support independence, resilience, and readiness for the school year—plus space for everyday STEM moments. | STEMful
The longer days of summer are not over yet, but it’s never too early to start thinking about routines before the new school year in the fall.

Establishing schedules (the big-picture itinerary for the day) and routines (the smaller steps that make up the broader activities on the schedule) can help kids become more independent, improve executive function, and develop resilience, helping them learn to adjust to change with ease.1

Those crucial skills can help kids adjust to earlier waking times and more structured days, remembering to complete basic hygiene tasks like brushing teeth before bed and washing hands before eating, but they can also set kids up for success for STEM learning when regular science and math moments are woven into a daily or weekly schedule.

Building summer routines to support independence, resilience, and readiness for the school year—plus space for everyday STEM moments. | STEMful

Benefits of Routines for STEM Learning

Routines have proven benefits for kids’ mental well-being, particularly for “times of transition” throughout the day, such as getting ready for school and around dinnertime and bedtime. These offer opportunities for children to bond with their families and feel part of the whole, as they spend mealtimes with parents and siblings.

Daily routines around these transitional periods help kids feel supported and safe, which is especially important for children with behavioral challenges. According to researchers, kids act out less when they know what they are supposed to do and what to expect.2

Establishing routines and giving clear directions can help foster a supportive environment for kids of any age and set the stage for learning, especially the rigors of STEM subjects, throughout childhood and beyond. Clear directions that help kids follow instructions also improve learning outcomes.

When kids’ environments are safe and supportive, they are able to follow instructions and to commit new information to long-term memory. And when they are better equipped to retain new information, they are better positioned to succeed academically.3

Routines for Every Age

Kids of all ages can benefit from routines, but younger kids may need even more structure when completing tasks, while older kids may thrive independently. Every child is different and develops at their own pace, so adjust expectations accordingly. Below are some tips for school-age kids along with some ideas for daily or weekly STEM-based activities.

Building daily routines for kids of all ages helps create structure, reduce stress, and foster a sense of security. | STEMful

 

Pre-K/TK to Kindergarten

For younger kids to thrive, setting up regular routines to help with self-regulation and healthy emotional development will serve them throughout their lives. Establish a schedule with tasks for each day and provide clear directions and support so that kids know what to expect throughout the day but can lean on caregivers to help them stay on track when needed. Including some STEM moments can get younger kids thinking about science and math early on.

Routine Ideas for Pre-K/TK to Kindergarten:

  • Try picture schedules, where kids can fill in their completed activities or use colorful stickers to see what they’ve accomplished at the end of the day or week.
  • Choose a daily observational activity, such as the weather in the morning or the moon at night. Ask kids to describe what they see, and introduce basic terminology, such as phases of the moon or types of clouds.
  • Set aside scheduled times for unstructured play to help children think creatively and problem solve on their own. Sensory play is a great place to start.

Grades 1-3

Lower elementary school kids aged 6 to 9 can build on the routines they learned as preschoolers with additional responsibilities. When expectations are clear, allowing kids to take more ownership over their morning or bedtime routines can help foster independence and build self-confidence.

Routine Ideas for Grades 1–3:

  • Ask kids for input on their routine. Is there a STEM-based activity they would enjoy doing daily or weekly? Where do they think it could fit into their routine?
  • Let kids choose a STEM-focused book for bedtime and read with or to your child. Discuss the book the next day at a meal or when traveling to school if time allows. What did they learn? What did they like or dislike?
  • Schedule time for a STEM activity each week. (Check out our other blog posts for ideas to get you started, such as string telephones, food science fun, or kid-friendly chemical reactions.

Grades 4-5

Older elementary school children, especially those getting ready for middle school, have likely developed routines that fostered independence, and need less oversight from parents with daily tasks such as brushing teeth. It’s a great time to ask kids to help tweak their routines when appropriate to keep them engaged and on task.

Routine Ideas for Grades 4–5:

  • Have kids determine a reading goal for the week, or let kids choose a book for the family to read and lead a discussion about it.
  • Ask kids to pick a STEM experiment for the week based on their interests and lead the family in conducting it.
  • Build in time for independent hands-on learning activities, such as robotics or coding.

Encourage curiosity and independence with hands-on, kid-led STEM activities you can do at home. | STEMful

No matter where your child may be developmentally, routines are beneficial for their emotional well-being and academic success. Including STEM-based activities that interest your kids, being responsive and flexible to their needs, and asking kids for their input can help smooth transition times throughout the day and to ease a return to school—or a fresh start for the youngest kids—in the fall. When children know what to expect, when they feel supported and safe, they thrive.

Outside the classroom and your home, regular participation in afterschool camps can help enhance children’s STEM learning. Sign your kids up for STEMful’s programs to help sprout their curiosity with STEM- or STEAM-based play for kids 1.5 to 10.

  1. “The Importance of Schedules and Routines,” HeadStart.gov, updated February 3, 2025, https://headstart.gov/about-us/article/importance-schedules-routines.
  2. Mary Louise Hemmeter, Michaelene Ostrosky, and Lise Fox, “Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning: A Conceptual Model for Intervention,” School Psychology Review 35, no. 4 (2006): 583–601, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michaelene-Ostrosky/publication/228349912_Social_and_Emotional_Foundations_for_Early_Learning_A_Conceptual_Model_for_Intervention/links/55005fca0cf2de950a6d6244/Social-and-Emotional-Foundations-for-Early-Learning-A-Conceptual-Model-for-Intervention.pdf.
  3. Sabrina Dunham, Edward Lee, and Adam M. Persky, “The Psychology of Following Instructions and Its Implications,” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 84, no. 8 (2020): ajpe7779 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7473227/