The world is changing rapidly in this technological age. Children today need to be prepared for a very different future in which technologies such as digital fabrication (for example, 3D printing), robotics and artificial intelligence will be driving all kinds of changes to work and leisure.
One means of ensuring that children are prepared to be active citizens in this future is to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge, hence the need for more emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Helping settings to explore what a STEM approach might look like in the early years is the research project ‘Makerspaces in the Early Years: Enhancing Digital Literacy and Creativity’ (MakEY). Conducted in seven countries – Denmark, Finland Germany, Iceland, Norway, the UK and the USA – the project aimed to develop young children’s STEM knowledge and skills through hands-on tinkering and making within makerspaces.
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