STEM is a term that’s used to group together the closely connected disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But it’s so much more than messing around with gadgets or having an affinity for numbers: STEM activities for kids are all about using creativity, collaboration and critical thinking to solve real-world problems. In Australian schools, STEM learning is an important focus as we continue to rely on technology for work and play. Through teaching STEM skills to kids, we hope to better equip them for the future and the challenges they’ll face in the 21st century.

How to Play the Sticky Note Number Match Game

This STEM activity for kids isn’t just about recognising numbers in different ways – it’s also laying down some solid groundwork for when they start tackling addition, subtraction and number patterns in primary school. This numerical adventure will get them moving, thinking and learning all at once. Before you know it, they'll be number ninjas, ready to take on any math challenge that comes their way!

‍SEE ALSO: 5 STEM Arts and Crafts Activities to Do With Your Kids

An assortment of products for setting up STEM Activities for Kids, arranged in a neat pattern on a wooden surface. Products include things like sticky notes, stickers and markers.

What You'll Need

A series of images showing how to create a number match STEM Activity for Kids. This example uses an A3 sheet of paper, a marker and coloured sticky dots.

Instructions

Step 1: Draw 10 boxes, roughly the same size as your sticky notes, on a large sheet of paper, making sure to leave a gap between each one. Within each box, use the dot stickers to represent numbers 1-10 on the paper (you might like to copy the dot patterns you see on dice or dominoes). To make things extra challenging, don’t put the numbers in sequential order. You can also represent some numbers more than once if you like. 

Step 2: Using your scissors, cut strips of masking tape to attach the sheet of marked-up paper to your wall. Make sure the paper is hung at a height suitable for your child.

Step 3: For each number represented on your piece of paper, write a matching sticky note with the corresponding numeral on it. So, for example, write a ‘5’ on a sticky note to match with where you’ve placed five dot stickers.

SEE ALSO: 3 Boredom-Busting DIY Construction Activities for Kids

A series of images showing how to set up a number match STEM Activity for Kids. This example shows numbered sticky notes hidden in various places around a home.

Step 4: Hide these numbered sticky notes all over your house. Some good ideas for hiding places: inside shoes, stuck to books or favourite toys, inside drawers, or on the fridge.

Step 5: It’s time to play! Show your kids the sheet of paper covered in dot stickers and ask them to find the matching number sticky notes. Kids have to search the house, find the correct sticky note and stick it on top of the corresponding box of dot stickers.

A series of images showing how to play a number match STEM Activity for Kids, using numbered sticky notes that correspond to the number of sticky dots in squares drawn on an A3 piece of paper.

Hot Tip: You can modify this activity to suit older children in many ways. For an extra challenge, try switching to numbers 10-20. Or follow the steps above but swap the dot stickers and written numbers, so kids are hunting for sticky notes with dot stickers and matching them to a chart with numbers on instead. 

You could also try writing simple sums on your piece of paper (for example, ‘2 + 3’ or ‘4 - 1’) and get kids to hunt for the answer, written as a number on a sticky note. In fact, you can make it as age-appropriate as you like, how about some sticky note fun with algebra?‍

This article was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated.