More Than Just Building Things
By Iskra Smiljanic, Ph.D., Psychologist, Founder and Owner of Exploratores
In a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, it’s easy to forget the power of working with your hands: building, tinkering, and figuring things out from scratch. At Exploratores, our after-school STEM center in downtown Westfield, we can observe how early exposure to science, engineering, and hands-on problem solving shapes a child’s development far beyond just academic knowledge.
As a psychologist, I often reflect on the deeper benefits of STEM education that go beyond academic knowledge and technical skills. Watching kids engage with our projects—from building catapults to experimenting with circuits or exploring robotics, I’m repeatedly reminded that the benefit of early STEM education is in how it helps children grow.
Fine Motor Skills
When kids use tools, manipulate small parts, or put together pieces of models, they’re not just “building things,” they’re refining their coordination and fine motor control. These small, often overlooked moments are essential for brain development. You can observe this as a child’s hands grip and handle screwdrivers more confidently and with greater ease or how they connect wires.
Patience, Grit, and Growth
STEM projects rarely work perfectly the first time. And that can be a good thing. When a project doesn’t work or something doesn’t go as planned, it provides the opportunity for a powerful learning experience: tolerance for frustration and persistence. We help kids learn that it’s okay to try, not succeed, and try again, sometimes many times over again. Over the weeks and months, I have observed kids who once got frustrated easily begin to take a deep breath, engage in positive and encouraging self talk (“It’s ok, I can do this.”). They slow down, and continue to tackle challenges with greater patience towards their own skills and the learning process. Over time, they stop seeing mistakes as failures and start experiencing them as part of the process. That’s grit in action and it’s a skill that will serve them for life.
Teamwork and Communication
Whether kids are brainstorming how to put something together, improving their design, or are taking turns with a tool, they’re learning the social skills that make great collaborators. I have observed how kids provide each other with support and encouragement and share their ideas. This kind of learning experience and shared successes not only foster a sense of teamwork but also build their own confidence in their abilities and their sense of worth.
Pride in Their Work
One of the most rewarding moments that I get to witness as an instructor at Exploratores is the joy, amazement and pride in a child’s eyes when they finish something. That moment is not just about the finished product but it’s about the process that got them to that point. They’ve gone through ups and downs, moments of frustration and uncertainty to a sense of accomplishment and mastery. That kind of experience is deeply impactful and empowering.
We’ve seen kids begin a class cycle unsure of how to do certain parts of a project and hesitant to try things without an instructor’s guidance. Yet, by the end, they’re confidently handling tools and components that once felt intimidating and they even offer help and advice to their peers.
At Exploratores, we believe that fostering a love of STEM from an early age helps children develop skills that serve them in every area of life. It’s not just about building rockets or coding a robot—it’s about building confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.
If you’d like to learn more about our programs or see how your child might thrive in a hands-on STEM environment, we’d love to welcome you to our community.