1. Embrace cardboard. You can do a lot of stuff with cardboard, according to Keating, from crafting a classic marble run to making something more complex, like Klutz's Air Blast Cannon. "You can buy household materials," Keating says. "You don't need super specialized stuff to do some really cool things." (Want to learn more? Read the three reasons why Keating thinks cardboard is a great STEAM learning tool.)
2. Encourage curiosity. "Kids love asking questions — they ask a million questions," Keating says. If your kid asks for a new toy, say, 'That's cool but maybe we could make something like that.' Get some simple supplies (like dry pasta, rulers and protractors, and of course, cardboard!) or one of the Klutz kits below and let them take the lead. "Kids are full of natural curiosity, so just encourage that. Empower them to explore what they can come up with."
3. Learn together. "If your kid's asking you to help them build something, and you don't know how to do it, it's a great opportunity for you to learn how to do it and for them to see you learning something," Keating says. Convey to your child the idea that information has to be learned — it doesn't just magically appear in your head — and that the process of learning, of finding out an answer, can be cool and fun.