(StatePoint) Want to take play time up a notch at your house? Consider offering kids opportunities to explore their creativity, support STEM learning, and pick up important skills through hands-on experiences.

“There are many ways to foster excitement in children to learn, while encouraging them to explore and experiment with their creativity,” says Evan Buzzerio, chief marketing officer of Horizon Group USA, a leader in the creative DIY marketplace.

Here are some fun ideas to get started:

• Chemistry Lab: For a fun, fizzing and slimy reaction, check out FIZZYGLOOP, a DIY kit available in Unicorn, Confetti, Holographic and other fun themes that includes all the ingredients needed to create a foaming, slimy goo.

Or, transform your play space into a scientific laboratory. Create oozing, slimy spheres that kids can pop and squish to reveal gooey centers, with a new DIY kit just for kids called OOZ-O’s, which are available in themes like Mermaid, Unicorn, Galaxy and Monster, and help introduce basic chemistry principles.

• Tactile Fun: Whether it’s making and playing with slime or using a stress ball, tactile fun can build strength in arms, hands and wrists and improve motor skills in fun, mess-free ways.

• Crafty Science: Kids can learn the science of soapmaking with YOU*NIVERSE Sparkling Squishy Soap kits, by creating colorful soaps that are squishy to the touch in fun, moldable shapes like pizza, a smiley face and donuts.

• Kitchen Help: Get kids involved in the kitchen. From shelling peas to kneading dough, there are lots of tasks children can do that help build motor skills. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to teach kids cooking basics and facts about nutrition.

• Rock Science: Inspire a love of geology and the scientific process with a home geology set, such as the Discovery Galactic Fizzing Dig kit, which allows children to create fizzing, bubbling reactions to unearth and study six real gemstones using a mallet, chisel and magnifying glass.

Helping kids explore the world around them can start right at home. Luckily, hands-on, creative play is one of the best ways to learn.

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