Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Thirty-six undergraduate education students spent two days at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) learning how museum objects, heritage and place can support science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) lessons in school. The workshop, “Discovering STEAM Learning,” was run by NMoQ and Qatar University’s College of Education as part of the ExxonMobil STEAM Festival, and Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported it as concluded on 8 October 2026. The reporting describes what the programme set out to do. It does not say whether participants’ teaching or pupils’ learning changed afterwards.
What the two days covered
The workshop was aimed at student teachers, including people preparing for or already doing school-based teaching practice. Its central idea was that a museum can extend classroom learning by letting pupils connect curriculum subjects with objects, stories and Qatar’s heritage. Each day combined hands-on activity with discussion, so participants both experienced the museum’s methods and considered how they might transfer them to their own classrooms.
Day one: activities in the galleries and library
According to QNA, the first day included three linked activities, followed by a period of reflection and experience-sharing:
- STEAM Lab session: a hands-on session in NMoQ’s STEAM Lab, where participants worked directly with the kind of activities NMoQ offers learners.
- Thematic gallery tour: a guided walk through the museum organised around a theme rather than a chronological or purely historical sequence.
- Library session featuring the Silk Roads Game: a session in which the Silk Roads Game was used as a learning activity. The reporting describes it as a library activity; it does not say whether a commercial edition exists.
Day two: discussion with museum and university specialists
The second day brought together museum specialists, Qatar University academics and education professionals. QNA listed the discussion topics as:
#1 Best Overall
- HEDGEHOG BLOCKS CREATIVE PLAY: Soft, flexible shapes connect at different angles so children can build cars, houses, robots, and original 3D creations. These hands-on STEM toys make engineering ideas fun to explore.
- BRISTLE BLOCKS MADE FOR REPEAT PLAY: Easy-connect tips attach and release without complicated assembly. BPA-free, non-toxic, lead-safe plastic supports sturdy creations and comfortable hands-on use.
- OPEN-ENDED BUILDING TOYS: Mix bright colors and flexible shapes to create more than 20 designs, then take them apart and rebuild something new, encouraging experimentation without limiting children to one finished model.
- SKILL BUILDING FOR AGES 3+: Sorting, counting, connecting, and balancing pieces supports hand-eye coordination, color recognition, spatial thinking, and problem-solving during independent or collaborative play.
- PICASSOTILES 120-PIECE SET: Includes 120 soft, rubbery interlocking shapes for solo or shared activities. A versatile choice for home, preschool classroom toys, kindergarten centers, group projects, and family play.
- what “STEAM” means beyond the acronym
- museums as partners in teaching and learning
- how NMoQ develops its workshops
- collaboration between teachers and museum educators
- STEAM learning in the early years
- using objects, culture and place in everyday learning
The mix matters for anyone planning similar training. The first day gave student teachers something to do; the second gave them a way to think about why it worked and how it could be adapted.
The teaching idea behind the programme
NMoQ’s approach, as described in the coverage, is to connect curriculum concepts with physical objects, the stories attached to them and the places they come from. The aim is to help pupils understand concepts through objects, stories and place, and to show teachers how museum knowledge can complement classroom teaching and support curriculum delivery. This is the programme’s stated purpose. It is not a measured result.
NMoQ’s director of the ExxonMobil STEAM Festival and acting deputy director of Learning and Outreach, Nadya Al Saleh, put the case this way: “Museums can extend learning beyond the classroom, giving teachers and students opportunities to connect curriculum subjects with objects, heritage and real-world experiences.” She said the programme was designed so future educators could experience NMoQ’s learning activities, understand how they were developed, and consider adapting them for their own classrooms.
Rank #2
- BRAIN-GAMES PLAY: STEM brain teaser puzzle uses critical thinking and logic skills through mentally stimulating pattern matching that challenges young minds and makes learning fun for ages 5+
- HANDS-ON LEARNING: Tactile puzzle blocks in various shapes and patterns encourage interactive exploration and brain game problem-solving, helping kids build spatial understanding and fine motor skills
- VERSATILE CHALLENGES: 10 double-sided challenge cards in English from Educational Insights offer progressive brain game difficulty levels that grow with your child's thinking skills and development
- SCREEN-FREE ENTERTAINMENT: Solo brain toy captivates kids without technology, providing educational fun at home, in classrooms, or on-the-go while building concentration and executive functioning
- QUALITY CONSTRUCTION: Sturdy, lightweight toy blocks and durable coated cards withstand regular play and travel, with a portable storage box to keep all 34 small puzzle pieces neatly organized
Alshaima Alyafei, section head of Learning Support at Qatar University’s College of Education, described the partnership as an authentic learning experience that supports experiential learning, innovation and community engagement. In her account, it let students bridge theory and practice and explore hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.
The festival schedule after the workshop
QNA reported that the ExxonMobil STEAM Festival would continue at NMoQ until 28 November 2026, with activities in the Digital and AI Centre, the Library and other learning spaces. The listed activities were:
- hands-on navigation workshops
- a Silk Road board game
- storytelling sessions linking STEAM with navigation, traditional boats and Qatar’s heritage
This schedule is as QNA reported it on 8 October 2026. Festival programmes can change, so confirm dates and session times with NMoQ before planning a visit or a class trip.
Rank #3
- Wooden Activity Board for Learning - This Montessori toy is a magnetic maze that's perfect for kids aged 3 and up. To play, use the attached magnetic wand to slide the beads across the acrylic surface and match colors and numbers. Note: For best results, keep the wand vertical.
- Easy to Operate and Understand- Magnetic maze board for 3-5 year olds to improve fine motor skills. Move colored beads with magnetic pen to enhance hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Keeps kids quiet, focused, and engaged.
- Great Gift for Kids 3+ - This magnetic maze puzzle board is a great gift idea for birthdays, holidays, travel, and other special occasions. It's an excellent toy for various places such as home, car, outdoor, travel, and more.Best Christmas Gifts for Boys Girls,Stocking Stuffers for kids!
What the reporting does and does not establish
The event coverage establishes who ran the workshop, who attended, what they did and what the organisers said the aims were. It does not establish the following:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- any learning gain among the 36 students
- any change in teacher confidence or practice
- whether participants used museum-based activities in their own classrooms
- any effect on pupil outcomes
- any direct assessment of how effective the workshop was
Readers should treat the workshop as a documented professional-learning event with a clear educational rationale, not as evidence that the approach works. The figure of 36 students is the only attendance number reported.
Ways to extend STEAM learning beyond the classroom
No competing workshop providers or alternative museum programmes were established in the reporting, so this article cannot compare NMoQ’s programme with others. Teachers and programme planners can still use the following criteria to judge any museum-linked STEAM activity, including this one:
Rank #4
- The Signature Yellow Cap Storage Jar - Contains 500+ pcs in 12 colors; Includes an idea booklet with instructions to build a BRAIN FLAKES flower, rainbow ball, and tree; Additional building instructions and resources online providing endless creativity ideas for boys and girls
- For Ages 3 to 99 - BRAIN FLAKES discs click together easily for children ages 3+; Aids in the development of fine motor skills and color learning for children 3+; A great gift for the entire family to enjoy
- Why BRAIN FLAKES - A great STEM toy for developing spatial intelligence and thinking; Construct large structures with few pieces; Discs are flexible for creative open-ended building; Great screen-free and quiet-time activity
- Non-Toxic and Tested for Safety - Child safe; BPA, lead, heavy metal, and phthalate free; Compliant with ASTM US CPSIA safety regulations
- Engineers Start Here - A great solo or collaborative group activity for school classrooms, makerspaces, montessori, daycares, libraries, or home; Countless design possibilities and therapeutic building play
- Access to objects or collections: can pupils handle, examine or closely observe real material, or only see images?
- Connection to the local curriculum and culture: does the activity link to what pupils are studying and to the place they live?
- Hands-on participation: do pupils build, test or make something, or only listen?
- Teacher and museum educator collaboration: do both sides plan the activity together?
- Follow-up materials: is there something pupils or teachers can use back in class?
Context from Australian STEM guidance
The Australian Government Department of Education’s STEM teaching guidance, under the pages “What works best when teaching STEM?” and “Equip and empower teachers,” describes professional learning, suitable resources and technology, collaboration among teachers, and links with museums, industry and government as ways to support STEM education. This is general Australian guidance. It is not a Qatar policy statement and it does not evaluate NMoQ’s programme, but it offers a useful framework for the same questions of professional learning and community links.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Planning a museum-linked STEAM lesson
If you want to borrow the workshop’s approach for your own class, the sequence below follows its structure: hands-on activity first, then discussion of how it fits the curriculum.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →- Pick one curriculum concept, such as measurement, navigation or how materials are made, and write the learning goal in one sentence.
- Find a real object, image or place that illustrates it. If you cannot visit a museum, a local site or a shared collection can serve the same purpose.
- Plan a short hands-on task in which pupils test, build or sort something related to the object.
- Add a storytelling or discussion step so pupils explain where the object comes from and why it matters.
- Agree in advance with any museum educator what each side will do, and who will assess the pupils’ work.
- After the lesson, note what pupils understood and what did not work, so the next attempt can be improved.
Classroom activity kits can help teachers stage hands-on interdisciplinary work. None was named, used or endorsed in the reporting on this workshop, so choose one only if it fits your curriculum and your pupils’ age.
Best Value
- 【Super Value Creative Building Blocks】Total 300pcs snowflake building toys with bright colors and a design examples, can be built into any 2D or 3D shapes, such as flowers, animals, cars, building, numbers, letters and anythings kids can imagine. Except for building games, toddlers can also sorting or counting the blocks by color and number. Great stem building toys for kids 3-5 4-8, educational learning toys for 4 year old, manipulatives for preschoolers 1st 2nd 3rd grade.
- 【Educational STEM Games】Connect toys interlocking solid discs can develops their problem solving skills, improves creativity and imagination by building up different kinds of structure and enhance kids' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills. Best fine motor skills toys for 3 4 5 year old, stem activities sensory toys for kids ages 5-7 8-12, also great as occupational therapy toys, special education classroom must haves.
- 【Interactive Classroom Toys】The building blocks for toddlers 3-5 with enough parts to encourage kids to play with families or friends. Spend time with child and teach them how to assemble parts, how to work together, and build different things! Preschool classroom must haves, learning games fine motor toys for kids 5-7, toys for ages 3-5 5-7, boy toys age 4-6 5-6 years old, stem bins for classroom.
- 【Safety & Easy to Storage】Made of high quality materials, durable & easy to clean. Rounded edge design that safe for kids to play! Equipped with a sturdy toy box, develop toddler good habits of organization. Wonderful stem kits building blocks for kids ages 4-8 6-8, classroom learning toys for ages 5-7, preschool kindergarten learning activities, indoor recess games for classroom.
- 【Ideal Gifts for Kids】Fun open ended STEM toys Construction Set for 3+ year olds with lots of possibilities. Perfect building toys for kids ages 3-5 4-8, kindergarten counting toys or daycare toys, kindergarten homeschool must haves, steam activities sensory bins for kids ages 5-7, fine motor skills toys 4 5 6 7+ year old boys, cool birthday gifts for 3 4 5 6 7 8+ year old boys and girls, task boxes for special education. Colorful and so many possibilities for creativity!
Sources
- Qatar News Agency, “National Museum of Qatar and Qatar University Conclude Future Teachers Workshop,” 8 October 2026.
- Qatar Tribune, “NMoQ and QU equip future teachers with STEAM skills,” 9 October 2026, which provides additional day-by-day activity detail.
- Australian Government Department of Education, “What works best when teaching STEM?” and “Equip and empower teachers.”
Named sources are cited as reported at the dates shown; please check the original pages for any later updates.
The Bottom Line
The NMoQ and Qatar University workshop is a documented professional-learning event that gave 36 future teachers hands-on museum experience and a framework for linking objects, heritage and place to STEAM lessons. It is a credible model to consider, but the reporting offers no evidence yet of what it changed for participants or their pupils.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Recommended Free Tools
