In Pakistan, children often resort to rote learning and memorization to pass in high stakes exams. Superficial understanding of the subject-matter makes them disengaged from learning; result is a large number of non-passionate learners. This is especially true for girls, who are often discouraged from pursuing STEM subjects. To address this gender imbalance, there is a need to encourage girls to pursue STEM fields from a young age and provide them with opportunities to apply their knowledge in practical, real-world projects. The shyness and reservations in opting for science, mathematics, technology and computing subjects stems from an early stage, and needs to be nipped in the bud. There is a need to set up informal learning spaces where girls can feel free to explore STEM concepts and work on hands-on projects are. Such playful, collaborative working spaces foster creativity, develop a love for making and doing by hands, and at the same time building the skills and confidence girls need to succeed in STEM/STEAM careers – and all of this needs to begin at school level.