School is almost back in session! Now is the perfect time to start collecting fun hands-on STEM-based learning activities for the kids in your life. The team at Global Digital Citizen Foundation has compiled a list of terrific activities for the home and classroom that can be tailored to any age, from toddlers all the way up to high school students. Their list breaks down activities according to their STEM subject: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Science Activities:
Frog Study – Brought to you by Harrington Harmonies, this amphibian activity will teach students about observation, life cycles, and life science. You can tailor this activity to kids in preschool all the way up to high school.
Water Cycle in a Bag – This is a great activity for young kids from From Playdough to Plato to learn about the natural evaporation, condensation, and precipitation cycle. It all takes place in a tiny little Ziploc bag.
Technology Activities:
Orienteering An Outdoor Adventure – Orienteering is an exciting adventure sport that comes to us from Sweden and that will get your kids running. Children will learn to use a compass and to gauge distances with more accuracy. Ideal for K-5 students, this could also be tailored to older kids as well.
Become a LEGO Mechanic – Homegrown Learners provides some great videos and detailed explanations of how to use LEGO's Simple and Motorized Mechanisms set. Kids get to use LEGO to work as scientists and engineers to seek answers and design creative solutions
Engineering Activities:
Bridge Building Challenge – Using just some glue, craft sticks, a ruler, and some parchment paper, kids can build a bridge and test just how well it will hold up. Busy Kids, Happy Mom provides this bridge building tutorial that can be applied in the classroom or at home.
Up, Up, and Away – This activity from the Homeschool Scientist gets kids working on building their own custom aircraft.
Miniature Robot – Want to show kids how to make their own customizable battery-powered robot? This easy and fun tutorial from Red Ted Art will get them up and running in no time.
Math Activities:
Early Math Lessons – These simple math lessons are great for younger children to teach the very basics of math. Our Journey Westward brings us these math ideas to teach division and logic.
Nerf Gun Math – This fun outdoor activity for teaching basic math. No Time For Flash Cards breaks down the instructions and materials needed to create this simple Nerf Gun Math game.
Tower of Hanoi – This is a traditional game where discs of varying sizes are stacked onto rods. The discs are stacked in order with the smallest on top and the biggest on the bottom. They can only be moved one at a time, and can only be placed either on an empty space or on a larger disc.
Want more STEM activities? Check out Global Digital Citizen Foundation’s full list of 36 STEM activities here. Don’t forget to check out WWEST’s collection of online resources and activities for K-12 students. Have a good school year!