STEM Saturday
Giant Dry Ice Bubble Crystal Ball
We absolutely LOVE doing dry ice experiments for Halloween parties or just for fun. A fun and easy experiment to do is to make a giant dry ice bubble that looks exactly like a magical crystal ball. Who knows, you may be able to see the future in yours! Getting Ready *Safety Alert* Dry ice is relatively safe, but it can be dangerous if handled incorrectly. Please see our dry ice safety FAQs for [...]
Straw Boats: Engineering Challenge for Kids
Some of our favorite activities to do on inside days are simple STEM challenges. This straw boats engineering challenge is so easy and simple, but it's also engaging and fun. On rainy days we like to construct straw boats inside and then take them outside to float in the puddles! For an added challenge it's fun to experiment to see how many pennies we can get our boats to hold before they sink. [...]
Separate Salt and Pepper with Static Electricity
Doing simple science experiments is a great way to get students excited and interested in new topics. There are so many quick and easy experiments to do with static electricity, but using a plastic spoon to separate salt and pepper is one of the best. It's among our most magical and surprising kitchen science experiments yet! Getting Ready This science experiment is so simple and easy to set up. We already had all [...]
Film Canister Rocket Fireworks Painting
Create colorful art while doing an exciting science experiment! Making film canister rocket fireworks is the perfect way to add a little bit of art into a fun STEM activity. At the end of this article you will find several more patriotic science activities that are perfect for celebrating national holidays. We have launched film canister rockets several times. Usually we just make Alka-Seltzer rockets with water, but a couple of weeks ago [...]
Ice Science and Engineering | Unique Hands-On Play
Discover ice science! Paint with ice, fish for ice, build sculptures, and more! Ten simple ice science and engineering ideas to keep the kids learning. Winter is the perfect time to have some fun with ice science. Over the past few months I have been delighted to see so many great ways to learn with ice in our STEM Saturday Linkup. The thing I love most about these activities is that they are all [...]
Snow Paint | Winter Color Mixing Science
When it snows, the kids want to go outside and play. This is wonderful for a few minutes, but inevitably everyone gets cold fingers and toes and we end up right back inside. By making snow paint we have found a way to bring the fun and excitement of snow inside to our warm and comfortable home. This is a magical winter science experiment where kids learn about color mixing, create beautiful art, and [...]
12 Hands On Science Activities for Year-Round Fun and Learning
This round up of the most popular hands on science activities from The Science Kiddo includes 12 hands on science activities for kids to do year-round! *This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy. Parents often tell me that they want to do hands on science activities with their kids, but they don't know where to start. They feel overwhelmed or they are worried the activities will be too complicated. To [...]
Glitter Glow in the Dark Ornaments
Who says the Christmas tree has to be dark when the Christmas lights go off? How about decorating the tree this year with these super-easy-to-make glow in the dark ornaments? In the light they are sparkly white, in the dark they continue to shimmer and glow. This is such a fun winter science experiment in addition to being a great Christmas craft the whole family can enjoy. Getting Ready *This post contains affiliate links. Please [...]
Gumdrop Graphs | Candy Math
This week we did a very simple math activity as part of our special Gumdrop STEM blog hop. My kids are currently five and two years old, respectively, so I wanted to do a simple home learning activity without too many tricky parts. Luckily for me, the kids love counting and coloring, so a little sorting and graphing activity seemed right up their alley. It was super simple. I mean, really really simple. But they [...]
Construction Play With Bunchems | Creative Building
The benefits of building, engineering, and construction play are well established. Kids that engage in this kind of play enhance problem solving skills, fine motor skills, and spacial skills, as well as develop a heightened capacity for creative, divergent thinking. There may also be a link between construction play and advanced math skills later in life. The importance of early childhood STEM activities cannot be overstated. This week we got to do a new [...]