Stay physically and mentally active over the summer by adding a little STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and math activities encourage curiosity, help us better understand our world, and can be a lot of fun! Here are some great STEM ideas the whole family can try this summer.
- Go on a STEM hunt. Look for science, technology, engineering, and math all around you. Maybe your neighbors are using physics to fly a kite, or the person at the store is counting change to make a purchase, or maybe you notice a drone high up above at a festival. Take a picture of what you see and talk about how it relates to STEM. You’ll be amazed how much is all around.
- Try tinkering. Have an old radio sitting around? If not buy some old electronics at a garage sale and let the kids take it apart. Allow their curiosity to rule and observe and dissect the inner workings of an old VCR or camera. They may just get inspired to fix a broken radio or learn to make their own simple version.
- Go to the ball park or watch a baseball game on TV. Keep the score and stats during the game or calculate a favorite player’s earned run average (ERA).
- Brainstorm a list of questions the family has about the world, such as why is the sky blue? Do fish drink water? How do botanists develop new varieties of plants? What is the best shape bottle for bottle flipping? Then tackle a question each week of the summer. Research online or in the library to find the answers to questions or do experiments to shed some light on the topics.
- Make a fidget spinner challenge. Put all those fidget spinners to good use, and perform some experiments. Hypothesize which spinner will spin the longest, let them fly, and then determine why your prediction was correct or not.
- Design a website about a favorite hobby or for a family vacation to share with other family members or friends. Or make an app! There are lots of easy to use tools and programs to help you, from Animoto Video Maker to Weebly (for making websites). Check out the tools offered on the web.
- Get the heart rate up. Teach your kids how to take their heart rate. Then talk about how the rate of the beat changes when we are active vs. resting. Try out several different activities, such as jumping jacks, hula hooping, or playing an intense game of checkers. How does each activity affect everyone’s heart rate?
- Flex your math and science skills in the kitchen. Measure and mix ingredients, talk about solids and liquids, changing temperatures, and chemical reactions. And end with a tasty treat!
- Star gaze on a warm summer night. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you can see hundreds or even thousands of stars at night, explore and identify the constellations and talk about how stars form. Be sure to mention our closest star, the sun!
- Observe the jungle in your yard or at a local park. Use a magnifying glass to explore just a small patch of grass or a bush or tree for several minutes. You’ll be amazed at the tiny, active environment the exists just under your feet. Talk about what creatures are doing and how they are contributing to the environment. For example, ants help with decomposition and aerate the soil. Discuss how other animals are dependent on the creatures you find. The internet is a great source to find more information about what you see!