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8+ STEM

DIY Flag Optical Illusion!

Wave those Stars and Stripes this Fourth!

History of the Flag

There are 50 stars for each state in the Union, and 13 red and white stripes representing the original colonies. The flag was first created in 1777!

Flag Optical Illusion

In honor of our banner this Fourth, let’s create an optical illusion using “negative” colors. To create this “trickery” on your eyes, you will need green, yellow, and black molding clay. It was also a great exercise to create a “normal-colored” flag with the traditional red, white, and blue.
When you stare at the flag with the opposite colors for an extended time, your eyes will register an afterimage upon glancing on a white surface. But more on that later!
Cover cookie sheets or cutting boards in parchment paper. You will need a spot to put your flags. We used a patio table so the clay didn’t stick onto anything and then transferred it over to the parchment.
 
Flag Day Optical Illusion Clay
Begin by making the stripes of the negative-colored flag. A negative image is a normal image’s total inversion. It’s where light areas appear dark and dark areas appear light.Red is the first strip on the American flag, so you will want to choose the green for the first stripe.
 
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Green and Black Clay
The children will enjoy rolling out the modeling clay.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Rolling Clay
Since the negative flag is a total inversion of the normal flag, greens will appear red, black will appear white, and yellows will appear blue. The yellow part of the flag will need some black “stars”, so little balls of black modeling clay should be placed on the yellow. Small motors skills at work!
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion yellow and green clay
The negative flag is all set. Create a traditional American flag for comparison.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Negative Flag
Did you know that the white stripes stand for purity and innocence, and the red stripes stands for valor and hardiness? The field of blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion American Flag Clay
Now stare at the center of it for a full 30 seconds.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Staring at Flag

Optical Illusion Explanation

After they have stared at the flag, have your child then look at a white wall or surface. Your child will clearly see an image of a red, white, and blue American flag. What they see is a phenomenon called an “afterimage”.  An afterimage continues to appear in one’s vision after the exposure of the original image is no longer there.
When you stare at the flag, your eyes get tired and begin to stop responding to the colors they see. So when you stop looking at the negative colors, and look away to a white surface, the image is seemingly burned into your eyes. Afterimages occur because the activity in the retina continues even when the original stimulus is no longer present.
You children will be in disbelief that they are able to see the correct flag on the wall without the actual flag being there!
 
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion American Flag

Happy Fourth

 
DIY Flag Optical Illusion!
Wave those Stars and Stripes this Fourth!

History of the Flag

There are 50 stars for each state in the Union, and 13 red and white stripes representing the original colonies. The flag was first created in 1777!

Flag Optical Illusion

In honor of our banner this Fourth, let’s create an optical illusion using “negative” colors. To create this “trickery” on your eyes, you will need green, yellow, and black molding clay. It was also a great exercise to create a “normal-colored” flag with the traditional red, white, and blue.
When you stare at the flag with the opposite colors for an extended time, your eyes will register an afterimage upon glancing on a white surface. But more on that later!
Cover cookie sheets or cutting boards in parchment paper. You will need a spot to put your flags. We used a patio table so the clay didn’t stick onto anything and then transferred it over to the parchment.
 
Flag Day Optical Illusion Clay
Begin by making the stripes of the negative-colored flag. A negative image is a normal image’s total inversion. It’s where light areas appear dark and dark areas appear light.Red is the first strip on the American flag, so you will want to choose the green for the first stripe.
 
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Green and Black Clay
The children will enjoy rolling out the modeling clay.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Rolling Clay
Since the negative flag is a total inversion of the normal flag, greens will appear red, black will appear white, and yellows will appear blue. The yellow part of the flag will need some black “stars”, so little balls of black modeling clay should be placed on the yellow. Small motors skills at work!
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion yellow and green clay
The negative flag is all set. Create a traditional American flag for comparison.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Negative Flag
Did you know that the white stripes stand for purity and innocence, and the red stripes stands for valor and hardiness? The field of blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion American Flag Clay
Now stare at the center of it for a full 30 seconds.DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion Staring at Flag

Optical Illusion Explanation

After they have stared at the flag, have your child then look at a white wall or surface. Your child will clearly see an image of a red, white, and blue American flag. What they see is a phenomenon called an “afterimage”.  An afterimage continues to appear in one’s vision after the exposure of the original image is no longer there.
When you stare at the flag, your eyes get tired and begin to stop responding to the colors they see. So when you stop looking at the negative colors, and look away to a white surface, the image is seemingly burned into your eyes. Afterimages occur because the activity in the retina continues even when the original stimulus is no longer present.
You children will be in disbelief that they are able to see the correct flag on the wall without the actual flag being there!
 
DIY Flag Day Optical Illusion American Flag

Happy Fourth

 
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DIY Edible Sugar Glass!

Today we are going to be making candy sugar glass, but first, let's learn how glass is made!

When glass is created, it’s formed from liquid sand at a temperature of 3090°F. After molten sand has cooled, it undergoes a complete transformation, making up a different inner structure entirely. That “frozen” liquid state is what scientists refer to as an amorphous solid – a cross between the organized molecules of a solid and the molecular randomness of a liquid.

DIY Sugar Glass

We are going to deliciously recreate this phenomenon by making sugar candy glass! The fine sugar we use will act as the sand. Then heat we apply will turn the sugar into an amorphous solid, creating an edible, translucent candy.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: This tasty and fun experiment is an exercise in chemistry, but is only suitable for children who have the understanding between edible candy glass and real glass. Additionally, heating the sugar will bring it up hundreds of degrees, and can scald unprotected skin. There will be plenty of matter changes to discuss and fun to be had for your little chemists, but adult supervision is necessary. 

Let’s get started!

 You will need:

¼ cup of caster sugar/superfine sugar

3 tablespoons glucose syrup

60ml water

Pinch of cream of tartar

Parchment paper

Candy thermometer

Cooking spray

Heat proof spatula

Food coloring

DIY sugar glass experiment

Step 1

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, grease it with cooking spray.DIY Candy Sugar Glass

Step 2

Directly into a saucepan, place the caster sugar, glucose, water, and cream of tartar.

Caster sugar is a superfine sugar used by many pastry chefs. It is granulated very fine, making it very easy to dissolve.

DIY Sugar Glass

Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner’s glucose, is made from the breakdown of starch. It’s also sugar. (And my goodness, it’s sticky! We suggest you spray your measuring spoons with cooking spray ahead of time so the syrup just slides out).

DIY Sugar Glass

Because the glucose syrup is so syrup-y, craft sticks make great stirrers. You can just pitch them when you are done. We even sprayed a little piece of parchment paper with cooking spray so our stick had a place to rest in between stirs.

DIY Candy Glass

Step 3

Add food coloring at this time if you’d like, but it is not necessary. Very slowly bring the ingredients to a boil, then up to a 300°F temperature, stirring frequently. Believe it or not, it might take almost a half hour to bring it to temperature! (Your little chemists might lose interest as this point, but there’s more fun to come).DIY Sugar

During the course of this experiment, you will see three different states of matter for the caster sugar. Discuss the changes you see – from solid, to liquid, then the upcoming amorphous state.DIY Sugar Glass

Step 4

Once you have reached 300°F, carefully pour out the molten mixture out on the baking sheet lined with parchment and oil. Spread across the tray as thin as possible. Do not touch the baking sheet for one hour.DIY Sugar Glass

After an hour, call your little chemists back to the kitchen for the big reveal. Unbelievable that a fine sugar was once was so hot is now a sheet of glass!

DIY Sugar Candy Glass

Step 5

Now comes the fun part – begin to break a part the candy. It shatters like real glass. Watch for sharp edges!DIY Glass Candy

Taste test time! The candy glass is very hard, so we all decided it was best to eat like a lollipop. Licking it was far easier than trying to bite it! Your dentist will appreciate this step.DIY Sugar Glass

Step 6

Store the leftover sugar glass in a sealed container. Sugar glass is hygroscopic, which means it will attract water from its environment, so it will quickly soften if surrounded by humidity.DIY Sugar Glass

Sugar candy glass is a sweet way to explore chemistry!

Save it for later!

Sugar Glass

DIY Edible Sugar Glass!

Today we are going to be making candy sugar glass, but first, let's learn how glass is made!

When glass is created, it’s formed from liquid sand at a temperature of 3090°F. After molten sand has cooled, it undergoes a complete transformation, making up a different inner structure entirely. That “frozen” liquid state is what scientists refer to as an amorphous solid – a cross between the organized molecules of a solid and the molecular randomness of a liquid.

DIY Sugar Glass

We are going to deliciously recreate this phenomenon by making sugar candy glass! The fine sugar we use will act as the sand. Then heat we apply will turn the sugar into an amorphous solid, creating an edible, translucent candy.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: This tasty and fun experiment is an exercise in chemistry, but is only suitable for children who have the understanding between edible candy glass and real glass. Additionally, heating the sugar will bring it up hundreds of degrees, and can scald unprotected skin. There will be plenty of matter changes to discuss and fun to be had for your little chemists, but adult supervision is necessary. 

Let’s get started!

 You will need:

¼ cup of caster sugar/superfine sugar

3 tablespoons glucose syrup

60ml water

Pinch of cream of tartar

Parchment paper

Candy thermometer

Cooking spray

Heat proof spatula

Food coloring

DIY sugar glass experiment

Step 1

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, grease it with cooking spray.DIY Candy Sugar Glass

Step 2

Directly into a saucepan, place the caster sugar, glucose, water, and cream of tartar.

Caster sugar is a superfine sugar used by many pastry chefs. It is granulated very fine, making it very easy to dissolve.

DIY Sugar Glass

Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner’s glucose, is made from the breakdown of starch. It’s also sugar. (And my goodness, it’s sticky! We suggest you spray your measuring spoons with cooking spray ahead of time so the syrup just slides out).

DIY Sugar Glass

Because the glucose syrup is so syrup-y, craft sticks make great stirrers. You can just pitch them when you are done. We even sprayed a little piece of parchment paper with cooking spray so our stick had a place to rest in between stirs.

DIY Candy Glass

Step 3

Add food coloring at this time if you’d like, but it is not necessary. Very slowly bring the ingredients to a boil, then up to a 300°F temperature, stirring frequently. Believe it or not, it might take almost a half hour to bring it to temperature! (Your little chemists might lose interest as this point, but there’s more fun to come).DIY Sugar

During the course of this experiment, you will see three different states of matter for the caster sugar. Discuss the changes you see – from solid, to liquid, then the upcoming amorphous state.DIY Sugar Glass

Step 4

Once you have reached 300°F, carefully pour out the molten mixture out on the baking sheet lined with parchment and oil. Spread across the tray as thin as possible. Do not touch the baking sheet for one hour.DIY Sugar Glass

After an hour, call your little chemists back to the kitchen for the big reveal. Unbelievable that a fine sugar was once was so hot is now a sheet of glass!

DIY Sugar Candy Glass

Step 5

Now comes the fun part – begin to break a part the candy. It shatters like real glass. Watch for sharp edges!DIY Glass Candy

Taste test time! The candy glass is very hard, so we all decided it was best to eat like a lollipop. Licking it was far easier than trying to bite it! Your dentist will appreciate this step.DIY Sugar Glass

Step 6

Store the leftover sugar glass in a sealed container. Sugar glass is hygroscopic, which means it will attract water from its environment, so it will quickly soften if surrounded by humidity.DIY Sugar Glass

Sugar candy glass is a sweet way to explore chemistry!

Save it for later!

Sugar Glass

 READ MORE

DIY Flying UFO!

Believe it or not, July 2 is World UFO Day and we are over the moon for science! Yup, according to a recent report, there have been more than 105,000 UFO sightings reported over the last 100 years, with the majority of sightings occurring in the U.S. And every year in July, alien aficionados from around the world spend the day celebrating the possibility of life in outer space. There’s even a three-day festival in the UFO Capital of the World, Roswell, New Mexico.You and your little aliens can celebrate, too, with this UFO launcher craft you can make at home!

What You’ll Need

  • Plastic drinking straws
  • Plastic pipettes or drinking straws larger than the first set
  • Tape
  • Markers
  • Paper
  • Scissors
DIY UFO

What You’ll Do

Find a UFO template or image online and print or draw at roughly 4x4” (you can fit about four UFOs to an 8.5x11 sheet of paper).
 
UFO DIY
Have your child color the UFO with markers. Then cut out the UFO.DIY UFO
Next, cut the thin straw portion and bottom of the pipette off and tape it to the center of the back of your UFO. If you don’t have a pipette, you can make your own mini air pocket by attaching a rectangular piece of paper to the back of your UFO, leaving only the bottom open and sealing the other sides securely with tape.DIY UFO
Insert the straw into the pipette and blow to launch your UFO, then watch as it flutters gracefully to the floor in a silent space-style landing.
 
DIY UFO
 
 

What You'll Learn

  • Motion! Explain to your kids that objects can move forward and backward horizontally on a flat plane, like when you’re pushing a toy car on the floor, and that objects can also move up and down, in a vertical motion, like tossing a ball straight up in the air. To move in any direction, objects need a force, like your kids’ breath blown through a straw or their hand pushing the ball upward.
 
  • Projectile Motion! Objects don’t always move in a straight line up, down, forward, or back, though. Sometimes, like when your kids throw a basketball into a hoop, objects move both up and forward. Objects can also move backward and down, like when your kids toss a piece of trash into a trashcan behind them. These curved movements are called Projectile Motion.
 
  • Gravity! What comes up must come down! To explain WHY objects like your UFOs can travel along curved paths, and why they don’t just keep on flying forever, we have to explain gravity. Gravity is the pull of the Earth that keeps everyone and everything on it from flying off into space. This includes your UFO. Gravity is pulling down on it as it’s flying forward, causing a downward arc or curve toward the ground.
DIY Flying UFO!
Believe it or not, July 2 is World UFO Day and we are over the moon for science! Yup, according to a recent report, there have been more than 105,000 UFO sightings reported over the last 100 years, with the majority of sightings occurring in the U.S. And every year in July, alien aficionados from around the world spend the day celebrating the possibility of life in outer space. There’s even a three-day festival in the UFO Capital of the World, Roswell, New Mexico.You and your little aliens can celebrate, too, with this UFO launcher craft you can make at home!

What You’ll Need

  • Plastic drinking straws
  • Plastic pipettes or drinking straws larger than the first set
  • Tape
  • Markers
  • Paper
  • Scissors
DIY UFO

What You’ll Do

Find a UFO template or image online and print or draw at roughly 4x4” (you can fit about four UFOs to an 8.5x11 sheet of paper).
 
UFO DIY
Have your child color the UFO with markers. Then cut out the UFO.DIY UFO
Next, cut the thin straw portion and bottom of the pipette off and tape it to the center of the back of your UFO. If you don’t have a pipette, you can make your own mini air pocket by attaching a rectangular piece of paper to the back of your UFO, leaving only the bottom open and sealing the other sides securely with tape.DIY UFO
Insert the straw into the pipette and blow to launch your UFO, then watch as it flutters gracefully to the floor in a silent space-style landing.
 
DIY UFO
 
 

What You'll Learn

  • Motion! Explain to your kids that objects can move forward and backward horizontally on a flat plane, like when you’re pushing a toy car on the floor, and that objects can also move up and down, in a vertical motion, like tossing a ball straight up in the air. To move in any direction, objects need a force, like your kids’ breath blown through a straw or their hand pushing the ball upward.
 
  • Projectile Motion! Objects don’t always move in a straight line up, down, forward, or back, though. Sometimes, like when your kids throw a basketball into a hoop, objects move both up and forward. Objects can also move backward and down, like when your kids toss a piece of trash into a trashcan behind them. These curved movements are called Projectile Motion.
 
  • Gravity! What comes up must come down! To explain WHY objects like your UFOs can travel along curved paths, and why they don’t just keep on flying forever, we have to explain gravity. Gravity is the pull of the Earth that keeps everyone and everything on it from flying off into space. This includes your UFO. Gravity is pulling down on it as it’s flying forward, causing a downward arc or curve toward the ground.
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Make Your Own Beaker Creatures Home!
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Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids

Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!

Track the Phases of the Moon

Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.

Depict a Celestial Phenomenon

A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.

Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.

Astronomy to Keep Time

The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.

On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.

All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.

Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.

Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?

 DIY Astronomy Day Activities!
Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids

Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!

Track the Phases of the Moon

Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.

Depict a Celestial Phenomenon

A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.

Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.

Astronomy to Keep Time

The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.

On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.

All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.

Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.

Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?

 DIY Astronomy Day Activities! READ MORE
Party with Botley in the Classroom
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St. Patrick's Day STEM Classroom Activities

Seasonal STEM is a great way to introduce your students to the engineering process in a fun way. St. Patrick’s day leprechaun mischief and rainbow science activities are some of the absolute best to capture the interest of your kiddos and engage them in hands-on STEM experiences. Whether you’re doing STEM at home or school, check out a few of my favorites below that work for nearly every grade level, and with minimal expense and effort to implement!

Rainbow Round-Up:

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day means rainbow fun galore! Set the stage and build background knowledge by exploring colors, light, and color mixing. These color paddles and color mixing lenses by Learning Resources are perfect for rainbow play and exploration. Let your students experiment with shining light through individual colors and also play with color mixing by overlapping primary color paddles to make secondary colors. After that warm-up, transition from color mixing to into rainbow fun with one of my favorite, simple activities for this time of year. The best milk color changing experiment I have found is from Spangler Science (here). Watch the video and follow the detailed, yet simple instructions to have your littles mixing colors like St. Patrick’s Day experts! My students loved this activity so much, as did their parents during our family STEM night. 

Leprechaun Tracks Green Goo:

In my classroom and at home with my own son, we always talk about how leprechauns leave tracks and a trail wherever they go. Sometimes I use a footprint stamp and washable green ink to stamp out his path and the kids LOVE it! Kick this up a notch by then having your children/students create Leprechaun GOO! We all know slime/goo is all the rage, and so if you can’t been them...join them. Watch this step-by-step instructional video from Steve Spangler Science (what I used in my classroom) to see how to create your own green goo that the kiddos will love. 

 

TEACHER TESTED TIPS:

 
  1. Purchase dollar store plastic tablecloths to cover your experiment surfaces.
  2. Have students wear oversized shirts or smocks while making the goo.
  3. Provide plastic food service gloves to protect hands from goop and food coloring.
  4. Use foil baking/roasting pans to prevent messy splatters during mixing.

Lucky Charms Screen-Free Coding:

Check out this amazing, yet simple St. Patrick’s Day screen-free coding activity from early childhood STEM guru, Brooke Brown, of Teach Oustide the Box. For just $2.00, this simple St. Patrick’s Day themed introduction to block-style coding is perfect for Kindergarten through third graders as they learn the basics of “unplugged” programming without computers. After completing activities such as these on paper, they can apply similar block coding strategies to coding websites and apps for kids such as code.org and Kodable, and eventually to more advanced languages of coding. To allow students to be most successful, please MODEL and clearly discuss directions for this activity before they complete it with partners. Grab some Lucky Charms and get ready to go for the (leprechaun) gold!
 

LIFE-SIZED TIP:

Use the Reversable Graph It Mat by Learning Resources and sorting manipulatives, clipart, or paper cutouts to create your own super-sized version of this screen-free coding activity. You might want to use this as a warm-up and then transition to the activity above from Teach Outside the Box.

Leprechaun Trap STEM Challenge:

Perhaps the most common spring holiday STEM Challenge is to have your students/children create a leprechaun trap using the engineering design process. This is a great activity to leave open-ended to allow for maximum maker-creativity and end products. If you would like some amazing inspiration, check out the plethora of ideas on this post to get you started. From trap design to clever bait, you’ll have plenty to choose from to get you started. The best part? Almost everything you need can be found around the house. If you want to supercharge your leprechaun trap construction, try weaving this gears set by Learning Resources into your engineering design plan and process. They will add a level of complexity and fun to your con-TRAP-tions! 
Luck-o-the-Irish to you as you enjoy exploring these awesome seasonal hands-on STEM activities with your own little leprechauns!
 
St. Patrick's Day STEM Classroom Activities!
St. Patrick's Day STEM Classroom Activities
Seasonal STEM is a great way to introduce your students to the engineering process in a fun way. St. Patrick’s day leprechaun mischief and rainbow science activities are some of the absolute best to capture the interest of your kiddos and engage them in hands-on STEM experiences. Whether you’re doing STEM at home or school, check out a few of my favorites below that work for nearly every grade level, and with minimal expense and effort to implement!

Rainbow Round-Up:

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day means rainbow fun galore! Set the stage and build background knowledge by exploring colors, light, and color mixing. These color paddles and color mixing lenses by Learning Resources are perfect for rainbow play and exploration. Let your students experiment with shining light through individual colors and also play with color mixing by overlapping primary color paddles to make secondary colors. After that warm-up, transition from color mixing to into rainbow fun with one of my favorite, simple activities for this time of year. The best milk color changing experiment I have found is from Spangler Science (here). Watch the video and follow the detailed, yet simple instructions to have your littles mixing colors like St. Patrick’s Day experts! My students loved this activity so much, as did their parents during our family STEM night. 

Leprechaun Tracks Green Goo:

In my classroom and at home with my own son, we always talk about how leprechauns leave tracks and a trail wherever they go. Sometimes I use a footprint stamp and washable green ink to stamp out his path and the kids LOVE it! Kick this up a notch by then having your children/students create Leprechaun GOO! We all know slime/goo is all the rage, and so if you can’t been them...join them. Watch this step-by-step instructional video from Steve Spangler Science (what I used in my classroom) to see how to create your own green goo that the kiddos will love. 

 

TEACHER TESTED TIPS:

 
  1. Purchase dollar store plastic tablecloths to cover your experiment surfaces.
  2. Have students wear oversized shirts or smocks while making the goo.
  3. Provide plastic food service gloves to protect hands from goop and food coloring.
  4. Use foil baking/roasting pans to prevent messy splatters during mixing.

Lucky Charms Screen-Free Coding:

Check out this amazing, yet simple St. Patrick’s Day screen-free coding activity from early childhood STEM guru, Brooke Brown, of Teach Oustide the Box. For just $2.00, this simple St. Patrick’s Day themed introduction to block-style coding is perfect for Kindergarten through third graders as they learn the basics of “unplugged” programming without computers. After completing activities such as these on paper, they can apply similar block coding strategies to coding websites and apps for kids such as code.org and Kodable, and eventually to more advanced languages of coding. To allow students to be most successful, please MODEL and clearly discuss directions for this activity before they complete it with partners. Grab some Lucky Charms and get ready to go for the (leprechaun) gold!
 

LIFE-SIZED TIP:

Use the Reversable Graph It Mat by Learning Resources and sorting manipulatives, clipart, or paper cutouts to create your own super-sized version of this screen-free coding activity. You might want to use this as a warm-up and then transition to the activity above from Teach Outside the Box.

Leprechaun Trap STEM Challenge:

Perhaps the most common spring holiday STEM Challenge is to have your students/children create a leprechaun trap using the engineering design process. This is a great activity to leave open-ended to allow for maximum maker-creativity and end products. If you would like some amazing inspiration, check out the plethora of ideas on this post to get you started. From trap design to clever bait, you’ll have plenty to choose from to get you started. The best part? Almost everything you need can be found around the house. If you want to supercharge your leprechaun trap construction, try weaving this gears set by Learning Resources into your engineering design plan and process. They will add a level of complexity and fun to your con-TRAP-tions! 
Luck-o-the-Irish to you as you enjoy exploring these awesome seasonal hands-on STEM activities with your own little leprechauns!
 
St. Patrick's Day STEM Classroom Activities!
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Teach Botley How to Subtract

Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Botley is bringing subtraction to a new dimension as students learn how to sequence while building on early math skills. 

Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!

Teach Botley How to Subtract

Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Botley is bringing subtraction to a new dimension as students learn how to sequence while building on early math skills. 

Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!

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Teach Botley How to Add

Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

 

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Botley combines coding sequences with hands-on math in this interactive early coding activity designed to engage multiple learning styles.Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!
Teach Botley How to Add
Discover the possibilities Botley brings to your early coding curriculum.  Aligned to CSTA standards, these printable classroom activities will help your little learners discover coding without any screens or apps. Just power on Botley, and you’re ready to go!

 

Click here to download your botley classroom coding activity

Botley combines coding sequences with hands-on math in this interactive early coding activity designed to engage multiple learning styles.Share your classroom coding success with us on social media using #Botley!
 READ MORE
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