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Tagged with 'classroom'

Math Games That Register!

Math Games That Register!

It’s the 25th anniversary of our best-selling Cash Register and we’re celebrating with 10 great games to play with pretend money, from coin counting and matching to making and tallying coin-a-pillars, Easter egg money counts, and more!  

Sort It Out 

This one’s for the littlest learners! Jumble up the coins and bills from the Cash Register and challenge your little ones to sort them out into the divided compartments in the Register. Point out that the different types of coins are different shapes and colors and that the bills have different numbers on them. Tell your child the value and name of each coin and bill as they put them away.   

Penny Pitch 

This fast-action learning game combines physical and mental fun! Give each child a handful of random play coins and a large plastic bowl. Place the bowls on the ground with the kids standing behind them and have each child take 5 big steps backward. Then ready, set, toss! Tossing one coin at a time, see how many each child can get into their bowl. Then challenge them to count the value of the coins inside.
 
  

Find It Fun 

Hide your play coins and bills around the house (remember to track how many you’ve hidden!), then let your little ones loose. When you think all the coins have been found, have each child count the value of their stash. The seeker who found the most money wins! 
 

Buy It Back 

Using printer labels or tie-on tags, gather a few of your child’s toys, and put a price on them (round numbers are easier for little kids, dollars and cents work well for older kids). Give each child a bank of dollars and coins and have them “pay” you for the toys they want. Older elementary-school-aged kids can play cashier while YOU buy with bills, making your change from the register. 
 
 

Slime Time 

Turn money math into a sensory experience by placing your play coins in a batch of slime or a bin of Playfoam Pluffle™. Sneak in some fine motor skill practice by having your kids extract the coins using play tweezers – and total them up. 
 
 

Money Match 

Turning a sheet of printer paper sideways, draw a bunch of balloons tied with a string and let your little ones color them in. Then use a marker to write a random amount of dollars and cents on each balloon. Open your register and see if your child can remove the correct amount and place it on the matching balloon. Hint – keep your totals low so your kids can complete all the balloons without having to restock the register.
 
  

Money Bunny 

Put those empty plastic Easter eggs to use! Fill each egg with a tiny surprise – a bit of chocolate, piece of chewing gum, etc. – then use a Sharpie to write a price on the outside of the egg. If your child can give you the correct amount of money, they win the prize inside!
 
  

Bingo Bucks 

Practice matching and coin value by creating your own Bingo cards! Start by dividing a sheet of paper (card stock works well) into nine boxes. Write a coin value (1, 5, 10, or 25) in each, then give each child a handful of play coins. Reaching into your own pile, pull out a coin and call out its value. If the player has a matching coin and an open space with that value on their card, they place it there. The first player to complete a row, column, or diagonal wins the game! 
 

Coin-a-Pillars 

Turning a sheet of printer paper sideways, have your kids draw a caterpillar head (don’t forget the antennae) at one end, five or six empty circles with lines beneath each, a few fuzzy feet, and a line at the end. Color them in if you like. Then, with their eyes closed, have them pick five or six play coins out of a bowl and place them in their caterpillar’s circles. Using a pencil, have them write the value of each coin beneath it and total up the value on the line at the end. Remove the coins, erase the numbers, and begin again!
 
  

Slap Stack 

Give each child a stack of random play bills and call out a number. The first player to find the bills that add up to that number and slap them down on the table wins the round. The first player to win five rounds wins the game! Start with simple numbers like $1 or $6 and work your way up to tougher addition, like $9 or $14. Older kids can add coins to their stash and learn to build a dollar out of dimes and quarters.
 
 

Save it for later!

Math Games That Register!
It’s the 25th anniversary of our best-selling Cash Register and we’re celebrating with 10 great games to play with pretend money, from coin counting and matching to making and tallying coin-a-pillars, Easter egg money counts, and more!  

Sort It Out 

This one’s for the littlest learners! Jumble up the coins and bills from the Cash Register and challenge your little ones to sort them out into the divided compartments in the Register. Point out that the different types of coins are different shapes and colors and that the bills have different numbers on them. Tell your child the value and name of each coin and bill as they put them away.   

Penny Pitch 

This fast-action learning game combines physical and mental fun! Give each child a handful of random play coins and a large plastic bowl. Place the bowls on the ground with the kids standing behind them and have each child take 5 big steps backward. Then ready, set, toss! Tossing one coin at a time, see how many each child can get into their bowl. Then challenge them to count the value of the coins inside.
 
  

Find It Fun 

Hide your play coins and bills around the house (remember to track how many you’ve hidden!), then let your little ones loose. When you think all the coins have been found, have each child count the value of their stash. The seeker who found the most money wins! 
 

Buy It Back 

Using printer labels or tie-on tags, gather a few of your child’s toys, and put a price on them (round numbers are easier for little kids, dollars and cents work well for older kids). Give each child a bank of dollars and coins and have them “pay” you for the toys they want. Older elementary-school-aged kids can play cashier while YOU buy with bills, making your change from the register. 
 
 

Slime Time 

Turn money math into a sensory experience by placing your play coins in a batch of slime or a bin of Playfoam Pluffle™. Sneak in some fine motor skill practice by having your kids extract the coins using play tweezers – and total them up. 
 
 

Money Match 

Turning a sheet of printer paper sideways, draw a bunch of balloons tied with a string and let your little ones color them in. Then use a marker to write a random amount of dollars and cents on each balloon. Open your register and see if your child can remove the correct amount and place it on the matching balloon. Hint – keep your totals low so your kids can complete all the balloons without having to restock the register.
 
  

Money Bunny 

Put those empty plastic Easter eggs to use! Fill each egg with a tiny surprise – a bit of chocolate, piece of chewing gum, etc. – then use a Sharpie to write a price on the outside of the egg. If your child can give you the correct amount of money, they win the prize inside!
 
  

Bingo Bucks 

Practice matching and coin value by creating your own Bingo cards! Start by dividing a sheet of paper (card stock works well) into nine boxes. Write a coin value (1, 5, 10, or 25) in each, then give each child a handful of play coins. Reaching into your own pile, pull out a coin and call out its value. If the player has a matching coin and an open space with that value on their card, they place it there. The first player to complete a row, column, or diagonal wins the game! 
 

Coin-a-Pillars 

Turning a sheet of printer paper sideways, have your kids draw a caterpillar head (don’t forget the antennae) at one end, five or six empty circles with lines beneath each, a few fuzzy feet, and a line at the end. Color them in if you like. Then, with their eyes closed, have them pick five or six play coins out of a bowl and place them in their caterpillar’s circles. Using a pencil, have them write the value of each coin beneath it and total up the value on the line at the end. Remove the coins, erase the numbers, and begin again!
 
  

Slap Stack 

Give each child a stack of random play bills and call out a number. The first player to find the bills that add up to that number and slap them down on the table wins the round. The first player to win five rounds wins the game! Start with simple numbers like $1 or $6 and work your way up to tougher addition, like $9 or $14. Older kids can add coins to their stash and learn to build a dollar out of dimes and quarters.
 
 

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Proper Hand Washing Glitter Experiment for Kids!
UPDATE: You spoke and we listened! After learning of the negative environmental effects of traditional glitter we have updated the blog post with edible cake glitter. This particular type of glitter is made with Gum Arabic and dissolves in water.
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Let's LEAP into February 29!

The 2020 calendar gives us an extra day to par-tay! On February 29, we all will be celebrating Leap Day, an extra day at the end of month that only happens every four years.

 How will you spend your extra day? With an assist from the Learning Resources’ Magnetic Learning Calendar and Froggy Feeding Fun™ Fine Motor Skills Game, we plan to LEAP into what makes this day on the calendar so unique! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Calendar and Froggy Feeding Fun

What day is Leap Day? 

In 2020, Leap Day falls on Saturday, February 29. Soak up that extra 24 hours…it won’t happen again until 2024. And Leap Day only occurs in the month of February. 

Why do we have Leap Day/Year?

 Every four years, an extra day is added on to our calendar. Our modern calendar consists of 365 days, but the actual time it takes for the Earth to get around the sun (orbit), is just a bit longer. To make up for that time, an extra 24 hours are built into the calendar every fourth year. IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Space Screen Shot

But why do we call it “leap” year?

 The typical year is 365 days, referred to as common years. There are fixed dates for every holiday. For instance, New Year’s Day in 2020 was on a Wednesday. After February 29, 2020, has come and gone, an extra day will be added, making New Year’s Day “jump” one day ahead to a Friday. What a leap! IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Date Screen Shot

Let’s celebrate first by looking at our calendar. The Learning Resources’ Magnetic Learning Calendar gives us a great visual. This year, February starts on a Saturday.  IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Calendar

This calendar serves as a helpful tool for learning about days and months, and is an easy way to include kids on the schedule for the family. Chances are good they have a classroom calendar, so with their own chart at home, they can be the “calendar helper” every day. It is magnetic, has a wipe-down surface, and even features a way to discuss the daily weather! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 DayNext, discuss things that can leap. Kids can leap, and we just learned that days can leap. What about frogs? Yes, frog can leap! In fact, we can’t think of a creature that doesn’t love to LEAP more than frogs! Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun

But before they do all that leaping, a frog has got to eat. The Froggy Feeding Fun Activity Set is an award-winning game that has lots of options to play. It comes with two adorable frog and lots of spongy flies.  Let's LEAP into February 29 Flies

From a sensory standpoint, this activity has lots. The feel of the flies with their soft yet formed shapes make them easy to grasp. They create lots of color in a play space.  The first skill to try is opening the frog’s mouth by squeezing the corners.

Let's LEAP into February 29 Feeding the Frog

Once your child gets it down, they might not stop feeding the frog! How many can it fit in its mouth? Let's LEAP into February 29 Frog w/ Fly

This game focuses on strengthen fine motor skills, but also reinforces math skills. A roll of the two soft dice reveals the color and number that the frog can pick up. Number recognition, color recognition, and counting skills are challenged! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Counting SkillsLet's LEAP into February 29 Feeding the Frog

With the frog firmly in hand, you can also work on sorting the flies. Set up a pattern for kids to match.  Let's LEAP into February 29 Fly Sorting

Rainbow order is always popular. What color comes after yellow? Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Flies Laid Out

Because there are two frogs, lots can play this game. Let’s try picking up more flies! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun EatingLet's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Game

Squeezing the frog’s mouth open again and again will improve muscle grip for handwriting down the road. These frogs sure ate a lot. Time to leap back to the pond for a nap. Let's LEAP into February 29 Holding Frogs

What great fun you are, Leap Day! See you again in four years! Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Parts

Save it for later!

Let's LEAP into February 29!

The 2020 calendar gives us an extra day to par-tay! On February 29, we all will be celebrating Leap Day, an extra day at the end of month that only happens every four years.

 How will you spend your extra day? With an assist from the Learning Resources’ Magnetic Learning Calendar and Froggy Feeding Fun™ Fine Motor Skills Game, we plan to LEAP into what makes this day on the calendar so unique! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Calendar and Froggy Feeding Fun

What day is Leap Day? 

In 2020, Leap Day falls on Saturday, February 29. Soak up that extra 24 hours…it won’t happen again until 2024. And Leap Day only occurs in the month of February. 

Why do we have Leap Day/Year?

 Every four years, an extra day is added on to our calendar. Our modern calendar consists of 365 days, but the actual time it takes for the Earth to get around the sun (orbit), is just a bit longer. To make up for that time, an extra 24 hours are built into the calendar every fourth year. IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Space Screen Shot

But why do we call it “leap” year?

 The typical year is 365 days, referred to as common years. There are fixed dates for every holiday. For instance, New Year’s Day in 2020 was on a Wednesday. After February 29, 2020, has come and gone, an extra day will be added, making New Year’s Day “jump” one day ahead to a Friday. What a leap! IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Date Screen Shot

Let’s celebrate first by looking at our calendar. The Learning Resources’ Magnetic Learning Calendar gives us a great visual. This year, February starts on a Saturday.  IMG_6Let's LEAP into February 29 Calendar

This calendar serves as a helpful tool for learning about days and months, and is an easy way to include kids on the schedule for the family. Chances are good they have a classroom calendar, so with their own chart at home, they can be the “calendar helper” every day. It is magnetic, has a wipe-down surface, and even features a way to discuss the daily weather! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 DayNext, discuss things that can leap. Kids can leap, and we just learned that days can leap. What about frogs? Yes, frog can leap! In fact, we can’t think of a creature that doesn’t love to LEAP more than frogs! Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun

But before they do all that leaping, a frog has got to eat. The Froggy Feeding Fun Activity Set is an award-winning game that has lots of options to play. It comes with two adorable frog and lots of spongy flies.  Let's LEAP into February 29 Flies

From a sensory standpoint, this activity has lots. The feel of the flies with their soft yet formed shapes make them easy to grasp. They create lots of color in a play space.  The first skill to try is opening the frog’s mouth by squeezing the corners.

Let's LEAP into February 29 Feeding the Frog

Once your child gets it down, they might not stop feeding the frog! How many can it fit in its mouth? Let's LEAP into February 29 Frog w/ Fly

This game focuses on strengthen fine motor skills, but also reinforces math skills. A roll of the two soft dice reveals the color and number that the frog can pick up. Number recognition, color recognition, and counting skills are challenged! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Counting SkillsLet's LEAP into February 29 Feeding the Frog

With the frog firmly in hand, you can also work on sorting the flies. Set up a pattern for kids to match.  Let's LEAP into February 29 Fly Sorting

Rainbow order is always popular. What color comes after yellow? Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Flies Laid Out

Because there are two frogs, lots can play this game. Let’s try picking up more flies! 

Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun EatingLet's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Game

Squeezing the frog’s mouth open again and again will improve muscle grip for handwriting down the road. These frogs sure ate a lot. Time to leap back to the pond for a nap. Let's LEAP into February 29 Holding Frogs

What great fun you are, Leap Day! See you again in four years! Let's LEAP into February 29 Froggy Feeding Fun Parts

Save it for later!

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Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots!

Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots!

“Be Careful! Scissors are DANGEROUS!” or something along those lines is what parents usually shout when they see their little ones holding scissors in their hands. While I don’t disagree with the statement by any means, I want to share all of the ways scissor skills are so important for development, as well as all of the fun ways we can incorporate underlying scissor skills into everyday play…even for the youngest of our learners!
 
Using scissors efficiently requires a lot of motor planning, coordination, and dexterity.  Before a student can successfully use scissors, there are many underlying skills that can be worked on and strengthened so that we can set up the student for optimal success.  There are so many ways that we can interact and play with our kiddo’s to help develop the many different motor control areas!
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Shape

Grasp/Release:

Activities that promote opening and closing of the hands and fingers such as using tongs, tweezers, clips, squeezing, etc.

Two-handed Coordination:

Activities that promote the use of both hands together such as tearing paper and peeling and sticking stickers.

Hand and Finger Strengthening:

Dough, putty, tweezers, tongs, spray bottles, stress ball squeezes, etc.

Visual Skills:

Activities that promote active and intentional use of the visual system such as eye-spy, hidden pictures, following targets with eyes (rolling a ball and following eyes, marble tower, etc)
 
When introducing scissors for the first time, spring loaded scissors are extremely helpful and can ease the introduction.  The spring mechanism will “bounce” back the blades to reduce the amount of strength and coordination required, therefore, allowing kiddos who do not quite have the strength or coordination to still be able to cut!  The best part is that once they outgrow the spring, you can “turn it off” and use them as normal scissors.
 
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Pink Stencil
 
As a School-Based Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L), we are often checking out the progression of scissor use in kiddo’s and here is a general milestone timeline that we use as reference.Starting at/around:

25-26 months

We like to see kiddos snipping with scissors in one place

37-38 months

Cut a piece of paper in half

41-42 months

Cut out a 5” line within ½” of the target

49-50 months

Cut a 3” circle within ¼” of the target for 3/4th of the circle

53-54 months

Cut out a 3” square within ¼” of the line
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Fine Motor  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Cutting Purple LineWhile development isn’t always linear, we often see a general progression as outlined and the underlying skills are very important in achieving these skills.
 
Here are some fun tips and hacks to help your little ones practice their scissor skills:

 

  • Start with “snipping”. practicing small snips will help promote practice, as well as success! We want our kiddo’s to feel like they are successfully cutting and expecting them to open/close and move forward can be tricky at first.
  • Using a more restrictive paper such as cardstock or thicker paper can help with control (much easier to hold the paper steady than flimsy paper or thin material). You can also steady the paper for them to reduce the amount of work and coordination.
  • Along with restrictive paper, you can also use restrictive materials such as dough, putty, straws, paper plates, index cards, etc.
  • Teaching “thumbs up” when holding the scissors by placing a small sticker or Washi tape to remind them which side is up – tell them to make sure they can see their sticker.
  • When teaching the forward motion aspect, make it fun! Pretend like the scissors are alligators, trains, cars, etc and have them cut across a path or road.
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Supplies  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots SkillsTrace Ace Scissors has been a great addition to my therapy toolbox.  With my little preschool students, we had fun learning to use a stencil.  Mini crayons help reinforce proper pencil grasp as they color, stencils help incorporate the use of the two hands together, and we used cardstock paper so that it would provide more resistance and help stabilize the paper as they cut with the spring loaded scissors.Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Materials 2  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Materials

Save it for later!

Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots!
“Be Careful! Scissors are DANGEROUS!” or something along those lines is what parents usually shout when they see their little ones holding scissors in their hands. While I don’t disagree with the statement by any means, I want to share all of the ways scissor skills are so important for development, as well as all of the fun ways we can incorporate underlying scissor skills into everyday play…even for the youngest of our learners!
 
Using scissors efficiently requires a lot of motor planning, coordination, and dexterity.  Before a student can successfully use scissors, there are many underlying skills that can be worked on and strengthened so that we can set up the student for optimal success.  There are so many ways that we can interact and play with our kiddo’s to help develop the many different motor control areas!
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Shape

Grasp/Release:

Activities that promote opening and closing of the hands and fingers such as using tongs, tweezers, clips, squeezing, etc.

Two-handed Coordination:

Activities that promote the use of both hands together such as tearing paper and peeling and sticking stickers.

Hand and Finger Strengthening:

Dough, putty, tweezers, tongs, spray bottles, stress ball squeezes, etc.

Visual Skills:

Activities that promote active and intentional use of the visual system such as eye-spy, hidden pictures, following targets with eyes (rolling a ball and following eyes, marble tower, etc)
 
When introducing scissors for the first time, spring loaded scissors are extremely helpful and can ease the introduction.  The spring mechanism will “bounce” back the blades to reduce the amount of strength and coordination required, therefore, allowing kiddos who do not quite have the strength or coordination to still be able to cut!  The best part is that once they outgrow the spring, you can “turn it off” and use them as normal scissors.
 
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Pink Stencil
 
As a School-Based Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L), we are often checking out the progression of scissor use in kiddo’s and here is a general milestone timeline that we use as reference.Starting at/around:

25-26 months

We like to see kiddos snipping with scissors in one place

37-38 months

Cut a piece of paper in half

41-42 months

Cut out a 5” line within ½” of the target

49-50 months

Cut a 3” circle within ¼” of the target for 3/4th of the circle

53-54 months

Cut out a 3” square within ¼” of the line
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Fine Motor  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Cutting Purple LineWhile development isn’t always linear, we often see a general progression as outlined and the underlying skills are very important in achieving these skills.
 
Here are some fun tips and hacks to help your little ones practice their scissor skills:

 

  • Start with “snipping”. practicing small snips will help promote practice, as well as success! We want our kiddo’s to feel like they are successfully cutting and expecting them to open/close and move forward can be tricky at first.
  • Using a more restrictive paper such as cardstock or thicker paper can help with control (much easier to hold the paper steady than flimsy paper or thin material). You can also steady the paper for them to reduce the amount of work and coordination.
  • Along with restrictive paper, you can also use restrictive materials such as dough, putty, straws, paper plates, index cards, etc.
  • Teaching “thumbs up” when holding the scissors by placing a small sticker or Washi tape to remind them which side is up – tell them to make sure they can see their sticker.
  • When teaching the forward motion aspect, make it fun! Pretend like the scissors are alligators, trains, cars, etc and have them cut across a path or road.
Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Supplies  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots SkillsTrace Ace Scissors has been a great addition to my therapy toolbox.  With my little preschool students, we had fun learning to use a stencil.  Mini crayons help reinforce proper pencil grasp as they color, stencils help incorporate the use of the two hands together, and we used cardstock paper so that it would provide more resistance and help stabilize the paper as they cut with the spring loaded scissors.Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Materials 2  Scissor Skills for Tiny Tots Materials

Save it for later!

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National STEM Day Activities!

Host a STEM-tastic Playdate to Celebrate November 8!

Invite the whole crew over for National STEM Day this November 8th with a science-, technology-, engineering-, and math-themed playdate!National STEM Day began in 2015, as our nation began to recognize that STEM-centered careers were growing 70 percent faster than other occupations. Research has shown the introduction of STEM concepts to children can improve their social and emotional development, as well as their rational thinking skills.

Screenshot STEM with Icons

STEM really goes beyond conveying knowledge from teacher to student. Kids learn problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and collaboration with their peers. Connections are made between school, community, and home that seem to stick. The real-life implications of STEM pull together ideas that teach children that what they learn, as well as the ideas they share, benefit our world as a whole.Screenshot STEM

Let’s bring together all these concepts into a big, fun playdate. With the help of Learning Resources’ STEM-centered products, we engineered an engaging afternoon with our friends, completely screen-free.(And another beauty of STEM? It knows no age. If little brothers and sisters want to join in on the fun, the more the merrier!)We sent out invites, had our friends over, and made an afternoon of activities!

STEM Station #1: Botley

STEM Botley Materials

Spread out on the living room floor for our first STEM Station was Botley. This little coding robot lives up to its reputation for out-of-the-box fun. From the first moment Botley lit up and began chatting with our friends, it was love at first code.

STEM Botley with Remote

With just a quick skim of the directions, the friends were coding in minutes. Before we knew it, Botley was pushing around blocks and racing toward the finish line.STEM Botley with Rock

A solid 45 minutes was spent at the Botley station, as the friends took turns sending Botley backwards and in circles. (It was hard to tear the kids away to move to the next station, but our playdate clock was ticking.)STEM Botley at Play

STEM Station #2: Beaker Creatures

STEM Beaker Creatures Materials

Our friends moved from the floor to the kitchen table to discover the fizzy, funny wonder of the Beaker Creatures Reactor Pods. Each mysterious pod is filled with an alien traveler. Who were they going to discover?Each individually wrapped pod comes with a classification card that will help our friends figure out who is who.Time to drop in our first discovery.

STEM Beaker Creatures Ready to DropSTEM Beaker Creatures Dissolving

As they waited and watch the water foam, the friends tried to figure out which alien could be lurking in the inky waters.

STEM Beaker Creatures Character Chart

All set! Who did we get?

STEM Beaker Creatures in BowlSTEM Beaker Creatures Reveal

Filling out the identification card made the friends feel like they were classifying new species from out of this world.

STEM Beaker Creatures

And soon one bowl was not enough. Let’s dissolve more! Who can we add to our collection?

STEM Beaker Creatures Dissolving 2

STEM Station #3: Coding Critters

STEM Coding Critters Rumble Materials

We set up an additional folding table in the family room to accommodate all our scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematics for more STEM-tastic discoveries. Station #3 included the Rumble and Bumble, the adorable Coding Critters. Similar to Botley, Rumble and Bumble are screen-free, coding fun. The Coding Critters come with a storybook. First things first, the older friends read to the younger ones about with whom they were about to play.

STEM Coding Critters Storybook

Rumble and Bumble’s playset was fun to set up, but even more fun to knockdown. Once the friends figured out how to get Rumble moving, the crashing began!STEM Coding Critters Playing with Rumble

The Coding Critters have a “code mode” and a “play mode”. In the play mode, our friends began to interact with Rumble like it was a real live pet! There were even challenges in the storybook…one was how to teach Rumble to have a snack with Bumble.

STEM Coding Critters Rumble

Like all awesome playdates, our time had to end. But the afternoon of STEM-centered fun will not soon be forgotten!Happy National STEM Day!

STEM All Toys

Save it for later!

National STEM Day Activities! Pinterest

National STEM Day Activities!

Host a STEM-tastic Playdate to Celebrate November 8!

Invite the whole crew over for National STEM Day this November 8th with a science-, technology-, engineering-, and math-themed playdate!National STEM Day began in 2015, as our nation began to recognize that STEM-centered careers were growing 70 percent faster than other occupations. Research has shown the introduction of STEM concepts to children can improve their social and emotional development, as well as their rational thinking skills.

Screenshot STEM with Icons

STEM really goes beyond conveying knowledge from teacher to student. Kids learn problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and collaboration with their peers. Connections are made between school, community, and home that seem to stick. The real-life implications of STEM pull together ideas that teach children that what they learn, as well as the ideas they share, benefit our world as a whole.Screenshot STEM

Let’s bring together all these concepts into a big, fun playdate. With the help of Learning Resources’ STEM-centered products, we engineered an engaging afternoon with our friends, completely screen-free.(And another beauty of STEM? It knows no age. If little brothers and sisters want to join in on the fun, the more the merrier!)We sent out invites, had our friends over, and made an afternoon of activities!

STEM Station #1: Botley

STEM Botley Materials

Spread out on the living room floor for our first STEM Station was Botley. This little coding robot lives up to its reputation for out-of-the-box fun. From the first moment Botley lit up and began chatting with our friends, it was love at first code.

STEM Botley with Remote

With just a quick skim of the directions, the friends were coding in minutes. Before we knew it, Botley was pushing around blocks and racing toward the finish line.STEM Botley with Rock

A solid 45 minutes was spent at the Botley station, as the friends took turns sending Botley backwards and in circles. (It was hard to tear the kids away to move to the next station, but our playdate clock was ticking.)STEM Botley at Play

STEM Station #2: Beaker Creatures

STEM Beaker Creatures Materials

Our friends moved from the floor to the kitchen table to discover the fizzy, funny wonder of the Beaker Creatures Reactor Pods. Each mysterious pod is filled with an alien traveler. Who were they going to discover?Each individually wrapped pod comes with a classification card that will help our friends figure out who is who.Time to drop in our first discovery.

STEM Beaker Creatures Ready to DropSTEM Beaker Creatures Dissolving

As they waited and watch the water foam, the friends tried to figure out which alien could be lurking in the inky waters.

STEM Beaker Creatures Character Chart

All set! Who did we get?

STEM Beaker Creatures in BowlSTEM Beaker Creatures Reveal

Filling out the identification card made the friends feel like they were classifying new species from out of this world.

STEM Beaker Creatures

And soon one bowl was not enough. Let’s dissolve more! Who can we add to our collection?

STEM Beaker Creatures Dissolving 2

STEM Station #3: Coding Critters

STEM Coding Critters Rumble Materials

We set up an additional folding table in the family room to accommodate all our scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematics for more STEM-tastic discoveries. Station #3 included the Rumble and Bumble, the adorable Coding Critters. Similar to Botley, Rumble and Bumble are screen-free, coding fun. The Coding Critters come with a storybook. First things first, the older friends read to the younger ones about with whom they were about to play.

STEM Coding Critters Storybook

Rumble and Bumble’s playset was fun to set up, but even more fun to knockdown. Once the friends figured out how to get Rumble moving, the crashing began!STEM Coding Critters Playing with Rumble

The Coding Critters have a “code mode” and a “play mode”. In the play mode, our friends began to interact with Rumble like it was a real live pet! There were even challenges in the storybook…one was how to teach Rumble to have a snack with Bumble.

STEM Coding Critters Rumble

Like all awesome playdates, our time had to end. But the afternoon of STEM-centered fun will not soon be forgotten!Happy National STEM Day!

STEM All Toys

Save it for later!

National STEM Day Activities! Pinterest

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