Nov 8 is National STEM Day! To celebrate, we're bringing STEM learning right into your home with simple activities you can do using everyday materials. STEM education is all about inspiring curiosity, sparking creativity, and empowering kids to think critically and problem-solve.
In this article, we've gathered five easy-to-follow STEM activities that transform everyday items into hands-on learning experiences. Join our mailing list for more hands-on learning resources.
1. Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano
Materials: Baking soda, vinegar, a plastic bottle, and food coloring (optional).
Steps:
Place the bottle in the middle of a tray.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda inside the bottle.
Add a few drops of food coloring.
Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle and watch the “eruption!”
How it Works: The vinegar (acid) reacts with baking soda (a base) to create carbon dioxide gas, which causes the bubbly eruption.
2. Homemade Lava Lamp
Materials: Clear bottle, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and Alka-Seltzer tablets.
Steps:
Fill the bottle a quarter full with water and add a few drops of food coloring.
Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil, leaving space at the top.
Drop in half an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch the bubbles rise and fall!
How it Works: The oil and water don’t mix due to density differences. The Alka-Seltzer creates bubbles in the water that rise, mimicking a lava lamp.
Lesson: Density and chemical reactions! Oil floats on water, and the gas from the Alka-Seltzer creates buoyancy, making the colored bubbles move.
3. Static Electricity Dancing Balloons
Materials: Balloon and small bits of paper.
Steps:
Inflate the balloon and rub it against your hair or a wool sweater for 15-20 seconds.
Place the small bits of paper on a flat surface.
Slowly bring the balloon near the paper and watch the pieces “jump” towards it.
How it Works: Rubbing the balloon transfers electrons to it, giving it a negative charge. This charge attracts the neutral paper.
Lesson: Static electricity and charges! Opposites attract, demonstrating the principles of electrostatic forces.
4. Paper Towel Water Absorption Rainbow
Materials: Paper towels, cups, food coloring, and water.
Steps:
Fill three cups with water and add a few drops of food coloring (e.g., red, blue, and yellow).
Fold paper towels into strips, then place one end in each colored cup and the other in empty cups between them.
Watch as the colors travel up the paper towel to create a rainbow!
How it Works: Capillary action pulls water (and color) up the paper towel fibers, allowing colors to mix in the empty cups.
Lesson: Water moves through materials by capillary action, which helps plants draw water from the ground.
5. Build a Balloon-Powered Car
Materials: Plastic bottle, four bottle caps, two straws, tape, and a balloon.
Steps:
Tape the bottle caps onto the ends of the straws to make wheels.
Tape the straws to the bottom of the bottle as axles.
Attach the balloon to the end of the bottle, inflate it, and let go to watch the car move!
How it Works: As the air escapes from the balloon, it pushes the car forward, demonstrating Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Lesson: Propulsion and action-reaction! The escaping air pushes the car in the opposite direction.
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