5 STEM Activities to Inspire Your Students
Inspire a love of STEM in your children by making learning fun. When students enjoy their learning process, they are more likely to want to keep on learning and exploring the world around them. By introducing your child to these exciting STEM activities, you help foster a love of learning and an interest in the way the world works.
1. Set up a Chemistry Kit
Spark your child’s interest in chemistry by getting them set up with their very own chemistry kit. You can find kits from National Geographic for as low as $25, so whatever your budget is, the perfect kit is out there. Children will explore chemistry by combining different chemicals and practice measuring fluids. A great supplemental material to combine with this is a periodic table of chemistry poster. This will inspire your child to learn the periodic table and the names of chemical elements. Chemistry kits are especially great for kinesthetic learners who enjoy hands-on learning.
2. Build a Ramp & Track
Introduce your child to the wonders of physics and engineering with this Ramp & Track Maker Kit. This activity will help your child develop an understanding of force, curves, angles, and engineering. Children will use the kit to customize their very own ramp and adjust the ramp’s curves and height in order to see different results. The building process is challenging enough to keep your children engaged and easy enough for it to be enjoyable. Because this kit is customizable, there are a variety of different ramp versions to be created, meaning this will keep your child engaged time after time!
3. Build a Mechanical Hand
Building a mechanical hand is a fun and exciting activity that will inspire a love of engineering in your child. This can be done with some simple materials you probably have at home and a quick stop at your local craft store. This tutorial video walks you through the whole process. Your kids are sure to enjoy building this hand and using it to pick up various objects around the house. After they’ve got the basics of building the mechanical hand down, they can start building more elaborate devices at home!
4. Build a Mini Glider
Give your child the opportunity to explore the physics of aerodynamics and flight by building mini gliders. With this activity, children will learn about gravity, thrust, and drag by building and flying these little gliders. The best part about this activity is how easy it is to make! Paper, a ruler, scissors, tape, and some playdough are all you need to make mini gliders. The playdough is used to create a nose for the glider which will determine how well it flies. If you don’t have any playdough, you can use other small objects around your home to add weight to the glider.
5. Build and Sail a Paddle Boat
For this activity, you’ll need a plastic container, a wooden sample spoon, two pencils, and some rubber bands. You can find step-by-step instructions for building this boat on YouTube. Once you’ve got your materials and instructions, you’re ready to help your child build their very own paddle boat! Your kids will have fun exploring how potential energy makes their boat move through the water. Float your paddle boat in your tub, sink, pool, or lake!
Final Thoughts
In an environment where science is often seen as a bleak topic, it’s important to focus on real-world applications that engage and excite students. These activities provide a perfect platform for your students to make connections between the exciting world of science and the subject they are learning. Hopefully, these fun projects will inspire your students to dig deeper and learn more about the vast world of STEM.
