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Geometric Chalk Designs:

Ask the following mathematical questions when you are admiring your work:

How many sections do we have in total?

How many parts are pink?

What colour is the most common? How many?

Which section has the largest/smallest area?

Which section has the largest perimeter? How can we be sure?

What fraction of the design is green?

What percentage of the design in blue?

What is the fewest number of colours you can use so that no adjacent sections are the same colour? Can you create a design that requires more colours than your original one?

Resource credit: www.youcubed.org

MAZES:

A maze is great fun and it can be a maths learning experience too!

Mazes offer open ended problem solving for all ages in an imaginative and creative environment. They help people develop mathematical logic skills and require participants to memorise lengthy sequences of moves in a particular order.
Jumping Julia
Help Julia get from start to finish. The number on each square indicates how far you can move. You may jump horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally.

Get the students to design the 5 x 5 square grid:

discuss the properties of squares - the four sides of the squares should be of equal length.

Decide on the length of each small numbered square. Then multiply this number by 5 to calculate the length of the overall 5 x 5 grid.

Students should familiarise themselves with the equipment used to measure length - decide on appropriate units to use and measure out the required dimensions.

Resource credit: Julia Robinson Mathematics festival (jrmf.org)

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Maths at Home Activities Here we present daily activities that you can do at home Scroll down for previous activities This page may be slow to load as there is a lot of content. For March, April and May we presented daily Maths at Home activities. You can

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Looking for STEM projects and challenges for kids? Building and engineering projects are valuable for developing thinking skills and encouraging the ability to design and create.
The tough part, though, is that teachers often have to purchase the materials at their own expense. At home, we don't need to supply enough materials for a class, but with five kids to feed, house, and educate we can't constantly be buying special materials either. Here's a collection of STEM engineering challenges that are fun and engaging, and that also make use of recycled or inexpensive materials.
ENGINEERING WITH PAPER
Let's start with projects that rely on a simple and readily available material - paper!

Which paper column can support the most weight? from Creekside Learning. The result was not what I expected!

Build a Newspaper Fort - This is amazing! And all you need is newspapers and tape. Granted, newspapers are harder to come by than they used to be, but maybe you can find a friend or a dentist office that will save some for you!

Build a Conveyor Belt from Pink Stripey Socks. Use a milk carton and paper, and a few other simple materials!

Make some Paper Building Blocks from Babble Dabble Do. So simple and colorful.

Paper Airplane Challenge from Kids Activities Blog. Which plane can carry the most cargo?
BUILDING WITH SIMPLE MATERIALS
This one is our most popular STEM post: 4 Engineering Challenges with Craft Sticks, Cups, and Cubes. I enjoyed this as much as the kids, and it works for all ages. It's amazing what kids can construct with these simple materials, and they'll be learning a ton about balance and center of gravity.

If you like that one, also try 5 Engineering Challenges with Clothespins, Craft Sticks, and Binder Clips. These materials make an awesome building kit! We have ours stored in a plastic shoebox.

Turn a Large Cardboard Box into an EPIC Marble Run - This is seriously awesome.

Make a marble run on a smaller scale - Shoebox Marble Run. Shoe boxes, craft stick, and hot glue - that's it! Again, you'll be amazed what you can create. The post has lots of inspiration.

Build a Bridge out of Straws and Straight Pins. Great classroom challenge. The straight pins work well for holding the straws together.

How strong is spaghetti? Test how much weight this material will hold! This is an impressive STEM challenge!

Build a Marble Run with Play Dough - YES, play dough! Grab a cookie sheet and try this fun challenge!

Collect some sticks and try building a raft that floats! From Kids Craft Room.

Build a Straw Roller Coaster for a ping pong ball to roll down! Drinking straws and hot glue, and that's it. Use a low temp gun and kids can make this themselves.

Build a Labyrinth Game with a cardboard box and craft sticks. The finished game is seriously addicting!

Create a Hexbug Maze with Straws from Buggy and Buddy. This is a great cooperative project for groups of kids.

It's also fun to build a Hexbug Maze with Cardboard and Craft Sticks.
EXPLORE FORCE AND MOTION - CATAPULTS AND MORE!
Make Working Gears with Popsicle Sticks - such a fun mechanical project.

Build a Popsicle Stick Catapult. You probably have all the supplies on hand to make this fun catapult!

Balloon Pinwheel - This is a great way to demonstrate Newton's third law of motion!

Make a Ping Pong Ball Launcher with a plastic bottle. Fun toy.

Create an Epic Bottle Rocket out of a 2 liter soda bottle. It flew higher than our house!

Build a Tissue Box Catapult and then launch small Lego bricks or ping pong balls or marshmallows.

Use marbles and a ruler to explore the transfer of energy. A favorite science experiment.
MAGNETISM
I think my kids would tinker with these Magnetic Sculptures all day long! What a great idea from Babble Dabble Do.

Use magnets to create a Magic Spinning Pen.

Make a Magnet Powered Car from Science Kiddo. This is a fun idea!

Defy Gravity with Magnetsfrom Buggy and Buddy! You can probably set this up with things you have on hand.

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30+ Awesome STEM Challenges for Kids (with Inexpensive or Recycled Materials!) - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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Looking for STEM projects and challenges for kids? Building and engineering projects are valuable for developing thinking skills and encouraging the ability to design and create. The tough part, though, is that teachers often have to purchase the materials at their own expense.

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I am pretty sure at this point that we are obsessed with all things STEM and engineering. You see we love to build and create new things and we love engineering challenges even more. This summer we made a few travel engineering kits for kids and fell in love. It was definitely time to make a new one, so this time we made this simple STEM challenge for kids and included building with playdough.

* This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure.

If you are regular here, you know there are two things we love... engineering and playdough. About a month ago, we made this awesome no-cook playdough for a gift set (I still can't wait to share that with you) and we still have the playdough left. We have been using it almost every day. It seemed like the perfect ingredient for our newest engineering kit.

What You Need for a Building with Playdough Engineering Kit

Case/ Bag/ Carrier
Miniture Case for Playdough
3-4 Balls of Playdough or Modeling Clay
Paper Straws, Large Milkshake Straws, Toothpicks (any of these)

Making a Playdough Engineering Kit for Kids

Putting together the building with playdough engineering kit is really simple and doesn't take a lot of your time, which is great if you need a kit on the go and on the run. Simply gather a few small cases that can hold your straws and your playdough together in one place.

We used a rubber band to hold all of our straws together, but you can just throw them in or give them their own pencil cases, depending on how organized you like to get.

Engineering Challenge: Building with Playdough

When I created this kit, I really thought my kids would go to town building tall structures like we have done so many times before, however Bones (age 8) was more interested in making polygons. He started by making a triangle, moving on to a square.

When he tried to make a circle, he turned to me and said "hmm... I don't think I can, there aren't any straight lines in a circle. I will just stick to shapes without curves."

Making shapes and connecting the straws is as easy as one, two, three. Just pinch a tad of the playdough between your fingers and roll it into a ball. Connect straws using the playdough balls.

Challenge your kids to make all sorts of polygons and shapes. My son had a blast making his pentagon.

While I didn't get a picture of it, this kit is perfect for all ages. My toddler loved playing with the dough and even used it to mix colors and learn a bit about how to make new colors (coming soon) .

28 DAYS OF HANDS-ON STEM

This post is a part of an amazing series of hands-on STEM activities for kids. I've joined up with 28 other bloggers and we're creating 60+ fun science, technology, engineering & math activities. Each week is a different topic: STEM Goes Green, STEM Challenges, Coding for Kids & STEM On the Cheap. Click here for the full list of activities.

For More Adventures in Engineering

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Building with Playdough | Simple STEM Challenge for Kids

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I am pretty sure at this point that we are obsessed with all things STEM and engineering. You see we love to build and create new things and we love engineering challenges even more. This summer we made a few travel engineering kits for kids and fell in love.

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4 best rainbow art ideas for kids | 5 Minute Fun

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Colourful painting activities plus other fun ways to make a rainbow to spread a happy hopeful message when everyone is stuck indoors

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Music is also an important part of the Arts.

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Music is also an important part of the Arts.

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Here are 10 best pieces of classical music for kids

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Classical music for children. Picture: Getty

From Tchaikovsky's magical ballets to Bizet's barnstorming orchestral préludes, some of the greatest classical pieces make perfect music for toddlers. Here's our selection of the greatest pieces of classical music for children.

1. Saint-Saëns - Carnival of the Animals

Saint-Saëns' 'grand zoological fantasy' is beautiful, funny, and clever all at once. 'The Swan', one of the most iconic movements, is scored for two pianos and a cello solo, with the calming cello tune representing the bird's effortless gliding, while the rolling piano chords paint a musical picture of the swan's hidden feet, paddling furiously under the water.
Listen to Classic FM's brand-new podcast for children, presented by David Walliams >
Each of the piece's 14 movements represents a different animal, including a lion, donkey, and elephant, as well as fossils, an aquarium, an aviary and - Saint-Saëns' little joke - pianists, possibly the most dangerous animal of them all...

2. Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake

From the graceful Waltz in Act I to the playful 'Dance of the Cygnets', this music is just magical. Tchaikovsky's ballet tells the story of the doomed love of Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette, who was turned into a swan by the evil Baron Von Rothbart.

The spell can only be broken if someone who has never loved before swears an oath of undying love and promises to marry her. The Prince declares his love to Odette and promises to be loyal forever... but their ending isn't so sweet.

3. Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf

If it's famous names you're after, Prokofiev's symphonic fairy tale for children has been narrated by some of the best in the business. David Bowie, Patrick Stewart and Alexander Armstrong have all lent their voices to the Russian composer's children's story.

Each character in the tale is represented by an instrument in the orchestra: the duck by an oboe, the grandfather by a bassoon, the bird by a flute and the wolf by three horns. Before a performance, the instruments are usually shown to the children, which helps them to understand the unique sound of each orchestral instrument.

4. Beethoven - Für Elise

Beethoven's Bagatelle No.25 in A minor is rarely referred to in such grandiose terms; instead, all who know and love it refer to it simply by its nickname, 'Für Elise'.

The catchy piano tune is short, sweet and beautifully simple - and if ever there was a piece that might inspire musically inclined kids to do their piano practice, this is it.

5. Strauss - The Beautiful Blue Danube

It's from this, his most famous piece of music, that Johann Strauss the Younger earns his nickname 'King of the Waltz'. From the shimmering strings at the start, to its fantastic waltz tune and meaty music played by the cellos, Strauss takes us on a gloriously descriptive musical journey.

6. Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

The real title for this perennial Mozart favourite is Serenade No. 13 in G, although it's the piece's informal title, 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' that has stuck.

Written when Mozart was just 31 years old, it's an uplifting piece of music perfect for young listeners and defined by its gloriously melodic strings.

7. Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker

From the elegant 'Waltz of the Flowers' to the thrilling 'Russian Dance', the score of Tchaikovsky's enchanting ballet is a feast of wonderful melodies. Other favourites include the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies' and the 'Dance of the Reed Flutes'.

Despite its enduring capacity to charm Christmas audiences, the music of The Nutcracker is adored by families and young children all year round.

8. Handel - Water Music

Handel's Water Music is made up of three wonderfully jolly orchestral suites, which are easy on the ear and jauntily life-affirming.

Packed with catchy and famous tunes, each movement is based on a dance style - but it's Suite No. 1 that is the most popular. In eleven sections, it begins with a beautiful French-style Ouverture, continues through a jaunty 'Bourée', a stately 'Minuet', and ends with the grand 'Alla Hornpipe'.

9. Elmer Bernstein - The Great Escape

Elmer Bernstein's jaunty, triumphant, catchy and extremely hummable theme is the perfect accompaniment to this Second World War film, in which Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough mastermind a mass escape from a German prisoner of war camp.

Its jolly rhythm and ear-wormy theme make this soundtrack a perennial favourite with young listeners.

10. Bizet - Overture to Carmen

Bizet's second opera is so packed full of memorable melodies that it's guaranteed an almost permanent position as the world's most popular and frequently performed opera.

The show's opening number is feverish and exciting, with an exhilarating melody in the strings and a persistently rhythmic accompaniment in the brass and timpani sections. If this barnstorming Prélude isn't stuck in you and your child's head yet, it will be now...

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10 best pieces of classical music for kids

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Saint-Saëns' 'grand zoological fantasy' is beautiful, funny, and clever all at once. 'The Swan', one of the most iconic movements, is scored for two pianos and a cello solo, with the calming cello tune representing the bird's effortless gliding, while the rolling piano chords paint a musical picture of the swan's hidden feet, paddling furiously under the water.

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Maths week Ireland, is a website for the whole family to get involved in.

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Use these resources to encourage learning of maths and the development of problem solving strategies in early learners. As primary school aged children gain familiarity with early maths concepts, provide them with opportunities to build a strong foundation for a successful future. The hands-on tools included in these resource packs will help young students as they explore essential maths concepts such as counting, measurement, and geometry.

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Primary Schools "The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child's own desire to learn." - Maria Montessori Use these resources to encourage learning of maths and the development of problem solving strategies in early learners.

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Free Maths games to promote problem solving

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Fun Games | Games for Kids | Math Playground

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Math Playground has more than 500 math games, number puzzles and logic games!

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Floating paper clips

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Flying mice

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Create a fun scavenger hunt for kids with these challenge cards

Treasure hunts or scavenger hunts are a great way to keep children entertained at home.

These scavenger hunt challenge cards for kids are designed to stimulate young minds while encouraging them to be physically active during school closures.

There are scavenger hunt activities for the garden or for around the house - perfect for use in homes of any size.

What are the benefits of a scavenger hunt for kids?

A scavenger hunt for kids will keep them occupied and help them to be more aware of their surroundings and encourage them to interact with different objects in your home or outside.

For example, one of the activities asks children to find different objects that can roll, twist, be squashed, slide or can bounce.

Activities like this will improve children's problem solving and fine motor skills.

For more interactive resources to keep your children's' minds active during these trying times, take a look at our School Closure Health & Wellbeing resources.

How can I keep my children active during home learning time?

Keeping busy and active during home learning time helps children remain focused and engaged with their learning.

Use these scavenger hunt challenge cards with KS1 and KS2 children as a fun activity to keep them active.

You could also:

set up a home obstacle course

complete craft activities

host your own sports day at home

Languages / Countries

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Treasure hunts or scavenger hunts are a great way to keep children entertained at home. These scavenger hunt challenge cards for kids are designed to stimulate young minds while encouraging them to be physically active during school closures.There are scavenger hunt activities for the garden or for around the house - perfect for use in homes of any size.

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Do you love easy homemade sugar scrub recipes as much as we do? We believe that sugar scrubs should be an essential homemade bath item in every home! It is my favorite way to keep my skin soft and exfoliated while sneaking in some daily essential oil pampering. These are also fun to make with kids and a great way to help kids get excited about their hygiene routine.

Easy Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes

What Are Sugar Scrubs?

Sugar scrubs are a gentler alternative to salt scrubs making them perfect for people with sensitive skin and children. They help remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells through gentle exfoliation, leaving your skin soft and smooth. Unlike salt scrubs, sugar scrubs are not scratchy or abrasive. Sugar scrubs are also fantastic at hydrating your skin because sugar is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the environment into the skin. Most sugar scrubs are also made with a carrier oil such as coconut or sweet almond which adds to its ability to hydrate and refresh skin. Add in essential oils of your choice to your homemade sugar scrub and have a spa experience at home!

What Type of Essential Oils Can You Use in Sugar Scrubs?

When it comes to using essential oils for sugar scrub recipes about the only rule there is to stick to oils that are labeled for topical use. Whatever your mood, you can make a sugar scrub using essential oils to help you! It is so easy to make sugar scrubs that you could make an entire variety using different essential oils in one session!

Easy Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes!

&

If You Love Sugar Scrubs Then You Will Also Love These Easy Homemade Bath and Beauty Projects!

Sleeping Beauty Bath Salts
Calming Bath Salts for Kids
Beginners Guide to Essential Oils for Sensory Needs

Even More Sugar Scrub Resources!

Enjoy 50+ All Natural Scrub Recipes from My Joy Filled Life
Have fun with a Mommy and Me Sugar Scrub Party from The Educators Spin on It
Learn more about DIY Skincare from The Pleasantest

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Easy Sugar Scrub Recipes that You Can Make at Home

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Do you love easy homemade sugar scrub recipes as much as we do? We believe that sugar scrubs should be an essential homemade bath item in every home! It is my favorite way to keep my skin soft and exfoliated while sneaking in some daily essential oil pampering.

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Exploding numbers

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A4 or Letter size cardstock

Construction paper or drawing paper (9" x 12")

Pencil

Scissors

Masking tape

Tempera or poster paint

Paint brushes or roller brushes

1Print out or draw numbers.

Print out this Medium-sized Numbers - Set 1 on A4 or Letter size cardstock. You can also draw your own numbers on cardstock or construction paper.

Using a roller brush is an easy and fun option for young kids.

Make a New Year's Day picture.

Celebrate the New Year with an exploding numbers poster or picture.

Decorate a box.

You can also paint these colorfully exploding numbers onto gift boxes or pencil holders.

For this box, I used acrylic paint to paint the numbers, then a coating of clear acrylic sealer to seal in the paint.

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Exploding Numbers | Kids' Crafts | Fun Craft Ideas | FirstPalette.com

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Learning numbers can be fun with this number stencils painting activity. You can use the same technique to paint numbers onto your craft projects.

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Make your own pinwheel

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Paper or cardstock

Scissors

Glue stick

Crayons or markers

Pencil with eraser

Push pin

Bead or small button (optional)

1Print out the template.

Print out this flower pinwheel template on A4 or Letter size cardstock. If you want a two-toned flower pinwheel, use different colors of cardstock for each page.

6Glue all tips at the center.

Repeat Step 5 with the remaining four tips, working from one adjacent tip to the next.

Once you have finished gluing all the tips at the center, your pinwheel will look pretty much like a six-petalled flower.

9Attach the pinwheel to a pencil.

Push the pin onto the eraser of a pencil. Leave a small gap between the paper and the eraser to allow the pinwheel to spin more freely.

As an option, you can put a bead or small button between the pinwheel and the eraser. This helps the pinwheel rotate better and prevents the pin's point from going through the other side of the eraser.

10Enjoy your pinwheel.

Finally, try blowing at the edges of the pinwheel to make it spin. Loosen the pin a bit if the blades do not rotate well. Enjoy!

These flower pinwheels are great spring and summer projects. Place them on the front porch, in the garden, or wherever it can catch a soft breeze. Remember though that these pinwheels are made of paper and will get damaged if they get wet.

Make longer stems.

If you want a longer handle, use a wooden dowel in place of a pencil. Pushing the pin into the wood is quite hard for kids so make sure an adult does this step.

You can decorate the dowel by painting it or wrapping its entire length with fabric ribbon, washi tape or colored masking tape.

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Flower Pinwheel | Kids' Crafts | Fun Craft Ideas | FirstPalette.com

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Paper or cardstock Scissors Glue stick Crayons or markers Pencil with eraser Push pin Bead or small button (optional) 1Print out the template. Print out this flower pinwheel template on A4 or Letter size cardstock. If you want a two-toned flower pinwheel, use different colors of cardstock for each page.

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Toilet roll flowers

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After Step 4, take one petal. While holding the petal's base with one hand, gently press on the tip with your other hand (Leftmost photo).

Continue pressing until the tip is pushed inwards, forming a heart shape (Middle photo).

Press the sides of the heart-shaped petal together. Flatten the tip to create creases. (Rightmost photo).

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how to make flowers from toilet paper rolls

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TP Roll Flowers | Kids' Crafts | Fun Craft Ideas | FirstPalette.com

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After Step 4, take one petal. While holding the petal's base with one hand, gently press on the tip with your other hand (Leftmost photo). Continue pressing until the tip is pushed inwards, forming a heart shape (Middle photo). Press the sides of the heart-shaped petal together. Flatten the tip to create creases.

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Free Teachers Design & Technology Craft Ideas | Baker Ross | Creative Station

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View our selection of free craft projects for kids, teachers and grown-ups. Browse by occasion, theme, subject, activity and more!

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Paddle boat

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STEM activities for kids that involve water, like this DIY plastic paddle boat, are always a hit. After we learned how to build a paddle boat, we had fun testing it out in an inflatable pool in our backyard. You could easily experiment with your paddle boat in a bathtub or water table inside your house. This is one of those science for kids explorations that could be done inside or outside.

Paddle Boat STEM Activity

Plastic Bottle (We used a plastic bottle that had four flat sides.)

Two Wooden Chopsticks

Plastic Milk Jug

Scissors

Duct Tape

Rubber band (We used a thick medium sized rubber band)

Ruler

Pencil

Packing Tape

Build a Paddle Boat

Cut out four rectangular pieces out of the plastic milk jug. The pieces need to be 2 inches by 3 inches long. You will want to use a pencil to draw your squares onto the milk jug. That will help you cut out rectangles with straight sides. The pencil lines will be easy to erase once you have cut out your rectangles.

Each of the rectangles will then be folded in half. You will then duct tape one side a rectangle to the side of another rectangle to create a cross shape. You could create the cross shape and then tape the sides together. We found that taping one set of sides at a time worked for us.

Now you will be attaching the chopsticks to opposite sides of the bottle. You will attach the chopsticks about ¾ of the way down the bottle with packing tape. You will want at least 3 or 4 inches of each of the chopsticks to hang off the back of the bottle. When you have the chopsticks right where you want them to be, you will wrap duct tape around the area where the strapping tape is.

Attach the rubber band to the chopsticks. It should fit perfectly. You don't want it to be stretched out.

Finally you slide two blades of the paddle through the rubber band.

Science for Kids- Things to Observe

See if winding the paddle forward makes it go forward.

See if winding the paddle backwards makes it backward.

See if moving the rubber band closer to the boat makes a difference it how it moves.

See how many times you can wind up the paddle in the rubber band. Decide if it makes a difference in how long it moves.

Don't let the fun and discovery stop there!
We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page!
Take me to the experiments -> Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

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STEM activities for kids that involve water, like this DIY plastic paddle boat, are always a hit. After we learned how to build a paddle boat, we had fun testing it out in an inflatable pool in our backyard. You could easily experiment with your paddle boat in a bathtub or water table inside your house.

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Straw rocket

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Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws- such a great way for kids to explore science!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post was originally published on June 14, 2015 and has since been updated.
Here's an easy way to make straw rockets using just a few materials. This project makes a great addition to a unit on physics, space, the night sky, or things that fly and is also just fun to do on a rainy day!

A reader, Lisa, suggested a great children's book to go with this activity: The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield. Be sure to check it out!

The kids and I designed our own rockets and launched them using straws! This activity was definitely a hit with both Lucy (age 7) and Theo (age 3 1/2).

The kids loved seeing how far they could get their straw rockets to go and had fun trying them out at all different angles.

This activity makes a great science exploration and is perfect for the classroom. Kids can compare how different angles of the straw affect the distance the rocket travels or how adding fins or folding the rocket in different ways can affect its flight.

See the straw rockets in action!

Materials for Making Straw Rockets

Directions for Making Straw Rockets

1. Print out the free rocket template. Color the rockets and cut them out.

2. Cut the bottom off a plastic pipette and attach it to the back of a rocket using tape or glue dots. (We love having a stash of plastic pipettes at home. They're so fun to use with painting and often come in handy for various science activities- like with our color arrays. And they're super inexpensive!)

If you don't have any plastic pipettes handy, you can use a straw instead. (Just make sure this straw is wider than the other straw you'll be using for launching.) Cut the straw to fit the length of the rocket and tape one end shut so it's completely sealed. Attach it to your rocket with glue dots or tape.

3. Slip a straw into your pipette, and you're ready to launch!

4. Give your straw a big puff of air, and watch it take off!

Extending the Straw Rockets Science Activity

How does the angle you launch your rocket affect the distance it travels? Try out different angles and record the results.

Can you design your own rockets to attach to the pipette or straw? Which designs work better?

Try adding another fin to your rocket with tape. How does it affect the flight of your rocket?

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STEM for Kids: Straw Rockets (with Free Rocket Template) - Buggy and Buddy

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Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws- such a great way for kids to explore science! This post contains affiliate links. This post was originally published on June 14, 2015 and has since been updated.

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With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games.

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You can never have too many boredom busters, especially when they are full of learning!

I set up this simple STEM challenge for my kids as a way to have fun and unwind after school and could not believe how much fun it turned out to be.

Get your kids thinking critically and developing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills with just some simple items from around the house!

While designing and testing their own designs kids are working on the STEM concepts of design, shape, and structure in a fun and hands-on way.

It's an open-ended process that allows kids to test different designs and types of materials (in this case balls) and see how gravity effects each.

How to Make a Pom Pom Drop

We got the chance to problem solve and learn about design and gravity and their effect on different types of balls.
Supplies needed:

Paper towel rolls

Toilet paper rolls

Scissors

Washi tape

Pom poms

Other types of small balls such as marbles or bouncy balls

Begin the gravity lesson by asking them to tape the paper towel rolls to the wall or window in such a
way that a pom pom can roll through them.

They'll have to cut the rolls in half or cut openings in the tubes so the ball can travel through.

There is no "right" way to do this at first. As kids test out their design encourage them to continue to adjust and add to it to create a fun pom pom drop.

Next ask them why the pom pom always ends up on the ground. Discuss the concept of gravity together
and then put it to the test.

Have kids test out different types of balls in their ball drop to see how different sizes, weights, and densities of materials change the effect gravity has. They will discover that heavier denser objects fall faster.

Learn about STEM with a Pom Pom Drop
Extend the learning:

1. Give kids simple challenges and a timer to get them to use those critical thinking skills and modify their designs!

2. Build a pom pom drop that can keep a ball going for more than 10 seconds.

3. Move the ball 4 feet to the left or right from where it begins.

4. Test two different types of balls and see how you can get them to drop in the same number of seconds.

5. Use scissors and tape to create shapes other than a cylinder for the balls to roll through.

Designing and engineering their own pom pom drop lets kids really dive into the concept of gravity in a
hands-on way. As they test and rebuild their structures they are developing the problem solving skills they need to do well in school and in life.

Don't let the fun stop there! We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page!

Take me to the experiments -> Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

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You can never have too many boredom busters, especially when they are full of learning! I set up this simple STEM challenge for my kids as a way to have fun and unwind after school and could not believe how much fun it turned out to be.

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My latest greatest math tool find. Draw a number line with sharpie on a ziploc slider bag and use the slider as the tool to add or subtract two numbers. I just filled the bags with addition and subtration cards. I put a piece of white paper in the bag also because it made the numbers a little easier to see. You can add a self check component by writing the answer on the back of each card. I probably should have started with zero...but you can use whatever numbers you want or leave it an open ended number line.

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My latest greatest math tool find. Draw a number line with sharpie on a ziploc slider bag and use the slider as the tool to add or subtract two numbers. I just filled the bags with addition and subtration cards.

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Solve the Math problem before you get to move the block!

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I have to say that I've been blessed with two kids who LOVE to learn. Trust me when I say that I know this isn't always the case so I am very grateful that {at this moment in time} they love it. My wish is NOT for them to be at the top of their class{es}, read the best, or anything like that, rather I want them to LOVE school and LOVE to learn. And so far, thankyouJesus, they do.

As you can imagine with two little boys who love to learn, we haven't been sitting idly at home doing a whole lotta nothing. Yes...there are MORE video game moments than I can count....the pool has been their second home....and our neighbor has taken permanent residence at our house...but they've been SO excited to try new "games" and extend their learning while they aren't in the classroom. I guess the bonus to that is that the majority of the time they don't even realize they're learning! SCORE!!!

One of our favorite summer games so far has been Math Fact Jenga! They're finally in the "game phase" of their lives { seems like it took FOREVER for them to get here!!} and they love to play!

We started out with regular Jenga, but then I decided it was time to amp it up and see if they could rise to a little summer challenge. Let me just tell you that ANYtime I say the word "challenge", my boys are determined to prove to me that they can rise to the occasion. I shudder to think what this could mean when they're in college { deep breath, mom. Deep breath.}.

To play Math Fact Jenga at your house...or in your classroom...you'll need a set of Jenga blocks & peel off stickers {I love my garage sale dots!}

As you can imagine, you play this version very similar to the regular version. When you find a block you want to strategically move, you have to solve the problem BEFORE you can move it. If you solve the problem correctly, you move the block. If you get the problem wrong, the next player has the option to solve and move and you lose a turn. Then you just keep on playing 'til they all fall down 🙂

Of course, using math strategies is highly encouraged! I can already tell a difference in fact fluency with my 1st grader. He's starting to remember some of the addition problems and he's becoming a much faster player 🙂

What I love about using the garage sale dots is that I can change out the facts...or activity...as often as possible! In case you don't know, I am seriously cheap. I don't like to buy more than what I need or already have. The sticky dots give me the flexibility to change it up whenever I feel the need. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

In other news, today's Christmas in July deal is on two of my FAVORITE math resources!!

Don't Forget My Number is an awesome number sense packet perfect for starting the year! It's chock full of number anchor charts, games, and printable activities to reinforce number sense! It's usually $11, but TODAY ONLY it's on sale for $8!!

Splash Into Summer is a fun little packet full of printable math practice pages! Perfect for the summer between K-1 or great for starting out the first few weeks of first grade! It's usually $7, but TODAY ONLY it's on sale for $5!!

I'll be giving BOTH of these packets away today on my FB page, so if you're not a fan already, head on over, click "like" & "get notifications" and enter to win!!

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I have to say that I've been blessed with two kids who LOVE to learn. Trust me when I say that I know this isn't always the case so I am very grateful that {at this moment in time} they love it. My wish is NOT for them to be at the top of ...

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Have lots of bits of old crayons lying around? Don't throw them out- try this instead!!

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Easily an upcycled or repurposed project! Turn your jumbo box of broken and worn down bits of crayon into these new homemade crayons. Or use a box of new crayons if you want to test out the DIY crayon recipe and you don't have a stash. Fun to add to a space theme, give as a party favor, or pull out as a rainy day activity! We love simple science activities!

What To Do With Old Crayons?

Do you remember the delight you felt opening up a brand new box of crayons? Do you remember how sad you felt when that favorite crayon broke in half or was worn down so far you could barely use it?

Let's show the kiddos how to make these fantastic DIY crayons from old crayons instead of throwing away all those bits and pieces. These recycled crayons are a great way to show how you can take something used and re-purpose it into something fun again!
We also made a fun homemade playdough with crayons as well!
Think melting crayons is tricky, think again! It's super easy and safe to melt crayons in the oven. Also, as an alternative check out how you can melt crayons in the microwave too!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Recycling Projects For Kids
Plus, making crayons from old crayons is a simple science activity illustrating reversible change or physical changes. Read more below!

The Science Of Melting Crayons

There are two types of changes called reversible change and irreversible change. Melting crayons, like melting ice is a great example of reversible change. See more examples of physical change!

Reversible change occurs when something is melted or frozen for example, but the change can also be undone. Just like with our crayons! They can be melted into a liquid and reformed into solid new crayons.

Although the crayons have changed shape or form, they did not undergo a chemical process to became a new substance. The crayons are still usable as crayons and if melted again will form new crayons!

Baking bread or cooking something like an egg is an example of an irreversible change or chemical change. The egg can never go back to its original form because what it is made of has been changed. The change cannot be undone!

Can you think of any more examples of reversible change and irreversible change?
ALSO CHECK OUT: States Of Matter Experiments
Melting crayons to make new and much cooler crayons is also a great STEAM activity. What is STEAM? STEAM combines science, technology, and engineering, and math with art. If you want to learn about more STEAM activities, grab the free STEAM Activities Guide.

How To Make Crayons

There are so many different shapes of crayon molds out there! You can even get alphabet letter molds and pair the activity with a favorite book. See here how we used LEGO molds to make LEGO crayons!

We love to use silicon molds. Yes, silicon can go in the oven! Don't have silicon molds? Read below on variations for how to make crayons in muffin tins, with cookie cutters, and even in the microwave!

Supplies Needed

How To Melt Crayons In The Oven
Adult supervision is highly recommended. The melted crayons will get very hot!
STEP 1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

STEP 2. Peel the paper off the crayons and cut into tiny pieces.

STEP 3. Fill each crayon mold with different colors, anything goes! Similar shades will create a nice effect or try color mixing by combining blue and yellow!

STEP 4. Place in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until crayons are completely melted.

STEP 5. Remove the mold carefully from the oven and let it cool completely.

STEP 6. Once cooled, pop out of molds and have fun coloring!

How To Melt Crayons In The Microwave
Adult supervision highly recommended. The materials will be hot!
You will still want to peel the crayons and break into pieces. However, your best bet is to separate by color since you will be doing a melt and pour style of making crayons here.

Place the crayon pieces in paper cups and heat on high in the microwave. Ours took about 5 mins but you may want to start checking around four minutes depending on the microwave.

Then you will pour the melted crayons into your silicone molds! This is when you can combine colors if desired. Place molds in the freezer to speed the cooling process! 30 minutes should do the trick.

Alternatives To Silicon Molds

Can you melt crayons in muffin tins instead?

Absolutely! You don't need silicon candy molds to make crayons. Simply spray the muffin tins first with a cooking spray and use them the same way!

What about melting crayons in the oven with cookie cutters?

This is another great alternative to melting crayons in candy molds. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly spray metal cookie cutters and place them on the tray. Add crayons and pop in the oven!

More Fun Activities For Kids

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Find out how to melt crayons in the oven or microwave. It is so easy! Melting crayons makes for a fun reversible change.

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades!

Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post was originally published May 24, 2016 and has since been updated.
In our most recent science club, I challenged my students to create a pinball-like marble maze game using a paper plate, some basic craft supplies, and marbles. Kids created all kinds of cool structures on their paper plates for their marbles to go through as they tilted the plate different directions using their hands.

See it in action here:

Materials for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge

Directions for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge
If your students are not familiar with pinball machines (yes, we're that old!), watch some pinball machine YouTube videos together. Notice the different ramps, bumpers, and other pinball machine parts.
1. Provide each child with one paper plate and access to various craft supplies. I demonstrated how to create some simple arches using strips of construction paper. I also provided each student with their own individual pack of Wikki Stix. (You can also buy them in large quantities.) You can do this activity with just construction paper and tape, or try other materials as well, like pipe cleaners or straws.

2. Let the kids get busy creating and testing out their pinball machines with marbles.

The kids loved using Wikki Stix to create paths for their marbles.

Some kids used construction paper to create ramps and pockets in their pinball games and even designated point values for different arches!

The kids had a blast with this science project and even got so excited about the activity, they were trading finished pinball plates for their friends to try!

Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

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STEM Challenge for Kids: Design a Paper Plate Marble Maze - Buggy and Buddy

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades! Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!

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Sometimes we do an art project that I absolutely fall in love with, and this is one of those times.

Tape resist is nothing new. The process has been around forever. In fact, we did it years ago here in my daycare when the hooligans were really young. Back then, we used white cardboard and our homemade watercolour paints, and the project turned out great.

Fast-forward six years, and we're doing the project again, but instead of using white cardboard as a canvas, we're using actual art canvases that I picked up at the Dollar Store.

Wow! What a difference. The art we created today is absolutely gorgeous, and because we used real canvases, the kids will be able to proudly display their art on a wall in their bedroom or play room.

You'll Also Love: DIY Bath Paints - Kid & Tub Safe

tape-resist art is wonderful for kids of all ages because it's process-based. Even toddlers can make beautiful and unique art this way. Older kids can create geometrical art, or they can plan a piece with a specific image in mind. It's a great way to introduce children to the concept of negative space too.

Today we started with a piece of name art, and that was so fun to make that we went on to create some geometrical pieces.

It's amazing to watch your piece change from a blank canvas to a colourful mess and finally to a crisp design.

Let me show you how to do it.

You Will Need:

Dollar Store canvas (you can also use a heavy-weight paper or cardboard)

painter's tape

scissors

acrylic craft paint

paintbrushes

Instructions:

To start, make a design on your canvas with the painter's tape. Painter's tape is preferred over masking tape, especially if you're using paper or cardboard for your canvas. It's low-tack - meaning it's not as sticky as masking tape so it's easy to position, re-position and remove.

Press the edges of the tape down firmly on the canvas to prevent paint from seeping underneath during the next step.

Next, paint your canvas. For a piece of name art, brush the paint right over the tape. For the most impressive results, use bright, bold or dark colours. The more contrast between the paint colours and the white canvas underneath the tape, the better.

If you're making a geometrical design like the one in the collage below, you'll want to keep each section a separate colour and be careful to not paint over the tape in the adjacent sections.

Let your painting dry slightly before proceeding.

And now, for the big reveal!

Lift an edge of the tape, and gently pull it up and away from your painting.

Watch as the crisp, clean lines of your design appear in the negative space on the canvas.

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Sometimes we do an art project that I absolutely fall in love with, and this is one of those times. Tape resist is nothing new. The process has been around forever. In fact, we did it years ago here in my daycare when the hooligans were really young.

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Easy DIY Science Experiments Leak Proof Bag with Pencil!!

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How to Make A Lava Lamp Bottle- Fun for Kids!

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Play this game with your brother/sister/friend/Mum or Dad

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You will need a buddy and a die

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1. Listen to the story
2. Can you make your own caterpillars from playdough, cutting up straws, string or something else from around the house.
3. Which is the longest caterpillar?
4. Which is the shortest caterpillar?
5. Could you make any of the caterpillars longer or shorter?

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Eric Carle reads The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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You might need counters and a die for some of these games

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Butterfly Life Cycle (metamorphosis) Song

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Chrome Music Lab - Combining Science with Music

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Chrome Music Lab - Combining Science with Music

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Music is for everyone. Play with simple experiments that let anyone, of any age, explore how music works.

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STEM CHALLENGE
Crazy challenges for designer minds
Your challenge can be as simple or as complicated as you would like to make it. All you need
is some paper, tape and a scissors. Build a tower, as tall as you can but it must also be strong
and sturdy.
Check out this video for inspiration:

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DIY Labs I Crafts, Food Art, Life Hacks & more

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4 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Crafts you can do anytime | Fast-n-Easy | DIY Labs

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Houses and Home Paper Model Semi Detached