# data[].attributes.headline
Looking forward to the 100th day of school? Count out 100 pennies and put them in a ziplock bag.  Use items around the house to create a bridge to hold them. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Looking forward to the 100th day of school? Count out 100 pennies and put them in a ziplock bag.  Use items around the house to create a bridge to hold them. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Use popsicle sticks and clothespins to create a tower.  How can you arrange the items to make it sturdy? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Use popsicle sticks and clothespins to create a tower.  How can you arrange the items to make it sturdy? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Use straws cut to different lengths abs construction paper to create a flute!  Which straws make higher sounds and which make deeper sounds? How does the length of the straw effect the sound? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Use straws cut to different lengths abs construction paper to create a flute!  Which straws make higher sounds and which make deeper sounds? How does the length of the straw effect the sound? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Use mini marshmallows and spaghetti to build towers! Can you build a tower taller than a friend’s? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Use mini marshmallows and spaghetti to build towers! Can you build a tower taller than a friend’s? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Build a bridge from one table to another using popsicle sticks!  How much can your bridge hold? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Build a bridge from one table to another using popsicle sticks!  How much can your bridge hold? 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a seriously fun and totally easy STEM challenge for kids to set up this holiday season. We all need a few tricks up our sleeve with all the hustle and bustle that is going on! Get your kids off the screens and into Christmas building games with this cup tower challenge. The challenge is to build a Christmas tree with just 100 cups.

CHRISTMAS BUILDING GAMES: CUP TOWER CHALLENGE

CHRISTMAS CUP STACKING CHALLENGE

Cups, cups, and lots of cups! That's all you need to get started with this Christmas STEM Challenge. Challenge your kids to use as many of the cups as they can to build their own Christmas tree.

Simple STEM activities are a great way to combine easy science experiments for kids with a ton of holiday and Christmas fun as well! Finding the best Christmas activities for kids doesn't have to be hard!
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive problem-based challenges? We have you covered...
YOU WILL NEED:

100 Plastic Party Cups {or whatever you can get}

Imagination and Determination {free and unlimited}

Now time to...

PLAN | BUILD | PROBLEM SOLVE

STEM Challenges with Christmas themes make holiday learning and play extra interesting! Finding fun science experiments for kids is seriously so much fun!

Decorate your Christmas cup tower with pompoms or even crumpled tissue paper as Christmas tree decorations.

Our STEM challenges are a great to way to engage kids even with simple supplies like these plastic party cups. We have a whole list of STEM supplies on a budget to check out.

There's nothing better than building a huge cup tower Christmas tree and then knocking it down! Your kids will love this fun and addictive Christmas cup stacking challenge!
MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT: Quick STEM Activities
A simple and fun Christmas STEM activity for any time any day that all the kids can enjoy together. Go screen-free your next indoor or stuck inside day. The kids will have a blast. If you have Nerf guns, snowball shooters, or even rolled-up socks, use them too for knocking down the towers.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 25 Indoor Energy Busters For Kids
CHRISTMAS CUP TOWER CHALLENGE FOR KIDS

Click on the photos below for more fun Christmas STEM activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Christmas Cup Tower Challenge | Little Bins for Little Hands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a seriously fun and totally easy STEM challenge for kids to set up this holiday season. We all need a few tricks up our sleeve with all the hustle and bustle that is going on! Get your kids off the screens and into Christmas building games with this cup tower challenge.

# data[].attributes.body
All you need is coffee filters, markers, a spray bottle with water, and a clothespin!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Want to know what crafts to make with coffee filters? Easy to make, these coffee filter Christmas trees are such a fun craft to add to your Christmas activities. Coffee filters are a MUST have addition to any science or craft kit! Soluble science is combined with unique process art to make these colorful Christmas trees below. We love do-able Christmas crafts for kids!

COFFEE FILTER CHRISTMAS CRAFTS FOR KIDS

SIMPLE SOLUBLE SCIENCE

Why do the colors on your coffee filter Christmas tree blend together? It's all to do with solubility. If something is soluble that means it will dissolve in that liquid (or solvent). The ink used in these washable markers dissolves in what? The water of course!

In this coffee filter craft, the water (solvent) is meant to dissolve the marker ink (solute). For this to happen, the molecules in both the water and the ink must be attracted to each other. When you added drops of water to the designs on the paper, the ink should spread out and run through the paper with the water.

Note: Permanent markers do not dissolve in water but in alcohol. You can see this in action here with our tie-dye Valentine cards.

MORE COFFEE FILTER CRAFTS
Looking for easy to print activities? We have you covered...
COFFEE FILTER CHRISTMAS TREE

HOW TO MAKE A COFFEE FILTER CHRISTMAS TREE

STEP 1. Start by spreading out a coffee filter. Then c olor in the coffee filter with the washable markers. Experiment with different patterns for unique results.

STEP 2. Spray the coffee filter with a water bottle until just wet. It needs to be completely wet but not soaked or the color will run. About 3 or 4 sprays.

STEP 3. Let the coffee filters dry completely.

STEP 4. Once dry, fold the coffee filter in half.

Then fold one side in a nd fold the other side in, too so that the half is now folded in thirds. Insert a clothespin on the inner folds.

STEP 5. Finally, cut a star out of yellow cardstock or use star stickers for added ease. Stick the star to the top of the watercolor tree.

MORE FUN CHRISTMAS CRAFTS

FUN COFFEE FILTER CHRISTMAS CRAFT FOR KIDS

Click on the image below or on the link for more easy Christmas activities for kids.

MORE CHRISTMAS FUN...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coffee Filter Christmas Trees | Little Bins for Little Hands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coffee Filter Christmas Trees Want to know what crafts to make with coffee filters? Easy to make, these coffee filter Christmas trees are such a fun craft to add to your Christmas activities. Coffee filters are a MUST have addition to any science or craft kit!

# data[].attributes.headline
Mrs. Wayne's Thanksgiving Virtual Escape Room

# data[].attributes.subject
Mrs. Wayne's Thanksgiving Virtual Escape Room

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mrs. Wayne's Thanksgiving Virtual Escape Room

# data[].attributes.headline
Mrs. Wayne's Virtual Holiday Escape Room

# data[].attributes.subject
Mrs. Wayne's Virtual Holiday Escape Room

# data[].attributes.body
This easy science experiment only requires a can, ice, water, salt and string!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ice Fishing Science Experiment is a classic science experiment perfect for kids who are learning about ice and temperature. This quick science project takes just a few minutes to do, and kids are fascinated by their "magic" results! It's perfect for states of matter science lessons for young kids too.

Getting the Ice Fishing Science Experiment Ready

Setting this experiment up is super easy, and it takes very little advanced prep. You will need:

You won't have to spend any time in advance prepping for this activity, other than printing the worksheet. You should also make sure the cans or whatever container you use for this activity won't cut the children's hands.

Doing the Ice Fishing Science Experiment

Fill each can with water. Place about 6 ice cubes in each cup.

Let the kids place their string over the ice cubes. Do they catch anything?

Show the kids how to place the string over an ice cube, then sprinkle a small layer of salt over the string. Wait about 30 seconds, then try to pick up the string again.

To get this freebie, use the 'click here to download' button at the bottom of this page.

The ice cube should cling to the string.

A few things can go wrong with this activity. If you use too much salt, the ice will melt too fast and the string won't stick. If you wait too long, the string will fall off again. If you don't wait long enough for the ice to form, the ice cube will fall off quickly as you pick it up. Experiment to see what works best in your class!

The Science Behind the Ice Fishing Science Experiment

Fishing for ice shows kids how salt can affect the properties and temperature of ice. When salt is added to ice, it lowers the melting point of the ice. But when the ice is surrounded by freezing temperatures, it quickly freezes again, causing ice to form again over the string. When this happens, the string can "magically" pick up the ice!

More Science Activities and Ideas
Walking Water Science for Kids Science Notebook Plants Unit
Want science planned for you ALL YEAR LONG?!

Do you want science planned for the ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR!? This Endless Science Mega Bundle will save you so much time and keep your students engaged and excited about learning. This amazing resource contains 53 science topics including life science, physical science, earth science, and animal studies.

Download Your Ice Fishing Science Experiment Printable Below!

If you can't find a resource that you would LOVE to have for your classroom, Contact me and I would be happy to make it for you.

Click the button below to download.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ice Fishing Science Experiment is a classic science experiment perfect for kids who are learning about ice and temperature. This quick science project takes just a few minutes to do, and kids are fascinated by their "magic" results! It's perfect for states of matter science lessons for young kids too.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Millions of free jigsaw puzzles created by a large community. Create, play, share jigsaw puzzles and compete with other users.

# data[].attributes.body
Making apple pie?  Before you peel the apples, how many can you stack?  Check out this fun apple STEAM challenge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking for a fun and easy to set up STEM challenge for fall or back to school? This Apple STEM Challenge has been a favorite of my kids and kept them busy for almost an hour! Now if you're a classroom teacher, you may not have time to let your kids play and explore and test for an hour. But I guarantee your kids will enjoy this challenge and will be thinking creatively and out of the box. This would also be a great STEM challenge to include in an apple unit study, or along with a field trip to an apple orchard or to go along with the book, Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss. Your kids will work on engineering skills such as design and problem solving, as well as measurement skills. Have fun with this easy Apple STEM challenge!
*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*
Materials Needed for the Apple STEM Challenge:

10 apples per group (I suggest small groups of 3-4)

A set of toothpicks

Playdough for each group

Measuring tape for each group

Pencils and recording page for each student

Preparing for the Apple STEM Challenge:

There is literally no set up required for this challenge. All you have to do is gather the materials for each group of students, and you're all set!

I would suggest, however, walking through the instructions and initial questions as a whole class before letting kids loose, especially if you are doing this with Kindergarten kids.

To start, explain the challenge: build a tower or structure out of ten apples.

You may even want to let kids know up front that building a tower that can stand without support will be difficult, and maybe even impossible. But that shouldn't keep them from trying!

When I asked my kids (when testing this out) if I should change the directions to be a smaller number of apples, they all answered, "NO!! Then it wouldn't be as great of a challenge!"
Hence, the reason for the ten apple requirement.
Plus, I absolutely love the book Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss, and I love the idea of having a fun STEM challenge to use along with that book.

Find a simple printable board game to use with it as well right here.

You could also read the book, Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins.

So after explaining the challenge to your kids, and letting them know what supplies they will have at their disposal (toothpicks and play dough), have them draw a sketch of their design plan.

This is something they can do individually before heading to their group.

I loved seeing my four kids come together, each with their own idea of how the tower should be built, then work through which idea may work best.

As they experimented, they were then able to look to others' ideas for balance and support to try out different ways to build a stable tower of apples.

Completing the Apple STEM Challenge:

Once kids have a plan in place, you can set them loose with their group. I suggest setting a timer to keep kids on task and make sure they have time to complete the measurements and discussion questions afterwards.

You may also need to remind kids that they can measure the height, even if they can't create a structure that stands on it's own.

They'll simply need to have one partner hold the tower steady, while another partner measures with a ruler or measuring tape.

You can then let kids return to their seats for the "Analyze It" discussion questions.

If you teach Kindergarten or First Grade and feel like writing out the answers is to much of a challenge for your kids, simply use these as whole class discussion questions.

If you have multiple groups who completed the challenge, take time to compare and contrast the different strategies and different measurements.

Let kids share why they built their tower the way they did and how they tried to stabilize it.

As you can see, my kids tried lots of different ideas:

And although this picture looks impressive, like my kids actually achieved their goal, I caught the split second that they tower stood upright on camera:

Unfortunately, it immediately toppled over. LOL But my kids thought it was great!

Want to have fun with apples, math, STEM and more? This activity is a sample from my complete Apple Math collection. Learn more at the link below:

And of course, if you're able to thoroughly remove all the play dough upon completion, kids can then enjoy a tasty snack!

Personally, I washed all the apples as best as I could and then sliced and peeled them to make homemade apple sauce. This would also make another fun and easy activity to do with your kids, whether in the home or the classroom!
And it's as easy as that, a super simple Apple STEM Challenge for kids of all ages! Find more fun and easy STEM Challenges below:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Apple STEM Challenge {Simple STEM for Kids}

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for a fun and easy to set up STEM challenge for fall or back to school? This Apple STEM Challenge has been a favorite of my kids and kept them busy for almost an hour! Now if you're a classroom teacher, you may not have time to let your kids play and explore and test for an hour.

# data[].attributes.body
Save your toilet paper rolls for these fun STEAM activities!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Amy Cowen on March 26, 2020 6:00 AM
Save all the empty toilet paper tubes! They can be put to use for fun hands-on science activities with the kids! This roundup highlights 8 free STEM activities you can do with empty toilet paper (or paper towel) tubes.
Recycled materials are great for many hands-on science and engineering activities. Paired with craft materials and some tape or glue, kids can turn recycled containers and cardboard into the basis of a fun and engaging science exploration.

These eight hands-on science activities all use simple cardboard tubes - like the ones you end up with when the toilet paper or paper towel roll is empty:

1. Build Your Own Sports Equipment: use cardboard tubes (taped together if you need them longer) to make sports equipment like golf clubs or baseball bats - and then head outside to try them out!

2. Build a Paper Airplane Launcher: you can use a range of materials to build your own paper airplane launcher, but toilet paper tubes work well!

3. Build a Robot Hand: explore robotics (no electronics required!) when you use cardboard tubes and recycled or craft materials like modeling clay, straws, and rubber bands to design a robotic hand.

4. Junkbots: Robots from Recycled Materials: use cardboard tubes to design and build robots from recycled materials. (A few specialty electronics parts, or the Bristlebot Kit, are also required.)

5. Make Your Own Stethoscope: kids can explore heart beat science with a simple homemade stethoscope.

6. Balloon Magic with Bernoulli's Principle: experiment to see what happens to two balloons when you blow air between them through a cardboard tube.

7. Make a Cotton Ball Launcher: use a cardboard tube, a pencil, and a rubber band to make a fun launcher. How far can a cotton ball go?

8. Can You Kazoo?: use a cardboard tube to experiment with sound using a homemade kazoo.

You Might Also Enjoy These Related Posts:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Free Science Activities with Toilet Paper Tubes | Science Buddies Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Amy Cowen on March 26, 2020 6:00 AM Save all the empty toilet paper tubes! They can be put to use for fun hands-on science activities with the kids! This roundup highlights 8 free STEM activities you can do with empty toilet paper (or paper towel) tubes.

# data[].attributes.body
Use supplies you have at home to build houses for the Three Little Pigs.  Which one is the sturdiest?  Test it out! Do they blow over from a hair dryer?

# data[].attributes.headline
Wampanoag Tribe STEAM Activities for Thanksgiving

# data[].attributes.subject
Wampanoag Tribe STEAM Activities for Thanksgiving

# data[].attributes.body
Check out these fun Thanksgiving themed STEAM activities!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Three Great STEM Challenges to Study the Wampanoag

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try three themed STEM challenges for both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people! I have come up with STEM challenges to learn about tools used by each group of people, water vessels, and their homes. For the Wampanoag people, that means:

a bow (hello, elastic potential energy and kinetic energy),

a mishoon, and

a wetu

Before getting started, research the Wampanoag people. What materials did they use to make these? What were typical activities of Wampanoag adults and youth at the time they met the Pilgrims? Find out more about the Wampanoag and Pilgrims at the Plimoth Plantation website. Here is a link that describes their homes.

Get Started with the STEM Challenges

Gather basic materials. I always recommend using what you have. For a bow, a string and a bamboo skewer work well. For the mishoon, you may just want to use aluminum foil or clay, or perhaps if you are doing this at home with supervision you can use wood and carve out a real miniature mishoon. For the wetu, try paper or pipe cleaners.

Three Great STEM Challenges to Study the Pilgrims

For the Pilgrims, try these three:

a capstan (awesome if you are studying simple machines),

the Mayflower, and

a Pilgrim house

What were Pilgrims used to when they arrived? Were they able to create homes like they had before? Did they need to learn to use different tools and eat different foods? What would that have been like for them?
After trying two of these, students can contrast and compare. Where did the people use each item? How was it important to their livelihood? What materials would you use now if making something similar?
I have created recording sheets and additional STEM challenge prompts you may find useful in this Thanksgiving STEM Bundle, available at Teachers pay Teachers:

In addition to the challenges shown above, there are also challenge cards for each set of people that allow for further exploration. Here is a photo of the Pilgrim cards:

Pin these ideas for later:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
STEM Activities for Thanksgiving - Pilgrim and Wampanoag Challenges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try three themed STEM challenges for both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people! I have come up with STEM challenges to learn about tools used by each group of people, water vessels, and their homes.

# data[].attributes.body
Create a maze for a family member or friend using candy corn!

# data[].attributes.body
Watch this paper towel art come to life with science!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We have a really fun trick to share with you today. We are going to show you how to make surprise pictures using just markers, paper towel and water. This magic paper towel art will blow your child's mind. As if by magic you can make pictures or colours appear just by placing a paper towel in water. How is this possible you ask, is it magic or is it science? Whatever it is it is definitely fun!

More : Science Experiments for Kids

Kids will love making their own magic paper towel art, but before you let them get their hands on this fun science and art activity demonstrate the magic to them with a few of your own designs. They will be amazed and will be begging to make their own!

There are so many different directions you can take this surprise drawing activity. You could draw outlines that suddenly appear coloured in when they come into contact with the water, you could have extra parts to a picture appearing or you could even write secret messages. The options are endless. Check out our paper towel art phonics activity for another idea using this technique.

If you have any paper towels left over after doing this fun paper towel activity have a go at paper towel painting or try this walking water science experiment.

Magic Paper Towel Art & Science Experiment in One!

Related post: Magic Blooming Paper Flowers

Paper towel art supplies:

Marker (permanent and washable)

Paper towels

Water in a small tray

Scissors

Paper towel art directions

STEP 1: Get your supplies ready

Before showing your child this magic paper towel art have all your supplies ready, this is such a fun art activity and science experiment in one that they won't want to be kept waiting!

You will need to prepare your paper towels. Do this by taking a square of paper towel and folding it in half. Then cut the paper towel so you end up with a small square with another small square behind it (see image below)

You will also need a small tray filled with water as well as a set of permanent markers and a set of washable markers.

STEP 2: Draw pictures on paper towels

Now it's time to design your pictures. Take a permanent marker and draw an image on the top layer of the folded paper towel. Start by drawing a simple design like a rainbow, you can always get more adventurous as you get into it!

When you lift up the top layer of the paper towel you will see that the pen has gone through the paper towel onto the layer below. Now it is time to colour in this outline or add to your image. Colour the image with washable markers so the colour bleeds when it is put into water.

STEP 3: Add paper towel art to water

Now its time for the magical part of this paper towel activity. Make sure everyone is watching as this happens fast! Place the paper towel into the water. As the water soaks through the two layers of the paper towel the colours from the bottom layer will appear through the top layer of the paper towel making it look as if the colours or images have appeared by magic.

We have had so much fun with this surprise drawing activity. Here are just a few of the magic paper towel drawings that we have had a go at.

Rainbow rain cloud magic paper towel art

For our rainbow rain cloud we drew a rain cloud on the top layer of paper towel using a permanent marker.

We coloured the cloud on the second layer in using washable markers in rainbow colours.

We folded the top layer of the paper towel back over and got ready to add it to the water. Wait for the magic!

When added it to the water we ended up with a rainbow rain cloud!

Storms don't last forever surprise picture

This was made as a positive message of hope, storms don't last forever! We started by drawing a rain cloud on the top layer of the paper towel with the words 'storms don't' inside it using a permanent marker.

On the bottom layer of paper towel we wrote the words last forever, again in permanent marker. We then added some colour to the bottom layer using washable markers.

When added to the water the colour and words appeared creating a positive message of 'storms don't last forever".

My 8 year old Harry wanted to give this idea a try too, here is his version.

Harry also has a lot of fun writing messages to me that appeared when he added the paper towel to the water.

Paper towel art for younger children

My 5 year old couldn't wait to have a go at doing her own surprise paper towel picture. She drew a unicorn on the top layer.

Underneath she added lots of rainbow colours. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of her rainbow unicorn in the water (but it is in the video of this activity above)

We hope that you have as much fun as we have doing your own magic paper towel art. Doing surprise pictures or messages is such a fun and magical art project and science experiment for kids all mixed into one. Who knew you could have so much fun with a few paper towel activities!

Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube or Subscribe for free email updates!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Paper Towel Art - Is it magic or science?!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This magic paper towel art will blow your child's mind. As if by magic you can make pictures or colours appear by placing a paper towel in water. How is this possible you ask, is it magic or is it science? Whatever it is this surprise drawing activity is definitely fun!

# data[].attributes.body
Can you build a ring out of Pringles chips that stands on its own?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Divide students into groups of 3-4.

Give each group the materials listed above. Challenge students to build a ring using only 1 can of Pringles.

In order to create the ring, students should only use complete chips. Any chips that are broken can be eaten or disposed of. Using complete chips will ensure that the ring is as strong as possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pringles Ring STEM Challenge (Includes FREE Recording Sheet) - Carly and Adam

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Divide students into groups of 3-4. Give each group the materials listed above. Challenge students to build a ring using only 1 can of Pringles. In order to create the ring, students should only use complete chips. Any chips that are broken can be eaten or disposed of.

# data[].attributes.body
Use paper, string and straws to build your own robotic hand!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Spark students' imaginations by creating DIY Robot Hands from paper, straws, and string with this hands-on learning activity from Simple STEAM. Children will hone their engineering and creative thinking skills in this fun STEAM activity!

What is a DIY Robot Hand?

The DIY Robot Hand is a simple and inventive engineering activity that will teach children all about the world of robotics! With just three common items-straws, paper, and string-students can create a moving, bendable hand. This activity encourages exploration of robotics, engineering, and creative thinking, making it an ideal STEAM activity for students.

How does this activity tie in with STEAM learning?

The DIY Robot Hand STEAM Activity is a perfect example of the interconnectedness of arts and technology. Not only does this activity encourage engineering exploration and scientific inquiry about robotic technology, but it also requires students to think creatively about designing and building their own robotic hand.

Why is it important to focus on STEAM learning in early childhood education?

It's important to encourage student involvement in both arts and technology. The DIY Robot Hand STEAM Activity combines the best aspects of both fields by having students design and create an engineering marvel. Artistry and design are pivotal to the development of scientific technology, especially in the field of robotics. Including art in STEM fields creates a more approachable and dynamic view of the technology sector.

How can teachers include this activity in the classroom as part of a lesson?

The DIY Robot Hand STEAM Activity encourages students to think about how the human body functions, robotic technology in the real world, and elements of design. It incorporates elements of STEM and art for a dynamic and entertaining learning opportunity.

Download our FREE printable below!

Required Materials:

Trace hand (adult hand recommended for larger size) onto card stock. Cut hand outline out with scissors. Place hand back onto paper hand to mark location of joints. Fold the paper hand at the marked joint locations.

Cut the standard straws into ¼", ½", 1", and 2 ¼" sizes. Tape standard straws onto hand, and tape the jumbo straw onto the wrist.

Using a different yarn color for each finger, cut five strands of yarn into 2-foot-long pieces. Be sure to knot one end of each piece of yarn. Thread one yarn strand through each finger. Use a different yarn color for each finger. Have all colors meet at the wrist.

Pull on the strings individually and in combination to explore the wonder of robotic hands!

Include the DIY Robot Hand STEAM Activity into your classroom to provide a creative STEAM activity that encourages students to participate in scientific inquiry and artistic expression. Be sure to browse our list of STEM and STEAM products, resources, and professional development.

Additional Resources

Rainbow Fish STEM Activity
Elephant Toothpaste Activity
DIY Nature Bracelet Activity
Cloud in a Jar Science Activity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spark students' imaginations by creating DIY Robot Hands from paper, straws, and string with this hands-on learning activity from Simple STEAM . Children will hone their engineering and creative thinking skills in this fun STEAM activity! The DIY Robot Hand is a simple and inventive engineering activity that will teach children all about the world of robotics!

# data[].attributes.body
Watch how these coffee filter leaves absorb colors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This science meets art project is almost magical, at least that's what my kids thought as they watched fall colors transform their plain white coffee filter into a work of art. It's an easy kid activity fit for an autumn day. In fact, it's so easy that you will probably end up with a big leafy pile in no time. You should have all the supplies and I have provided a free leaf template, so the next thing you need to do is gather the kids and start crafting.

We have done a cool science experiment that helps answer the question, Why do fall leaves change color?" Check it out here: Leaf Color Experiment.

SUGGESTED BOOKS:

BECAUSE ALL ACTIVITIES ARE BETTER WITH A BOOK!

Click photos: Affiliate links to more information on these books we love! (Purchases through affiliate links earn us a small commission with no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy here.)

Autumn Leaves STEAM Absorption Art

Supplies:

Coffee Filters-affiliate link

Markers

Cup of water

Scissors

Leaf template (available to download below)

Directions:

You can watch our Youtube video tutorial here, which is fun for kids to craft along with my kid's or you can continue to the directions below.

Place the coffee filter on top of the leaf template and trace it out. The leaf template is available to download at the end of this post. If you are unable to print the template you could always use a cookie cutter or draw a leaf shape on your own. I would grab about 5 coffee filters at a time, trace the leaf on the top filter, and then carefully cut 5 coffee filters at one time.

Have children use the markers to make a doughnut ring in the middle of the leaf. I drew a circle in the middle and then had the kids trace around it a few times. Make sure the inside of the circle is not filled in as well as the rest of the leaf because you want to leave room for the color to travel up the leaf. Let kids experiment and try several colors at a time if they want.

Fold the leaf 3 times (in half, in half and in half again) making a point in the middle of the circle.

Have children carefully dip their leaf in the water so that only the white tip of the circle touches. The water should start to travel up the coffee filter leaf and spread the ink throughout. It only takes a minute for the leaf to be completely saturated. My kiddos accidentally dropped a few leaves in the water which ended up turning the water colors instead of the coffee filter so you may want to have a few extra coffee filters on hand just in case.

Remove the leaf from the water and let it dry. I taped them to a box but you could always clip them on a clothesline (probably a better idea...but we were making up the steps as we went along :).

Once the leaf is dry carefully unfold it and enjoy. I love how the color traveled to the outside of the leaves because they look so lovely and it was a perfect visual representation for my little kids of how water travels through leaves as it carried the marker to the ends of the leaf (transpiration) making it soft and supple like our wet coffee filter, and exists through holes (stomata) making the leaf crisp like our dry coffee filter.

When we were done we used our leaves to make a fall leaf collage that is now hanging up on our wall. Learn more about leaves with one of our most popular fall science posts: Exploring the Colors of Leaves and kids can also review the anatomy of a leaf: Color and Label Free Printable. This art idea was inspired by Buggy and Buddies Butterfly Chromatography Activity. Be sure to stop by and read their tips on how to get the colors to separate for an extra exciting touch to this art activity.

DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE HERE:

Don't see the box? CLICK HERE to be directed to the download.

Thanks for crafting with us today. If you enjoyed this idea please pin & share it with others so they can enjoy it too! Love, Katie & the Kiddos (originally posted 9/29/2016, updated 9/1/2017)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Autumn Leaves STEAM Absorption Art and Free Template -

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This science meets art project is almost magical, at least that's what my kids thought as they watched fall colors transform their plain white coffee filter into a work of art. It's an easy kid activity fit for an autumn day. In fact, it's so easy that you will probably end up with a big [...]

# data[].attributes.body
A fall twist on a classic science experiment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I've never believed that learning should be limited to the classroom. Nope, I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor that should happen often and whenever possible, be fun. With that in mind, I'm always on the lookout for projects that fit the bill-like pumpkin volcano activities for preschoolers and kids! 🙂

There's a lot for kids and parents to like about this mini volcano project. Kiddos will love the resulting "eruption" and colorful mess as well as the fact that this is a mini pumpkin craft preschoolers and kids can actually help out with. Parents will love that making a pumpkin volcano is educational, frugal, quick, and not too messy.

Seriously, volcano activities for preschoolers and kids, like this one, really check off a lot of boxes!

On the educational front, a pumpkin volcano is a great way to introduce the concept of chemistry and chemical reactions. It also encourages following instructions.

This mini volcano project is inexpensive and educational but those aren't the only reasons it's a winner. Like I said above, it's also quick. Your pumpkin volcano can be ready for eruption in just a few steps, which means it should be able to hold those short attention spans.

During the "experiment" and after, make sure to explain the science behind this mini pumpkin craft preschoolers project. Depending on your kiddo's age, he or she may not fully understand the science involved just yet, but you're planting a seed of knowledge that will hopefully blossom over time.

Pumpkin Volcano Science

Need a chemistry refresher course yourself? No worries! School is in session. 🙂

What makes this mini volcano project erupt? The chemical reaction is triggered by mixing the baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) together. This reaction produces carbon dioxide (a colorless, odorless gas) which causes the eruption.

Want to learn more about the science behind this fall volcano activities for preschoolers and kids? Read Questions From Kids: Why Does Baking Soda React With Vinegar?

Pumpkin Volcano Materials

Pumpkin Volcano Directions

1. Cut off the top of each pumpkin.

2. Scoop out most of the insides (this doesn't need to be perfect).

3. Bring the pumpkin volcanoes outside and set them on a lid or in a container.

4. Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to each pumpkin volcano.

5. Add a couple squirts of dish soap to each pumpkin volcano.

6. Add one squirt of each color of food coloring to each pumpkin volcano.

7. Start pouring vinegar into each pumpkin; you'll likely need about 1/3 cup for each.

Watch your pumpkin volcanoes erupt!

Tip: You can rinse the pumpkins out and try this volcano activities for preschoolers and kids again and again! Trust me, your kids will request demand that you do so! 🙂

Did you try this mini volcano project? How did you make its even more educational and/or fun? Share your experience in the comments!

Want more fall fun activities and crafts preschoolers and kids can enjoy? Check out:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pumpkin Volcano Activities for Preschoolers - Freebie Finding Mom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I've never believed that learning should be limited to the classroom. Nope, I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor that should happen often and whenever possible, be fun. With that in mind, I'm always on the lookout for projects that fit the bill-like pumpkin volcano activities for preschoolers and kids!

# data[].attributes.body
Easy 3 ingredient lava lamp activity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is such a fun science experiment! These Lava Lamp Bottles are easy to put together and great for kids at any age. Lava Lamp Bottles are a fun science project children of all ages can make and experiment with! Get ready to inspire your little scientists with this super cool beginner Chemistry experiment. Your children will want to keep this bubbling hands-on activity going as long as they can. Have Fun!

Lava Lamp Bottles

Easy to Make Lava Lamp Science Experiment

This is a safe and fun science experiment you can do at home or in a classroom. It's a lot of fun if you have a group of children and each child can have their own supplies.

Lava Lamp Science Project

What you will need to make your Lava Lamp Science Experiment is in this picture below. However, I have it displayed in list form towards the bottom of the page. Have Fun!

affiliate links can be found on this blog at no cost to you.

This lava lamp experiment is super cool and your kids will love exploring the different colored water and oil. Have fun with hands on science projects.

How to Make Lava Lamp Bottles

Start your experiment by filling each empty bottle about ¾ of the way full with oil. Then fill it the rest of the way with water until it gets to be about 2 inches from the top.

Next, put in 4-5 drops of food coloring into each bottle. Kids love doing these few steps. Finally, have your child drop an antacid tablet into each bottle and watch all the bubbles start up and float all around like a lava lamp. These are such fun and easy lava lamp bottles.

After the tablets were all dissolved, and the bubbles calmed down, we added another tablet to each of the bottles and repeated the lava effect. The kids loved it and the more bubbles, the better for them.

Lava Lamp Experiment
If you want to talk Chemistry with your kids and you're looking for a simple explanation, try this.
Oil and Water don't mix because they can not form any chemical bonds together.
Alka-Seltzer tablets contain sodium bicarbonate and citric acid so when you mix them with water, they react by producing bubbling carbon dioxide.
Add that all together and you get a fun DIY Lava Lamp.

Lava Lamp Science Project Video

Lava Lamp Bottles
What's Needed
2 Empty Water Bottles or Gatorade Bottles
Oil (vegetable or canola)
Antacid Tablets, like Alka-Seltzer
Food Coloring, 2 colors
Water
Directions
1. Fill each empty bottle about ¾ of the way full with oil.
2. Fill the rest the way with water until about 2 inches from the top.
3. Put in 4-5 drops of food coloring into each bottle.
4. Drop an antacid tablet into each bottle and watch all the bubbles start up and float all around like a lava lamp.
5. After the tablets were all dissolved, and the bubbles calmed down, I added another tablet to the bottles and repeated the lava effect.
Fun Science experiment for kids to do!
Science Books for Kids

Pin This Fun Lava Science Experiment to Save for Later

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

Studies have shown that if you like this, you will also love the following articles. I have pulled them together for you right here!

Lava Lamp Science Project for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lava Lamp Science Project - How to Make a Lava Lamp - Natural Beach Living

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is such a fun science experiment! These Lava Lamp Bottles are easy Lava Lamp Project and great for kids at home or in a classroom. How to Make Lava Lamp Bottles with a homemade lava lamp science project, Lava Lamp Bottles are a fun science project children of all ages can make and experiment with!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Science creates such wonder in my daughter's eyes that I can't help but love doing experiments with her. We like to do evergreen experiments but it is extra fun when the theme of the science is seasonal. This experiment is great for the wonderful season of Fall.

Make Corn Dance Science Experiment

This experiment is incredibly easy but is so cool to watch! All it really takes is a little patience and a sense of wonder and amazement.
Supplies Needed

Dried Corn Kernels

Baking Soda

White Vinegar

See Through Glass Jar

**We bought all of our supplies at the dollar store.
How To

We started by pouring about 1 cup of dried corn kernels into the jar. These are the kernels that can be popped into popcorn.

Next we filled the jar about ⅔ way full of white vinegar. We didn't measure but it was probably 2 cups of vinegar.

The next part can get a little messy, I would suggest doing it over the sink or on a counter you won't be upset getting wet.

Start pouring in baking soda. We added approximately ¼ cup of baking soda and watched it fizz all the way out of the jar. You could see some of the corn kernels make their way all the way to the top of the jar and hang out with the fizzy bubbles.

When a majority of the bubbles had died down, the corn started going up and down as if they were on an elevator.

It kept happening for about 15 minutes. The corn slowed down but my daughter wasn't done watching so she used a straw to stir the mixture. It helped reactivate the bubbles slightly and the corn danced again.
When the straw trick didn't work anymore we added a little more baking soda and that helped the dance party continue as well.

The dance party was so much fun to witness. It's amazing how the heavy corn can attach itself to the light bubbles and have movement. It still baffles me and it was so fun to watch!

When we were done it all went into the garbage. You could probably craft with the corn but I wouldn't suggest popping it for food!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dancing Corn Fall STEM Activity - Green Kid Crafts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Science creates such wonder in my daughter's eyes that I can't help but love doing experiments with her. We like to do evergreen experiments but it is extra fun when the theme of the science is seasonal. This experiment is great for the wonderful season of Fall.

# data[].attributes.body
Make it rain in a jar with a few items you can find around the house.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Science was the last subject area I taught during our day in the classroom. After a morning of literacy, lunch, recess and math, it was finally time to teach some science lesson plans. Honestly, I was usually exhausted by the time science rolled around.

Overwhelmed with Science

Setting out a ton of materials and making sure I knew the procedures for a complex experiment was not something I wanted to do...like ever! The last thing I wanted to do was go on a late night run to the store. Or even worse, sending a kid down the hall to grab a material from another teacher.

Don't get me wrong, I love teaching science and love watching my students explore and investigate during our science lessons. However, I had to find something that worked for me.

And simplifying my science activities was the answer.

Simple Science Experiments

Simple science experiments are my favorite to use and by far a hit with my learners because...a happy teacher makes for a fun experiment. Am I right???

I have a few experiments that are on the top of my science list because they are easy to plan, prep and teach with little learners. One of the simplest experiments that my learners enjoyed so much was showing how clouds make rain.

Time for Prep

Some of the strangest things are usually staples in a kindergarten classroom. A jar or clear cups , shaving cream and food coloring might seem like random materials to have in a classroom, but alas, they are the norm. The fact that I could grab these materials from my own room without a late night trip to Walmart is always a bonus.

Collaborate Science

Not only is the prep easy, but the experiment is simple enough for little ones to join in. First, we walked through the experiment together in a group. This way, I was able to engage my learners with questions before, during and after the experiment.

After we did the experiment together, my little scientists learned how rain falls down from clouds. Then, I let them get some practice. After writing the procedure in their science notebooks they were able to break up into groups and practice on their own.

Hands On Science

I love hearing how this simple science experiment is working in other classrooms and homes. It is one thing for it to work with my learners, but to hear that others are enjoying the simple science fun makes it even better.

We did this experiment last year, and my students loved it! We had such great conversations about the types of clouds and how they change when it gets windy or stormy. It was wonderful. Lets just say when six kids go through a whole can of shaving cream and are choosing to repeat the experiment over and over, you know it was a success! I will definitely be doing this one again this year! - Jenny

Science Tools

Another way I keep science simple is with my science notebook. Not only are there specific science activities, but the general experiment and exploration pages always save the day when I am in a crunch. I usually create a science chart based on my science notebook pages to complete together. Then let my learners create their own using a printable for their notebook.

Free Science Chart

My goal is to make science and specifically this simple experiment easier for you in your classroom. I have a free science chart printable that will help you create an engaging visual for your learners during this activity. Just grab the printable by click the MJCS download image at the bottom of this post.

And follow these four, yep...just four, steps for your science procedure and science chart.

1. Fill the cup with water (air)

2. Add a thin layer of shaving cream (clouds - water vapor)

3. Place drops of blue food coloring on the top of the shaving cream (water droplets)

4. Wait for the "rain" to fall

For this experiment it is important to remind learners that this activity shows how the water gets heavier on the top of the cloud and gravity makes it fall as rain. Let them know that we use the shaving cream and food coloring to represent the different forms of water we can easily see. Want to check out my science notebook?
Check out why I use a science notebook in my classroom here.

Another great resource to use with this experiment is my Weather Watcher's Thematic Unit! Turn your little learners into little meteorologists! They will love observing the weather each day along with learning the tools that it takes to measure our weather!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simple Science Experiment: Let's Make Rain - Mrs. Jones Creation Station

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Science was the last subject area I taught during our day in the classroom. After a morning of literacy, lunch, recess and math, it was finally time to teach some science lesson plans. Honestly, I was usually exhausted by the time science rolled around.

# data[].attributes.body
Make these easy salt crystal leaves out of pipe cleaners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking for an affordable and fun way to incorporate STEM activities for your children this season? Look no further than these salt crystal leaves! It's the perfect fall stem activity that helps showcase science to kids of all ages.

At our house, we look forward to fall leaves every year. Sadly, it takes a few months to see them! Where we live, we don't see many until just before Thanksgiving.

We always find it fascinating how the leaves get a delicate frost after the first freeze of the year. My kids asked if we could recreate that frosted look. It took a bit of brainstorming, but we finally nailed it by using salt crystals. It was such a fun STEM activity, we decided to share it with you, too.

Today we'll show you how to make salt crystal leaves!

What are STEM activities?

If you haven't heard of the term "STEM" before, it's an acronym that stands for:

This refers to interdisciplinary learning that helps our kids become critical thinkers and learn important life-long skills. It sounds fancy, but it boils down to showing our kids just how cool the above areas can be.

This science-based activity falls underneath the STEM activities umbrella. Your kids will have so much fun doing this one, they will barely register the fact that they are learning, too.

How to Make Salt Crystal Leaves

This is one of our favorite fall STEM activities. I have done this one for a few years now, and my kids still enjoy it!

Supplies for this Fall STEM Activity:

We used pipe cleaners for the salt crystal leaves activity because there were only a few ugly brown dead leaves in our yard. We did try crystallizing a real leaf in addition to our pipe cleaner leaves, and it turned out pretty well, but we loved the bright colors of the pipe cleaner leaves best.

You can use whichever one you prefer or try both and see which is your favorite!

Pro tip: Use store-brand generic salt because you will be using a LOT of salt.

How to Make the Salt Crystal Leaves with Pipe Cleaners

You will use one pipe cleaner per leaf. Bend the pipe cleaners to look like various types of leaves. We made ours look like a Japanese maple, an oak leaf, and a holly bush leaf. I found it easiest to use real-life leaves as our inspiration.

Make sure to leave a long stem on each leaf so you can suspend the leaf inside the mason jar using a clothespin.

In a medium saucepot, heat about 2 1/2 cups of water per mason jar. We made three jars and used about six cups of water.

Add Salt Water

For three to four jars, you will use an entire container of salt. The key to getting this to work properly is to add TONS of salt. The water must be over-saturated with salt.

Boil the water, then add the salt once you turn off the heat. Stir the salt into the mixture until it won't dissolve any more and you have salt grains at the bottom of the pot. You'll know you have enough salt when it starts to form a sheet of salt on the top of the water.

If you don't have this much salt, the activity won't work properly. Our first batch didn't have enough salt and our crystals never formed. When we added more salt, our crystals started forming in about an hour.

Pour the hot water into the mason jars. Place one leaf inside each jar. Make sure the leaves are suspended in the center of the jar and don't touch the sides or bottom of the jar.

Use a clothespin to hold the leaves in the jar like in our picture. If you use real leaves, tie a piece of yarn to the stem so they hang low enough inside the jar.

Set in a Sunny Window

Set your jars in a sunny window and leave them there for at least two days, but the longer the better. We left ours for about four days to get these crystals.

My kids were fascinated with how the crystals formed on the leaves. They loved how the salt always formed into a square or rectangle shape and looked just like crystals you would find inside an ancient cave.

Display the Fall STEM Activity

We hung our salt crystal leaves in a window to add a bit of sparkle from our fun fall activity.

By the way, you can also do a similar project to this one in the wintertime with these DIY salt crystal snowflakes!
Just pin it below to find the instructions later! Which one will your kids prefer for this fall STEM activity: real leaves or pipe cleaner "leaves"?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Salt Crystal Leaves: Easy DIY Fall STEM Activity for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for an affordable and fun way to incorporate STEM activities for your children this season? Look no further than these salt crystal leaves! It's the perfect fall stem activity that helps showcase science to kids of all ages. At our house, we look forward to fall leaves every year.

# data[].attributes.body
Use chemistry to create your own rock candy crystals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kitchen science for kids is so much fun and a guaranteed way to get kids engaged and excited, especially with the promise of super yummy candy at the end! Using some of the principles we learned growing borax crystals, we made some rock candy, which is crystal candy on a stick. This activity requires extensive adult supervision and involvement as we are working at very high heats. Please use common sense and keep everyone safe. Not all children are safe in the kitchen, and this activity should not be done with them until they are old enough to behave safely and appropriately in the kitchen.
Disclaimer - This post contains affiliate links
Rock candy is produced from a supersaturated solution of sugar, just like we created our borax crystals from a supersaturated solution. A supersaturated solution simple means that the liquid has more solvant (sugar in this case) dissolved into it, than what could normally be achieved if dissolution took place under normal conditions (room temperature in this instance). The goal with rock candy is to create a 3 - 1 sugar solution.

To create a supersaturated solution the liquid needs to be hot while the sugar is added, please be extremely careful during this stage and use all appropriate safety precautions. Once the liquid starts to cool the sucrose crystals will form a solid crystalline structure. Hopefully on the stick creating our rock candy treat.

If you want to learn more about the science behind candy making and supersaturation, there are two great articles here and here.

So enough about the science, let's get to making some tasty treats!

6 cups of sugar plus ½ cup for 'seeding' the sticks
2 cups of water
Food coloring
Food flavoring if desired

&

Clean the mason jars thoroughly and set aside.

Put 2 cups of water into the saucepan and add 1 cup of sugar. Heat on medium high until boiling. Reduce the heat to control the bubbling. You don't want it splattering as this is dangerous.

When the syrup is clear (no little specks of sugar are left in the syrup when you inspect it) add another cup of sugar. Allow to boil gently until that sugar is full dissolved. Continue adding sugar a cup at the time until all 6 cups are dissolved into the water.

You will find that the sugar will take longer to dissolve the more sugar you add. If you find that the sugar is not dissolving, raise the heat a little bit.

Keep the slow boil going until you reach 110 centigrade or 230 Fahrenheit. Use your Candy Thermometer to carefully track the temperature. Once you reach the goal temperature, the mixture is now known in candy making as a syrup and in science as a supersaturated liquid.

Remove the syrup from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Take 4 lollipop sticks and dip the pointy end into the syrup several times. Remember the syrup is very hot so be careful.

Now roll the top third of each pointy end stick into some sugar. Allow them to dry. What you are doing with this step is 'seeding' the stick so that when you put them into the syrup the molecules will be attracted to the sugar and start crystallizing on the stick.

Into each Mason jar add 6 or 7 drops of food coloring and flavoring if you have decided to use it.

Now carefully fill each jar approximately 2/3 full with the syrup.

Take the Lollipop stick and carefully lower the pointy end into the syrup. Make sure it doesn't touch the sides or the bottom of the jar. Use the clothes pin balanced across the neck of the jar to hold the stick in place. Repeat putting a different stick into each jar.

Now it's time to wait and let science do its work!

To encourage the formation of crystals don't jiggle or touch the jars or sticks; put them into a quiet area where they will not be disturbed.

If you want to make large crystals place the jars into the dark warm room. You can also carefully wrap the jars in towels. If you remember from our giant crystals experiment, the slower the supersatured solution cools, the larger the crystals that are formed.

Leave the rock candy for two or three days to form. Once the crystallization process is complete, carefully remove the sticks - you may need to dig through the crystals forming on the top of the syrup. You can use a wooden skewer to do this. Be very careful not to dislodge any of your crystals on your sticks!

Take your rock candy stick and lay it on paper towels to dry. Enjoy your tasty experiment!

We've been playing with different variables a lot and coming out with lots of different results. Not all are pretty but they are all very tasty! So really it's a no fail experiment. Even when the crystals turn out weird. Perhaps because certain kids got excited and disturbed the jars during the crystallization process... they still taste amazing! Plus, there is a lesson in there about what happens if you do move the jar to take a peek.

My kids actually prefer smaller crystals for eating. Like this:

Enjoy some tasty science with this kid approved kitchen science experiment making rock candy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kitchen science for kids is so much fun and a guaranteed way to get kids engaged and excited, especially with the promise of super yummy candy at the end! Using some of the principles we learned growing borax crystals, we made some rock candy, which is crystal candy on a stick.

# data[].attributes.body
Combine math, science and art to create your very own Halloween Bath Bombs at home!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We love Halloween! My kids get so excited at this time of year to learn and try new things. And their creativity is through the roof! In the past year we have developed a love of bath bomb making. Not only do we do lots of great math and chemistry with these projects, but we also sneak in some art. For Halloween we made Pumpkin Bath Bombs with hand painted faces, and they... are... amazing!

What you will discover in this article!
Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen.
I wish I was a talented artist. This is exactly the kind of activity that I know someone could do amazing things with! Sadly my talent ends at stick figures and very simple hand painted shapes.

But despite my limitations as an artist, these Hand Painted Pumpkin Bath Bombs turned out AMAZING!!!! We had so much fun making them.

Tweens and Teens can do this project themselves with minimal help, but younger kids will still love getting in on the Halloween decorating action with help from a responsible adult.

We consider bath bomb making a craft around here because it is an incredibly creative process. The best part is that my craft adverse kids love making bath bombs and unleashing their creativity on these projects. Why? Well it involves some fascinating science, is very sensory and tactile, plus they love using their creations!

Another thing I personally like about bath bombs as a creative outlet is that it is a zero waste craft. I love my kids creations dearly, but so much of what they used to make created a ton of garbage and there was no way I could keep all of their creations. At one point I was drowning in so much kid created clutter. It was causing me a lot of anxiety. And the kids had zero attachment to the pieces they had made years ago. So into the bin most of them went.

With bath bombs our creations get used and enjoyed! Either by my kids or by people they have gifted them to. So there is no waste! Win!

Watch the process in high speed! Then get the step by step directions and recipe for our Halloween Pumpkin Bath Bombs below.

For this project we went with a fairly simple bath bomb recipe as the highlight was the hand painting!

SUPPLIES

2 cups baking soda
3/4 cup citric acid
1/4 cup cream of tartar
1 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons polysorbate 80
10-20 drops pumpkin pie essential oil
Orange mica powder
Orange soap colorant
1 large mixing bowl
1 microwave safe measuring cup or bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Bath Bomb Molds
Disposable gloves
Parchment paper
Mini-muffin tray
Silicone Molds - Pumpkin Shaped

For Hand Painting
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp activated charcoal or black gel food coloring
small container
Fine paint brush
Candy decorating pens
Candy eyes

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN BATH BOMBS

I always recommend making bath bombs in a well ventilated area and cover your table with parchment paper to make clean up easier.

Just like cookies, we start by mixing up our dry ingredients. Add the baking soda, citric acid, cream of tartar and cornstarch to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

In a microwave safe bowl add your coconut oil and melt in the microwave. Don't let it boil! Just get it to the point it turns liquid.

Add the essential oils, mica (1 tbsp), colorant (2 drops) and polysorbate 80. Mix. Keep the mica and colorant near by in case you need to add a bit more.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mix bowl. Put on the disposable gloves and start mixing with your hands. You want to really mix everything together evenly and ensure there are no clumps. It should start to hold together like wet sand.

If the color is not rich enough for you, add a bit more mica or colorant and mix well.

Pack the Molds

Packing the molds is a skill! Once you master it, you will find the process quite easy, but it will take a bit of trial and error to get there.

Loosely heap mixture in each half of the mold. Then squish the mold together, twisting a bit until the halves meet.

Tap the ends and you may want to tap along the join point as well. You should feel the bath bomb move a bit inside the mold when you tap. Once you feel that movement, pop it open and reveal your bath bomb!

Place the bath bombs in a mini-muffin tray. This helps keep them in place so they don't roll around.

If you have some left over mix, you can put it into a pumpkin shaped silicone mold to make some little pumpkin bath fizzes.

Set in a warm, dry place and let them harden for at least 24 hours. I usually leave mine for 48 hours just to be sure they are nice and hard.

Once they are hard, it is time to paint!

Hand Painting Pumpkin Bath Bombs

We used a few approaches to paint our bath bombs.

The simpliest is to use a Candy Decorating Pen in black and simply draw on the faces.

You can also melt a bit of coconut oil and add in some activated charcoal and paint the designs on with a fine paint brush.

Plus you can attach candy eyes using a bit of melted coconut oil. Once the coconut oil sets, the eyes will be nicely attached.

Get creative with your pumpkin designs! I know we have some incredibly talented artists in our STEAM Powered Family that will make some amazing pumpkin bath bomb creations! I would love to see them if you want to tag me (@steampoweredfamily) on Instagram!

To turn bath bomb making into an educational activity, and to increase your successes, you need to understand the science behind the beloved bath bomb fizz.

Bath Bombs are a simple acid-base reaction between baking soda and citric acid. In their dried, powdered form you can combine the acid and base and they will not react. We need to add the magical ingredient to trigger the chemical reaction, warm water!

We did a study showing how water temperature affects the fizz. You can read more about that here.

Another fascinating science principle at work here is the role of the emulsifier, polysorbate 80. We all know oil and water don't mix. That's until you add an emulsifier. This is a key bath bomb ingredient because without it all your oils, colours and scents will float on top of your bath water in a kind of scummy layer that sticks to everything. Make sure you add the emulsifier for a luxurious bath experience and easier clean up after the bath!

Happy Halloween!

Hand Painted Pumpkin Halloween Bath Bombs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hand Painted Halloween Bath Bombs - A Pumpkin Inspired STEAM Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We love Halloween! My kids get so excited at this time of year to learn and try new things. And their creativity is through the roof! In the past year we have developed a love of bath bomb making. Not only do we do lots of great math and chemistry with these projects, but we also sneak in some art.

# data[].attributes.body
Use Skittles (or other colorful, hard candy) to complete this Halloween experiment, using warm water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Halloween is coming up FAST! And Halloween means ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizard... oh and most of all.... candy! One of the best ways we have found to use up the Halloween Candy is to do science experiments. Kids love these candy experiments, they are learning with some fascinating hands on projects, plus it uses up some of those sugary treats so we don't eat quite so much!

Halloween Science Experiments with Candy
Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen.
I don't know what things are like around your kids but it seems like the Halloween candy crazy starts weeks before Halloween arrives. It helps that my kids are HUGE Halloween fans, so every year we celebrate Halloween for a full month, incorporating a Halloween theme into most of our lessons and activities.

Science is a super easy and fun subject to dive into for Halloween. With all the excitement around Halloween, sometimes I want a simple science experiment with big WOW factor. Something the kids can do themselves over and over again.

After the huge success of our Starry Night inspired Skittles Experiment, I thought we would revisit it but this time with a Halloween theme.

The results were so much fun!

Best of all, my kids happily surrendered a bunch of candy to be used in the name of science. WIN-WIN!

Halloween Skittles Science

Supplies

For this experiment all you need is a shallow dish or plate. White with no patterns is best so you can really see the colours of the experiment.

Warm water - think somewhere between room temperature and bath water temperature. If you want to dig into the science further, experiment with different water temperatures and see how it affects your results. Hint - it's fascinating!

Skittles in Halloween colours - we used orange, dark purple (we couldn't find black) and green.

Assorted other hard candies for further lab work!

Directions

Doing this experiment is quite simple. Start by creating Halloween designs on the plate with your Skittles. Keep in mind that concentration affects the colour travel. So if you want your pumpkin to have more orange, use lots of orange skittles together. For lesser colours, use fewer pieces.

Use different coloured Skittles, this is key for this experiment!

We created pumpkins and bats for our designs.

When your design is ready, add water. You don't need to submerge the candy, just a thin layer of water across the whole plate is perfect.

Wait and watch!

Over the next few minutes you will see some stunning colours traveling across the plate to create gorgeous art.

But the key is to notice that the colours don't mix and certain colours dominate.

Repeat the experiment and watch for patterns in how the colours move about.

The Science Behind Skittles Experiment

The science behind why the colors do not mix is known as water stratification. Each color of Skittle has a slightly different chemical make up which, when dissolved, creates a water solution that has slightly different properties such as density, salinity, and oxygenation. This creates a barrier that prevents the water from mixing and is why salt water and fresh water do not mix.

Another scientific property that is at work here is called concentration gradient. Simply put this is the process where molecules will move from high concentration to lower concentration areas. We see this as the colors move through the water and why we recommend using lots of orange Skittles of you want your Halloween pumpkin to be mostly orange.

Check out our video to see how all of our experiments unfolded. It's gorgeous!!!!!

Extension Activity

Halloween Science With Other Candies

So now we have mastered the Skittles Experiment the kids wondered if it would work with other candies. We just happened to have a bunch of Jelly Beans, so we set to work, applied our scientific method, and explored how changing our candy affected our results.

Our favourite part of using Jelly Bean Halloween Candy in our science experiments was that we had a few new colours to work with in the Jelly Beans. Namely Black and White.

We tried pumpkins again, but this time decided to try our hand at a ghost as well!

We discovered that Jelly Beans don't saturate the colours as much, in fact the orange turns is so diluted it looks yellow. With Skittles the orange was quite vibrant.

Besides the colours not being as vibrant, the science concepts still applied and we created gorgeous art using candy science once again!

This Skittles (and Jelly Bean) Halloween Science Experiment was easy, fun and the kids loved it! It qualifies as a wonderful STEAM project as the kids need to really think about their designs and how many candies to use, so the science creates the art how they like it. This involved some trial and error and some great lessons!
Have a fantastic Halloween and enjoy this fun and educational way to use some of that Halloween Candy!
We recommend trying this with any hard candies you find in your trick or treat bags! It is definitely a must do as part of your Halloween Science and STEAM activities.

Looking for more Halloween STEM Activities? Check out our 31 Days of Halloween STEM Activities resource. It's packed with spooky fun STEM and STEAM activities for your little scientists!

More Halloween Experiments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simple Halloween Science Experiments with Candy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Halloween is coming up FAST! And Halloween means ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizard... oh and most of all.... candy! One of the best ways we have found to use up the Halloween Candy is to do science experiments.

# data[].attributes.body
Build structures out of your favorite chew candy or marshmallows and toothpicks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you have been a regular around here, you know just how much we love building with different materials. We love any sort of project that encourages engineering for kids. We have built with pumpkins, hearts, gumdrops and now jelly beans. Each time we change our challenge just a tad. This time the challenge was to "build".
This post might contain affiliate links for your convenience.
Building Structures with Jelly Beans

Building structures with marshmallows is a classic engineering project for all ages. We absolutely love building with toothpicks and candies. It is quick and simple and loads of fun! Normally, we do several challenges along with our building, however this time around, we wanted to "grow" our creations. You can choose to lead your children in an activity or let them freely explore.

Setting up the Experiment
Materials: Toothpicks Jelly Beans
Building Blocks with Jelly Beans

As with most of the projects I give the boys, I let them lead. This project was no different. I never imagined that my 7 year old would decide to make building blocks for his project. In fact, we made a challenge to build using 100 jelly beans and toothpicks but this is what he turned it into instead. I am glad he did, because the results were really cool!

It was really cool when he was finished, because the learning was just beginning. Once he built around 20 cubes he was ready to build on a another level completely. This time he took the blocks and built towers, buildings, and structures. He enjoyed making his towers grow as he tested and balanced the blocks.

The blocks lasted over a month and became a permanent art fixture in our living room when he was done. I just love how this simple science/math project of building with jelly beans turned into such a great expression of creativity!

This post is the last week in month long series with some of my favorite bloggers who all love STEAM. Because learning with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math gives kids the power to do almost anything they can dream up. This week is all about ways to Grow.

DIY Salt Crystal Landscape // Babble Dabble Do

All About Tinker Trays // Meri Cherry

14 Activities with Balloons // All For the Boys

Transforming Ninja Star // What Do We Do All Day?

How to Grow Aragonite Crystals // TinkerLab

Frugal Fun For Boys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engineering for Kids | Building with Jelly Beans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you have been a regular around here, you know just how much we love building with different materials. We love any sort of project that encourages engineering for kids. We have built with pumpkins, hearts, gumdrops and now jelly beans. Each time we change our challenge just a tad.

# data[].attributes.body
Grow your own crystal garden overnight!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Want to learn how to how to grow salt crystals overnight using easy to find materials? Of course you do!

Any exploration of science for kids is not complete without growing some crystals....am I right? In fact, at the science fair this past year crystal growing projects were the project de jour, and I can understand why, growing a Crystal Garden has ranked pretty high up there on my list of fun science experiments since I myself was a kid!

Now one of the big drawbacks to many crystal growing projects is the time involved. I'll be honest, I am not a patient woman and though I proselytize patience to my kids, I'm not a very good example of this virtue! So days of waiting for a crystal garden to grow pretty much sent this idea to the "someday" list. That is until I discovered Epsom salt crystals....leave them overnight and wake up to magic! Oh how much do I love thee Epsom Salt!

Before we get started let me clarify, growing crystals using Epsom salt will not yield giant geodes bursting with color; Epsom salt crystals are small, delicate, and slivery. Instead of one or two mega crystals this science experiment for kids will give you hundreds of miniature crystals; they look a little bit like shards of glass and if you're lucky you may get a few that look like snowflakes...

Also plan on making 3-4 crystal gardens. The crystals grow differently, some were delicate and lacy, other were more rocky and gem like. Be sure to make a bunch to delight you and the kids!
This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers.
Materials

Epsom Salt

Clean Glass jars B uy in bulk here

Food Coloring (optional)

Hot Tap Water

Bowl or glass measuring cup

Spoon

Pebble or sand

Microwave (optional)

Instructions

Step One | Measure You will be using a ratio of 1:1 water to Epsom Salt for this project. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt to your jar/votive. If you are working with larger jars feel free to add more salt but be sure to make a note of how much so you can add the same amount of water.

Step Two | Heat the Water Add 1 cup of water to a microwave safe bowl. Heat the water in the microwave for 45 seconds. Alternatively use very hot tap water and skip the microwave.

Step Three | Add Color If you are using color, add a dash of food coloring to the water. Stir.

Step Four | Combine Pour the water into the jar with the salt. Stir the salt and water for 1-2 minutes to dissolve the salt. Don't worry if some of the salt remains undissolved at the bottom of the jar.

Step Five | Cool Drop in a pebble or a few grains of sand. Crystals need something to grow on and one little impurity in the water like grain of sand will should help ensure they have a place to nucleate.

Step Six | Cool Place the jar in the back of your refrigerator. Alternatively, quick cool the mixture for 10 minutes in the freezer and then move it to the refrigerator. Cooling in the freezer first yielded crystal growth in 90% of our experiments. We had just a slightly lower success rate going straight from mixing to the fridge.

Step Seven | Let 'em Grow Leave the mixture overnight in the fridge. Crystals may start forming in as little as 3 hours but we got the best results when we made the gardens in the evening and left them to sit undisturbed overnight Bonus: My daughter was excited to wake up and see how they had grown!

Step Eight | The Reveal Carefully pour out the extra liquid. It's okay to leave a little liquid at the bottom of the jar. If you colored your water it will be hard to see if any crystals have grown until the excess liquid is removed. Clear water is easy to check.

Step Nine | Clean Use a wet paper towel to gently wipe away excess salt and color that may be on the upper portion of the jar. This will help you see the lovely crystal garden through the glass. Be careful not to damage any of your crystals!

You're done! Hand the kids a magnifying glass for additional exploration. My kids really wanted to touch the crystals. That's okay but let them know they are delicate and break easily.

Don't overheat the water! I know it's tempting to really heat that water up to make the salt dissolve, but all the experiments we did with really hot water, heated more than 45 seconds in the microwave, failed miserably.

Stir for at least one to two minutes! This is tough one for littler kids. My daughter was done stirring within a few seconds but you really need to get that water super saturated with salt to make the crystals grow. The less dissolved the salt is the smaller the crystals will be and worst case they may not grow at all.

Let them grow even longer in the fridge. Leave them in the fridge longer than overnight and they should continue to grow. I left a few in the fridge for a over a week and the results got even better!

DO NOT let them sit in water at room temperature. Any crystals that have formed will deteriorate in the water at room temp. Once the crystals have formed and you want to preserve them you will need to pour out the water. I had some gorgeous crystals form in the fridge over the course of a week or so and I took them out and left them on the counter in the water. I came back the next morning to find they had flattened out. The one garden I poured the water out of remained stunning.

Make a Crystal Suncatcher with the leftover water!

Tips & Troubleshooting

Science for kids is not without trial and error! Here are some tips I learned after repeating this experiment over 20 times...

Crystals Crystals are a type of material that is formed by patterns of repeating molecules. To the naked eye they have flat surfaces and facets. Crystals form when a liquid cools very slowly and/or when water evaporates from a chemical mixture leaving behind the solute (see below) whose molecules re-form into new geometric shapes i.e. crystals

Solute A substance dissolves in another substance.

Saturation When a mineral like salt (the solute in this project) is dissolved in water, the water can only hold certain amount of the solute. A liquid is saturated when the maximum amount of solute is dissolved in it. Hot liquids can hold more solute than cold liquids.

Nucleation & seed crystals When an impurity is introduced into a saturated solution the solute will begin to recrystallize around that impurity. This is the site of nucleation. Often a large crystal is used to grow smaller crystals, this is a seed crystal. In our experiment the sand and pebbles are acting as the seed crystal.

What is happening in this project:
Let's Talk Science

Here are a few terms we need to know to understand the chemistry involved in learning how to grow salt crystals:

In our overnights crystals we first mix up a super saturated batch of salt water. As the mixture both cools in the refrigerator and the water begins to evaporate, the atoms in the salt start reforming around the pebbles and/or sand particles causing the salt crystals to reform in new geometric formations.

1. Ask yourself questions Some question ideas: What are the best materials for nucleation? What is the ideal temperature for crystal growth- you can explore the water temperature or the temperature in the refrigerator. What is the ideal salt/water ratio for crystal growth?

2. Research Do research online and at the library to try and predict the answer to your question. For instance, research seed crystals, saturation, and the best methods for growing crystals.

3. Make a hypothesis A hypothesis is your prediction of the answer to your question based on your research. It may or may not be true.

4. Experiment! Test you your hypothesis by testing the variables and documenting them. Be sure to take notes of each experiment and what happens; this is called your data.

Examples:
How to turn this in a Science Fair Project

Let's turn this topic into an experiment! Here's how you can take this to the science fair:

Experiment with nucleation materials Try crowing crystals using sand, rocks, dust, glitter, etc. as your seed crystal. Does that change the way the crystals form? Does the size of the object make a difference in the way the crystals form?

1. Draw conclusions Based on your experiments form a conclusion. Was your hypothesis correct?

2. Share your findings Create a presentation with your findings. Include your research, hypothese, the data you collected and your conclusions. Be sure to include images and samples

Test different temperatures Try using different water temperatures to grow crystals. Does that change the way they grow? Try cooling the crystals at different temperatures, i.e. in the freezer, refrigerator, room temperature, and observe what happens.
learning how to make crystals from epsom salt is really simple and a great idea for a science fair project!
Find the best salt/water ratio for crystal growth We used a 1:1 ratio in this experiment but what happens if you vary that ratio? Experiment and document the results.

Now that you know how to grow salt crystals, here's a little something you can try with the leftover saturated water: Make Crystal Suncatchers:

For more fun science experiment ideas for kids hop over here
Subscribe to our email list to receive project ideas as well as offers for some our creative products. If you want to read our privacy policy before subscribing, hop over here.
Are you passionate about raising creative kids?

Join over 22,179 parents and educators who want connect with kids and nurture their creative process through magical, easy projects you can do TOGETHER.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Want to learn how to how to grow salt crystals overnight using easy to find materials? Of course you do! Any exploration of science for kids is not complete without growing some crystals....am I right?

# data[].attributes.body
Make crystal suncatchers using salt and a plastic beverage lid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I love a good suncatcher craft over here at Babble Dabble Do, and this crystallized one we just tackled was actually a happy accident. Crystal Suncatchers are a fun science experiment for kids that are an offshoot of our popular crystal growing project: Overnight Crystal Gardens. Consider this project the sequel; it can either be done on its own or as a supplement to the crystal gardens. I recommend doing both projects because they are easy and the results are incredible to look at!

So here's how this accidental project came to be: After all the experimenting we did testing out Epsom salt crystal gardens, I kept pouring off the excess liquid to look at the gardens and noticed that any water that spilled and dried crystallized. I racked my brain for a way to "preserve" these gorgeous puddles of crystals when it occurred to me to try creating suncatchers using plastic lids.

[clickToTweet tweet="Turn crystals into suncatchers!" quote="Turn crystals into suncatchers!"]
This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers.

Materials

Epsom Salt

Clear Recycled Plastic Lids- use the clearest you can find

Water

Empty Jar

Bowl or glass measuring cup

Fork

Microwave (optional)

Tray

String

Exacto/Pin

Instructions
If you are doing this experiment on it's own, start with the following steps:

Step One | Measure You will be using a ratio of 1:1 water to Epsom Salt for this project. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt to an empty glass jar.

Step Two | Heat the Water Add 1 cup of water to a microwave safe bowl. Heat the water in the microwave for 45 seconds. Alternatively use very hot tap water and skip the microwave.

Step Three | Combine Pour the water into the jar with the salt. Do this quickly so that the water is warm. Stir the salt and water for 1-2 minutes to dissolve the salt.

Step Four | Make Your Suncatchers See steps 5-9 below.

If you are doing this experiment as Part 2 of the Crystal Gardens experiment start here:

Step Five Place several plastic lids on a flat-bottomed tray in a sunny location where they can remain undisturbed.

Step Six Pour off some of the excess liquid from your jar/crystal garden into the recycled plastic lids. Use just enough to cover the bottom of the lid. DON'T OVERFILL!

Step Seven Place your lids in sunny location. Depending on how much liquid has been added it will take a few hours or a day to start crystallizing. I know it will look like lids full of water at first but be patient!

Step Eight When the liquid has completely evaporated your crystal suncatcher is ready! You will be able to see lovely crystal structures from both side of the lid.

Step Nine VERY carefully poke a small hole in the edge of the lid and thread a piece of string through the hole. Tie in a knot and hang your suncatcher up!

Tips:

I recommend using the cooled liquid after the crystal gardens have formed. It will make for the most interesting looking crystals. You will also have a "preview" of some sorts because the type of crystals that have formed in the jar will resemble the types of crystals that will form in the suncatchers. Needle like crystal gardens will form more needle like suncatchers. Gardens that ended up with larger crystals will make for larger crystals in your suncatchers.

These are VERY fragile! One big bump and your crystal suncatcher may crumble. I recommend an adult handling the threading and hanging part of the project. Make a few in case you lose one!

Over time your crystals will begin to dry out and harden even more. Eventually they will whiten as the salt dries out completely. These suncatchers will have a limited lifespan. We have just made ours but I would expect that they will last a week or two.

Use the clearest types of lids you can for this experiment so you can see the crystals from both sides. The best type is the completely clear plastic found in food packaging, some to-go cup lids (like those used for iced coffee) or mini sauce and salsa lids at restaurants.

Looks Like

Victor Vaserely. Crystals always remind me of the work of Op Artist Victor Vaserely. Vaserely's work is all about warping geometry. This particular print reminds me of what crystal structures would look like if they were man made. My parents had a few Vaserely prints in our house when I was growing up and as a kid I thought they were some strange optical illusions. As an adult I have a deeper appreciation for his work; yes, it does symbolize the 60's and 70's because op art was very popular at the time, but the exploration of both color and form in such an eye catching manner is appealing to both kids and adults. For more info on Vaserely click here.

I love accidental projects!

This fun science experiment was definitely a happy side discovery after tackling our Overnight Crystal Gardens. The great thing about this complimentary project is that you can have a better view of the lacey texture and patterns of the crystal structures that form. For further exploration drop a pinch of the super saturated liquid on a slide and look at it under a microscope!

More Fun Science Experiments:

Fill your child's life with more art, design, science, and engineering!
Subscribe and get our projects delivered straight to your inbox.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Science Experiment: Crystal Suncatchers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I love a good suncatcher craft over here at Babble Dabble Do, and this crystallized one we just tackled was actually a happy accident. Crystal Suncatchers are a fun science experiment for kids that are an offshoot of our popular crystal growing project: Overnight Crystal Gardens.

# data[].attributes.body
Free coding activities for LEGO mazes.

# data[].attributes.body
Create your own cloud in a jar, using a few household items.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weather science: How to make a cloud in a jar (2 different methods!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two different methods to make a cloud in a jar, plus an explanation of the science behind each method.

# data[].attributes.body
Race your car from one end of the table to the other without touching your car or the track. This can be a head to head race or simply who can make it to the end.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's time for a STEM Challenge! Make It Move is a great STEM Challenge for big or small groups that requires creativity, ingenuity and lots of fun! It can be done solo but would be even more fun in a group or teams. So who's up for a Make It Move! STEM Challenge?
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links
I love a project that is scalable, where my boys can work independently, in teams, or in big groups. Having many different options with a project gives us so many more learning opportunities and with each new time we try a challenge like this the kids learn something new.

The Make It Move! STEM Challenge is a lot of fun and can be used for almost any elementary aged child. I have a Make It Move! STEM Challenge for older kids that I will post shortly. Make sure you are on my newsletter list or follow me on social media ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) so you don't miss it.

STEM CHALLENGE - MAKE IT MOVE!
Supplies
Matchbox Cars
A level table
Tinker supplies - Some of the things we used included magnets, straws, tape, balloons, string, paper, etc.
An imagination!
The Challenge
Race your car from one end of the table to the other. This can be a head to head race or simply who can make it to the end.
The Rules
You may not touch your car or alter the track. You also can not lift the table.

When we started the first ideas to come up were building a ramp or lifting the table, so it was important that they understood those were against the rules. Building the ramp would alter the track.

Once they understood those rules, the creativity really started. Of course we had to convert our homeschool table into a race track, complete with cheering crowds!

We had one car altered with magnets. By strapping a magnet to the bottom of the car, the kids were able to use another magnet or a magnet wand on the underside of the table to race it to the other end. The challenge here was finding a car with big enough tires and enough lift so the magnet didn't rub against the table slowing it down. But once we found one, it worked great! This worked so well the kids kept doing it for hours.

They loved this idea so much they tried to was use the magnets backwards. This involved strapping the magnet to the back of the car, then reversing the wand so the magnets repelled each other, pushing the car forward. This worked, but it was insanely hard to keep the car straight. Having the magnet on the bottom made for a much faster race!

Next idea was to attach a sail to the top of a car and blow on it. We recently did our windpower challenge, so it was neat to see those lessons coming back into play again. This again worked really well.

Another idea they had was to create basically a zipline for the car by attaching a straw to the top and running a string through it. When one end of the string was lifted, it zipped along to the finish line.

Finally, they tried to amp up the windpower with a propulsion system using a balloon. When it worked this was SUPER fast, but getting the balloon blown up, attached and having everything angled just right so it raced took a lot of attention and focus. But when it worked... WOW! The biggest issue became keeping it on the track as it usually ended up flying across the room!

There are so many different ways kids could solve this STEM challenge. The only limit is supplies and imagination. How would you race your car down the track without touching it?

Looking for more great STEM Challenges?

This activity is part of the 28 Days of STEM challenge! There are lots of fantastic STEM activities to keep your budding scientists busy, check it out!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's time for a STEM Challenge! Make It Move is a great STEM Challenge for big or small groups that requires creativity, ingenuity and lots of fun! It can be done solo but would be even more fun in a group or teams. So who's up for a Make It Move!

# data[].attributes.body
Build your own tornado, using an empty soda bottle.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Upcycle items from around the house for this easy tornado in a bottle science experiment!

Sometimes an activity can introduce us to something that we aren't able to experience in real life and today's science project does just that!

Spring brings all kinds of weather across the country and one of the worst types of storms are tornadoes.

Living in Kansas, we've had to duck-and-cover quite a few times, huddling in the basement until the storm sirens sound the all clear but thankfully, we have never been caught in a tornado!

But kids will be kids and ask all those great questions -- ' how do tornadoes start?' and ' what makes them so dangerous?' so we thought we'd take a closer look at these storms by creating our own tornado in a bottle!

Kansas is one of a handful of states that is located in 'Tornado Alley', a section in the middle of the U.S. that got it's nickname because these areas are most likely to experience tornadoes. But with the right weather conditions, tornadoes can happen almost anywhere in the country.

A tornado is a storm that is created when a cold front and warm front meet - when my kids were young, I would tell them that the hot air and cold air get into a scuffle about who's the strongest. There also needs to be moisture for a tornado to occur.

Many tornadoes in our area occur in the Spring since the conditions are right so we're always sure to check the weather forecast before heading out on one of our famous road trips!

As with all projects we do -- but especially with projects that are hard to experience -- we're including a list of some great books along with their affiliate links so you can safely introduce tornadoes to your kids :)

Tornadoes! by Gail Gibbons gives you all the facts about how tornadoes form, how they are classified and what to do if you're ever near one. The book uses illustrations instead of photos so younger children can grasp the ideas.

Tornado Alert (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) from our favorite early science series is great for kids ages 6 - 9 years. The reader will learn about funnel clouds, how tornadoes form and more details about the storms with great details about what to do if you ever experience one.

Twisters and Other Terrible Storms: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House 23: Twister on Tuesday is excellent for older kids and gives in-depth details about the history of real tornadoes along with some wonderful insight into the weather behind these storms. If your kids are fans of Jack and Annie, the non-fiction books are a great way to extend their learning.

And if you're looking for a good picture book, try The Bravest of Us All by Marsha Diane Arnold. Ruby Jane knows that her oldest sister, Velma Jean, is the bravest of all the 7 kids in her family. She sees Velma Jean do all kinds of brave things on the farm. But when a tornado heads toward their farmhouse, Ruby Jane learns that her courage is help her sister is even stronger than the tornado's winds!

Tornadoes have a very well-known shape -- they look like a long, thin triangle balancing on it's tip.

If you were able to view them from the sky, you would see that the center of the tornado appears hollow - this center area is called the tornado's eye and it forms a vortex which is a mass of circulating air.

The vortex occurs when the winds are spinning very fast - so fast that nothing can stay in the middle, the force pulls everything to the outer sides of the storm. These fast spinning winds are also what give the tornado it's nickname of 'twister'.

Materials to Make a Tornado in a Bottle

We're big on doing simple science at our house (have you seen the " How does a Leaf Breathe?" experiement yet? Awesome activity!)

To make your own tornado, here's what you'll need along with affiliate links for items we used during our project:

(2) 1 liter water or soda bottles (you can also use 2 liter bottles but I like the smaller ones because they are easier for the kids to hold)

a metal washer

blue food coloring

We found these directions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Pop over and print off the details so you'll have them BUT read on first for a simplified version.

Now the directions are going to say you need to use a 'plastic connector' which I call a ' tornado tube' -- BUT, we didn't use one ;)

If you're planning to do this in a classroom, than I would recommend a tornado tube as it will help reinforce the structure -- but if you're doing it at home, you probably won't need one (just be sure the first time you flip your bottles, you do it outside or over the sink ;)

Instead, we just made sure to tape those bottles together really well!

Tornado in a Bottle Directions:

Fill the bottom bottle 3/4 full of water and add 5 or 6 drops of blue food coloring to your water.

Then place the washer on the top of the bottle neck.

Put your second empty bottle upside down on the washer and tape the two bottle necks together.

The washer should fit on the bottle's top without being larger than the bottle opening and not so small that it will fall in. Be sure to wrap the duct tape around the bottle necks quite a few times to seal them together.

We further modified the activity a little by substituting blue food coloring for the dishwashing detergent and it worked great!

Once you have the bottles taped together, be sure all the water is in the bottom bottle.

Then just take hold of the bottles and quickly flip them over so the water is in the top bottle.

As you can see, we put a towel under our tornado bottle just in case there was any leaking (but there wasn't!)

As the water drains from the top bottle to the bottom, you will see a funnel begin to form inside your bottle.

You can see in this photo that our funnel begins as a thin spiral movement of the water.

But as the water continues to drain ....

... the funnel becomes wider and you can really see a vortex forming in this close-up look.

And there you go -- tornado in a bottle :)

Pretty cool, huh!

Your kids will enjoy turning the bottles around a few times - it's easy to get mesmerized by the swirling water.

And if they're interested in just how fast the winds can get inside the eye of a tornado, you can learn more about how winds are measured with the Fujita Scale (or f-scale) and the types of damage that can be caused by storms of different sizes.

The Backyard Safari Storm Chaser Field Kit
Learning Resources Weather Tracking Map & Station

More Weather Activities:
How Much Water is in Snow? Science Experiment 10 Umbrella Stories for all Kinds of Weather Cat in the Hat Science: Weather Activities
For this activity, we are one of 50+ blogs hosting a fantastic 'Booking Across the USA' blog project!

Together, we each feature a kids' book and activity for all of the 50 States -- visit Growing Book by Book, for all the book titles & activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Upcycle items from around the house for this easy tornado in a bottle science experiment! Sometimes an activity can introduce us to something that we aren't able to experience in real life and today's science project does just that! Spring brings all kinds of weather across the country and one of the worst types of storms are tornadoes.

# data[].attributes.body
Find out what happens when you soak gummy bears in a variety of liquids.

# data[].attributes.body
Try this with an adult!

# data[].attributes.body
Challenge a family member or friend to create the tallest tower using stacked cups.

# data[].attributes.body
Create a maze out of LEGOs or blocks.  Use a straw to blow your marshmallow through the maze.  Make it a challenge and time yourself against a friend!

# data[].attributes.body
Build a mini-golf course out of cardboard and other supplies around the house. Challenge someone in your family to play!

# data[].attributes.body
Build a perch for Harry, so he can more easily see around the classroom!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
STEM Engineering activities in elementary school? Yes!

Today we tackled day 3 of school, I wanted my students to apply some of the concepts we have been talking about-mostly about helping each other and being receptive to help. I decided to design a little STEM engineering challenge that would require them to stick to a tight schedule, come up with a plan, try it out, cooperative, test their idea, then reflect on the process...all while relying on each other for help. As our district is moving toward the Next Generation Science Standards, this is a perfect "kick off". What engineering standards am I looking at?

What engineering design challenge did we tackle?

I wanted to create a task that was easy to prep, engaging for students, and had a high success rate.

I think I accomplished it!
What is the situation?
Help Harry.

When I first told my students that we needed to help Harry, they looked at me like I was crazy. (They will soon see that this is not an atypical situation in my room!) They started looking around quizzically and you could feel the excitement building. Finally, I caved. I introduced them to Harry.

Harry is a puffball (We have had 7 of them perched above our Smartboard and no one has said a word!) who needs a new "perch" so that he can see out over the class more safely. I told the students that I would give each team a bag of supplies and a schedule. I showed them their supplies (pipe cleaners, about 12 inches of tape, two muffin liners, a piece of aluminum foil, and two index cards) and told them to think about a nice safe place for Harry to hang out.

After 5 minutes of talking and planning without supplies, I set the timer for 15 minutes and watched the teams get to work.

I was SHOCKED at the wide range of strategies-and how much "re-engineering" took place so willingly! We will talk more about that tomorrow. We will discuss how important it is to try, test, revise, and test again. This is important whether it is in science, making predictions in reading, or elsewhere!

This group was SO excited about their plan and couldn't wait to see if Harry would be safe in his perch! (He was...so no worries)

I loved hearing the cheers echo across the room when the 15 minutes was over and I passed out the "Harries" to each team. Every single team was able to test, modify, and support a Harry!

Time to Evaluate our Engineering Challenges!

When the testing and celebrating was over, we took some time in teams to evaluate how we did in all the areas we had talked about before we started. I was pretty pleased to see how honest they were! This was a great way to kick off a year of self-assessment strategies. It was a great way to show my students that taking the time to reflect on learning and teamwork is so important.

It was a great discussion starter, collaboration-teaching, science skill-building half-hour of FUN! See what you think! Grab the freebie if you are interested and tweak the contents of the supply bag to be whatever you have on hand! This time, I used a piece of foil, about 12 pipe cleaners, 12 inches of masking tape, two cupcake liners, 2 index cards, and a popsicle stick. I considered using paper clips, a piece of yarn, a small paper cup, or a small paper plate. The task can be done using whatever you have! Want to try it yourself? Just click the image below or RIGHT HERE to take you to the freebie handout pictured above. Want to pin this for later?

Want this STEM FREEBIE with all the details? CLICK BELOW

Interested in a few more science posts?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
STEM Engineering activities, inquiry, and cooperative group work - The Teacher Studio

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use STEM engineering activities in elementary school as a fun, engaging, and meaningful way to tackle the Next Generation Science Standards.

# data[].attributes.body
Build an epic LEGO marble run! Can your marble make it through? How many seconds does it take to get to the finish line?

# data[].attributes.body
Make your brain POP! with engineering and tech videos and games.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BrainPOP’s Engineering & Tech movies reveal the world of inventions and innovations, from simple machines to energy technology and even digital citizenship!

# data[].attributes.body
Check out these STEAM activities from NASA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Description

Subject
Computer Science - Technology, Gifted and Talented

Grade Levels
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Resource Type
Activities, Fun Stuff

PDF (Acrobat) Document File
Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing.

4 MB | 26 pages

Product Description

Hop Scotch Coding provides a simple, interactive introduction to unplugged, block-style coding that is perfect for Kindergarten through third graders as they learn the basics of programming. After completing activities such as these, they can apply similar block coding strategies to coding websites and apps for kids and eventually to more advanced languages of coding.

In groups of 3-4, students will build a sequence of code on the floor together. Each student will then take turns walking through the sequence of code and following the instructions all the way from START to STOP. A sequencing arrow means to advance forward and a movement card signals an action that the student must do. A looping mat can be placed behind a movement mat for students to repeat the action a given number of times.

Includes the following:

p. 3-4: Teacher Instructions
p. 5: Coding Apps and Websites Poster
p. 6: What is Coding? Poster
p. 7: Flow Control Structures Poster
p. 8: START mat
p. 9: STOP mat
p. 10: Sequencing Arrow mat
p. 11-13: Looping mats
p. 14-25: Movement (Conditions) mats
p. 26: Credits

⇒Terms of Use
©Brooke Brown, LLC at Teach Outside the Box
By purchasing and/or downloading this electronic file, you agree to the terms of use as stated below. For personal use/single classroom use only. No part of this document may be distributed, posted on the internet, copied, sold, or edited without direct permission from the author. Violations are subject to the penalties of the Digital Millennium Act. To purchase additional sharing licenses, please visit my store. All contents of this document are under copyright protection including all text, graphics, contents, and fonts. All graphics and fonts are also protected by copyright from their original author/artist.

Thank you so much for visiting my store!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Subject Computer Science - Technology, Gifted and Talented Grade Levels Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Resource Type Activities, Fun Stuff File Type PDF (Acrobat) Document File Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing. 4 MB | 26 pages

# data[].attributes.body
Ozobot coding using Shape Tracer (basic) & Shape Tracer 2 (advanced)

# data[].attributes.body
Create a marble run on a paper plate. Tip the plate in different directions to help the marble run from start to the finish line!

# data[].attributes.body
Use thick paper or cardstock and a straw to create a windmill. Roll the paper for the base, and cut pieces for the blades. Think about how you can attach the blades to the base using a straw. Test adjustments to your windmill. What adjustments make the blades spin faster? What adjustments make the blades stop?

# data[].attributes.body
Build a structure out of common household items that you can balance on one finger or your nose!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I love giving my children open-ended challenges to complete. This STEAM engineering challenge was a hit, with plenty of trial and error and then some very cool designs in the end.

The challenge I gave to my kids was this:
Using the materials provided, build a structure with a single point that you can balance on your finger. . . or on your nose! This post is part of the 28 Days of STEAM Blog Hop, where you can find hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects for kids.
You can do this challenge with any of a variety of materials. We started out using the sticks and beads from our Spielgaben set along with some scotch tape.

We also pulled out our Zome Tools kit.

My son started with the Spielgaben set and after a few different attempts he managed to build a structure he could balance on his finger on just one point.

The next challenge was to balance the structure on his nose, and it worked as well! I challenged him to walk across the room like this and he was able to do it.

Next we started building structures with the struts and balls from our Zome Tools kit.

We experimented with several designs, and eventually built this wide structure that my daughter was able to place on her nose and walk down the hallway.

A few things we learned from this challenge:

The bottom of the side poles must be lower than the balancing point on your finger

Adding weight to the bottom of the poles helps

Keeping the weight balanced on both sides of the structure is important

Wider structures have more stability

To illustrate how wider structures provide stability, you may wish to show a video of a tight rope walker carrying a very long, wide pole, like this video of tightrope walker Nik Wallenda walking over the Chicago River between the Marina City towers.

More resources for STEAM learning

Most STEAM posts from Gift of Curiosity:

Looking for even more STEAM ideas for your classroom? Check out these printable resources:
Find more awesome building challenges on my Engineering Challenges Pinterest board.
Follow Gift of Curiosity's board Engineering Challenges on Pinterest.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I love giving my children open-ended challenges to complete. This STEAM engineering challenge was a hit, with plenty of trial and error and then some very cool designs in the end. The challenge I gave to my kids was this: Using the materials provided, build a structure with a single point that you can balance on your finger.

# data[].attributes.body
Use carboard, tape, and pipe cleaners to create table top basketball hoops. Roll paper into basketballs, and play with a friend!

# data[].attributes.body
This fun science experiment uses paper, markers and water to create a climbing rainbow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cold, snowy days often mean more time spent indoors. Check out this easy and colorful water science experiment to brighten up even the drabbest day!

With just a few common household items, you can watch colors blend to create your own beautiful climbing rainbow. Setup is quick and the results are different every time! Keep reading to find out how!

Climbing Rainbow Science Experiment

If you have children in your home, then you've likely got everything you need to create your own climbing rainbow. Have you tried the crazy cool walking water science experiment? This experiment is a fun expansion on that activity and the concept of absorption.

Supplies:

Sandwich sized plastic food container

Markers

A small wooden dowel or pencil

Paper towels

Scissors

Tape

Water

How To Create Your Own Climbing Rainbow

Cut a strip of paper towel approximately 2×5 inches in size. On a short edge, use markers to make a strip of blocks in the colors of the rainbow. (We used this opportunity to talk about ROYGBIV.) Let the marker dry. (We found that if the paper towel is still wet with the ink the experiment does not work as well!)

The next step can be done two different ways. You can tape the top of the paper towel to a vertical surface and put only one end in the dish.

Or you may opt to create an arch using a small wooden dowel or pencil. Rest it lengthwise across an empty sandwich sized plastic container. Drape the paper towel strip across the dowel with the colored edges just touching the bottom of the container. (This way requires both short ends to have colored edges.)

Gently pour water into the bottom of the container and watch what happens!

As the paper towel absorbs the water, the capillary action will carry the water along with the marker ink up the paper towel. After the colors climb up or meet in the middle, you have your very own rainbow!
Variations

Don't want a rainbow? Use just two or three colors and watch how they mix.

Experiment to see which brand of paper towel lets the water travel the fastest or slowest.

After the experiment, let your paper towel dry out. Laminate it to make a cool bookmark or Suncatcher.

Want more rainbow science fun?

Try these experiments!
Crazy Cool Walking Water Science Experiment for Kids Kids Love This Crazy Cool Milk Rainbow Science Experiment
Andie Jaye is a former preschool teacher turned stay-at-home mom of 4 kiddos. Her blog, Crayon Freckles, focuses on creative learning and play ideas, as well as parenting topics. Andie strives to be honest in her approach and experiences in parenting to let other moms know that they are not alone in their struggle. In her free time, she writes children's books in hopes of publishing someday. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cold, snowy days often mean more time spent indoors. Check out this easy and colorful water science experiment to brighten up even the drabbest day! With just a few common household items, you can watch colors blend to create your own beautiful climbing rainbow. Setup is quick and the results are different every time!

# data[].attributes.body
Use placement of coins on a paper airplane to test ways to make your plane fly as far as you can!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
STEM Challenges are terrific ways to help teach your kids about science, technology, engineering and math, all while building their brains and making connections through problem solving.

This week we studied paper airplanes. Every week we like to do a different challenge with our elementary-aged kiddos. I give them a problem or a contest, and they have to figure out how to solve it. You would not believe how engaged the kids are in learning when they have a problem to solve!

STEM Paper Airplane Challenge

Make a paper airplane that can carry a cargo and glide more than ten feet (not be hurled, but actually glide). The cargo we decided on was money-coins. And the winner is the kiddo who could fly the most money. Our winner flew a plane with $5.60! Second place winner came in with nearly $3.00 of coins!

How Much Cargo Can a Paper Airplane Carry?

Supplies you need to set up your kids challenge: (affiliate links)

First, draw a line on the floor about ten feet in front of your doorway. Use tape to make a "target" in the upper third of the doorway. To prove their cargo plane can fly, kids need to glide their plane through that "target" successfully.

How to Fold a Paper Airplane

If your kids don't know how to make a paper airplane, have them watch some videos on You Tube. Below is our kids favorite airplane to make. This is a problem solving activity for them, so try to stay as un-involved in the process as possible. Your kids can just watch the videos and teach themselves. If you are unable to watch the videos, here is a basic how to fold an airplane instruction sheet. You can print it out.

More STEM Activities

Leave a comment: How much money did your children manage to successfully load onto their paper airplanes?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
STEM Challenges are terrific ways to help teach your kids about science, technology, engineering and math, all while building their brains and making connections through problem solving. This week we studied paper airplanes. Every week we like to do a different challenge with our elementary-aged kiddos.

# data[].attributes.body
Use a piece of cardboard, straws, and tape to create a maze for marble to come down.

# data[].attributes.body
Divide into groups, and distribute equal amounts of paper (select color for each group), scissors, glue, and tape. Set a timer. The students will work together to create the longest chain by the time the buzzer goes off.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today in math, we incorporated one of my favorite things to do, a STEM Challenge. Students love STEM challenges! I love to watch them, collaborate and discuss how to efficiently construct, while trying to win a challenge. This STEM Challenge asks for students to create the longest paper chain out of one piece of construction paper. Super easy and super engaging!

The objective of today's challenge was to create the longest paper chain using 1 sheet of 12 x 18 construction paper. I allowed students to pick their group members. At the first of the year, kids always pick their friends. As we have been doing this throughout the year, the students no longer gravitate towards their friends, rather they pick kids they know will be a resource to their group.

After they pick their groups of 3 (I had a couple groups of 4 because of an odd man out), students were given a handout with the objective of the challenge. To download your own copy of the handout click here- Great Chain Race Handout

Longest Paper Chain Procedure

I handed out 1 sheet of paper (each group got a different color), 1 pair of scissors and 1 stick of glue to each group. I set the timer and students had 60 minutes to build the longest chain. My blocks are 90 minutes so doing this for an hour allowed us to have 30 minutes left over to go onto part 2 of the handout. If you have a shorter class, you could always set the timer for less. You could also complete the remainder of the handout on the next day. You could have the paper chain building on one day and save the actual math calculations and graph building for the next day.

Students worked well in groups and every group came up with a plan and jobs for each person. I am amazed at the different strategies that emerged! Some students tried little rings, some tried large, skinny rings, some tried many different types of rings in their paper chain.

After the 60 minutes expired, we went out to the hall and lined all the chains up on the floor. This comparison determined the winner.

Students measured each paper chain that was created in the STEM Challenge. Students measured in centimeters and then converted the centimeters into millimeters.

Students also created a bar graph of the paper chain data as well as solving range, median and mode questions. The beauty of this Paper Chain STEM challenge is that it can be adapted to any grade level. It is so easy and so low prep that it can be done at any time!

Let me know if you try this is your classroom! I would love to hear how it went!

Peace, Love, Math- Jennifer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Longest Paper Chain: An Easy STEM Challenge Students Love!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today in math, we incorporated one of my favorite things to do, a STEM Challenge. Students love STEM challenges! I love to watch them, collaborate and discuss how to efficiently construct, while trying to win a challenge. This STEM Challenge asks for students to create the longest paper chain out of one piece of construction paper.

# data[].attributes.body
Build a board out of Legos to play tic- tac- toe with a friend!

# data[].attributes.body
What is STEAM?

# data[].attributes.body
Check out this link for a Lego Challenge Game Spinner. Take turns with a friend/group. Build whatever the spinner lands on with your Legos!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Encourage creative building with this Free Printable LEGO Challenge Game!

This post is sponsored by LEGO and contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own.

LEGO just celebrated their 60th anniversary! That's a big milestone, so we wanted to celebrate along with them. This free printable LEGO Challenge Game is a new way to allow for open-ended creative play. Just spin the wheel and follow the prompt for inspiration. Whatever you can imagine, you can build, rebuild and play with all day. Small bricks can inspire big ideas!

What can make the world more fun? Create the answer in LEGO bricks! With the special edition LEGO® Classic World Fun set, you can explore an underwater temple and discover its secrets, before you hop in your helicopter and take off for new adventures. This 295 piece set includes a trident, pair of flippers, helmet, walkie-talkie, camera, map, flying helmet, chicken leg, glass, ice pop, fish, snake, 2 minifigures, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

How will robots help us in the future? Use the special edition LEGO® Classic Fun Future set to explore the joy of creating with LEGO bricks and construct a robot to help with chores, or create the fastest go-cart around and zoom off to the races. There are 186 pieces including wheels, shapes, eyes, a minifigure, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

What is at the end of the rainbow? Celebrate the fun of creating with LEGO bricks in the special edition LEGO® Classic Rainbow Fun set! This set features a mix of bright and colorful LEGO pieces that allow for open-ended creative play. Build a brightly colored plane and take to the skies, or stretch your imagination and create a new, fantastic creature. There are 85 pieces including wheels, shapes, eyes, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

There are 16 creative ideas for you to build when you play the game. For best results, print out the LEGO Challenge Game on cardstock. Cut out both the wheel and the arrow. To get more life out of it, the pieces can be laminated and/or mounted on cardboard. Punch a small hole in the center of the board and at the straight end of the arrow. Use a brad to connect the two to be able to spin the arrow.

Some things you should know before downloading:
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (home, school, libraries, etc).
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you'd like to share this project, you may use ONE photo and credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to this post.

If you don't want to punch a hole and attach a brad to the game board, you can build your own spinner! My daughter was so helpful in finding pieces and had a lot of fun building the spinner for the game. When you build yours, you can use any colors you want! Have fun with it and get creative.

You'll need:
2 4x4 round plates with holes (party #60474)
6x6 round plate with hole (part #11213)
Connector Peg (part #3673)
2x4 plate (part #3020)
2x2 brick (part #3003)

First, push the connector peg through the hole of the 6x6 round plate.

Press one of the 4x4 round plates into place underneath the 6x6 round plate, with the connector peg through the hole.

To lift the spinner on the board and to keep the connector peg in place, we connected the 2x2 brick underneath the 4x4 round plate.

Set the connected round plates aside. Place the 2x4 plate on one end of the remaining 4x4 round plate.

Push the top of the connector peg through the 4x4 round plate hole, but don't connect the round plates. While holding the 2x2 brick at the bottom, tap 2x4 plate with your finger and watch it spin!

For a finishing touch, we placed the special edition 60 years of LEGO tile over the center of the round plate and attached the printed arrow over the 2x4 plate with tape. When the spinner is placed on the game board, it looks like it was made to be there all along!

Now the game is ready to play! Tap the 2x4 plate to spin the arrow. Once it stops, the arrow will be pointing to 1 of 16 creative options for open-ended creative play! If it lands on a line, spin again or come up with your own rules for playing. You can also play as a group, time yourself, or make it a contest. No matter what you choose to do, the entire point of the game is to challenge yourself to get building!

My daughter played a few rounds and wanted to show off her work for you all to see! Her first challenge was to build a robot. The LEGO® Classic Fun Future set included building instructions, so she was excited to open up the new set and put it to the test. The instructions were easy to follow and she had fun building it.

The car instructions is also from the LEGO® Classic Fun Future set. It was a fun build, and the minifigure fits perfectly. The car moves surprisingly fast! Next time, my daughter and I are both going to build cars and race them to see which one is the fastest.

When it came to building an animal, my daughter's go-to is always a unicorn. Luckily for her, the LEGO® Classic Rainbow Fun set came with everything she needed to build an amazing one! After it was built, she spent quite a bit of time playing with it. Making it fly through the sky, fighting robots, and trying to drive a car...

Last, but certainly not least is the helicopter. It's technically not a plane, but it flies and that's really what counts. These instructions are found in the LEGO® Classic World Fun set, and while they were easy to follow, it was a little more challenging of a build.

Just FYI, the unicorn can ride right on top of the helicopter without a problem...

One of the best things about this game is that is sparks that creativity and open-ended play that all kids need. Visit the LEGO shop to find all kinds of LEGO sets to play the game with. Be sure to watch for the other special edition 60th anniversary sets: LEGO® Classic Ocean's Bottom, the Walmart exclusive LEGO® Classic Limited Edition: Bricks on a Roll, and LEGO® Classic Mission to Mars!

What will you build next?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Encourage creative building with this Free Printable LEGO Challenge Game! This post is sponsored by LEGO and contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own. LEGO just celebrated their 60th anniversary! That's a big milestone, so we wanted to celebrate along with them.

# data[].attributes.body
What will you build in your Paper City? What kind of places with you include? Restaurants? Stores? Movie Theaters? Get Creative!

# data[].attributes.body
Use the secret mini lego codes to build messages to your friends!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Oh my goodness, this is such a fun activity, and you can put it together with any LEGO® bricks you own! Use bricks to create a code. Then kids can build and de-code secret messages!
Create Your Code
The concept of this activity is quite simple - create a code using a different brick for each letter of the alphabet.

Owen worked with me to develop our code. We went through our LEGO® bricks and selected small pieces that would not take up much room on a baseplate. We also made sure that we could find at least 5 of the same piece. It's especially important to have plenty of the bricks that you choose for the most common letters like A or T.

We had fun choosing a couple of silly things, like a steering wheel for J! Want to change your code? It's super easy to swap out pieces, or start all over.
Build Secret Messages
Then it was time to write a code! I constructed a code for Owen to solve. I wrote out blanks for each letter, which made it easier for him to keep up with where he was as he decoded it.

So much fun cracking the code!

Here's what the code said - and he wrote an answer back for me to decode!

Jonathan is only 5, but he had fun with decoding messages also. We started with just building his name, and then I wrote him a message to decode. Perfect literacy practice - it doesn't even feel like work!

Need more LEGO® ideas? We are participating in LEGO® Week this week with some awesome bloggers! Be sure to check out the rest of the LEGO® Week Activities.
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this site.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Secret Codes! Write Coded Messages with LEGO Bricks - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Oh my goodness, this is such a fun activity, and you can put it together with any LEGO® bricks you own! Use bricks to create a code. Then kids can build and de-code secret messages! Create Your Code The concept of this activity is quite simple - create a code using a different brick for [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Science for Kids: How to Make a Kaleidoscope - Buggy and Buddy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to make a kaleidoscope in this fun STEM/science activity and craft for kids. It's such a fun way to explore light, reflections, and symmetry! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! *This post was originally published 2/2/16 and has since been updated. Last week I made these super fun kaleidoscopes with my ...

# data[].attributes.body
Use playdoh and paper cups or towel rolls to create tracks for marbles.

# data[].attributes.headline
This is how our Panthers use STEAM in their everyday lives!

# data[].attributes.subject
This is how our Panthers use STEAM in their everyday lives!

# data[].attributes.body
Check out what our Little Panthers had to say about how they use STEAM in their everyday lives!

# data[].attributes.body
Check out my STEAM Website for more information about me and tons of STEAM websites!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE PROVIDING STEAM LESSONS THIS YEAR EACH WEEK ON WEDNESDAYS! I WILL POST A NEW LESSON/ACTIVITY EACH WEDNESDAY ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM, AND IT WILL BE DUE THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. Check out what our Panthers say about how they use steam in their lives everyday below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE PROVIDING STEAM LESSONS THIS YEAR EACH WEEK ON WEDNESDAYS! I WILL POST A NEW LESSON/ACTIVITY EACH WEDNESDAY ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM, AND IT WILL BE DUE THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. Check out what our Panthers say about how they use steam in their lives everyday below!

# data[].attributes.body
Log in with Google to access your Easy Tech account. Easy Tech has computer navigation lessons, as well as coding and tech communication activities.