5 at home STEAM Activities

1. Crystal Growing Experiment

   • Materials: Salt, water, a clear glass, a spoon, and string.
   • Procedure: Dissolve salt in warm water until no more salt can be added. Hang a string in the solution and wait a few days. You’ll see salt crystals growing on the string!
   • Concept: Learn about the process of crystallization and the geometric patterns of crystals.

2. Homemade Volcano

   • Materials: Baking soda, vinegar, food coloring (optional), dish soap, and a container.
   • Procedure: Place a few spoons of baking soda in the container. Add a few drops of food coloring and dish soap. Pour in vinegar and watch the eruption!
   • Concept: Understand the chemical reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid).

3. Shadow Art

   • Materials: Sunlight or a flashlight, paper, and coloring materials.
   • Procedure: On a sunny day or in a dark room using a flashlight, place objects or use your hands to create shadows on the paper. Trace the shadows and then color them in creatively.
   • Concept: Learn about light sources, shadows, and artistic representation.

4. DIY Catapult

   • Materials: Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, a plastic spoon, and small lightweight items to launch (like a marshmallow or a pom-pom).
   • Procedure: Stack several popsicle sticks and bind them together with rubber bands. Attach a plastic spoon to the top of the stack using rubber bands. Use the spoon to launch small items.
   • Concept: Understand principles of leverage, force, and engineering design.

5. Music Water Glasses

   • Materials: Several glasses, water, a spoon, and food coloring (optional).
   • Procedure: Fill each glass with different levels of water. Add food coloring if desired. Tap each glass with the spoon and observe the different tones.
   • Concept: Learn about sound waves and how the amount of water in a glass can change the sound's pitch.

Remember, the key is not just in performing the activity, but in discussing the concepts behind each one, asking questions, and encouraging kids to make predictions and observations. Happy STEAM learning!