Kristen Denzer, CEO and Founder of Tierra Encantada, demos a few DIY STEM Activities to keep the kids entertained through summer.
Activities Featured Below:
Walking Water STEM Activity
Materials:
- Red, blue, and yellow food coloring
- 6 clear cups
- 6 sheets of paper towel (I used half sheets. The thicker the paper towel, the longer the water transfer takes)
- Enough water to fill 3 of the cups
Instructions:
- Add 1-3 drops of food coloring into each of your cups.
- Fill those cups with water.
- Take all your cups and place them in a circle, make sure you have an empty cup in between each full cup.
- Fold your paper towel hotdog style and place one end in your full cup and the other end into your empty cup. Continue doing this until you’ve formed a connected circle and each cup has 2 paper towel ends in it.
Engineering a Bridge
Materials:
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Toothpicks (markers, sticks, straws, etc.)
- Marshmallows (tape, Play-Doh, glue, etc.)
- Toy animals (or toys to cross the bridge)
Instructions:
- Cut paper in waves to make a river
- Assemble bridge (be creative, make it as intricate as you’d like)
- Place bridge from one end of the river to the other
- Help animals cross the bridge
- Feel free to bring in other resources
DIY Paper Plate Strummie
Materials needed:
- Sturdy paper plate (boxes or baking pans can be used as well)
- Several rubber bands
- Markers, paint, or stickers for decorating (optional)
Instructions:
- Decorate your plate.
- Help your child string the rubber bands across the paper plate.
- Pluck or strum the strings and compose your own songs or cover some of your favorite tunes!