Anyone who has been a teacher or a parent knows how difficult it is to keep a child (of any age) focused on school when they’re excited about something. Whether that something is a holiday, a party, or a break from school, our challenge as the adult is to keep the kids occupied and focused. With that in mind, we have put together a list of STEM challenges that can be used in situations such as these. We will continue to add to this list, so come back frequently to check for new ideas.
Encourage the students to explore by reminding them that there are no wrong ways to do things (although you should always explain safety precautions before doing any any of these). If the students are old enough, encourage them to keep a log of their ideas and findings, including any hypotheses they may have, as well as sketches and notes of successes and failures (both are important!). If students are younger, encourage them to draw pictures of what they expect and then what they actually see.
Density Challenges
Steve Spangler
Younger Elementary Density Exploration
Will Sodas Sink or Float?
Neutral Buoyancy Exploration (very little prep and few materials involved)
Building/Engineering Challenges
Build a Roller Coaster (easily adaptable to all ages)
Building Projects for Elementary (this could be adapted to older students as well by adding additional challenges: build a bridge that will hold a certain amount of weight; build a crate that will keep an egg intact when dropped from different heights; etc…)
Whose Bounces the Most Times?
Intro into Electricity/Electromagnetism
Simple Battery Motors
Simple Electromagnetic Train
If you know of any other challenges that are worth including on this list, please contact us and let us know.