Keep Students STEM Challenged

Posted by Paige Barnes (Director of Education, CEEF)

How do you keep your kids entertained and engaged over the summer with educational activities? This may be an easy task for some, but most of us get at least a little bit stressed about the idea of having our children around for an extra 8-9 hours each day during summer. But there’s good news! You can reinforce their school lessons and have fun this summer with these STEM activities!

There are so many ways to teach STEM beyond the classroom, and summer offers the freedom to do all of them! Kids love to learn when they don’t know they’re learning, so keep things light and fun during the summer, and they’ll never know what hit ’em.

• Plug in to camps around town, or create your own “camp” that works with your schedule (and your budget).
  • Camps and activities in the Houston area
  • Ideas to create your own informal “camp”
• Take family field trips to the museums
  • Children’s Museum of Houston – Summer Schedule
  • Children’s Museum of Houston – Chevron Maker Annex
  • Children’s Museum of Houston – Constructioneering Exhibit
  • Houston Museum of Natural Science – Summer Camps
  • HMNS – Welch Hall of Chemistry
  • HMNS – Wiess Energy Hall
  • The Woodlands Children’s Museum Summer Workshops
  • MFAH – Learning Through Art
• Bring STEM into everyday fun:
  • Swimming at the pool? Discuss buoyancy using typical pool toys: why do some sink while others float?
    • http://www.relaxnswim.com/physics/buoyancy.htm
    • http://www.swim-teach.com/how-do-I-float.html
    • If students are older, discuss Archimedes’ Principle
    • How do large boats and ships carrying (literally) tons of weight stay afloat?
  • Science of the Summer Olympics
  • Teach things with LEGO
    • This super cool book teaches chain reactions (physics)
    • Code a LEGO Maze using Assorted LEGO bricks
  • Code!
    • “Unplugged” Coding lessons – no computer required!
    • More Unplugged CS lessons
    • Teach algorithms (instructions for computers) with plastic cups
    • Another unplugged coding game with a super hero element (great for younger kids)
  • Science Experiments/Lessons (that you can do at home)
    • Bring Science Home – Scientific American
    • Science Bob Great list of simple experiments (including scientific explanations of how each works and additional questions/experiments)
    • Science is Fun
    • Science Kids
  • Hands-on Family Activities from 3M
  • Explore science through cooking
    • Exploratorium
    • 10 Kitchen Science Experiments for Kids
  • Explore science through music
    • Exploratorium
    • Science behind sound waves and instruments