3 Free STEM Activities for Kids

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November 8 is National STEM/STEAM Day, a holiday to encourage and inspire kids of all ages to lose themselves in the worlds of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math with STEM activities for kids. Now is the perfect time to encourage a love of learning for STEM. Statistics show few American students pursue STEM fields, but the need for STEM-oriented job skills is skyrocketing. The computing industry’s rate of job creation is 3x(!) the national average in the U.S. Unfortunately, research shows not only will we not have enough people to fill these jobs, but that the biggest gap will be among women who are expected to hold only 20% of computing jobs by 2025. Today is a great day to encourage everyone, especially girls, to fall in love with STEM/STEAM.

 

Help celebrate National STEM Day today or any day. Get started with these free STEM activities for kids to enjoy at home or in the classroom:

1. Complete a Superhero STEM Challenge

Left Brain, Craft Brain offers many fun and easy activities that introduce kids to the scientific method through art and science projects. Using the Superhero STEAM Challenge Cards kids can grow kryptonite crystals or build an Arc Reactor. Download the condensed version for free and channel your inner superhero!

2. Make a Robotic Face

Curiosity Machine, a STEM program run by nonprofit Iridescent, offers a wide variety of challenges teaching kids and their families everything from how to make a robotic face to building a self-driving car game using common household items. For families or teachers interested in continuing STEM education, the AI Family Challenge is another free program they offer inviting children ages 8-15 and their families to learn about artificial intelligence through hands-on challenges and then identify and solve a problem in their community.

3. Build a Rocket

Buggy and Buddy offers projects that inspire creativity and self-confidence in kids while promoting learning and fun. In their free straw rocket activity, kids learn science as they design and then launch their own rockets using straws.

 

We hope these activities inspire you, and the kids in your life, to explore and learn about STEM on National STEM Day and beyond.

The Gravity Ether Educator Resource Packet

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It’s here! We’ve spent the past few months working with Institute of Play to develop and refine a tool for educators using the Gravity Ether in their classes or programs, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to share it with you. The Gravity Ether Educator Resource Packet is free to download, and includes relevant information about the game, the physics concepts that it explores, and suggestions for ways to incorporate it into learning environments. We talk about how the Gravity Ether makes use of implicit learning theory and share some of our ideas on how to make the most of this–we’ve even included some lesson plans as a starting point for educators to make their own lessons.

You can download the packet by clicking here, or by visiting the Gravity Ether page (where you can also download the game for mac or pc). Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments!