Are your kids stuck doing nothing at home? Are they only using their gadgets and technology to pass the time?
Don’t fret because Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities will help keep your children busy while having some educational fun. Learning through play is a piece of cake for your kiddos with these 6 exciting and straightforward STEM activities.
Learn more about these educational activities and how you and your family can easily do them in the comfort of your home.
STEM Activities for Toddlers (1 to 3 years)
Here are some STEM activities that can be easily done by kids!
1. DENSITY JAR
What you will need:
● Blue Food Coloring
● Sand
● Shaving Cream
● Tall Jar Container
● Various “beachy” items (seashells, tiny mermaid figurines, etc.)
● Vegetable Oil
● Water
1. Fill the bottom of the container with at least two inches of sand.
2. Mix the blue food coloring into the water.
3. Add a cup of dyed water to the container with sand.
4. Place the same amount of oil into the container.
At this point, ask your kids to guess where each object will land inside the density jar. Which of the objects will float or sink? Let’s see once they put the items inside the container!
This density jar experiment will teach the kids the different liquids that have different densities. Some liquids will float while others will sink. Their knowledge about Science, especially the topic of densities, will broaden with the help of this activity.
2. GREEN PENNIES
What you will need:
● Paper Towels
● Pennies
● Salt
● Shallow Tray
● Vinegar
Instructions:
1. Douse a paper towel in vinegar.
2. Line the lower part of your tray.
3. Place the pennies on top of the paper towel.
4. Sprinkle some salt on the pennies.
The pennies will not immediately turn green (sadly) but this will teach the children about oxidation. The reason why these pennies turned green is because of the chemical reaction. With the help of vinegar and salt, the top copper-oxide layer of the penny dissolves. Oxidation! A new word for the brilliant young minds.
Your kids will be able to witness and partake in a chemical change through a simple experiment!
3. WALKING RAINBOW
What you will need:
● 6 Jar Containers
● Food Coloring (Blue, Red, and Yellow)
● Paper Towel
Instructions:
1. Fill three jar containers full with water.
2. Per jar, add one food coloring.
3. Discuss with one another the color wheel.
4. Put an empty jar container between the jars with water and food coloring.
5. There should be an order of Red - Empty - Yellow - Empty - Blue - Empty.
6. Place the six jar containers in a circle.
7. Roll the paper towels to form a cylinder shape.
8. Put one end of the rolled paper towel in a full jar and another in an empty jar.
9. The paper towels will absorb the colored water right away.
10. Set aside about 48 hours for the process to finish.
The activity encourages your children to learn more about Arts and Science. In the experiment, the children will learn about the process of capillary action. The colored water from the containers can move upward against gravity because of the attractive forces between the fibers in the paper towels and the water.
The kids will be excited to know more about the color wheel and how we can make colors from available materials!