Hey Kids,
With National STEAM Day on November 8, the occasion calls for full STEAM ahead! The day inspires kids to explore and pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, art and math. Below, I have put together a list of exciting STEAM experiments to let you explore and discover the wonders of STEM.
Did you know there are ways to flex your STEM skills with everyday items? Take the humble pumpkin, for example.
While appearing ordinary, a pumpkin offers multiple STEM opportunities for curious learners. A young scientist can measure the circumference of the pumpkin, estimate and count its seeds, explore density by testing which pumpkins float, and investigate the science of decomposition through observation journals. Ol’ Thorndyke can bet that you might’ve carved a jack-o-lantern recently, which would be perfect to observe from the comfort of your front porch!
You can find more information about these experiments and other fun STEM activities to do with pumpkins here.
Additionally, leaf collection and classification activities introduce scientific observation and categorization skills. With an abundance of leaves on the ground, kids can sort leaves by shape, size, color or texture while learning botanical vocabulary. Nature provides endless opportunities for mathematical exploration.
Encyclopedia Britannica Kids has a great example of how leaves can be ordered and classified; isn’t it cool how different leaves can be?
If you’re interested in identifying different trees in Michigan, this blog explains in detail how to identify trees in your local neighborhood.
Here is a blog post with many other interesting projects young scientists can do with the falling leaves.
I hope that these examples opened your eyes to the incredible science happening around you all the time!
Bear Hugs,
Thorndyke
P.S. Here are some books about science and STEAM experiments you can try at home (with grown-up supervision, of course).
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