STEM Activities

Homeschool Review Crew

I have to confess I’d never really done STEM Activities before just for the sake of them being thus labeled.  It’s not that we don’t do things such as this but rather that we don’t label them.  Tied 2 Teaching provided us with a digital download of over 60 activities.  This is a years worth of activities each focused around holidays or events in the months.  The full name of these STEM downloads is STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading.  

We love doing unit studies and adding bits and pieces of history to our normal curriculum so this sounded fun to us.  Think about it.  Doing something fun for St. Patrick’s Day that doesn’t involve your tried and true.  For us that’s shamrock cookies, cabbage and corned beef.  We’ve done fun things like green rice krispie treats before but never an experiment.  

About the Product

When you receive this it’s a years worth of STEM Activities in zipped file downloads.  I will be the first to admit I’m not the best with zip files and it took me a bit to be able to download them and actually open them.  To clarify I can download with the best, it’s the unzipping that’s not quite as simple as a zipper for me.  

More than just science, these activities include some history, literature, science, math, and engineering all in a fun package.  Targetted grades are third through sixth grade.  We’ve got above and below those levels and everything was fun for them as well.  

Check out the great list of activities!  When I opened my download these were all scattered around and no longer in nice little month packages.  So it’s nice to have the list to look back on.  Otherwise I might have been lost on what to pick out.

January STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• 100th Day of School STEM Challenge – SPAGHETTI TOWER Design Challenge
• Marshmallow Snowman Challenge
• CIVIL RIGHTS MONUMENT Design Challenge
• Sled Design Challenge

February STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Valentines Day STEM Challenge – Cupid’s Bow Design
• Groundhog Day STEM Challenge – Groundhog Burrow Design Challenge
• Valentines STEM Challenge – Love Bug Design Challenge
• Presidents Day STEM Challenge – Lincoln’s Cabin Challenge

March STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• St. Patrick’s Day STEM Challenge – Build a Leprechaun Trap
• Basketball Tower STEM Challenge
• St. Patrick’s Day STEM Challenge – Build a Rainbow Bridge
• New Hat for Cat Challenge Read Across America STEM

April STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Jelly Bean Tower Challenge
• Easter STEM Challenge Design a Carrot Carriage
• Earth Day STEM Challenge – Design Something Useful
• Earth Day STEM Challenge – Upcycled Birdhouse

MAY STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Design a New Droid
• Paper Airplane Design Challenge
• Pipe Cleaner Challenge
• Lighthouse Design Challenge

June STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Foil Boat Design Challenge
• Giant Pyramid Challenge
• Steamboat Design Challenge
• Zip Line Design Activity

July STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• House of Cards Challenge
• Doghouse Design Challenge
• Alien Spacecraft Challenge
• Airplane Design Challenge

August STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Building Block Tower Challenge
• Index Card Skyscraper Challenge
• Paper Table Challenge
  BONUS Building Block Challenge MEGA PACK

September STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Apple Boat Challenge
• Pencil Tower Challenge
• Totem Pole Challenge
• Balloon Tower Challenge

October STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Spider Web Design Challenge
• Witch’s Parachute Halloween STEM Challenge
• Bridge Challenge
• Sugar Cube Arch Challenge

November STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Parade Balloon Challenge
• Thanksgiving Table Challenge
• Cranberry Tower Challenge
•  Pilgrim Shelter Challenge

December STEM Challenge Bundle with Close Reading

• Cardboard Reindeer Challenge
• Funky Christmas Ornament Challenge
• Straw Christmas Tree Challenge
• Christmas Tree Tower

Here are some not assigned to months as well. 

• 100th Day of School Glasses
• 100th Day of School Crayon Tower
• Kingdom Hearts Valentines Castle
• Candy Heart Tower
• Design a Candy Box

BUILDING BLOCK CHALLENGES

• Build a Dinosaur
• Build a Nation’s Flag
• Design a New Bug
• Build the Eiffel Tower
• Design a Superhero
• Now Design a Toilet Paper Dispenser
• Design a Cactus Paperweight
• Build a UFO
• Build a Treasure Chest
• Design a Totem Pole

Our Thoughts

A few things included in these were things that I had to specifically buy.  But really that’s because I’m a no food dyes, allergen friendly household.  We have so many food allergies plus dyes that I don’t keep in our house because of them.  Most of them I could substitute out easily.  We did go buy a pack of food dyes though because that just made it so much more fun. 

My boys especially are very into things that can be categorized as STEM.  They love taking things apart to see how they work and then putting them back together again.  I have to admit I’m not that way.  But I do love baking and creating in the kitchen which I believe is it’s own version of STEM activities.  

I did not do these by month.  Instead we picked and chose which appealed to us the most.  So for instance an apple boat when we had a large box of apples had to be done versus what was scheduled for that month.  

My kids really enjoyed being able to add something fun into our school days.  We tend to do more of a four day week where the fifth day is easy.  This is due to it being our errand day.  So adding in some fun STEM activities on our easy day is a lot of fun and makes sure they’re still getting a lot of fun learning in. 

A fun fact about the activities is that they don’t tell your child how to do something.  They give suggestions.  A picture of two is shown, but no direct step by step instructions.  They get materials they can use, and what they need to come up with.  After that it’s all up to their imagination!

How We Used

Each activity has reading to be done before the challenge can commence.  I print off each challenge as we go to do them.  Because I’m me I print them all off and put them in sheet protectors (double sided printing) so that we can have them out to use and not be running back and forth to the computer.  But in the same vein they are protected so that the kids don’t ruin them if they spill something.

Because I have younger kids who like to do the same as the big kids I tend to have them paired up in teams when they work on something.  So the older child is really doing the project but the younger one gets to “help”.  And while they are helping they’re learning and absorbing the information as well.  It’s a win for everyone as I find my older kids cement the information at a greater level when they’re doing and teaching at the same time.

Since we print stuff out I can copy if I want my children to actually fill in the blanks. Normally though we just chat out what happens and the answers that would go in the blanks as more of a group project.  This is in one part to save me paper but also so the little kids don’t feel left out who can’t read or write as well.  

I’ve held off the lego activities til rainy days which I’m sure we’ll have.  Those are my children’s favorite toys so I’m sure that will be the most fun!

In doing the STEM apple challenge my son found that he put the apples in the boat the wrong way and it kept rolling.  So then he got the brilliant idea to see which way they would naturally float themselves and tape them that way.  Can we say way to use your brain?!

Also obviously we next need to do a how to clean the bathroom sink challenge but it can wait in the name of learning. 

Read More

Learn more about STEM Activities from Tied 2 Teaching by reading all of the blog posts linked up to the main post on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.  There are lots of reviewers and over 60 activities that could have been done and reported on.  You can also find them on facebook, instagram, and pinterest.