Five fun STEM activities to try on a snow day

Here in Omaha, it’s our third snow day this week. With all of this snow and the school closings, what can you do with your kids to keep their brains engaged? Here are five ideas to spark a little STEM-themed creativity on a snowy day.

1. Snowy Support Engineering

You’ll need:

-A small or medium sized “Tupperware” container
-Snow
-Toothpicks
-Marshmallows (preferably mini marshmallows) or small balls of sculpting clay

Instructions:

Challenge kids to build a structure using toothpicks and marshmallows (or balls of sculpting clay) to withstand the weight of snow. After your kiddo builds the structure, fill your container with snow and place it on top to see if it can take the weight.

2. Learn Scratch!

You’ll need:

-A computer with internet access

Instructions:

Coding can be FUN! Head over to the scratch coding website, and dig in. Scratch is a very easy-to-learn coding language that uses blocks to create code. Their site has lots of instructions, builds and games made by others, and all sorts of great material.

3. Snow volcano

You’ll need:

-A glass jar
-3-4 tablespoons of baking soda
-1 tablespoon dish soap
-A few drops of food coloring (red for a traditional volcano or any other color for fun!)
-1/4 cup vinegar

Instructions:

Combine the baking soda, dish soap, and food coloring in the glass jar. Place the jar outside and pile snow around it to make it look like a volcano. Ask your kids what they think will happen, and have them make a hypothesis. When ready, pour in the vinegar and watch the reaction! If you want to try a second time, repeat the experiment but without the dish soap. Ask you kids how they think the reaction will differ. Try it out and see if their hypothesis is correct!

4. Ooh, it’s oobleck

You’ll need:

-2 cups cornstarch
-1 cup water
-Mixing bowl
-Optional: A few drops of food coloring or 2-3 tablespoons of tempera paint (less messy than food coloring)

Instructions:

Oobleck is something called a non-Newtonian fluid. What makes it cool is that it can behave both like a solid or like a liquid depending on how it’s used. If you hit it, it becomes solid, but if you let it sit in your hands it will run out slowly like honey or molasses.

To make your oobleck, add about 1-1/2 cups of the cornstarch into your mixing bowl. If you want to add color to it (which is totally optional) you should mix your food coloring in with the water BEFORE adding it to the cornstarch. Pour the water into the cornstarch. Then it’s time to get messy. Roll up your sleeves, and start mixing and folding together the oobleck using your hands. If the mixture is too runny, slowly add the rest of the cornstarch until it’s about a honey-like consistency.

5. Homemade “playdoh”

You’ll need:

-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 cup salt
-1 cup water
-Food coloring (optional)
-Mixing bowl
-Stirring spoon
-Zipper seal baggies (for storage)

Instructions:

Have the kids practice their math and measuring skills making this salty playdoh alternative. It’s super easy to make and a lot of fun!

To start, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir them together into an even mixture. Next, begin adding the water slowly as you stir the mixture. As with the oobleck recipe, adding your coloring to the water first can make it easier to mix in. Once the dough is mixed, it should be nearly impossible to “stir” and you will need to knead it by hand. Knead the mixture for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and firm. If the dough is too firm, add a teaspoon of water at a time and continue kneading. Repeat as necessary. If the dough becomes sticky, add a little flour. Once your mixture is done, have fun! When done, it can be stored in zipper sealed bags to keep it from drying out and hardening.

Conclusion

Remember, the key is to have fun while learning. These activities are not only entertaining but also provide valuable opportunities to explore STEM concepts in a hands-on way. Stay warm, stay curious, and enjoy your snow day filled with creativity and discovery!