STEM Activities

Water Xylophone

Water Xylophone

If you tap on a glass of water, it will make a sound with a specific pitch. But what happens to this pitch if we change the amount of water in the glass? In this experiment, we’ll use physics to study these changes, learning how sound is made and how scientists such as oceanographers use it!

Temperature of Color

Temperature of Color

We normally think white has no color and that black is made of every color, but what if I told you it was the opposite? Because an object absorbs different wavelengths of light depending on its color, we can test this idea using the properties of heat! In this experiment, we’ll see how different colors of paper warm up in the sun, and we’ll also learn how light gives objects color.

Erosion in Action

Erosion in Action

Many different things shape the landscape, including water, wind, and ice. Over time, exposure to these elements changes the surface of the earth, which is a process called erosion. Today, we’ll see how erosion affects soil and learn why it’s important for scientists to study these changes!

Making Fog

Making Fog

Normally we plug something into an outlet or put batteries inside to get power, but did you know we can make electricity using lemons instead? When we drink lemon juice, the electrolytes help power our muscles and give our body power. However, when we stick a few common metals inside a lemon and create a circuit, the juice can power a light bulb!  

Frozen Balloon Illusion

Frozen Balloon Illusion

Have you ever seen the illusion where a stream of water appears frozen in mid-air? In this experiment, we’re going to put this cool trick to the test and learn the physics behind it. We’ll see the difference between laminar and turbulent flow, and also learn about the scientists who study it, like meteorologists! 

Cabbage and Chemistry

Cabbage and Chemistry

Have you ever licked a lemon and wondered what makes it so sour? What about eating a piece of dark chocolate and being surprised by its bitterness? As it turns out, flavors like sour and bitter come from the food’s pH level. But we don’t want to test the pH of everything by tasting it— many substances are too dangerous to eat! Instead, we’ll learn how to determine a solution's pH level using a common vegetable: red cabbage. 

Binary Code Bracelets

Binary Code Bracelets

At its simplest level, a computer is a machine that processes information. It takes in data, processes it, and then responds to it. But computers can’t understand English. They can only understand one “language,” called binary. Binary is composed of only two digits— zero and one. Humans use many different coding languages to give computers instructions, but all of these languages eventually get converted into zeros and ones.

Lemon Battery

Lemon Battery

Normally we plug something into an outlet or put batteries inside to get power, but did you know we can make electricity using lemons instead? When we drink lemon juice, the electrolytes help power our muscles and give our body power. However, when we stick a few common metals inside a lemon and create a circuit, the juice can power a light bulb!  

Computer Puppy Algorithms

Computer Puppy Algorithms

In computer science, algorithms are used to set out the steps for a computer program to follow. Algorithms require lots of planning ahead of time, and today we’re going to apply this to getting a puppy out of an obstacle course!

Klingon: Understanding Phonemes Through Bilingualism

Klingon: Understanding Phonemes Through Bilingualism

Interested in learning a bit of Klingon? It’s easy, we’ll show you how! We’ll also demonstrate why phonetic development is so important for language learning. Phonetic development involves learning the sounds—or “phonemes”—of a language.

Why is the Sky Blue?

Why is the Sky Blue?

Have you ever wondered why the sky appears blue most of the time? Why does it not appear red or yellow during the day? In this experiment, we will use milky water to simulate the sky and observe what happens when light shines through the glass.

Seeing Sound

Seeing Sound

We hear sound all the time, but have you ever wondered what it looks like? In this experiment, we’ll create sounds we can both hear and see using the properties of waves! We’ll also learn how sound travels through different materials and about the energy it carries.

Hot or Not: Creating Heat!

Hot or Not: Creating Heat!

When we sit next to a bonfire, we don’t wonder why it’s warm. But what if we created heat without any fire or electricity? In this experiment, we will do just that using an exothermic chemical reaction. We will also learn how reactions release energy and how scientists speed them up!

Rising Water

Rising Water

Have you ever been doing chores and wondered how your vacuum cleaner sucks up all the dirt? Or have you ever been curious why astronauts wear such complex suits in space? In this experiment, we will answer both of these questions and learn about pressure to create our very own vacuum!

Making Your Own Pan Flute

Making Your Own Pan Flute

Have you ever looked at an instrument and wondered how it makes such interesting sounds? Scientists explore this and many other properties of sound in a field called acoustics. Today, we’ll be making a pan flute and experimenting with sounds that have different pitches, also learning about their frequency along the way!

Creating a Wind-Powered Pinwheel

Creating a Wind-Powered Pinwheel

Have you ever wondered why objects move? Turns out, this is a very big question in science! In this experiment, we will explore one of the three laws scientists use to study motion, called Newton’s third law. To test this law, we will build a wind-powered pinwheel and see how a force in one direction creates another force in the opposite direction!