STREAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math. STREAM activities involve several or all of these subjects that allow school-going children to learn concepts in a fun and interactive manner. Kids are encouraged to get involved in STREAM activities because they help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. STREAM activities can also spark their creativity, inspire them to invent new things, or take a renewed interest in their homework. Check out our collection of 12 awesome STREAM activities!
1. Make and Break Codes
Creating and deciphering codes will exercise children’s ability to organize information into meaningful patterns. Familiarize students with the various codes, let them create their own, and have them interpret each other’s coded messages. A commonly used and easy-to-learn code is Morse code. Put up a poster of a Morse code and ask learners to send each other coded messages.
Learn More: NSU Florida
2. DIY Air Pollution Catcher
Making an air pollution catcher is an effective way to make students aware of air pollution. You will need some double-sided carpet tape, milk cartons, and magnifying glasses. Place the cartons with tape in different areas around the house and leave them unattended for a few days. Now let your children inspect the material stuck on these tapes.
Learn More: EPA
3. Outdoor Activities
Exploring the great outdoors helps hone the skill of being able to identify, categorize, and handle things in the environment. Go to a place with plants and tame wildlife and have your children name what they observe. Spot footprints and identify which creature they belong to. You can also let them gather natural objects and create artwork or jewelry out of them.
Learn More: Parentree
4. Edible Models
Teaching the parts and structure of something doesn’t have to be boring. Add sweetness by creating models using edible items. For example, when making a model of a cell, different types of candies can represent cellular organelles: licorice can stand for the cell wall, and frosting can be the cytoplasm. Carefully building each part will ensure learners remember them and afterward, you can all enjoy a few sweet treats.
Learn More: Owlcation
5. Miniature Garden
Creating a mini garden teaches youngsters how seeds grow. This helps sharpen their observation skills. Put soil in a seedling starter tray and add stones beneath it for drainage. Scoop out small portions of the soil, add various vegetable or flower seeds, and cover it with soil afterward. Water regularly and watch it grow.
Learn More: PBS Kids
6. Lemon Battery
Turning lemons into batteries gives children a fun introduction to physics and chemistry. Lemon batteries are often used to explain how chemical reactions work and how they produce electricity. For older kids, this experiment may spark their interest in electronics.
Learn More: SciShow
7. Popsicle Stick Catapult
Popsicle stick catapults teach kids several things: engineering, through the construction of the catapult, physics and math in calculating motions, and science in performing the experiment and learning from the results. You will need popsicle sticks, rubber bands, a shallow bottle cap, a small, lightweight projectile, and a binding agent such as a gluestick to get started.
Learn More: Eureka
8. Stop Motion Videos
Children will be exposed to both art and technology when they make a stop motion video. They will use materials such as clay, sticks, dolls, etc., take pictures of them, and then animate them. For added learning, the animation can focus on the subject they are covering at school.
Learn More: Stephanie Castle
9. Programming Activities
Learning how to program will give students an advantage in these technology-driven times. Introduce them to different programming languages and consider comparing them so that they can choose one to focus on. Provide them with HTML tutorials and make them create their own landing pages.
Learn More: CodeWizardsHQ
10. Rubber Band Car
Kids love playing with toy cars; why not make one to learn STREAM? A rubber band car is made up of corrugated cardboard, straws, wooden skewers, old CDs that won’t be used anymore, a sponge, paper clips, and rubber bands- all common household items. They will hone their engineering skills plus develop a habit of recycling junk.
Learn More: Scientific American
11. Building With Jelly Beans
Tactile learners, or those who learn best by physically touching and holding things, will appreciate building things with jelly beans. This activity is quite simple: children will stick toothpicks into jelly beans to create figures and structures.
Learn More: Hillsboro City Library
12. Solving World Problems
This activity is suited to older kids who already know how to do basic research and work with tools. Let the kids choose one world problem – examples of these are pollution, climate change, food scarcity, lack of education, water scarcity, species extinction, etc. This activity will encourage kids to be scientists who care about global issues.
Learn More: The Paradigm Challenge
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