If you’re a parent of a grade schooler, chances are you hear quite a bit about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Schools emphasize these disciplines because our children—the future workforce—will fill more than 11.4 million STEM jobs in the U.S. over the next decade. Many of these high-demand jobs will be in the environmental sector, such as cleaning water resources, reducing carbon emissions, and fixing wind turbines. Others will be in information security, computer technology, and healthcare.
These exciting careers require critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and curiosity. But how can we nurture these skills in our kids today? One way is by engaging in fun, hands-on STEM activities at home—using everyday household items. These activities ignite and captivate your child’s sense of wonder and build a foundation for real-world STEM knowledge.
Winter STEM Activities for Kids
With winter upon us and more time spent indoors, now is the perfect time to dive into STEM exploration together. We talked to some families at K12-powered online schools about their favorite hands-on enrichment activities and compiled a playful winter-themed list that can make even the coldest days a lot more fun!
Ice and Salt Science Experiment
Materials: Ice cubes, salt, food coloring
Consider the common practice of using salt on roads to melt icy patches. Adding salt lowers the freezing point of water, causing the ice to melt faster than it would under normal conditions. This experiment demonstrates how salt disrupts the water molecules’ ability to bond as ice, making it easier for the ice to break down. It’s a great way to help kids visualize how salt can help make roads safer in winter. As the salt melts the ice, be sure to point out the unique patterns that form as the water trickles down the side of the ice cubes.
Steps
- Place ice cubes on a plate.
- Sprinkle salt on top of the ice cubes.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the top of the ice cubes and watch the colorful patterns as the ice melts.
Snowstorm in a Jar
Materials: Glass jar, baby oil, water, white acrylic (water-based) paint, Alka-Seltzer tablet
Learn fascinating science concepts by creating a tiny blizzard in a jar, all from the warmth of your home! In this experiment, you’ll observe that oil and water don’t mix. This is because water molecules are polar—they have a positive and negative end, which causes them to attract and form strong bonds with other water molecules. Oil molecules, on the other hand, are nonpolar and aren’t attracted to water molecules.
When water and oil are poured into a container, they form two distinct layers: water at the bottom and oil on top. This is because oil is less dense than water.
When you add Alka-Seltzer tablets, which contain baking soda and citric acid, a chemical reaction occurs. As the tablets dissolve in the water, they release carbon dioxide bubbles. These bubbles carry some of the water to the top of the jar, creating a blizzard-like effect.
Steps
- Mix white acrylic paint with water until the mixture is entirely white.
- Note: Using water-based paint, like acrylic, ensures it will mix with the water but not with the oil.
- Pour the paint-water mixture into the bottom of the jar, just enough to create a solid white base.
- Fill the jar ¾ of the way with baby oil.
- Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into 4 pieces and add them to the jar.
- Sit back and watch the snowstorm—oops, I mean the chemical reaction!
Crystal Snowflakes
Materials: Pipe cleaners, string, pencil, jar (large enough so the snowflake doesn’t touch the sides), food coloring, borax, boiling water
Learn about the process of crystallization by making your own snowflakes at home. When borax (sodium borate) is added to boiling water, the heat causes the water molecules to separate and spread throughout the jar, allowing borax to dissolve in the hot water. As you keep adding borax, the solution becomes supersaturated, meaning there’s more borax than the water can dissolve. As the solution cools, the water molecules move closer together, and the water can no longer hold as much dissolved borax. The borax molecules then bond and arrange into a repeating pattern, forming solid crystals.
Steps
- Cut a pipe cleaner into 3 equal pieces and twist them to create 6 equal arms. Then, cut another pipe cleaner into 6 equal pieces and twist 1 around the end of each arm. This will form a snowflake shape.
- Tie one end of a string to the snowflake and the other to a pencil.
- Boil your water, then add 3 tablespoons of borax and 1 drop of food coloring for every cup of water.
- Add the solution to the jar.
- Carefully place the snowflake in the jar so that the pencil rests on the lip of the jar, keeping the snowflake suspended in the solution.
- Allow the solution to sit overnight. When you remove the snowflake the next day, you’ll see the beautiful borax crystals!
Balloon-Powered Sled
Materials: Balloon, straw, tape, cardboard
Sir Isaac Newton taught us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is known as the third law of motion. The balloon-powered sled is a fun way to demonstrate this physics concept. When you inflate the balloon and release it, air is pushed out through the opening, creating an equal and opposite reaction. This causes the balloon and the attached sled to jet forward.
Steps
- Insert a straw into the balloon’s opening and securely tape it, making sure there are no leaks.
- Tape the straw to a small piece of cardboard—this will act as your sled. The majority of the balloon should rest on the sled.
- Inflate the balloon and pinch the opening to keep the air in.
- Place the sled on a flat surface, release the balloon, and watch it skid away!
Static Electricity Snowflake
Materials: Balloon, scissors, tissue paper
We’ve all experienced static electricity—like when your hair stands on end after bouncing on a trampoline or when you accidentally “zap” someone by touching them. This simple static electricity snowflake demonstration gives you a closer look at how this works by showing the principle of attraction between oppositely charged particles.
When you rub a balloon on your hair, there is a charge transfer—negative electrons from your hair transfer to the balloon, giving the balloon a negative charge. The balloon’s negative charge attracts the positive charges in the neutral snowflake, allowing the balloon to lift the snowflakes like magic!
Steps
- Cut small snowflake shapes out of tissue paper.
- Blow up your balloon and tie the end.
- Charge the balloon by rubbing it on your hair for several seconds.
- Hold the balloon above your snowflakes and watch them float toward the balloon.
After making static electricity snowflakes with my 8-year-old son, he showed me a fun twist—how the negatively charged balloon can stick to the ceiling! Rub the balloon on your hair for several seconds, then toss it toward the ceiling. Thanks to the static charge, the balloon will stay up there for quite some time!
How STEM Experiments Spark Lifelong Learning
STEM experiments like this one are fun and help develop essential skills such as logic, problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. Plus, these activities allow your child to explore exciting subjects that could spark new interests and foster a lifelong love for learning. For example, K12-powered online schools encourage students to dive deeper into the world of STEM beyond the classroom through enrichment opportunities like the K12 Robotics Competition, STEM clubs, the K12 Innovation Challenge, and Minecraft Build Challenges. So, don’t let the dreary weather stop the fun—grab a few items above and start experimenting!
To learn more about K12-powered online schools, go to K12.com.