Here is a hands-on STEM exercise for kids. It is fun for the kids and very easy to set up. Use everyday items around the house to illustrate science ideas and theories. Explore volume, shape and size The size of a three-dimensional space is called volume. One simple way to find out which container has a bigger…
Compasses are a very important tool explorers. They are useful when you go hiking, camping or other outdoor activities. They help you identify directions so you won’t get lost. Compasses work because there is a giant magnetic field surrounding us on Earth. Did you know that it’s very easy to make your own compass at…
If you live in the United States, you probably have a pile of magnets in your wallet. Yes, you read that right. Our dollar bills are printed with magnetic inks. When the US Federal Reserve prints money, they use ink that contains iron oxide which can be magnetized. Magnetic ink is used as a way to reduce…
Toothpicks are made of dry wood. Using the absorbing property of wood and the surface tension property of water, you can create a fun trick to impress your kids (or friends). In this simple experiment, we will turn broken toothpicks into an expanding star. Before you start, be sure to watch the video below. The…
Refraction Of Light Have you ever noticed if you look through a glass of water, the image behind the glass sometimes looks funny or distorted? It’s like the glass of water is playing tricks on your eyes. The trick is actually created by the refraction of light. Light travels at different speed through different materials….
Little kids love soap bubbles (a lot of grownups do, too!) Blowing bubbles, chasing them, trying to catch them and eventually popping them can provide hours of fun for kids. It’s one of many children’s favorite outdoor activities. Do you know why bubble pop when they are touched? Is it possible to touch a bubble…
Magnetism is invisible, but it’s all around us. There is a giant magnetic field on Earth. In this experiment, we will see a smaller version of magnetic field. We will use iron filings to see the magnetic field in 3-dimension. (Here’s an example on 2-dimensional magnetic force field.) Magnet attracts iron and the magnetism can…
Why do people put salt in snow? That’s because salt can make ice melt faster. Ice melts at a specific temperature called the melting point. Salt makes snow melt faster by changing ice’s melting point. Here is an experiment showing how salt achieves that. Using salt, you can pick up a piece of ice with…
Playing with magnets is always fun. We bought some very strong magnets recently and they are perfect to show what magnetic field looks like. Magnet attracts iron and the magnetism can act through many materials such as paper. When iron filings are spread over the magnets, you can see the outline of the magnetic force or…
Have you tried our popular experiment “Why is the sky blue?” experiment? Now the next question is, “If the sky normally looks blue, why are sunsets orange in color?” From the last experiment, we know that when light (representing the sun) passes through a clear fluid (representing air) holding small particles (representing dusts), blue is scattered…
Kids are fascinated by rainbows. A rainbow is the result of light reflection, refraction and dispersion through water droplets in the air. A spectrum of rainbow color can usually be seen after rainfall when the air is full of moisture. Among the spectrum of colors, red, blue and yellow are primary colors. They can be combined…
Spatial reasoning is an essential skill for math learning and can be acquired through training and practice. Here are a few preschool geometry activities that can help kids learn spatial concepts. Let’s start with learning shapes by create 2-D and 3-D shapes from scratch in a spatial relationships preschool activity. By constructing each shape one side at a…
What Is Water Cycle? Water cycle is also known as hydrologic cycle or hydrological cycle. It describes how water moves continuously on Earth. Water loops through different stages – evaporation, condensation, precipitation and flow. It then goes back to the evaporation stage. The whole cycle starts all over again and hence the name “water cycle”. Water Cycle…
Patterning is fundamental to mathematics because all math are virtually patterns and structures. Mathematical relations and transformations result in patterns and abstraction. It is therefore critical to children’s development of mathematical reasoning. The integration of patterning in children’s early learning can promote such development. There are many types of patterning: written symbols (e.g. ABCABCABC…), numerical (e.g. 1,…
Paper House Geometry Visual Spatial Skills Learning Shapes And Patterns Activities