Vivify STEM Blog

30 Winter STEM Activities

Snow ball fights, candy canes, and reindeer…time for some winter STEM activities for kids! Read on for 30 science experiments, math activities, engineering design challenges, and even coding fun - all with a winter theme! All these activities use simple materials and are perfect for the classroom or at home while stuck indoors.

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Thrilling STEM Activities for Kids: Roller Coaster Challenge

Let’s talk about roller coasters! Make the stimulating challenge of creating a roller coaster part of your next STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project. By using the engineering design process, student teams are tasked with creating a thrilling ride! Students learn about the science of roller coasters, including various forms of energy, and then using common materials such as craft sticks, paper and tape, students design a track for a ping pong ball to land safely in a cup at the bottom. This activity is definitely one of my new favorite STEM activities for kids!

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STEM Explorers: Travel the World with STEM Activities for Elementary

Pack your bags and get ready to go on an incredible journey with your students! One of my favorite things about STEM education is that it is a multidisciplinary approach to project-based learning. Our STEM Explorers lessons truly embody that spirit by connecting engineering design challenges to history and geography while also including math and science. The mission: to explore all seven continents and discover the inventions that were born there. Are you ready? Let’s go!

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10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

Do you talk about STEM careers in your classroom? Perhaps you don’t have a STEM background and feel intimidated. Or maybe you know about certain careers, but you are looking to expand your knowledge of the diverse field. We can help! Read on for strategies to bring STEM careers to life in your classroom! Through activities that connect STEM to student interests, we will show you how to easily engage kids with the exciting possibilities of real-world STEM.

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Lunar STEM Activities for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing

Moon STEM activities, books, videos and more are in store in this post! Whether you remember the Apollo 11 mission or have only seen past pictures, the feat remains awe-inspiring. This can be especially true for kids who desire to dream big. Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing as we engage kids with history and strengthen their STEM skills for the future. Read on for our list of related STEM activities and resources for your home, classroom, or program.

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Mission to Mars: STEM Curriculum for Elementary and Middle School

If you follow us, you know Vivify is a team of aerospace engineers with a passion for STEM education. Over the years of teaching STEM, we found that kids love stories. And what greater story than a thrilling adventure in space? The result is Launchpad, a 10 unit curriculum that launches students into the world of STEM!

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Design a Mars Colony: STEM Project

Six steps to designing a colony on Mars! Students learn about Mars, brainstorm and research design solutions for food, water, energy, and other critical systems, and build a colony model from recycled materials. This is the perfect way to take your STEM or STEAM program to the next level with a project-based STEM challenge!

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Pi Day STEM Activities

Happy Pi Day week! Are you planning to memorize all the digits of pi or maybe just eat some blueberry pie? If you are looking for new ideas, read on for STEM activities all about Pi! We have everything from a virtual pie to a spinning pie to help celebrate Pi Day with your students.

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10 Amazing STEM Family Night Activities

Planning a STEM or STEAM Family Night? Read on for 10 amazing activities that will engage the whole family! From painting with robots to creating a paper circuit, these activities will take your STEM Family Night to the next level!

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Bolt: Is Sphero's Latest Robot Worth the Hype?

With the release of BOLT, Sphero has added some cool new features to their traditional robot design, including an animation matrix, light sensor, and BOLT to BOLT robot communication. They have also updated the Sphero Edu app, so robots can also connect to Chrome, Mac and Windows computers. But at $149.99, are these features worth the extra $20 over the popular SPRK+? Read on for an in-depth look at 6 new BOLT features plus 3 awesome STEM activities for your classroom set!

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Basics of Sphero Robotics + 3 Awesome Sphero STEM Activities

Sphero is a robotics company that makes toy robots (you might have seen their BB-8 design), as well as educational robots to make learning fun! In the world of education, they are known best for their SPRK+ robot, which has already captivated classrooms around the world. Now, with the recent release of their newest robot BOLT, Sphero is continuing to showcase their innovative ideas and the educational value of robotics in the classroom. Read on to learn why I love using Sphero in my STEM program along with my favorite STEM Sphero Activities. And in my next post, I will dive even further into using the new BOLT robot!

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