STEM Archives - Page 14 of 20

Magical Creatures STEM Coding Algorithm Drawing Activity

October 16, 2018 By Deirdre

You could say that coding is creating a series of steps that a computer needs to complete to finish a task. One way to teach your children about algorithms and coding offline is to have them create a drawing. This STEM coding magical creatures worksheet gives your children the steps they will need to draw a unique creature of their own.

Links below are affiliate links.

The book Miss Turie’s Magic Creatures was the inspiration for this activity. It shares the story of a little boy looking for a pet. Miss Turie’s shop is filled with all kinds of amazing creatures. Some are too scary and some just don’t fit what he is looking for. By the end of the book, he does find one he wants to take home. Your children will recognize many of them from the Harry Potter movies, Greek mythology, and books about cryptids.

Before you start this activity with your children, you will want to read them the Miss Turie’s Magic Creaturesbook. (I found it really inspired the students at my school when we did this project.) Your children will be able to get some ideas for their creatures by viewing the ones in the book.

Getting Copies of the STEM Coding Drawing Activity

You can download a copy of the Magical Creature Coding Algorithm Drawing Activity and open it in a PDF. Then you can print out as many as you need.

Exploring the STEM Coding Worksheet

You will want to have your children create one part of their magical creature at a time. They will want to start with the head. Then they can draw the body. They will continue to add various body parts to their creature by following the algorithm.

When they have the basic areas of their creature’s body draw, they can add ears, a tail, wings, or horns.

Once they have finished drawing their creature, you can have them go through the algorithm and double-check they have included everything they needed to. If they have forgotten an area, they can go back and add it.

If you like this coding activity, here are some more you will love:

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity and Printable

Coding Activity- Going on a Bear Hunt

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Algorithm Activity

Gruffalo Coding Sheet

Coding the Planets in Order

Life Cycle of a Spider Coding Printable

Disclaimer: I was sent this book to review and I just love it.

Exploring the Numbers 1-10 with Tally Mark Activity Cards

August 25, 2018 By Deirdre

Your children will have fun exploring the numbers 1-10 with this free set of STEM tally mark activity cards. This set of cards invites children to build a representation of the numbers from 1 to ten with crayons. Children will also work on their counting skills as they build each number in tally marks.

If your children haven’t had a lot of experience with tally marks, you may want to read one of the books below. Each of the books focuses on counting with tally marks.

Getting the Tally Mark Activity Cards

You can download the Tally Mark Activity Cards onto your computer for free. Then you can print out the complete set or just the numbers you want your children to explore.

The cards were designed to be printed out on a color printer. While you could print them out in black and white, they probably will look better in color.

Exploring the Activity Cards

Your children will have fun building numbers with crayons. While they could use brand new crayons right out of the box, you will notice that we used crayons we had at home.

Some children will insist that they use the same color crayons they see displayed on the activity cards. If you have crayons in those colors, that is just fine. If you don’t have those colors or your children want to use different colors, that is fine too.

There are three things I want your children to do while exploring this activity. The first is to count out the number of crayons they need to build each number. The second is to build each tally mark creation displayed on the card. The third and final goal is for your children to have fun exploring a math concept.

If you like this crayon-themed math task card activity, I think you will like the four other activities below.

Learning Numbers 1-10 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Letters with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 11-20 with Crayons STEM Task Card

Building Shapes with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Greater Than and Less Than STEM Task Cards

Greater Than Less Than Activities with Crayon Task Cards

August 23, 2018 By Deirdre

The crayon task card sets I shared with you earlier this month have been very popular. This week I thought I would share with you two additional crayon-themed STEM task or activity cards set. Today I am going to share with you today is a greater than less than activity cards.

While the greater than less than cards display crayons, you could have your children use any objects you like. You may even want to use some type of school supply. Below you will find a list of school supplies that would be great to use for this activity.

pencil top erasers
pencils
glue sticks
color pencils
markers
paper clips

Books About Greater Than and Less Than

You may want to share a children’s book that focuses on the concepts of greater than and less than with your children before starting the activity. It will give them a better understanding of the concepts they will be exploring.

Getting the Greater Than Less Than Activity Cards

You can download the Greater Than Less Than Activity Cards onto your computer. Then you can open up the PDF. The set includes one greater than activity card and one less than activity card. You can print out one set to use in a center or enough for each one of your children.

Knowing What the Symbols Mean

You will need to explain what the less than and greater than symbols mean to your children. I like to tell kids that if the little end is pointing to the left it means less than. When the wide open or large end is facing to the left it means greater than.

Exploring the Activity Cards

Children can explore these cards in a number of ways. Let me share with you a few ways that I have come up with.

You could have them place objects on the cards that make the number sentence true.
You could have children work in pairs. One child could put objects on one side of the sign. Then their partner could place objects on the other side that will make the number sentence true.
You could give your child two set of objects. Then they can place the smaller group of objects on the side with the small end of the sign. Next, they could put the larger or greater number of the open or large side of the sign.

Once they have built a number sentence, you will want them to read the number sentence to you or to their partner.

If you like this activity, here are some more crayon themed activities you will love.

Learning Letters with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 1-10 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 11-20 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Exploring the Numbers 1-10 with Tally Marks

Building Shapes with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Building Numbers with Crayon STEM Task Cards

August 15, 2018 By Deirdre

This is the third in my STEM task card series Building with Crayons. The first set of STEM task cards focused on alphabet letters. The second set of STEM task cards invites kids to explore shapes. This set focus on creating the numbers one to ten.

I love to read books related to the concepts my children will be exploring. It helps them to activate the prior knowledge they have about a concept or build new knowledge. Below you will find some of my favorite children’s books about numbers.

Getting the STEM Task Cards Ready

You can download a free set of the Learning Numbers with Crayons Printable Task Cards. Then you can open up the set in Acrobat Reader. The task cards were designed to be printed out on cardstock using a color printer.

Once you have printed the task cards out, you can cut each page in half.

Explore the Number Task Cards with Crayons

While your children can build each number with the colors of crayons displayed on the card, they don’t have too. You can have them select any color of crayon they like to form each number. The goal of this activity is to have your children identify each number and then build it.

Children can build the numbers on or beside the card. If you choose to have your children build them on the card, it is okay if they don’t fit perfectly on top of the crayons.

Some children may ask why the numbers on the cards don’t have rounded areas. Crayons are rigid and don’t bend. I tried to create numbers that look as close to traditional numbers as possible.

If you like this number activity, here are more activities your children will love.

Building an Algorithm While Sequencing Numbers

Muffin Tin Math Activity- Dinosaurs Walking on Numbers

Creating Numbers in Shadows

Building Shapes with Crayons STEM Task Cards

August 11, 2018 By Deirdre

This is the second in a series of three STEM building task cards. The first set I shared with you focused on building the letters of the alphabet. This set focuses on building shapes. You will find most of the shapes preschoolers focus on in this set. (There is not a building shapes card that focuses on circles or ovals.) There are three shapes that are focused on by older children in this set. They are the right triangle, the trapezoid, and the parallelogram. You will also find a card for a rhombus and a diamond. Some of you use the word rhombus and others call them diamonds. (You can choose which card you want your children to work on.)

Getting the Building Shapes STEM Task Cards

You can download the Learning Shapes with Crayons Printable Task Cards for free. Once you have downloaded the set, you can open them up in Acrobat Reader.

The set was designed to be printed out onto cardstock using a color printer.

Once you have printed out the shapes you want your children to work on, you can cut them out.

Reviewing Shape Names with Books

I love to introduce the concepts children will be working on with children’s books. Below you will find some of my favorite books about shapes. By reading a book to your children before starting the activity, you help them build background knowledge.

Links below are affiliate links.

Exploring the Building Shapes STEM Task Cards

You can have your children create each shape above, below, or beside each task card. Another way children can place crayons on top of the crayons on the task cards. The crayons won’t fit over the crayons on the card actually.

Here are some more STEM building cards your children can explore with crayons:

Learning Letters with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Greater Than and Less Than STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 1-10 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 11-20 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Exploring the Numbers 1-10 with Tally Marks

If you are looking for more shape activities, you will want to check out the activities below.

Shape Matching Game Based on If You Give a Pig a Pancake

Exploring Shapes with Sensory Bowl and Free Worksheets

Learning Shapes with Spaghetti Noodles

Building a Hermit Crab House Work Space

Shape Sensory Bottle and Printables

Learning Letters with Crayons Printable Task Cards

August 10, 2018 By Deirdre

AlphaOops! The Day Z Went First is a fun book about letters switching places in the alphabet. Z really wants to be first and not last.

School supplies are wonderful learning tools. Your children can use pencils as STEM building tools or in Back to School-themed rain sticks. They can use crayons to work on learning letters by using them to form or build alphabet letters.

Getting the Learning Letters Task Cards

You can download your set of Learning Letters with Crayons Printable Task Cards and open them in Acrobat Reader. The set was saved as PDF. The cards were designed to be printed out on a color printer.

After printing out the task cards, you can cut them out. You can leave a little of a white border or cut them out along their blue border.

Exploring the Task Cards

There are several ways that your children can explore the task cards. Let me walk you through the three ways I have come up with. After reading them over, you may come up with several other ways.

Match the Crayon Color to the Crayons on the Cards

There are red, yellow, blue, purple, green, and orange crayons displayed on the cards. Some of the cards have two crayons of the same color. You can give your children the crayons they will need to replicate the letter on each of the cards along with the card you want them to work on.

Recreate the Letters with Any Color of Crayon

Your children can select the colors they want to use to build the letters on the cards you want them to work on. Some children will enjoy having the freedom to build letters using their favorite colors.

Build the Letter on the Card and Come Up with Another Way to Build It

After building the letter on the card, you can invite your children to come up with another way to build the letter. They could use more crayons to build the letter. Children could try to create letters with more rounded edges. They may come up with totally new ways to build the letters.

Here are some more STEM building cards your children can explore with crayons:

Learning Numbers 1-10 with Crayons STEM Task Cards

Learning Numbers 11-20 with Crayons STEM Task Card

Exploring the Numbers 1-10 with Tally Marks

Greater Than and Less Than STEM Task Cards

Building Shapes with Crayons STEM Task Cards

If you like this alphabet activity, here are some more printable alphabet sets you are sure to love.

Building Letters on a Barn Door with Popsicle Sticks (This is a printable set)

Click Clack Alphabet Laptop Computer Match

Spider Web Alphabet Matching Game

Chocolate Chip Cookie Letters

Exploring Alphabet Letters

You may want to have your children explore some books that focus on building and alphabet letters before you have them work on the learning letters task cards. Below you will find some of my favorite alphabet books for kids.

The links below are affiliate links.

AlphaOops! The Day Z Went First tells the tale of the day that the letters switched places.

Kids love learning new words. I bet they will learn more food words as they explore the book Eating the Alphabet.

Pool Noodle Ideas – Building Letters in Binary Code

June 20, 2018 By Deirdre

Each summer I like to share pool noodle ideas with you. Previously I have shared a pool noodle shark craft, a pool noodle airplane that actually flies, and an addition fact activity. Today I have an activity for your that combines binary code and the letters of the alphabet. (I will be sharing it at a session of a technology conference I will be presenting at in July focusing on learning to code offline.) Your children will have fun exploring it too.

What is Binary Code?

It is the code used by a computer to understand letters, number, symbols, and commands. The code uses groups of 8 numbers to represent each letter, number, symbol, and command. The only numbers that the computer can use to create the code are 0’s and 1’s. The blue pool noodle sections will represent the 0’s and the red sections will represent the 1’s.

Getting the Pool Noodle Sections Ready

You will need to cut 1-inch sections out of a red and a blue pool noodle. Each of your children will need eight poodle sections in each color. A serrated knife will probably be the easiest knife to cut with.

It is totally okay if each of the sections isn’t cut into perfectly flat on the top and bottom. The key is to try to make them as close to 1-inch tall as possible.

Getting the Binary Code Letter Cards Ready

You will need to print out a set of Pool Noodle Ideas -Building Letters in Binary Code cards for your children to explore. The cards were designed to be printed out in color onto cardstock. If you want each of your children to work on the same letter at the same time, you will want to print out a set of building letter cards for each of your children.

Once you have printed out the set, you will need to cut each card in half. You will notice that there are two letter cards on each page.

Exploring the Binary Code Letters with Pool Noodle Sections

As you children work on each letter, they will need to lay out the pool noodles in the pattern shown on the card. You will want to check each of their noodle codes to make sure that they match the ones on their card.

Once they have completed a letter, they can move on to another letter. If they didn’t start with the letter that starts their name, you may want them to work on that one next.

More Pool Noodle Ideas

Abacus Made of Pool Noodles

Fine Motor Activity- Placing Rubberbands on Pool Noodles

Cardboard Box Football or Soccer Themed Foosball Table

June 18, 2018 By Deirdre

Your kids will have fun creating their own football or soccer themed foosball table out of a cardboard box. After creating the playing field, they can decorate the player printable anyway they like. The players were created so that children could make them a boy or girl. They can make the player have any skin color and any type of hair.

Making the Foosball Table

Supplies

Large Cardboard Cereal Box
Scissors
Hole Punch
Ruler
Pencil
Green Acrylic Paint
White Acrylic Paint or White Copy Paper
Long Straws
Players for the Cardboard Box Football or Soccer Themed Foosball Table
Cardboard Drink Sleeves (We got ours at a big name coffee spot.)

Directions for Building the Foosball Table

Working with the Cereal Box

Younger children may need to have you cut out the bottom section of a large cereal box. It will need to be about 3 inches tall.

Then a square of cardboard will need to be cut out off each end. The opening will be about 1 1/2 inches tall and 2 inches long. This will be the area the ball will use to leave the foosball table.

Finally, holes will need to punch 2 inches away for the corner of each box on both sides of the box. You can place the holes closer to the ends if you like.

Painting the Foosball Table

Once the foosball table box has been created, it is time to paint the inside of the box green. You can paint it a grassy color of green like we did or a darker color if you like. Then you will need to paint on a white center line or glue on a small white rectangle.

Some cardboard seems to absorb paint. We have found that acrylic paint works well on cardboard and washable paint does not.

Adding the Players and the Handles

You will need to start by cutting out cardboard rectangles out of the coffee sleeves. You will out need to cut them out lengthwise. Each rectangle needs to be about 3 inches tall and 1 inch wide.

Then you can slip each of the rectangles onto a long straw. You can place a little glue at the top and bottom of each sleeve to hold it in place.

You will then slip the straws into the holes on each side of the box.

Next, you will need to decorate two players. You can make the players boys or girls. They can have long hair or short. They can wear generic soccer uniforms or represent a particular team.

When the players are done, you can glue them to the cardboard rectangles.

Playing with the Foosball Table

Your children will need a small rubber or foil ball to play soccer or football with. They will need to place the ball in front of one of the players and have it the swing into the ball to get the game started. Children can take turns with who gets to kick the ball first.

Next children can slide the straws to the left or right to block the ball. They can also twist their straw to get their player to kick the ball.

If you like this activity, here are some more you will like:

STEM Activities-How to Make a Balloon Boat

How Long will a LEGO Boat Float?

Olympic Shot Put Catapult

LEGO Man Sink and Float

How to Make Slime with Saline Coding Activity

June 12, 2018 By Deirdre

Yesterday you learned how to make slime with liquid starch. Today’s coding activity walks children through how to make slime with saline. Your children are invited create an algorithm that walks them through how to make the slime. Then your children can create and play with the slime.

Getting Ready to Start the Activity

You will need to gather the following supplies for this slime activity:

Plastic bowl or container
Sturdy Spoon
1/2 cup of Clear Glue or Liquid Glitter Glue
1/2 cup of Water
Food Coloring
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon of Saline Solution
One copy of the How to Make Slime with Saline Solution Algorithm Coding Worksheet

Making the Slime

You can have your children make the slime before or after they do the coding activity. Below you will find the steps they will need to follow learn how to make slime with a saline solution.

The first thing they will need to do is place a 1/2 cup of clear glue in a bowl.

Then they will need to add 1/2 cup of water to the bowl. Children will need to blend this mixture together well.

Next several drops of food coloring need to be added to the mixture. Children will want to make sure color is thoroughly mixed in.

Then a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda needs to be added to the mixture.

After adding the baking soda, children need to add 1 Tablespoon of saline solution.

Finally, the mixture needs to be stirred with a sturdy spoon and kneaded with your hands.

We didn’t add anything to our slime. If you are looking for fun slime themes, you will want to check out A Year of Our Themed Best Slime Activities for Kids. You will find a year’s worth of fun themed slimes here.

Creating the Algorithm

Your children will start in the bottom left-hand corner of the worksheet. They will draw an up arrow in the start box. This will lead them to the bowl box.

Then they will need to decide whether to move up or go to the right to get to the add glue box. Some of your children will want to take the shortest route. Others will want to take the longer route. When they decide the route they want to take, they will place an arrow in the box with the bowl in it pointing the direction they have chosen to go.

Next, your children will need to decide what direction they will need to go to reach the glue. If they chose the longer route, they will need to place arrows in several boxes that will lead them to the glue bottle.

They will need to continue to connect the various step in the algorithm together with arrows until the reach box that says play with the slime.

If you like this slime activity, here are some more slime activities you will enjoy.

Exploring the Five Senses with Jello Slime

Slime Themed Duck in the Truck Activity

How to Make Liquid Starch Slime Coding Activity

Exploring the Five Senses with Edible Jello Slime

June 10, 2018 By Deirdre

We have started our summer vacation by exploring different kinds of slime. This fun activity featuring editable jello slime has been one of JDaniel’s favorites. Your children will probably love exploring editable jello slime with their five sense too. After they have explored the edible slime with their five senses, they can record their insights on this free Exploring the Five Senses with Jello Slime printable.

The link below is an affiliate link.

If your children don’t have a lot of experience with slime, you may want to explore the book the Ultimate Slime Guide with them. It is filled with tons of ways to explore slime. Your children will also learn more about the properties of slime in the book.

Making the Jello Slime

This is how you make jello slime:

Supplies

1 cup Cornstarch

1 package of Sugar-Free Jello (This post from Little Bins for Little Hands will explain why it needs to be sugar-free jello.)

3/4 of Water Water

Flexible Plastic Cutting Board Mats(They help keep your table clean.)

Directions

Mix the jello powder with the cornstarch. Your children will want to stir the mixture about 30 times.
Then you will add a little bit of water to the mixture. Your children will want to stir until the water has been thoroughly absorbed.
When the mixture has become stiff, they will add a little more water.
Next, children can try to stir or knead the mixture. They can keep adding a little of the remaining water until they the mixture stretches a little.
Remind them to carefully add water, if they add too much they will create a gloppy mess.

Exploring the Slime with 5 Senses

You will need to walk your children through each explore. When they have completed each exploration, they will record their insights on the recording document. You may want to have them wipe off their hands after conduction the explorations that require touching the slime. They may also want to take a sip of water after tasting the slime.

Smell

Children can lift up the container of slime to their nose or bend their nose until it is close the container. Then they will need to take a deep breathe in. They will probably smell the flavor of the jello you used.

Taste

Children can dip a finger into the slime and taste it. Some children will taste the flavor of the jello. Other children may taste the cornstarch.

Sound/Hearing

Children may hear the sound of the slime dripping off their fingers. Other children may hear the slime breaking or pulling away as they lift it out of the container.

See

What your children see when they look at the slime, will depend on the texture of your slime. Have them use a magnifying glass to look at the slime and any air pockets in the slime.

Touch

The texture of your slime will affect what your children feel when they touch it. Our slime was thick and smooth. JDaniel lifted ours up rubbed his fingers in it before describing it.