Thankful for STEM activities

Thanksgiving this year may look different than years past. The pandemic has made gathering in large groups more difficult as we head into the 2020 holiday season. Regardless of these unique circumstances, we all have things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. At STEM Sports®, we are thankful for, yes you guessed it, STEM!

We have compiled a list of 10 fun, engaging Turkey Day themed STEM activities. They can be a great way to improve your child’s STEM literacy this Thanksgiving.

1. Pumpkin Volcano

A fall themed twist on the traditional exploding volcano experiment! This will introduce children to chemistry in a way that is safe to do at home. 

2. Fall Leaves Slime

This simple STEM activity will give your child fun for hours after the experiment is done. This is a fall twist on the classic at-home slime making experience. 

3. Homemade Butter

An easy way to help your children contribute to Thanksgiving dinner! This simple and edible science experiment is the perfect thing to incorporate into your Thanksgiving traditions. 

4. STEM Building Cranberry Structures

Bring out your child’s inner engineer while they build structures using toothpicks and cranberries. This low maintenance project can be done with very little parent guidance and has a quick, easy cleanup. 

5. Turkey Baster Relay

Use a turkey baster to race feathers across the table or floor. This is a disguised way of introducing your child to STEM concepts while having fun!

6. Make Corn Dance

Make corn dance with this fall inspired science experiment. Not only is it visually stimulating but it also teaches children a lesson about chemical reactions.  

7. Cranberry Oobleck

Oobleck is a great example of a Non-newtonian fluid and can be made using only two simple ingredients. This Cranberry Oobleck is great for this Thanksgiving and can be tweaked in December to make it a fun Christmas activity! 

8. Turkey Trap Thanksgiving STEM Activity + Digital for Distance Learning

This activity can be purchased for $3.00 on Teachers Pay Teachers and can be implemented in person or through digital learning platforms. It is suitable for first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade and homeschooled students. It is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and is a great way to implement STEM into the Thanksgiving season!

9. Dissect and Acorn

Elemental Blogging gives step-by-step instructions on how to dissect an acorn that you can find in your backyard or the local park! Dissecting an object is a great way to learn more about it and learn about the science behind it.

10. Apple Stack Engineering

All you need to turn your child into an engineer this Thanksgiving is apples! Task your child with stacking the apples and finding different configurations where they do not fall down. This simple project holds elements of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) that are used in STEM curriculum. 

Incorporating themed science, technology, engineering and math experiments into your child’s education is a great way to keep these topics fun! These Thanksgiving themed activities range in difficulty and supplies needed. Regardless of current skill level, there is always a way to improve your child’s STEM literacy at-home and give them a positive experience with these subjects.  From all of us at STEM Sports®, Happy Thanksgiving! 

If you incorporate any of these activities with your child, tag us on Instagram @stemsportsusa!