Collaborative experiments and activities are sure to bring joy to your household and can be used for some crafty gift ideas if you’re pondering what to get family and friends. Here are three STEM activities you can do yourself at home:

Materials:

• Construction paper (any type, multiple colors)
• 3V coin cell batteries
• Aluminum foil
• LEDs (any type of LEDs work)
• Clear tape
• Glue stick
• Permanent marker (black and one other color)
  

• batteries
• Aluminum foil
• LEDs (any type of LEDs work)
• Clear tape
• Glue stick
• Permanent marker (black and one other color)

Steps:
 

1. Create paper shapes and plan out where you want your LEDs.
2. Mark out where you want your circuit using permanent markers on the aluminum foil. Maintain a one-millimeter gap between foil paths. Cut out some aluminum foil and create a path from the battery using two strips – one strip connects the battery to the LED, the other connects the LED to the battery completing the loop. If you want to use multiple LEDs, use a parallel configuration – do not use a series configuration because the battery likely isn’t powerful enough.
3. Use the tape to attach the foil onto the back of the card. Attach the battery – it should sit on only one side of the foil. Attach the LED filling the first gap.
4. Cut a flap of foil and connect it to the second gap: the end of the second strip and the battery. This flap completes the circuit.
   

Materials:

• Cranberries
• Seeds
• Molds for freezing water
• Trimmings from Christmas trees
• Cinnamon sticks
• Star anise, cloves, other spices.
• Ribbon or string
• Thermometer

 
 
Steps:

1. Fill molds with water. Soap molds, holiday silicone molds, or simply ice trays can all be used. 
2. Place a loop of ribbon or string into the water. The longer & deeper the string is submerged, the longer the ornament will stay hung.
3. Add whatever decorations you want to the water. Use kitchen items, craft items, or anything that will freeze and be safe outdoors. Embrace the chaos, as there’s no way to keep a design in place in the water.
4. Depending on your location, either put the molds in the freezer to freeze or leave them outside overnight.
5. Hang the ornaments in outdoor trees, bushes, railings, etc.
   

Materials:

• Gumdrops
• Mini marshmallows
• Toothpicks
• An assortment of toys (different sizes & weights)

Steps:
 

1. Stick toothpicks into the gumdrops and mini marshmallows to form supports.
2. Make a square and a triangle. Try to squish both shapes. Does one squish more easily than the other? Use both gumdrops and marshmallows and see if one works better than the other.
3. Next make a cube and a pyramid. Try to squish both shapes. Does one squish more easily than the other? Are results like the first squish experiment?
4. Try building larger structures using a combination of both cubes and pyramids. Which structures are more stable? What are some other shapes you can make?
5. What’s the tallest structure that you can make? Can you make a bridge to get the toys from one structure to another?

Want to give the gift of a STEM kit this holiday season? A STEM kit can offer you these types of activities and so much more! Look no further – a solar4STEM electricity kit contains the type of exciting, hands-on electricity experiments your gift-recipients will love! With a wide array of products from electricity kits to solar panel units, solar4STEM has STEM products for all ages!

Sources
[1] https://www.kiwico.com/diy/Holidays-and-Events/2/project/Holiday-Card-Circuits-/2713
[2] https://www.kiwico.com/blog/2019/12/02/holiday-science-experiments-and-activities/
[3] https://www.kiwico.com/blog/2019/12/02/holiday-science-experiments-and-activities/

As the holidays quickly approach, the search for the perfect gift is in full swing. Why not give a gift that will last a lifetime? A STEM kit or toy can inspire growth and discovery for years to come. Here’s a list of five STEM items that would make perfect gifts this holiday season!

LEGO’s have been an innovator’s staple for decades. These seemingly small bricks can be arranged many ways to create incredible designs! The best part about the LEGO creative brick box is the ingenuity it leaves up to the user. Each design is unique! A simple yellow box will offer hours of enjoyment either by yourself or with friends and family. With 790 pieces and a creator’s manual to jumpstart some ideas, this kit is good for ages 4 and up.

The LEGO Klutz chain reaction pack is an excellent way to bring the basics of engineering into your Lego experience. With an 80+ page booklet, this science and building kit encourages your gift recipient to tap into the world of physics by bringing motion to otherwise still-sitting LEGO pieces. If you know someone who loves working with LEGO pieces, this kit is sure to bring a lot of holiday cheer.

Note: This kit is best combined with existing LEGO sets, as it does require a lot of LEGO parts not included in this kit.

The ELEGOO Arduino sets are notoriously some of the best electrical engineering sets out there. Ready to go circuit boards that are easy for kids to get a hang of, in addition to programming that brings a new level of pizazz to all your projects, make these kits truly astounding. In a world dominated by electronics, an Arduino UNO super starter kit is a great way to dive in and offers plenty of room to grow!

Robotics is a rapidly evolving field; VEX robot kits are a perfect way to get acquainted with the way robots work and the creative process behind them. The VEX IQ super kit offers a programmable brain, motors, gears, bands, building blocks, sensors, and so much more, to entertain a group of 2-4. With a designed curriculum framework, VEX has made it simple to integrate these kits into your class agenda.

solar4STEM’s electricity kit is a fun and engaging circuit kit teaching electricity, magnetism, and physics! This all in one kit can be used in classroom and engineering lab, homeschooling, or for family fun.  The kit presents an easy way to include basic learning while fostering creativity through hands-on experiences. With a manual of over 30+ experiments and activities and YouTube videos to guide you, this gift is ready to go from the moment you open the box. This kit is designed for kids, parents, and educators as well.   This gift will educate and entertain for this Christmas and years to come!