STEAM Activities

Marshmallow STEM Activities

September 3, 2019 By Terri Thompson

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a stale bag of marshmallows in your cupboard.

It’s wasteful to just throw them away, but nobody wants to eat them. So, what can you do?

Try some STEM projects, of course! Here are 12 fun marshmallow STEM activities that will use up all of those stale marshmallows.

Build, learn, and explore with these fun marshmallow STEM activities for kids.

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STEM Activities with Marshmallows

Grab that bag of stale marshmallows and a few addition supplies. Pick out one of these fun marshmallow STEM activities, and get started learning with your kids. These activities are all fun and easy to do. And, you probably already have all the supplies you need.

Marshmallow STEM Activities

Build, create, and learn with these fun STEM activities with marshmallows.

Marshmallow Engineering STEAM Building Challenge

Use toothpicks and marshmallows to create some fun STEM building challenges.

Giant Marshmallows and Glow Stick Structures

Photo Credit: www.3princessesand1dude.co.uk

Take your marshmallow building up a notch by using glow sticks and giant marshmallows!

Easter Bunny Launcher: A Peeps STEM Experiment

Photo Credit: team-cartwright.com

Build a fun launcher for you Peeps! And, don't worry, you don't have to wait until Easter to build this. You can find Peeps for any holiday, or just use large marshmallows in your launcher.

Easy Marshmallow Catapult Activity

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Build a catapult with your marshmallows to launch even more marshmallows. So much fun!

How To Make Edible Marshmallow Slime Recipe (Strawberry)

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Use your marshmallows as the main ingredient in this edible slime recipe.

Building Shapes with Marshmallows and Toothpicks

Photo Credit: homeschoolpreschool.net

Combine math and engineering to build 2-D and 3-D shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows.

Marshmallow Shooter Kids Activity

Photo Credit: www.123homeschool4me.com

Build a shooter for your mini marshmallows.

Marshmallow Science Experiment-Color Change

Photo Credit: www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

What happens when marshmallows dissolve? Find out with this fun marshmallow science experiment.

Marshmallow Science Experiment

Photo Credit: www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Use different liquids to see if it makes a difference in how marshmallows dissolve.

Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Science

Photo Credit: www.adabofgluewilldo.com

Does the temperature of hot chocolate affect that rate at which a marshmallow dissolves. Find out with this fun experiment.

PEEPS Parachute STEM Challenge

Photo Credit: thepreschooltoolboxblog.com

Create parachutes for your Peeps (or jumbo marshmallows) and experiment with gravity.

Marshmallow Star Constellations for Kids

Photo Credit: www.kcedventures.com

Use your marshmallows and toothpicks to build and learn about star constellations.

Fun Marshmallow STEM Activities for Kids

More STEM Activities for Kids

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment

Balloon STEM Activities for Kids

Spinning Tops Color Mixing STEM Activity

Winter STEM Projects for Kids

Get STEM Projects Through the Mail

Every month, we get a fun STEM box through the mail. Our Green Kid Crafts boxes that we get every month have been so much fun. We’ve explored bubbles, the human body, slime, and more fun stuff.

Each box comes with 3-4 fun STEM activities based around a certain theme. You can do like we do and subscribe to a monthly box. You can also buy single boxes based on specific themes.

Check out all the Green Kid Crafts boxes here.

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

May 22, 2019 By Terri Thompson

Will crayons melt in the sun? If so, how long will it take?

We set out to find the answer to that question one day with a melting crayon science experiment.

It took a bit of patience and some problem solving. But, in the end, our science brains found an answer.

Will crayons melt in the sun? Find the answer to this question with a fun melting crayon science experiment. It's a perfect summer science project.

Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment

Broken bits of crayons
Muffin tin or mold (silicon ones work best)
My Science Experiment page
A sunny day

If you don’t want to use a muffin tin, you can also use an ice cube tray or even several small disposable bathroom cups.

First, ask a few questions

We began our melting crayon science experiment by gathering supplies and asking a few questions.

The experiment itself was fun, but I wanted to challenge my girls to think like scientists during our experiment.

I created our My Science Experiment page to help us record our observations.

If you want to do this experiment too, please download and print your own science experiment page at this link.

We asked our question, do crayons melt in the sun?

We then made our predictions. The girls thought they would melt.

We also talked a bit about the things that would help the crayons melt. We determined that we needed to put our crayons out in the bright sunlight.

Set up your melting crayon science activity

We found all of our broken bits of crayons and put them in a silicon muffin tin. I found the silicon works the best, because it is easy to pop the crayons out of later.

Once we had our muffin cups filled, we took it all outside and found one of the sunniest spots in our yard.

We left the crayons bits outside for about two hours before we checked on them for the first time.

The main reason we waited that long was because while it was sunny, the temperature was only around 80 degrees F.

The crayons would melt, but slowly.

If you’re doing this on a hotter day, check it sooner! I’d recommend checking after the first 30 minutes and then every 30 minutes after.

We had some melting after 2 hours, then started checking every hour.

We recorded each of our observations on our science experiment recording sheet.

After several hours, we had partially melted crayons and we wanted to try to speed up the process.

We did some brainstorming and decided to put our crayons in our car which was sitting in the sun.

The hot car did the trick and our crayons finished melting. Make sure you have an adult and oven mitts to remove your muffin tin from the car. It’s as hot as an oven!

Our conclusion

We took our melted crayons inside and let them cool.

In the meantime, we wrote our conclusion. Yes, crayons did melt in the sun. The higher the temperature, the quicker they will melt.

After the crayons cooled and hardened, we popped them out of the muffin tray and tried them out. Our melting crayons science activity was a success!

Yield: 1 experiment

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

Can you melt crayons in the sun? Find out with this fun melting crayon science experiment that explores heat, the sun, and changing states of matter.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost Under $5 (depending on the supplies you already have on hand)

Materials

Tools

My Science Experiment recording sheet

Instructions

Print out your recording sheet and make your prediction. Will crayons melt in the sun? How long do you think it will take?
Peel all the paper off your broken crayons. Break them into smaller pieces if needed to fit in your mini muffin pan.
Add 5 to 6 pieces of crayon into each cup. Mix the colors up or keep similar colors together.
Bring the crayons outside on a hot, sunny day. Make sure to set them someplace where they will get a lot of sunshine.
Check back after 30 minutes. Have they started to melt? Record your observations.
Keep checking every half hour. Record your observations each time.
Once your crayons have fully melted, record your time. How long did it take?
Bring your crayons to a cooler place to cool and harden again. Once you pop them out of the muffin cups, you'll have some fun new muffin tin crayons!

Notes

If you don't have a mini muffin tray, you could also use an ice cube tray or even small bathroom cups to hold your crayons.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

My favorite resource for science at home

Have you ever tried Green Kid Craft kids? We’ve got a yearly subscription and absolutely love it. Each month we get a box with everything we need for 3-4 themed STEM projects (plus a booklet with even more projects you can). Our last shipment was full of chemistry projects!

Green Kid Crafts is a great way to have science projects ready to go. You can get a subscription like we have or buy single boxes.

Get a subscription here.

Find other themed boxes here.

You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.

Free Addition Facts Game from Live Over C’s

Number Ordering Activity from Sallie Borrink Learning

Interest Based Learning Project from Still Playing School

Free Back to School Noun Practice from Look! We’re Learning!

What I Love About School Art Project from Planet Smarty Pants

All About Me Flag Project from School Time Snippets

Getting to Know You Back to School Game from Preschool Powol Packets

Free All About Me Worksheets (LEGO Style) at 124 Homeschool 4 Me

Me Llamo – Simple Spanish Game from Rainy Day Mum

Setting Up a Homework Station at Crafty Kids at Home

Get more STEM projects delivered to your inbox

Wouldn’t it be so much fun to get STEAM family activities delivered to your inbox? I think so! That’s why I’ve created this fun series, STEAM Family Fun, to be delivered to your inbox. After going through all the letters in STEAM each week with a fun activity devoted to each, you’ll start receiving a fun STEAM activity once a month. (And I’ll also pop up in your inbox occasionally if I’ve got other fun things to share.)

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

5 Fun Ways to Learn With a Daily Weather Report

April 1, 2019 By Terri Thompson

I don’t know about you, but I check the weather app on my phone every single day. Sometimes, I’ll check multiple times.

But, do you ever share this habit with your kids? You should. It’s a great way to learn.

There’s more you can do than just simply checking in the weather. Check out these fun ways to learn with a daily weather report.

This simple STEM activity is fun and requires absolutely no prep time!

Get out your phone for this simple weather report activity. You can learn so much with a daily weather report. Here are a few ideas to try.

Five Ways to Learn with a Daily Weather Report

Compare temperatures

Use your math skills to discover the difference in temperatures. Find the difference between a day’s high temperature and its low temperature.

For example: Today’s high is 88 degrees and the low is 59 degrees. I use subtraction to find the difference. There will be a 29 degree difference today!

You could compare temperatures over the week. Record the temperature at the same time everyday. For example: What was the temperature at 3:00 pm every day? Find the temperature difference over the week. Find the difference between the week’s highest temperature and the lowest temperature. Or, simply find the difference between Monday’s 3:00 pm temperature and Tuesday’s 3:00 pm difference.

Learn to read a radar

Nowadays, we carry a weather report around in our pocket and can access it anytime. Because of that, I consider it a life skill to be able to click on the radar and know what it is telling you.

Do you know what all the colors mean? Do you know how to make the radar move and understand what it tells you?

Share this information with your kids and teach them how to understand what you’re seeing on the radar.

Note: You will want to pick a rainy or snowy day for this. There’s not much to see on the radar on a clear day!

Learn about predictions

Weather forecasting is all about making predictions. But, these predictions are pulled out of thin air, they’re based on a lot of information like weather patterns, radars, climate, and more.

You can learn more with one of these informative books:

Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons

Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons

What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt

Or, you can try this activity to learn more about weather prediction. Record the weather first thing in the morning. At the end of the day, go back to this prediction. Was the weather forecast correct? What changed?

Next look at the extended forecast and find the prediction for three days from now and five days from now. Was the forecast correct? What changed? Can you come up with some reasons why?

Use the weather report to plan the week

How does the weather report help you plan for the day or for the week? It can tell you whether you need to wear a winter coat or a light jacket. Or whether or not you need to grab an umbrella.

Are you planning a trip to the pool? Sit down with your kids and the extended forecast and have them help you pick the best day to go.

Look at the weather report before picking out your clothes for the next day. How did the weather report help you plan?

Other weather report activities

What else can you learn with a daily weather report?

You can find all sorts of information: rain totals, wind speed, air pressure, pollen count, etc.

You can look up cities around the world and see how it is different from what where you live.

Can you come up with some more ways to learn with a daily weather report?

Get ready to learn with these fun daily weather for kids activities. Learn to read a radar, use the weather forecast, and more.

Learn More With a Book About the Weather

Combine this weather activity with a fun book to learn even more. Here are some great weather books that I’d recommend:

Do want more STEM activities?

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

Balloon STEM Activities for Kids

March 22, 2019 By Terri Thompson

STEM activities don’t have to be complicated. In fact, all of these fun ideas use simple supplies and have one thing in common – balloons!

So, swing by the party supplies and pick of up a pack of balloons so you can get started on these fun balloon STEM activities.

Have fun learning with the simple Balloon STEM Activities. Your kids will learn so much and have a lot of fun while they're at it.

Fun Balloon STEM Activities

The ideas below are great for learning after school and on the weekend. And, any of them would make a fun family activity.

Are you ready to have some fun?

Check out all these awesome activities, choose your favorite, gather some supplies, and get started learning.

Balloon STEM Activities

Fun STEM activities that you can do with balloons!

Grow the Grinch's Heart Science Experiment

Use a chemical reaction to blow up your balloon! Hint: You can do this any time of the year, just change the design on your balloon.

Balloons over Broadway: Book and Craft

Make your own parade balloon with this fun STEM project.

Cool Balloon Experiments

Photo Credit: www.teach-me-mommy.com

Try one (or all) of these 3 fun experiments.

Cupid’s Arrow Balloon Physics Challenge – STEM Activity

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Get out the balloons for a fun physics challenge that's not just for Valentine's Day!

Confetti Cannon STEM Challenge – 2 Design Challenges For Young Engineers

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Use balloons to make a fun confetti cannon!

H is for Hovercraft

Photo Credit: inspirationlaboratories.com

Use a balloon to power a hovercraft.

LEGO Balloon Car DIY Lego Building Kit

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Use balloons to power a LEGO car with this fun idea.

Balloon Air Pressure Experiments for Kids

Photo Credit: www.darcyandbrian.com

Learn about air pressure with this simple balloon experiment.

Magic Light Bulb Balloon Science Experiment

Photo Credit: happybrownhouse.com

Try the magic light bulb experiment.

Balloon Rocket STEM Activity

Photo Credit: happybrownhouse.com

Make a simple balloon rocket.

Make a balloon powered sponge boat

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Use a balloon to power a simple sponge boat.

How To Make a Solar System Model

Photo Credit: creeksidelearning.com

Use balloons to make a model of the solar system.

Which one of these fun ideas are you going to try first?

If you’ve got a whole pack of balloons, I bet you’d have enough for all the projects!

More Simple STEM Activities You’ll Love

Color STEM Activities

Hockey Science Experiment

Phases of the Moon Mobile

Melting Crayons Science Activity

My Must-Have STEM Resource

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have time to prep a fun science project. That’s why I love Green Kid Crafts Discovery boxes. The boxes are packed full of projects that are fun and inviting. You can choose to get a subscription or a one-off box based off of a specific theme. Any one you choose would be a lot of fun!

Try the Kitchen Science Box
The Green Energy Box
Or try a monthly subscription.

Do more activities with your kids!

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.