Family Science | Science Buddies Blog (Page 9)

Center of a Shape Science

August 12, 2016 8:52 AM

In this family STEM activity, students experiment with a simple technique that can help them determine the center of a shape. Grab some paperclips and string to explore! In this week's family science activity, students learn how to find the "middle" or "center" of a two-dimensional shape. It can be easy to locate the center of a symmetrical shape like a circle or a square, but finding the middle of an irregular shape can seem tricky. With a bit of science, kids can pinpoint the center of any… Read more

Color Mixing and Family Physics

August 2, 2016 8:00 AM

Put on a colorful nighttime light show with this family STEM experiment! With inexpensive flashlights and colored cellophane papers, kids can experiment with additive color mixing. The results might surprise you! Mixing Colors From the time they are little, most kids learn about color mixing. In craft and art projects using colorful crayons, markers, and paint, kids are encouraged to explore how primary colors can be combined to make secondary and tertiary colors. In this week's… Read more

Test Your Oven Temperature Using Sugar

July 27, 2016 12:32 PM

In this family STEM activity, students can use ordinary table sugar to test the accuracy of their oven. Does the temperature inside the oven really match the temperature it shows? Find out with a kitchen science experiment! The Melting Point of SugarWhen following a recipe, you are typically given both a temperature for the oven and an amount of time that the food should cook. If you have ever pulled out a tray of brownies, a cake, muffins, or cookies only to find they aren't done when the… Read more

Toothbrush Robots at Home

July 14, 2016 11:00 AM

You won't even need batteries to do this family-friendly robotics activity with your kids. Explore robotics design with a fun low-tech setup! How does the slant of toothbrush bristles affect the way a bristlebot-style robot moves? Simple Robot for Kids Robots are fun for kids of all ages. With a few electronics parts, kids can make and explore simple robots like Bristlebots and Art Bots that skitter around on toothbrush, brush, or even magic marker legs. Projects like these make excellent… Read more

Fourth of July Science

July 1, 2016 11:00 AM

Pair summer celebrations with fun hands-on science ideas! From water bottle rockets to the science behind fireworks and an LED dance party glove, we have suggestions to help light up and launch summer fun! A Spectacular Display of Summer Science! The following project ideas and activities fit right in with summer celebrations, fireworks, parades, nighttime fun, and the thrill of launching things like water bottle rockets: Fun with… Read more

Make Your Own Kazoo

June 30, 2016 8:00 AM

In this family STEM activity, perfect timed for summer parades, kids make kazoos and experiment to find out what gives a kazoo its sound. Kazoo Science With just a few household and craft materials, kids can make their own kazoos and explore the physics behind this classic noisemaker. A kazoo resembles a flute or clarinet, but your kids may be surprised to learn that a kazoo is more closely related to a drum! Following the steps of this week's family… Read more

Mastering Marinade Science

June 29, 2016 8:00 AM

Put common kitchen ingredients to the test to better understand how marinades work. With a bit of science, a family classic could get a flavor-enhancing makeover this summer! (Or, kids might come up with an awesome new family favorite!) Kitchen Science Summer holidays and family get-togethers often go hand in hand with recipes that involve a marinade. Does your family have a favorite BBQ recipe or a marinade used year after year for certain grilled meets or vegetables? Foods cooked… Read more

Simple Machines and Potato Holes

June 23, 2016 9:00 AM

In this family STEM activity, kids are challenged to find the easiest way to drill holes in a raw potato. There is a "simple machine" key to this challenge! Simple Machine Power A raw potato can be pretty firm, and trying to punch or drill holes into it can be more difficult than you might expect. Science, however, holds the key to making it easy! In this week's family-friendly science activity, students experiment with pencils and straws to find the… Read more

Sweet and Sour Tasty Kitchen Science

June 21, 2016 5:00 AM

Family STEM experiment invites sweet and sour taste test fun. What balance of vinegar and sweetener will taste best to your kitchen scientists? Kitchen Mixing Some foods are specifically created to be sour, or even very, very, tongue-wrinkling sour, and others are designed to appeal to our sense of sweet. Many tasty foods even combine ingredients with qualities of sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and savory. Cooks and other food scientists work hard to create amazing and mouthwatering foods… Read more

Spark Creative STEM All Summer Long with Science Buddies Summer Camp

June 15, 2016 10:00 AM

Put science on the summer calendar! Enroll your students in Science Buddies Summer STEM Camp for an engaging robotics and computer programming experience! Camp is open. Campers can come for a week or all summer long, through August 5, 2016. Creative Learning in a Flexible Online Camp Science Buddies' flexible Online Summer Camp provides weekly activities for students, support and encouragement from a team of enthusiastic science experts, additional robotics and computer programming… Read more

Science Buddies Blog (333 results)

Explore Our Science Videos