Activities | Science Buddies Blog (Page 16)

Building Paper Bridges: Family Science Spotlight

June 11, 2015 11:00 AM

Build bridges from paper to explore civil engineering in this family STEM activity. Does the shape of the materials make a difference? What helps make a bridge strong? In this family science activity, explore bridge engineering with kids by making paper bridges that stretch between stacks of books. How does changing the shape of the materials (the paper) change the strength of the bridge? This is a fun and creative science activity you can do with… Read more

Throwing Balls and Trajectory: Weekly Family Science Activity

June 1, 2015 7:00 AM

In this week's spotlight: a physics-focused family sports science activity that may make a difference in your next game of catch! At what angle should you throw a ball if you want it to go as far as possible? This week's sports science activity helps students observe and quantify the relationship between launch angle and distance by getting outside, throwing balls with different trajectories, and seeing how far they go. What happens when you throw a ball very high, very straight, or with… Read more

Sweet Like Sugar? Weekly Science Activity Spotlight

May 22, 2015 9:00 AM

How do sugar-free substitutes compare to sugar in terms of sweetness? Whether you make something sugar-free to cut calories or carbohydrates or for medical reasons, there are a wide range of sugar alternatives available. But how do these substances compare in terms of taste? In this food science family activity, you can investigate levels of sweetness by making your own homemade lemonade with sugar and with a sugar alternative. (The full project idea doesn't involve making… Read more

Bend or Break? Candy Science

May 7, 2015 10:00 AM

What happens when you bend your favorite candy in half? Does it break? Does it bend? Does it snap back into shape? In this week's materials science-themed family science activity, students put candy to a "bend it" test to explore how some materials are more flexible than others. While it may be obvious that some candy bars will break (or snap in half) when bent while other more "gummy" candies bend, changing the temperature of the candies gives this experiment an extra… Read more

Paper Maze Programming: Start to Finish Computer Logic

April 23, 2015 11:00 AM

Explore the logic of computer coding — no computer required! Have you ever asked your student to give you directions, turn by turn, to get you home from a familiar landmark? It can be eye opening to hear how they might guide you, and you may or may not make it where you need to go! But the process of giving directions helps reiterate the steps involved in moving along a frequent path. Writing a computer program is similar in many ways. You need… Read more

Creative Paper Circuits with Copper Tape

April 15, 2015 9:00 AM

With paper, markers, LEDs, and copper tape, kids can get a hands-on introduction to electronics and circuits and turn their own drawings and creative projects into ones that light up! The intersection between art and science is one that holds particular interest for me, and I very much appreciate when my kids have the opportunity to do projects that support their creativity as well as let them get hands-on with science, technology, engineering, and… Read more

Stretchy Rubber Band Science: Weekly Science Activity

April 9, 2015 11:45 AM

What happens to a rubber band's elasticity when the temperature changes? What happens when you heat up or cool down a bunch of molecules? Any exceptions? In this weekly mechanical engineering-themed family science activity, students experiment to find out how rubber bands respond to heating and cooling. Because rubber bands are made of polymer chains, the results may be surprising because a heated rubber band may do the opposite of what you expect! Get… Read more

What Shape is a Hard-boiled Egg?

April 2, 2015 10:00 AM

Hard-boiling and dyeing eggs is a Spring tradition in many households. This year, give your hard-boiled eggs a twist and turn ordinary ovoid hard-boiled eggs into fun shapes! The trick to the transformation is understanding the science behind the process of hard-boiling. Raw eggs are oval in shape. Hard-boiled eggs are made from raw eggs. Therefore hard-boiled eggs must be oval in shape, right? Your basic logic primer might suggest this syllogism is… Read more

Bubbly Soda Science: Weekly Science Activity

March 31, 2015 1:00 PM

Making your own carbonated beverage can be a lot of fun. How much fizz do you like? What flavor? How sweet? The process of carbonating water and serving up a custom beverage is easier than ever before thanks to commonly available household devices like Sodastream®. But a pressurized approach to creating a carbonated beverage is not the only way to prepare a refreshing soda-style drink. With a few simple ingredients, students can experiment with mixing up their own… Read more

Sliding and Friction: Weekly Science Activity

February 26, 2015 11:18 AM

In this week's spotlight: a fun physics activity that turns exploring the relationship between friction and sliding into a cool hands-on exercise. With a rubber band and a stack of coins, families can slingshot the coins on various surfaces to see how the surface affects how the coins slide. This science activity may feel like a game, but there is great science to be observed, so grab a rubber band, make a finger-based slingshot, and let the coins slide! Effect of Friction on… Read more

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