Explore the Wet Sand Effect – STEM activity

Summer is the perfect time to take a stroll at the beach and walk barefoot along the shoreline. While doing that, have you ever looked at your footprints in the wet sand? If so, you might have noticed that with every step it looks like the sand around your feet dries out. Why is that? These dry footprints are caused by the pressure of your feet. You will find out exactly how this happens by doing this beachy activity! Read more

Did you ever notice the cool patterns around your footprints when you take a walk in the wet sand at the beach? The pressure of your feet has effects far outside your footprints. Here's a project that uses a simple experimental apparatus to investigate how the volume of wet sand changes under pressure. Read more

Join Science Buddies this summer for virtual summer camp! Each week, we'll have a fun STEM theme for kids of all ages, suggestions for simple hands-on activities, book picks, and more. With our Summer of STEM, we'll keep you and your kids inspired all summer with creative and innovative science and engineering activities — for free. This week: 15 interesting and exciting explorations in the category of "strange but true" science. Strange but True… Read more

Combine fun in the sand with hands-on science experiments and activities to learn more about beaches, sand, and preventing ocean pollution. STEM Experiments to Learn More About Beaches and Sand Heading to a local beach can be lots of fun. Whether you enjoy walking on the firm sand by the water's edge or playing in softer sand, beaches have plenty of sand to go around. But where does sand come from? What happens to sand when the tides move in and out?… Read more