Written by Lou Duggan Creative Studio staff, Central Library
Welcome to Full STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Ahead. Our STEAM team from Central Library is keen to bring you the best of kids' activities and new opportunities for discovery.
This blog focuses on all things SCIENCE.
Show us Some Science
Science is the study of the world around us. Through observation and experiment, people have been putting their ideas to the test in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Sciences. We call those people Scientists—and they’re pretty cool. They are not afraid to ask the hard questions, like “Why is the sky blue?,” “How do birds fly?,” “How far away is the sun?,” and countless more.
All scientists have one trait in common: curiosity. We all aim to teach our kids honesty, fairness, and cooperativeness...but we can also teach them to be curious! There are so many possibilities for simple science projects that you can do right at home.
Here are some of our favourite activities you can do at home with your kids to teach them about different areas of science and fuel their curiosity.
1. Chemistry
Magic Milk Experiment
Magic Milk Experiment, opens a new window is a simple science experiment perfect for preschoolers. Use milk, food colouring, and a drop or two of dish soap to show how molecules with different chemical properties interact with each other.
Lovely lava lamp
Make your own homemade lava lamp, opens a new window by combining coloured water and oil, and then drop in an alka seltzer tablet to see your colours swirl in a psychedelic dance.
2. Biology
Plant life
Did you know that plants have “pores” called stomata? Dip a fresh leaf into some hot water to see oxygen come out from the stomata.
Make a microscope
Make your own microscope to examine interesting specimens from the outdoors using a plastic cup, cling wrap, and some water. What do those rocks and leaves and dandelions look like close up?
Bean there, done that
Dissect a bean to see how a big plant can grow from a tiny seed.
3. Physics
Re-marsh-able marsmallow launcher
Use popsicle sticks, marshmallows, and rubber bands to create your own Marshmallow Launcher. You can decorate your sticks to customize your launcher, and test them out by storming a castle made from stacked plastic cups. (Ali from Woodlawn knows from past experience to stay away from carpeted areas for this project!)
Popping popsicle sticks
Make a chain of popsicle sticks explode with kinetic energy simply by arranging them the right way.
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