1 - Kitchen Chemistry: Homemade Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• Ice
• Salt
• Two resealable plastic bags, one small and one large

• Place cream, sugar, and vanilla in the small bag; seal it tightly.
• Half fill the large bag with ice and pour in an ample quantity of salt.
• Put the small bag into the large one and close up the large.
• Very stringently shake each bag for a time period of 5 - 10 minutes, when the mixture should set with the formation of ice creams.

2 - Engineering Challenge: Paper Bridge Building

• Sheets of paper
• Tape
• Books or blocks (to make supports)
• Coins or small weights

• Take two books and set them parallel with space between them for the bridge supports.
• Challenge your child to create a bridge out of only paper and tape that spans across the gap and holds the most amount of weight.
• Now, it's time to test your bridge. You'll place coins or small weights on your bridge until it collapses, noting the maximum amount that was placed on the bridge without collapse. 

• Which designs held the most weight?
• How did folding or rolling the paper affect the strength of the bridge?

3 - Math Fun: Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt

• Make a list of items that your child should look for while in the grocery store.
• Ask them to compare the prices, calculate the total cost, and find out the change from a certain amount.
• Introduce concepts of how to find the better buys, e.g. unit pricing.

4 - Technology Exploration: Coding with Scratch

• Computer with internet access

• Go to the Scratch website.
• Create a free account and explore the beginner tutorials.
• Ask your child to make some animation or a game using drag-and-drop coding blocks.

5 - Science Exploration: Backyard Nature Study

• Take a walk in your backyard or at a nearby park.
• Observe various plants, insects, and animals.
• Describe their habitat, behaviors and roles in the ecosystem.
• Encourage your child to take notes or draw what they see.

Extend the Learning: Ideas to Keep the STEM Journey Alive

DIY STEM Kit:

• With simple materials, such as popsicle sticks, glue, rubber bands, batteries, wires, and straws, it's possible to make a box. Give your child an assignment-to invent something new: a catapult, a simple motor, or even a marble maze.

Explore STEM Apps and Games:

• Introduce courses like SmartPeek Academy for interactive coding lessons and fun math games. These make the concepts of STEM so easy and fun to learn.

Introduction to the Family STEM Challenge:

• Devote one night a week to family activities for which a family is called upon to participate in a challenge related to one of many fields STEM: from spaghetti and marshmallow tall-tower to the design and construction paper airplane that can fly straight.

Visit STEM-focused Destinations:

• Schedule trips to any science museums, planetariums, or aquariums; these trips are not only hands-on exhibits but are fully engaging in developing curiosity and building up their STEM knowledge.