The 12 Days of STEM(mas)

Greetings and happy holidays! A few years ago, I kicked off the holiday season by dreaming up a series of STEM themed projects for my kids (then 6 and 2 respectively) to complete during their extended winter break (in amongst device time and sibling spats I’m sure.) I recently ran across the list, and it brought me back to a simpler time when dinner requests consisted of mac ‘n cheese or chicken nuggets versus salmon, plain rice, and avocado—every night! The nostalgic daydreaming ended when I quickly realized that winter break starts in 20 short days and the challenge remains, “What am I going to do with my kids once we hit December 26th?” The novelty of the holidays has worn off and we still have TWO solid weeks of unstructured time to kill?!

This year, my kids turned 13 and 9 respectively. For the eldest, this break won’t be as challenging—his grandfather inspired him to build his own computer. Yes…you read that correctly. Apparently, this young teen with the attention span of…well…a 13-year-old, is going to have the stick-to-itiveness to build a high-end gaming computer? Only time will tell whether the list of parts he’s asked for will transform into anything meaningful. That still leaves me with my Swifty—other than Eras Tour clips on YouTube, what else could I suggest to keep her occupied and limit time on Roblox? Enter the 12 days of STEM(mas) with the following criteria: it must occupy approximately 60 minutes of time, cost less than $5, and provide them with an alternative to the iPad as a babysitter. Sing it with me, “On the first day of STEM(mas), my parents gave to me….”

• One shiny penny! Well…perhaps they’ll need more than one. Provide your ‘students’ one hundred pennies, a bag of popsicle sticks, and some Elmer’s glue; ask them to construct for you their best rendition of Abraham Lincoln’s log home. Spatial orientation, architectural design, and materials usage all come into play here.

• Two electric eels!  – Try this interesting take on chemistry/chemical reactions; while most appropriate for the younger (K-5) student, you can add depth by asking older siblings to either teach the exercise or generate a hypothesis on what will occur when these items are mixed as described. Enjoy!

• Three bottles freezing! Ok, this one takes more than 60 minutes and does require your youngster to open the freezer from time to time. BUT it’s well worth it to discuss the change of matter between liquid and solid—something that occurs instantly before your eyes! Personally, I’m always amazed by the results and explanation for this one. Hope it gives you some nice dinner conversation! 

• Four fireworks! These come in a jar, don’t require actual fire, and have little chance of resulting in loss of finger or limb. This is an interesting way to discuss everything from the mixing of colors to the various densities of liquids. Even the most skeptical youngster will be tempted to ask how this happens!

• Five iron chefs! When I think back to my childhood and reflect on the holidays, very few memories exist that don’t involve food. What’s better than eating it? How about teaching your kids how to make it and then eat it! While not necessarily traditional holiday fare, teach your kids food science and the art of flavor combinations by allowing them to make their own pizzas! You never know, perhaps yours will become the next Papa John.
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• Six colors shining! Here’s another really cool chemistry experiment to get your student excited about reactions and also let them flex their creative muscles. Using all household items, this is sure to brighten any gloomy winter day.

• Seven kids a bathing! Use this one about halfway through the break—trust me you don’t want to have the ‘stinky’ kid. Creating fizz dough, along with the shapes and structures you can create with fizz dough, really flexes students’ imaginations while giving them permission to be a kid (it can be a bit messy) while getting them clean and letting them watch a science experiment take place before their very eyes.

• Eight fractals fracking! Do you want to build a snowman? Or ride our bikes around the halls?! Sing it with me! Rather than making snow, teach your student the science of baking and make up some peppermint rock candy. Another great for demonstrating phase change.

• Nine geodes geod-ing?  Who like sparkly rocks? The better question - who doesn’t! Show your student how to create their own geode and in the process, teach them about rock formations and geology in general.

• Ten potatoes glowing! Probably the coolest lab of the bunch. Students learn about components of food, how to distill off impurities, and get to play with edible slime!

• Eleven lamps a lava-ing!  I'm guessing the lava lamp you had in college was purchased and not made. Why not teach your student about the density of liquids and give them something (that they made) to hang on the bookshelf.

• Twelve magnets charging! Magnets cool, slime cool… magnetic slime? Seriously?! Teach basic materials phases, the ability to attract metal to magnet, and the ability to magnetize a second set of materials with the primary magnet.  

One bonus idea to meet your kids where they are—let them become the content creators that they want to be. Have your young social media influencer record their experiences with each of these experiments and they can note their observations and outcomes. Then, help them crop the videos and stitch them together. Boom! Here’s a 5-minute digital summary of an epic winter break. Thanks mom! 

Anyhow, I hope these ideas give you some inspiration over the holidays and provide some fun learning experiences to keep your kiddos occupied. 

Thinking about summer? Check out our National Youth Leadership Forum: Pathways to STEM for elementary students and Explore STEM for middle schooler!

Happy STEMMING!

Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an original article by Envision by WorldStrides. We wanted to share a previous blog that might help with post holiday crashes to entertain (and teach) your kids during winter break. Envision team member, Jan, shared his plan for a thrilling and STEM filled winter break for he and his kids. Join in the fun this year!