Our learning resource website holds lots of exciting resources related to science, technology, engineering and math’s (STEM). They are suitable for a variety of ages and can be used in all different settings such as schools, home, the community and even out and about.
The Science Museum Group Academy and Resources team have been working together to create this exciting list of wintery STEM resources to warm your STEM hearts this festive season…
Bottle Top Shapes
Bottle top shapes is a fun activity that lets you get creative with your math’s skills. By simply painting different white lines or squiggles onto bottle tops, you can connect the bottle tops together in an infinite number of ways to make any shape or creation you like!
You can challenge yourself to make a shape with as many sides as possible or use all of your bottle tops to make the biggest shape you can. To add a wintry spin, why not see if you can make a snowflake out of your bottle tops? Or even a snowman?
This is a great activity for the under 7s, that is easy to setup, and I think it’s a great way to engage with shapes and math’s in a playful way!
Mady, Academy Programme Leader (Early Years)
Graphite Circuits
Graphite circuits is a great hands-on activity all about electricity! This activity looks at using graphite in pencils lead as a conductor of electricity. In this hands-on activity students draw on paper any shape they’d like (as long as it’s one continuous line) and then connect a battery to the circuit using some leads. If done correctly anywhere on the circuit will light up the LED.
You can challenge each other by seeing who can draw the most interesting shape and still light up the LED. With the wintery season upon us why not try out designs of snowmen, snowflakes and stars and see which one lights up the LED the most!
Rachel, Academy and Resources Developer
Blow-up balloon and instant ice cream
Blow-up Balloon is a great activity for showing the gas that is produced in a chemical reaction. Using baking soda and vinegar mixed in a bottle how many balloons can you blow up? You can explore how quickly the balloons inflate by varying the amounts of vinegar and baking soda or changing the size of the bottle.
Another great chemistry activity for the holidays is Instant Ice cream. You can make your own ice-cream treat in a plastic bag with milk, ice cubes and salt. Can you make the ice cream freeze faster by adding more ice? Do different flavours freeze quicker or slower? Don’t forget the sprinkles!
Both activities are suitable for 7–14-year-olds
What better way to prepare for a holiday party than with decorations, sweet treats and chemistry!
Helen, aCADEMY pROGRAMME cOORDINATOR
gREAT OBJECT HUNT: OUT AND ABOUT
If you are looking for a way to spark a discussion about the science and technology that is all around us, try our Great Object Hunt: Out and about! It can be done absolutely anywhere, at home or school in the warm, or when going out for a wintry walk. This object hunt covers a range of topics from light and colour to materials and measurement that can be used to ignite curiosity and creativity when talking about the world around us.
aLICE, aCADEMY AND RESOURCES DEVELOPER (eARLY YEARS)
eGG DROP TRICK
Look no further than the Egg-Drop Trick for a great activity. Add some glitter and sparkles to turn the egg-drop trick into the bauble-drop trick. Other variations could include snowmen, reindeer or snowflakes. A perfect activity to try at home!
aNDY, ACADEMY PROGRAMME LEADER
pINBALL POWER
Are you unsure of what to do with leftover boxes this holiday season? Make sure to hold onto them and you can use this resource to build a pinball machine! Building and playing with the pinball machine is a great opportunity to explore the science of forces and motion.
For me, time off over the holidays is a great opportunity to play games and you can use this activity to kickstart a friendly competition and see who is a pinball wizard. Feel free to use any leftover wrapping to decorate and give it a personal touch.
jESS, ACADEMY PROGRAMME LEADER
mAGNEtIC MAZE
There’s so much fun to be had with the Magnetic Maze activity over the festive holidays. In this game, a coin is guided through a maze drawn on the side of a plastic bottle using a magnet. Your maze drawing could be straight, dotted or wiggling lines leading to the snowman’s home and decorated with snowballs and gingerbread figures. Plus, if you’re highly competitive, you can see who can complete the maze the fastest.
rEBECCA, lEARNING rESOURCES PRODUCER
So, these are a few of our favorite wintery resources for you to try at home this winter season. How would you make our resources wintery? Let us know your ideas in the comments below.