6 Exciting STEM Activities

Book 2

Book 1 focused on the Science in STEM. With Book 2, we mix things up a bit with more

Engineering activities. Experience amazing chemical reactions in volcano, making your own

rocky candy, slime, lipsticks, building your own tower and catapult. These STEM activities are

fun, exciting and educational.

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 What’s Inside:
Rocky Candy: Make your own rocky candy
and enjoy the taste.

Erupting Volcano: Experience and learn the

magic of volcano eruptions .

Make Fluffy Slime: Learning about states of

matter can be fun with Slime.

Making Lipstick from Crayon: Turn your old

crayons into fun lipstick/lip gloss.

Build a Tower: It's all about towers! Let the

kids build their own towers with different
materials.

Build a Catapult: An awesome STEM

activity for the kids is building their own
catapult.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. You can make According to Steve Spangler, “Research shows that most children have formed an
STEM exciting, fun and educational. Truth be told, learning needs to and should opinion (either positive or negative) about science by the time they reach the age of
be fun. 7.” Parents can help their young learners enjoy science by setting up exciting science
experiments at home. With STEM occupations growing, sparking your child’s
With these fun STEM experiments, your child will be experimenting, building, interest in science may give him a head start for a future career.
observing, exploring, problem-solving, and creating. These experiments will
open their minds, get them thinking and thinking critically. So let the fun beginning with our next round of 6 fun and exciting STEM activities.

Check out https://9ijakids/stem-kits for our STEM resources to keep the children learning and playing.

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The child making use of
all that he finds around
him shapes himself for
the future.
Maria Montessori.
//01 The Rocky Candy Most kids love sweets, so lets start off with a
sweet STEM experiments. The rock candy
requires a bit of patience as it takes a few days.
But with a sweet treat at the end, its worth the
wait.

WHAT YOU NEED

▪ Pot
▪ Spoon to stir
▪ 4 cups granulated sugar
▪ 1 cup water
▪ Lollipop sticks or skewers sticks
▪ Cups
▪ Clothes pins
▪ Food coloring (optional)

THE HYPOTHESIS

Ask the following questions to get them to

predict the results (its always fun to hear their
hypotheses)

▪ What is happening to the sugar as we pour

it into the water?
▪ Do we need to boil the water? What we
happen if we use cold water?
▪ What do you think would happen when the
solution cools?
▪ What can we do to speed up the process of
the rocky candy?

Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

below:

Instructions:
Step 1: Boil 1 cup of water in a pot and stir in 3 cups of sugar till all the sugar is fully dissolved. Let is cool for about 20 minutes

Step 2: While the solution is cooling, dip one end of each stick into the solution and then roll it in a little bit of granular sugar (the
new crystals need an existing crystal to form on, called a seed.). Allow the sticks to fully dry.

Step 3: Pour cooled solution into four cups (about 2/3 full) and add different food colouring into three of the cups. Leave the last
glass clear so you can see the crystallization process.

Step 4: Gently place the coated end of your sticks into the sugar solution and use a clothes pin to secure it at the top of the
jar/glass. Make sure the sticks aren’t touching the bottom or sides of the glass. If it is touching anything, crystals will form between
the two surfaces making it very difficult to remove the lollipop.

Place your cups in a location where they won’t get bumped and let them sit still for several days (usually 3-7days). IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT THE CUPS ARE NOT DISTURBED. Observe your rock candy every day to see how it is changing. When your
crystals are big enough, gently remove the lollipops from the glass. Allow to dry and enjoy your sweet science treat!
 STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

The Science Explained:

As the sugar solution cools it becomes supersaturated, so it starts to changed from a liquid back to a solid. It does this
because the supersaturated solution has too much sugar (solute). This means there are far more dissolved particles of
solute (the sugar) than the solvent (the water) can normally dissolve. It must let go of the extra sugar. The sugar falls out
of the solution as a precipitate (particles). These connect with other sugar particles, and a crystal begins to grow. The sugar
on the stick (seed) will attract the molecules in the solution to the stick and start crystallizing on the stick. Also, as the
water evaporates, it gives us more precipitate (the rock candy).

The slower the super saturated solution cools, the larger the crystals that are formed.
 //02 Erupting Volcano
A fun activity but requires a bit of patience and
waiting. Its an exciting experience for young
children as they watch and learn about the
amazing power of these geological formations.

WHAT YOU NEED

▪ Bottle (small plastic bottle)

▪ Newspaper/coloured paper
▪ PVA glue
▪ Bicarbonate soda – 2 tablespoons
▪ Vinegar – 2 cups
▪ Funnel.
▪ Food colouring

HYPOTHESIS

Science is about prediction, hypothesis,

experimenting and analysis. So you must
always ask questions:

• What combination of vinegar and baking

soda creates the biggest eruption?
• Does the shape of the volcano affect the
direction the eruption travels?
• Does vinegar temperature affect how fast
the volcano erupts?
• What happens if you change the amount
of baking soda or vinegar?
• Can you think of ways to change the
volcano to make the eruption go higher or
last longer?

Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

Instructions: below:

Step 1: Wrap your open bottle, with newspaper. The shape of the bottle is important as the distance from the vinegar to the mouth
of the “volcano” should not be too far.

Step 2: Paint your bottle with your desired colour of paint.

Step 3: Pour bicarbonate soda into the bottle using the funnel, then add colouring (optional).

Step 4: Slowly pour the vinegar into the volcano to watch it erupt. Step back and see your erupting volcano. You can give it a little
shake.

You can get better “lava” by adding drops of washing up liquid to the bottle contents. The detergent helps trap the bubbles produced
by the reaction so you get better lava.
 STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

The Science Explained:

A volcanic eruption occurs when there is a rapid expansion of gas in a specific amount of space.
When you add vinegar to bicarbonate of soda a chemical reaction occurs and there is a build up of
gas (carbon dioxide). The gas formed builds up and fills the bottle, pressure builds up inside the
plastic bottle, until the gas bubbles out of the 'volcano'.
Play is an active form
of learning that unites
the mind, body and
spirit.
-Kip Mc Garth Loganholme
 //03 Make Fluffy Slime Everyone wants to make slime these days and
that’s because it’s just such a cool activity to try.
Learning about states of matter can be fun with
slime. Is slime liquid or solid?

WHAT YOU NEED

▪ 1/2 cup of PVA glue

▪ 3 cups of foaming shaving cream
▪ 1/4-1/2 tsp of baking soda
▪ Food coloring
▪ 1 tbsp of saline solution (which contains
both sodium borate and boric acid as
ingredients)
▪ Bowl, spoon and measuring cups

THE HYPOTHESIS

Slime is a neither a liquid or a solid. It can be

picked up like a solid, but it also will ooze like
a liquid. Slime takes the shape of its
container but it can be bounced like a ball
because of it’s elasticity. Start by asking the
children what they know about solids and
liquids.

▪ How far can we stretch our slime before it

breaks?
▪ What should we change if we want our
slime to be more sticky, less firm or less
runny?
▪ What would happen if we change the
amount of glue or baking soda?

Instructions: Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

below:
Step 1: Pour ½ cup of PVA glue into a container.

Step 2: Pour 3 cups foaming shaving cream into a container.

Step 3: Pour ¼ - ½ tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp of saline solution into a container.

Step 4: Stir with your spoon till it sticky.

You can make different colours of slime by adding colouring.

If the slime starts to get sticky, blend in a little more of the borax and water solution.

If the slime gets onto anyone, vinegar will get the slime out of clothes and mayo (yes, really) will take the slime
out of hair.
 STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

The Science Explained:

Slimy science starts with the right ingredients including the right kind of glue and the right slime activators.
Slime activators are usually from the boron family - saline solution, liquid starch, and borax powder.

Slime is about states of matter liquids and solids, and the way different their molecules are held together.
When slime activators mix with the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue and they form this cool stretchy substance.
The molecules in glue normally with flow past one another keeping the glue in a liquid state. When the slim
activators are added chemical bonds are formed. So, instead of flowing freely, the glue molecules become
tangled and mix until the substance is less like the liquid you started with and thicker and rubberier like
slime!
//04 Making Lipstick from Crayon
Would you like to turn your old crayons into
fun lipstick/lip gloss. This is a fun experiment
that very girl will love. Imagine being able to
make her own lipstick?

WHAT YOU NEED

▪ Crayons (dark and vibrant colours are

better)
▪ Coconut/shea butter oil
▪ Olive oil/jojoba oil
▪ Empty lipstick case or contact lens case
▪ Pot
▪ Small glass bowl
▪ Wooden spoon or chopstick

THE HYPOTHESIS

A lot of materials are made from the same

thing. Crayon is made from paraffin wax
and non-toxic pigments. Wax is a major
component in any lipstick or chapstick. So
lets ask some questions?

▪ What if we swap materials – use shea

butter instead of coconut oil? What will
happen?
▪ Will adding more or less oil change the
lipstick? How?
▪ Will adding other ingredient like such as
lanolin, vitamin E or cocoa butter alters
the lipstick? How?
▪ How can we make our lipstick more
glossy?

Instructions: Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

below:

Step 1: Remove paper from crayon. Cut one crayon into small pieces and add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil and ¼ teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 2: Pour water into pot and bring to boil. Place glass bowl with items into hot water

Step 3:. Stir till fully melted and smooth. Be careful not to spill any water into the mixture.

Step 4: Turn off stove. Pour hot mixture carefully into lipstick case or contact lens case. Put in fridge to cool for 15-20 mins

Repeat the process with different colour crayons. Instead of step 2 and 3, you can put items in the microwave to melt
 STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

The Science Explained:

Crayon is made from wax and wax is a major component of any lipstick/balm. Wax is a solid material that on contact
and friction can transfer to another object. So when wax is melted, it becomes liquid. You can enhance its properties
with other oils – like coconut oil and olive oil. When hot wax cools, it contracts and becomes solid again.

Different materials have different properties so if you can replace shea butter with cocoa butter, the lipstick will be
slightly more firm. And if you replace jojoba oil with castor/olive oil, it will be more glossier lipstick. Adding lanolin
improves the feel and color distribution.
I hear I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand.
-Dr Qian Kan
 //05 Build a Tower It's all about towers! Let the kids use provided
supplies to build the tallest, most creative, free-
standing tower they can. This project is a lot of fun
promoting critical thinking, creativity, teamwork,
problem solving and introducing basis engineering
principles.

So tell me, how tall of a tower can you build?

WHAT YOU NEED

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

▪ Play dough ▪ Straws ▪ Balloons
▪ Toothpick ▪ Sticky tape ▪ Masking tape

THE HYPOTHESIS

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai holds the

current title as the world’s tallest building
at over 800 meters tall. Is there anything
we can learn from this as we build our
tower?

▪ What base would your tower have?

▪ Why did you select the materials you
did for your tower?
▪ What would you do differently with your
tower design next time?
▪ What were the challenges you faced
as you built your tower?
▪ What challenges might there be in
creating a building so tall?

Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

below:

Instructions:
The tower challenge can be done using any of the material options provided. The instructions are simple – design the tallest free
standing tower using the materials provided. Give each child the same supply e.g 10 toothpicks and 1 play dough or 10 sheets of
newspaper and 18 inch of tape.

▪ No additional supplies should be given.

▪ Time given to design and construct the tower is 20 minutes.
▪ The tower must be free standing (without aid from the students).
▪ An item must be placed at the top of the tower to test for strength.

At the end of the allotted time, have the kids measure the constructed towers to determine which tower is the tallest!

May it even more interesting by trying to balance an item on each of the tower made
Option 1 Option 2

Option 3 Option 4
 An awesome STEM activity for the kids is
//06 Build a Catapult building their own catapult – angry bird in
action. Its fun to see things fly, throw the air
and reach their destination/ target. You can
build a catapult from different items but lets
start with something easy – popsicle (ice cream)
sticks.

WHAT YOU NEED

▪ 10 popsicle sticks
▪ Rubber bands
▪ Cotton wool/
▪ Plastic spoon/bottle cap
▪ Measuring tape (optional)

THE HYPOTHESIS

How far will our items fly with our catapult.

Can we aim accurately and reach the
target?

▪ What will happen if we use more or less

sticks to build our catapult?
▪ What happens if your catapult end is
shorter?
▪ What happens if you make the arm of the
catapult really, really long?
▪ Which item would fly the furthest?
▪ Why do you think one will fly farther than
the other?
▪ How far can you get a ball to travel?
▪ What happens if you make the ball
heavier?

Instructions: Let the fun begin. Follow the instructions

below:

Step 1: Stack eight (8) sticks one on top of the other. Wind a rubber band tightly around each end of the stack.

Step 2: Push one of the remaining sticks through the stack under the top stick of the stack. Then flip the stick catapult over so that
the stick you just pushed in is on the bottom of the stack.

Step 3: Lay the second notched stick on top of the stack and secure the two popsicle sticks together with a rubber band.

Step 4: Glue the bottle top on the top stick or if you are using a spoon use rubber band to secure the spoon in place.

You catapult is ready. Put different items on your catapult and measure how far they go. You can use a measuring tape to measure
distance. Launch each material at least twice.
 STEP 1 STEP 2

STEP 3 STEP 4

The Science Explained:

When you pull down the lever arm, that force is energy (potential energy) which is stored up. When you release it, the potential energy
gradually changes over to kinetic energy which is what makes the object move/fly in the air. The object stops moving when it runs out of
kinetic energy. Also, gravity plays a part in pulling the object back to the ground. The more you push down on the stick (lever), the more
energy is stored (potential energy) and the more energy you will have to launch the material. The more force you apply to a catapult, the
more force is applied to the object being launched – the faster and farther the object will go.

The trajectory is the path that the object takes as it flies through the air. This is influenced by the push force of the catapult,
the angle of the release, the weight of the object, air resistance and gravity.
 Lets Take A Flight Into the World of
Creativity and Fun Learning
Encourage your child’s curiosity and real love for learning through fun STEM activities. Let the kids question, explore
and play with this fun activities and many other STEM resources from 9ijakids. Watch out for rocky candy, erupting
volcanoes and lots more in our next series.

Don’t let the fun end, check out https://9ijakids.com/stem-kits/ for our STEM resources to build your own metal
robot, crystal radio or make your own lipstick and perfume. The fun doesn’t have to end.

EQUIPPING CHILDREN WITH THE SKILLS TO SOLVE TOMORROW’S PRESSING PROBLEMS