Looking for a way to keep your kids stimulated and challenged? As school closures continue due to the coronavirus pandemic, many find themselves in the unique position of having to be both parent and educator. While it can be difficult to come up with activities to keep kids engaged, Dyson is jumping in to help. The innovative company has 44 STEM projects guaranteed to entertain and educate.
The projects were published through the James Dyson Foundation, which helps get young people excited about engineering. They're broken up into challenge cards and divided into two categories—engineering and science. From creating a balloon-powered car and a spaghetti bridge to measuring the speed of light using a chocolate bar, there are tons of interesting STEM activities for kids ages 7 and up.
And thankfully, there are no fancy materials required. The projects can be completed using common household items and many are so simple that kids could do them on their own—though a family balloon-car race sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Each card has a list of materials, a brief about the project, as well as simple instructions and information on how the project works. Dyson's challenge cards are available to download for free and are the perfect way to peel kids away from the computer screen for some hands-on learning. Several of the projects also have YouTube videos that accompany them, which is a great way to get a visual on some of the more detailed activities.
So what can you learn? You could push a wooden skewer through a balloon to learn about surface tension or make invisible ink out of lemon juice to learn about oxidation. Or, if engineering is of interest, learn how to make an electric motor from an AA battery and a few household items. You can even design a usable chair out of cardboard to understand weight distribution.
Once a challenge is completed, share it on social media using #JDFChallenge and show the world your science skills.
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h/t: [Dezeen]
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