STEM @ Leopold
Next STEM Night @ Leopold:
January 21st, 2025
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
The PFO hosts a STEM Night every year and is always looking for other STEM initiatives @ Leopold. STEM stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math" and it is a push to get children experiencing these wonderful fields to get them using that creative part of their minds. There are many great job opportunities in STEM fields, so the sooner a child can be exposed to them and see if it's something they want to pursue as a career, the better!
Below you will find some of the stations we put on at the event, plus a few with instructions that you can do at home - most of them can be done with basic household items you may already have laying around. You can also get your kids excited about the next STEM Night with these coloring pages.
Help out with STEM Night - community events like these are only possible with the help of volunteers from our Leopold Community! Volunteers will help families work through a station - all materials and instructions are provided, so you are just there to add a helping hand when needed.
Sign-Up for volunteer slots here and help make STEM Night a success!
Have feedback you'd like to give on past STEM Nights or suggestions for future STEM Nights? Fill out this form.
Know or a company that would like to sponsor STEM initiatives @ Leopold? Check out our STEM Sponsor form here!
Below you will find some of the stations we put on at the event, plus a few with instructions that you can do at home - most of them can be done with basic household items you may already have laying around. You can also get your kids excited about the next STEM Night with these coloring pages.
Help out with STEM Night - community events like these are only possible with the help of volunteers from our Leopold Community! Volunteers will help families work through a station - all materials and instructions are provided, so you are just there to add a helping hand when needed.
Sign-Up for volunteer slots here and help make STEM Night a success!
Have feedback you'd like to give on past STEM Nights or suggestions for future STEM Nights? Fill out this form.
Know or a company that would like to sponsor STEM initiatives @ Leopold? Check out our STEM Sponsor form here!
See some of the things you can do at the next STEM Night @ Leopold!
STEM Activities to Try @ Home!
Tower Builder
Tower Builder
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Materials
Use the materials to create a tower. Place a figurine on top to see if they can stay on! How high can you make your tower? Try different combinations of cups and sticks to see what works best! |
Popsicle Stick Catapult
Popsicle Stick Catapult
https://onelittleproject.com/popsicle-stick-catapult/
Materials
Materials
- Small Popsicle Sticks
- Spoons
- Bag of Rubber bands
- Pom Poms/Cotton Balls/Beads/etc.
- Targets
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Take seven of the popsicle sticks and line them up on top of each other. |
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Take a rubber band and wrap it tightly around one end of the popsicle sticks.
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Place the last (eighth) popsicle stick between the first and second popsicle sticks, sliding it to the middle. |
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Take a second rubber band and wrap it tightly around the other end of the popsicle stick stack |
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Line up the handle of the plastic spoon with one end of the single popsicle stick. Attach the handle tightly with an elastic. |
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You can now test out the catapult, using all kinds of different projectiles. Pull down on the spoon, place a projectile on it, and let it fly! |
Printable Target to attempt to land your pom poms on!
Static Electricity Butterfly
Static Electricity Butterfly
Materials
- Cardboard
- Tissue paper
- Cardstock Paper
- Pencil
- Kids Scissors
- Googly Eyes (optional, can also be drawn on)
- Balloons
- Glue Sticks/Glue
Grab a square of cardboard. Use your pencil to draw butterfly wings on your tissue paper – make sure they will fit on your cardboard. Cut them out and set them on your cardboard
Grab/cut a butterfly body out of your cardstock paper and glue it down the middle of your butterfly and overlapping it onto your cardboard. Do not glue the tissue paper wings down -you will want the wings loose like shown in picture. Color in eyes/wings/antennae.
Blow up a balloon. Rub your balloon in your hair to give it an electric charge. Now hold the balloon on top of your butterfly, close but not touching it, and watch the wings raise and lower as you move the balloon closer and farther away.
Why did the butterfly wings move?
When we rubbed the balloon onto our hair, electrons were lost from our hair and gained by the balloon giving it a static charge. When the negatively charged balloon gets close to the positively charged tissue paper they are attracted to each other, and the pull of attraction is so great that the lightweight tissue paper moves toward the balloon.
When we rubbed the balloon onto our hair, electrons were lost from our hair and gained by the balloon giving it a static charge. When the negatively charged balloon gets close to the positively charged tissue paper they are attracted to each other, and the pull of attraction is so great that the lightweight tissue paper moves toward the balloon.
Constellation Creator
Constellation Creator
Create your own constellation viewer!
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Materials:
•Toilet Paper Rolls: One per viewer •Aluminum Foil Paper: To create the constellation templates •Black Construction Paper: To cover the toilet paper roll •Scissors •Tape or Glue •Push Pin or Needle: For poking holes •Rubber Band or Glue Stick: To secure the foil Printable Constellation Patterns |
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Instructions: Prepare the Toilet Paper Roll Step 1: Wrap the Roll: •Cut a piece of black construction paper to the size of your toilet paper roll. •Wrap the paper around the roll and secure it with tape or glue. This will make your constellation viewer look neat and prevent light from entering the sides. Step 2: Decorate (Optional): •If desired, let the kids decorate the black paper with stickers or draw their designs using white or silver markers. This can make the project even more fun and personalized. Create the Constellation Templates Step 3: Cut Aluminum Foil Squares: •Cut squares of aluminum foil, each about 3 inches by 3 inches. You'll need one square for each constellation you plan to make. Step 4: Choose Constellation Patterns: •Choose one of the constellations from the provided template, or make your own on a piece of paper. Step 5: Poke Holes in the Foil: •Carefully use a push pin or needle to poke holes through each dot on the constellation pattern. Make sure the holes are big enough for light to shine through but not too large. Assemble the Viewer Step 6: Attach the Foil to the Roll: •Place the foil over one end of the toilet paper roll, with the constellation facing outwards. •Secure the foil to the roll using a rubber band around the edge of the roll. Alternatively, you can glue the edges of the foil down. Step 7: Test the Viewer: •Take your constellation viewer into a dark room or turn off the lights. Shine a flashlight through the open end of the toilet paper roll and project the constellation onto a wall or ceiling. Adjust the distance to focus the stars properly. |
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Printable Coding game
Printable Coding Game
Learning Resources has a free printable version of their coding game. Learn the basics of coding principles without needing a computer. Use your kid's favorite figurines instead of the robots to add another layer of fun! The instructions mention using the spinner, but the printable version has cards instead, so simply face the action cards face down and mix them up every time before drawing one.
Link to Printable PDF.
Link to Printable PDF.
Parachute/balloon
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Materials:
•Tissue Paper •Yarn/String •Cardboard (optional) •Passenger (optional) •Scissors •Tape •Hole Puncher (anyway to poke holes) |
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Cut Tissue into a square shape. Then tape the corners and punch a hole through the tape/tissue paper. |
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If building a hot air balloon, create the basket out of carboard, cutting and taping to the desired shape. Punch 2 holes in the sides for the yarn. |
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Pull yarn through holes in basket and tie ends into the holes in tissue paper. If doing a parachute, you can cut/tie directly to the figurine instead of the basket. |
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Place your passenger in your basket, and either throw them up in the air or drop them from a high place and watch them float on down! |
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