STEM Summer Challenges

This is my set of 6 summer STEM challenges, to keep young minds engaged and engineering throughout the summer.
***PLEASE NOTE: Additional materials are needed to complete these activities***
The topics for these challenges are:

1. Melting in the Sun
(broken crayons, chocolate, marshmallows, butter, Legos, marbles, ice cubes, rock, wood block, coin, shredded cheddar cheese, paper clip, 12 space muffin pan, recording sheet (1 per student).

2. Making Ice Cream
1 Pint and 1 Gallon sized Ziploc bags, ice cubes, 1 cup half and half, 􏰀 cup Kosher salt, 2 tbsp.sugar, 􏰀 tsp. vanilla extract, ice-cream cones or bowls, spoons.

3. Lemonade Taste Test
Pitcher or container with spout for pouring, cups, pre-cut lemons, sugar, water, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, spoons, fork or lemon juicer. (For younger students, pre-crush berries to help the juice release.)

4. Cooking in the Sun
Pizza box, tin foil, glue, bowl lined with foil, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, a chopstick or skewer,

5. Building Water Slides
Cardboard (for base), masking tape, straws, cardboard tubes/toilet tubes/paper towel tubes, aluminum foil, Lego figures or other small plastic toys, plastic
or Styrofoam bowls.

6. Water Balloon Parachutes
Small water balloons, paper towel tubes, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, masking tape, Styrofoam bowls, aluminum foil, cotton balls, straws.

Students will complete the different challenges and give some feedback/assess their learning. Some activities have extensions included for further learning.