Make a Snow Storm in a Jar

January 5, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

Here’s an easy STEM project for when it’s too cold to go outside, or if you don’t have any real snow where you live to play in.

This snowstorm in a jar activity is pretty low prep, and similar to making “lava lamps,” though with an extra fizzy ingredient. You might have all the materials you need to do this one already. If not a trip to the grocery store will get you everything you need.

There are several scientific things happening in this experiment that give you a chance to talk about density and chemical reactions, but I’ll leave that to the blog post where you can find the how to and the why, at Little Bins for Little Hands.

[Photo: Little Bins for Little Hands.]

Stick Raft Building STEM Activity

Egg Drop STEM Challenge

STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) provide numerous benefits for children. These activities can help kids develop a wide range of skills, including:

Problem-solving: STEAM activities often involve solving complex problems, which helps children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Creativity: The arts component of STEAM activities encourages children to think creatively and express themselves in unique ways.

Collaboration: Many STEAM activities require children to work in teams, which helps them develop teamwork and collaboration skills.

STEM literacy: By participating in STEAM activities, children gain exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts and develop their STEM literacy.

Career readiness: STEAM activities can help children explore different career paths and become more prepared for future jobs in STEM fields.

Confidence and motivation: Through STEAM activities, children can build confidence, improve their motivation, and increase their interest in STEM fields.

Overall, STEAM activities can be a fun and engaging way for children to learn important skills and explore their interests.

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Celebrating Mexican Independence Day

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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