STEAM Christmas Activities
Looking for fun, season-themed things to do at home this Christmas? Why not combine science with fun! Here are some great STEAM Christmas Activities for kids (or the whole family!).
Crystal Candy Canes
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
What You Need
String
Tablespoon, measuring cup
and pot (to boil water)
Borax
8 cups water
2 large glass Jars
2 popsicle sticks
4 pipe cleaners
(white, red, or green)
Method
Twist two pipe cleaners together to make each candy cane. Tie pieces of string to two popsicle sticks and create a loop from the string that the candy canes can hang from.
Make a solution of the borax by boiling 8 cups of water then turning off the heat. Add in 24 tablespoons of the borax and stir well (it won’t completely dissolve). Pour into the two glass jars.
Place the popsicle stick over the opening of the jar so that the candy cane hangs submerged in the solution. Adjust the string length if needed.
Leave the jars untouched somewhere safe for 24 hours. Once you pull the candy cane out it will be covered in crystals! You can permanently tie string or ribbon to the candy cane to make it into a Christmas ornament.
Tip: You can replace the popsicle stick with anything similar, it will work the same!
Melting Christmas Trees
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
What You Need
Water
Flat tray
Vinegar
Baking soda (at least 500g)
Green food colouring
Glitter, sequins and insert or baking sprinkles (keep in mind- this isn’t for eating)
Small party hats(or cardboard or paper plates to create cones)
Method
Mix baking soda, glitter and sprinkles in a bowl. Slowly add green food colouring and water until mixture is mouldable but not runny.
Pack the mixture tightly into each party hat or DIY cone, until the cones are full. DIY cones can be made out of thick paper or paper plates. Learn how to do this here on WikiHow.
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
Place cones upwards on the tray and put it in the freezer, letting them sit overnight or for at least 16 hours.
Very gently cut the cone away from the mixture (or peel it away if you taped together your own cone). The mixtures should retain their own cone shape.
Drip vinegar onto the top of the trees and watch them melt away!
Tip: Sugar pearls used for baking make great little fake ornaments for your melting tree.
Grinch Slime
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
Image credit: www.littlebinsforlittlehands.com
What You Need
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup warm water
Green food colouring
¾ cup Clear glue – Elmers glue or Monte Marte Glue gel
1-2 Ttbsp saline solution (can be bought at any chemist).
Glitter and sequins – can be any colour you want.
Method
Mix the glue and water together in a bowl.
Add food colouring in a couple of drops at a time as to make sure the slime doesn’t get too dark. If the slime is too dark green then you will not be able to see your glitter and sequins. For more of a ‘lime’ colour, you can add in a couple of drops of yellow food colouring.
Next, add in your sequins and glitter. Stir in the baking soda. Squirt the saline solution onto your hands to start kneading the slime to improve its consistency. The slime should be forming and ‘pulling away’ from the sides of the bowl.
Voila! Now, your Grinch slime is ready to play with!
Tip: Add a few more drops of saline solution if your slime feels too sticky.
