Bring on the heat!
It is usually hot enough to fry an egg outside in the month of August, and older kids can actually try this out. Crack an egg on an old metal cookie sheet and place it in the sun, or grab some store-bought cookie dough and see what the sun can do. (Of course, these food items are not going to be edible — they are only for the science of it all, so you may want to bake an extra batch of cookies in the kitchen to fend off disappointed kids!)
Mom or Dad can also help the kids to make an outdoor solar oven out of an old pizza box. Cut a large square out of the top of the box and tape plastic wrap to cover the opening. Using dowels and aluminum foil, make a canopy over the top of the box to capture the heat of the sun. Experiment with putting different foods inside the closed box to see how fast they cook, and discuss the science behind how the aluminum foil and the seal of the plastic wrap conduct and trap the heat. (This is a fun way to make s’mores that are edible!)
Don’t forget about all the other simple ways you can teach your kids about science with everyday household materials – making goop or slime, homemade salt dough that air dries, invisible ink with diluted lemon juice — or even that old standby from our youth, the baking soda and vinegar volcano explosion.
There is so much summer fun to be had with STEM, and the experiments are only limited by your imagination and what you have on hand at home.
Your kids will stay busy and learn at the same time, and their teachers for the upcoming school year will be thrilled with how much they already know.
Do you have any favorite experiments for kids using household materials? Leave us your ideas in the comments.