It's officially June- have you booked your kids' camps yet? Before you put the final touches on that summer calendar, I want to tell you about an amazing STEM camp that I am SUPER excited to once again partner with, Camp Invention®. HEADS UP: MPMK readers can use promo code FINAL10 to save $10 on your Camp Invention registration! This camp is a standout from other STEM summer programs because it's the only one affiliated with the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) in partnership with the … [Read more...]
Rainy Day STEM Activity: DIY Geoboard
Looking for an engaging and educational activity that will appeal to a broad range of children? I highly suggest a trip to your neighborhood hardware store. With just a few simple materials you and the kids can quickly create a classic toy that's been sparking children's creativity for over 60 years: the geoboard.To start, pick up a sheet of peg board (the perforated board that's often hung on a garage wall and used to store tools) as well as some nuts and bolts. Peg board typically comes in … [Read more...]
Build STEM Skills: Make an “Inventor’s Box”
I'm super excited to share with you a project I put together for eHow's mom channel recently. You guys know how my ears perk up anytime the words "STEM skills" are uttered, right? Well, the good folks over there at eHow asked me to contribute a few easy STEM skill building activities for home and I took it as my chance to finally try a couple things that have been percolating in my head. The first activity had to be building an Inventor's Box. I've been wanting to start one of these for the … [Read more...]
In Support of Hands-On Play (and Defense of Myself)
I apologize to everyone tuning in today hoping for some playtime fun (soon!), but I've got to start this week by getting something off my chest. Ever since publishing the post We Need to Talk: Kids & Screen Time, I've been tossing and turning in bed over the response. On the one hand I was really happy that the post generated a (mostly) constructive discourse on the topic of kids and screen time. On the other hand, though the conversation was a good one, it wasn't the one I meant to … [Read more...]