STEAM Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Hands-On Projects for Exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math

by Liz Lee Heinecke

Overview

STEAM Lab for Kids is an art-forward doorway to science, math, technology, and engineering through 52 family-friendly experiments and activities.

While many aspiring artists don’t necessarily identify with STEM subjects, and many young inventors don’t see the need for art, one is essential to the other. Revealing this connection and encouraging kids to explore it fills hungry minds with tools essential to problem solving and creative thinking.

Each of the projects in this book is designed to demonstrate that the deeper you look into art, the more engineering and math you’ll find.

Following clear, photo-illustrated step-by-step instructions, learn about:
 

• Angular momentum by creating tie-dyed fidget spinners.
• Electrical conductors by making a light-up graphite-circuit comic book.
• Kinetic energy by constructing a rubber-band racer car.
• Parabolic curves by creating string art with pushpins and a board.
• Symmetry by making fruit and veggie stamp paintings.
• And much more!

Along with the creative, hands-on activities, you’ll find:
 

• Suggestions for taking your projects to the next level with “Creative Enrichment.”
• Accessible explanations of the “The STEAM Behind the Fun,” including cross-disciplinary related topics.
• Safety tips and hints.

The projects can be used as part of a homeschool curriculum, for family fun, at parties, or as educational activities for groups. Many of the activities are safe enough for children as young as toddlers and exciting enough for older kids, so families can discover the joy of STEAM together.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields.

Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels.

Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631594199
Publisher:	Quarry Books
Publication date:	05/15/2018
Series:	Lab for Kids Series , #17
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	359,742
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Liz Lee Heinecke has loved science since she was old enough to inspect her first butterfly. After working in molecular biology research for 10 years and earning her master’s degree, she left the lab to kick off a new chapter in her life as a stay-at-home mom. Soon, she found herself sharing her love of science with her three kids as they grew, chronicling their science adventures on her KitchenPantryScientist website. Her desire to share her enthusiasm for science led to regular television appearances, an opportunity to serve as an Earth Ambassador for NASA, and the creation of an iPhone app. Her goal is to make it simple for parents to do science with kids of all ages, and for kids to experiment safely on their own. Liz graduated from Luther College and received her master’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the author of Kitchen Science Lab for Kids, Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: Edible Edition, Outdoor Science Lab for Kids, STEAM Lab for Kids, Sheet Pan Science, and Little Learning Labs: Kitchen Science for Kids. Her namesake series, The Kitchen Pantry Scientist, pairs illustrated biographies with engaging hands-on activities inspired by their work. The books in that series include: Chemistry for Kids, Biology for Kids, Physics for Kids, Math for Kids, and Ecology for Kids.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Introduction 8

Overview 10

Unit 01 Science

Lab 1 Crushed Candy Stained Glass 14

Lab 2 Homemade Chia Pets 16

Lab 3 Crystal Creatures 18

Lab 4 Tie-Dyed Fidget Spinners 20

Lab 5 Lemon-Painted Eggs 22

Lab 6 Tabletop Aquatic Ecosystem 24

Lab 7 Wildflower Paper 26

Lab 8 Rainbow Slime 28

Lab 9 Confetti Snack 30

Lab 10 Sweet Molecules 32

Unit 02 Technology

Lab 11 Light-Up Creature 36

Lab 12 Homemade Disco Ball 38

Lab 13 Solar Light Fireflies 40

Lab 14 Graphite Circuits 42

Lab 15 Art Bot 44

Lab 16 Desktop Bead Bubbler 46

Lab 17 Sewable Circuits 48

Lab 18 Wind Turbine 52

Lab 19 CD Bot 54

Lab 20 Gadget-Ready Gloves 56

Unit 03 Engineering

Lab 21 Rubber Band Shooter 60

Lab 22 Pop-Up Books 62

Lab 23 Balloon Rocket 64

Lab 24 Rubber Band Racer 66

Lab 25 Bridge Design 70

Lab 26 Gear Caterpillar 72

Lab 27 Camera Obscura 74

Lab 28 Disk Drop 78

Lab 29 Yardstick (Meter Stick) Ukulele 80

Lab 30 Solar Marshmallow Cooker 84

Unit 04 Art

Lab 31 Marvelous Marbled Paper 88

Lab 32 Homemade Paint 92

Lab 33 Handmade Paper 94

Lab 34 Hot Glue Casting 96

Lab 35 Frozen Flowers 98

Lab 36 Fruit And Veggie Stamps 100

Lab 37 Scratchboard Etching 102

Lab 38 Bold Batiks 104

Lab 39 Embossing 106

Lab 40 Mirror-Image Plant Prints 108

Lab 41 Nail Polish-Marbled Eggs 110

Unit 05 Math

Lab 42 Cubist Creations 114

Lab 43 Pattern Style 116

Lab 44 Fractal Geometry 118

Lab 45 Perspective Painting 120

Lab 46 Fibonacci Spiral 122

Lab 47 Tessellations 124

Lab 48 Serial Dilutions 126

Lab 49 Math-Tool Art 128

Lab 50 Möbius Strip Mobile 130

Lab 51 Fruit Fraction Animals 132

Lab 52 String Art 134

Resources 138

Acknowledgments 139

About The Author 140

About The Photographer 140

About Mouse 141

Index 142

Also Available 144

Editorial Reviews

Whether you’ve got a mini engineer at home or a pint-sized Picasso, this new book of hands-on activities is the perfect intersection of both art and science and will pique the interests of kids who love either. —Red Tricycle

There are so many cool experiments [...] expanding beyond the engineering into the arts—WCCO-CBS Minnesota

Liz makes science accessible and fun.—Elizabeth Ries, host of Twin Cities Live

Liz Heinecke is a genius at making learning fun at every level. Her fascination with the natural world and science in general is contagious.—Kim Insley, KARE 11 Sunrise Anchor

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist and microbiologist mom has another winning book on her hands. With the help of a diverse cast of kids, Liz walks the reader through loads of fun activities using simple household supplies that build science, math, engineering, art, and technology skills.—Kim Moldofsky, publisher of TheMakerMom.com

If you have little ones with hands (and brains) that need to keep busy, be sure to check this out!—Joanne Loves Science

Liz Heinecke’s STEAM Lab for Kids is one of the best tools I have ever encountered for teaching relationships between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the arts. The projects are fun, exciting, and engaging. From safety tips and hits to clear step-by-step instructions and materials lists, this book makes STEAM fun and user-friendly. The products of the hands-on labs are absolutely beautiful – these could easily be used as gifts for family and friends! Sure to inspire any young scientist, the short explanations of “the STEAM behind the fun” and “creative enrichment” for each lab are wonderful additions. Also, I am pleased to see photos of a diverse group of children sharing their joy in doing the labs; I cannot express the value that such a consideration brings. As a scientist, I am thrilled to see the many STEM concepts that I use on a daily basis integrated so creatively with art using materials that are around the house or at local craft and tool stores. I want to try all 52 with my son! I cannot wait to use these labs for my future science outreach.

—#BLACKandSTEM founder, Stephani Page, PhD

Such a FUN book, like all the lab books from Liz! I love that my 11 year old can do most of these experiments with no help, and the rest are just mild supervision (Safety Tips and hints are included on all of the labs)!—Bless Their Hearts Mom

Liz Heinecke’s books would have been perfect for me when I was a kid: I grew up with an intense scientific curiosity about the natural world around me and the chemical world underlying it. Her home-brewed experiments would have captivated me. Now as the father of a 10-year-old "kitchen pantry scientist" and slime-maker, I appreciate Heinecke's work all the more. Busting boredom is excellent in itself, but making a kid feel like a scientist while they’re having fun - that’s brilliant.—Dan Wilson, singer and songwriter of Closing Time, Not Ready to Make Nice, & Someone like You

Its an amazing book filled with incredible at home experiments, activities, art projects and much more all geared toward making science and math so fun that your kids don’t even realize they are learning! —My Crafty Zoo

The book is enthusiastic about inspiring problem solving and creative thinking, and helping artists and engineer-minded kids alike to find inspiration in STEM projects.—Sprittibee

A 2019 Children’s Choices list selection—A cooperative project of the International Literacy Association and the Children’s Book Council

From the Publisher