STEM at Home

Ever wonder how you can be more sustainable to help keep our earth healthy? Recycling is a great first step! Learn the basics of what it takes to become a recycling expert.

The Scientific Method is a simple, step-by step process on how scientists can best answer their questions or spark curiosity. What better way to learn about this process than through studying wildlife like snakes? Let’s go over the six basic steps to the scientific method, all while learning about a specific animal and where they are found.

Learn about the interaction of living things through an introduction to food chains! Program Manager, Lannis Smith, takes you through what an example food chain could look like, and then challenges you to create your own using different living things found in nature!

Ever wanted to create your own play dough? Not sure what ingredients to use? Join Program Manager Cristina Tamer as she takes you through the kitchen science behind making your own play dough!

Is it a solid, liquid or a gas? Get an introduction to the three states of matter through the use of SLIME! Learn how to make one type of slime using glue and borax solution.

Adapted from NISEnet’s activity “Imagining Life”, Life on Earth comes in many different forms. Kids will be encouraged to take a walk and observe local wildlife and think about the questions: What would life look like on another planet? What adaptations would be needed to survive?

A nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust in space. It can be created by a dying star (such as a supernova) and is also where new stars are born. Learn how to make your own nebula using a salad spinner! View PDF here.

Learn about camouflage as you create your own snake with home made play dough. View our DIY Play Dough recipe here. View PDF here. 

Learn how to create your own leaf and bark rubbings and learn about the way scientists classify leaves. View PDF here and click "More Information" for examples.

Get outdoors with this fun scavenger hunt! View PDF here.

Every year, waves of butterflies make the perilous journey south for the winter. With this game, you can try your hand at surviving some of the challenges these butterflies face! Grab a dice, a sticker, and a space outdoors to play the Monarch migration game! View PDF here.

We get a lot of resources from rainforests all over the world. Can you find items in your house that might have come from a rainforest? View PDF here.

Which ones will sink and which ones will float? Will they sink quickly or float down gently? Will the floaters stay floating the whole time? Why do you think that? View PDF here.

Animal Classification Practice for 4th-5th Grade. View PDF here.

Label key characteristics about the toad pictured. Describe and draw what its habitat would look like. View PDF here.

Extension Activities for 1st Grade Sound & Light Energy. View PDF here.

Extension Activities for 5th Grade Forces of Flight workshop. View PDF here.

Extension Activities for 2nd Grade States of Matter. View PDF here.

Extension Activity for Kindergarten Five Senses. View PDF here.

Draw an Animal or Plant native to Michigan in its habitat. View PDF here.