Family Science Night Activities List

Grades K-2   Grades 3-5   Grades 6-8

Sample Flyer   Request Form

 

Family Math Night Activities List

Grades K-2   Grades 3-5   Math Around the World (Gr. 5-8)

Sample Flyer   Request Form   Activities Printable Version (MS Word)

 

     The Family Science & Math Nights are an exciting program offered by NEGYSTC for an evening of hands-on activities for parents and their children.  These events meet the No Child Left Behind Title I School requirement for increasing parental involvement and the NSDC's Standards for Staff Development on Family Involvement. 

     NEGYSTC will provide training and non-consumables for your school to host an event.  Programs generally last for 1 to 1.5 hours and consist of 10 to 15 activity stations set up around your school.  Below is a list of the activities available organized by grade level.  For each activity is a brief description, what the NEGYSTC center provides, and what the schools provide for the activity.  *Indicate activities available in both English and Spanish

 

Grades K-2 Science Activities

Printable Version (Microsoft Word)

Bubble Clusters:  What kind of bubble patterns can you create? Pour bubble solution onto a surface, grab a drinking straw and find out once and for all. Don’t get too complicated; clutters might have to be drawn on data sheet!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, bubble solution, drinking straws, cookie sheets, pencils.

Build Your Own Bubble Wand:  Families predict what shape their bubbles will be by designing their own bubble wands with pipe cleaners.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, worksheet, bubble recipe, door sign.  School Supplies:  Pipe cleaners, bubble solution, plastic plates or trays for solution, copies of instructions, pencils.

Gumdrop Dome*:  Families experiment building domes using toothpicks and gumdrops.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, gumdrops or substitute, toothpicks.

Puzzles:  Families have fun putting together various giant-size floor puzzles about simple machines, rain forests, dinosaurs, the Monarch butterfly life cycle, the ocean, pond life and world map.  Center Supplies:  Everything for this activity

Cup Tower*:  Families build towers by stacking cups on top of each other.  Makes a great competition to see who can build the tallest tower!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, paper or plastic cups.

Toe-Tac-Tic *:  A fun problem solving game that is the reverse of Tic-Tac-Toe.  The first person to get three in a row loses!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, pencils.

What Do You Sink Will Float:  Families predict and test objects to see if they sink or float.  Center Supplies:  instructions, activity sheets, baggies of objects to test, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheet, and containers of water.

Eggs Full of Sound*:  Families identify very common sounds of very common objects according to the noise they make when shaken inside plastic eggs.  Center Supplies:  Activity sheet, plastic eggs with objects, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheet.

Clucking Chicken:  Families construct “clucking chickens” out of plastic cups and a string tied to top, inside the cup.  They will hear the vibrations as they pull on the string to make the chicken cluck!  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Dixie plastic cups, string, paper clips, cups of water, and decorating materials

What Is Hot And What Is Cold*:  Families work together to classify things as either being hot or cold.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, scissors, glue stick.

Hot Hands*:  A great activity to demonstrate heat energy travels by convection as families dip metal cans in soapy water to form a film over the opening.  As they hold the can, their body heat causes the soap film to rise.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, tin cans.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, bubble solution.

Color My World*:  Families will make goggles using colored cellophane and see how the colors of things change when viewed through the goggles and other color paddles.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and color paddles.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, colored cellophane, scissors, string, and tape

Colors Together:  Families experiment mixing colors by shining flashlights covered in different colored cellophane on the wall and mixing with other color frames to see the colors they create.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, flashlights, cellophane, color frames with cellophane, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, dark room, D-batteries, crayons or markers.

Light Source*:  Families classify things into those that produce and do not produce light.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, scissors, and glue sticks.

Hungry Hounds:  Families help hungry hounds find their bones using magnetic attraction.  Center Supplies:  magnet wands, instructions, activity sheet, door sign.  School Supplies:  copies of activity sheet, paperclips, tape, and scissors.

Observe a Leaf:  Families will observe and describe leaves using their senses and make leaf rubbings.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheet, crayons, and leaves

Baleena The Whale:  Families will be amazed with this life-sized, inflatable model of a humpback whale.  Various activities on sink/float, feeding, and a cassette of whale songs are included.  Please note that this activity needs a large room with a high ceiling to be set up, i.e. gym.  Center Supplies:  Baleena the whale, box fan, activity sheets, posters of whales, and tape of whale songs.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheets and consumable supplies for activities

Smelling Bee:  Families will use their sense of smell to guess the mystery fragrances in a series of containers, with eyes closed.  Center Supplies:  Everything needed for the activity.  School Supplies:  Copies of instruction sheets.

Eye Tricks*:  A fun demonstration of “after-image” as families color and then stare at their images for one minute and then look at white paper to see the image that appears.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, orange, black, and green crayons, and plain white paper

What Your Brain Sees:  Another fun optical illusion due to persistence of vision.  Families spin disks with images on each side and see the motion as a blending of the two images.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, image patterns, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, copies of patterns on card stock, coloring markers/crayons, scissors, rubber bands, and hole punchers.

Tongue Twisters *:  A fun activity where families are challenged to say the color of a word instead of reading the word itself.  The brain quickly becomes confused as a demonstration of the Stoop Effect.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and tongue-twister cards.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

Water Drop Dragster:  Families race a drop of water through a laminated maze to see who wins!  Center Supplies:  door sign, instructions, and mazes.  School Supplies:  cups of water.

Sound is Vibration*:  Families engage in various activities to show that vibrating objects produce sound and cause vibrations in whatever they touch.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, tuning forks, ping pong balls, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, rulers, wooden craft sticks, pencils, rubber bands, and cups of water

Straw Whistle Symphony:  Demonstrates that sounds are produced by something vibrating (a straw) and how that affects pitch by making the straw shorter.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, plastic straws, and scissors.

Stereo Hanger:  Families will hear sound waves from a vibrating coat hanger as they travel through a string to the ear, creating a sound that resembles that of a church bell.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, metal coat hangers, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and string

Bubble Painting:  Families make beautiful art when bubbles made in a colored solution pop against white paper leaving a beautiful design.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  white paper, bubble solution, plastic plates, copies of instructions, straws, old newspaper.

Light Bends*:  A great activity for younger kids to see the effect of light refraction as they view objects in a cup of water.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, clear plastic cups, crayons, water, and pencils.

Just Passing Through*:  Great activity for younger kids as families use a flashlight to discover which materials are transparent, translucent, or opaque.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, flashlights, mirrors, baggies of materials, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, D-batteries for flashlights, and water

Mirrors Reflect*:  Families will use mirrors in various activities to show that light travels in a straight line.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, mirrors, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, crayons, and small objects

Magnify*:  Families will experience viewing various objects using magnifying lenses.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, magnifying lenses, objects, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, and other small objects for observation.

Mirror Maze:  Families trace their way through a simple maze while viewing the maze pattern only in a mirror.  Lots of fun!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, laminated mazes, mirrors, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

Flying Butterfly:  Families make tissue paper butterflies fly using magnetic attraction.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, magnet wands, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, tissue paper, paper clips, tape, string, and scissors.

Coin Drops*:  Families will predict and test how many drops of water stay on a penny and nickel.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, droppers, door signs.  School Supplies:  copies of instructions, pennies & nickels, water, pencils.

Impact Craters*:  Families make craters by dropping various objects into a “moon soil” of flour and cocoa mix.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, shakers, crater objects, posters of craters, containers.  School Supplies:  Flour, cocoa mix, copies of instructions.

Mini-Planetarium I:  Families build simple constellation viewing tubes by punching their favorite constellation onto construction paper taped to the open end of a tube.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, constellation patterns.  School Supplies:  Toilet paper rolls or construction paper, black construction paper, tape, scissors, blunt tip pencils, copies of instructions and patterns.

Mini-Planetarium II:  Families build simple constellation viewing tubes by punching their favorite constellation into the bottom of a plastic Dixie cup.  Then view their constellations with a flashlight through the cup in a dark room.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, flashlights, constellation patterns.  School Supplies:  12-oz. Dixie cups (not clear), thumb tacks, copies of patterns and instructions, D-batteries for flashlights, dark room.

 

Grades 3-5 Science Activities

 Printable Version (Microsoft Word)

 

Bubble Clusters:  What kind of bubble patterns can you create? Pour bubble solution onto a surface, grab a drinking straw and find out once and for all. Don’t get too complicated; clutters might have to be drawn on data sheet!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, bubble solution, drinking straws, cookie sheets, pencils.

 

Build Your Own Bubble Wand:  Families predict what shape their bubbles will be by designing their own bubble wands with pipe cleaners.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, worksheet, bubble recipe, door sign.  School Supplies:  Pipe cleaners, bubble solution, plastic plates or trays for solution, copies of instructions, pencils.

 

Gumdrop Dome*:  Families experiment building domes using toothpicks and gumdrops.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, gumdrops or substitute, toothpicks.

 

Puzzles:  Families have fun putting together various giant-size floor puzzles about the solar system, simple machines, rain forests, dinosaurs, the Monarch butterfly life cycle, the ocean, pond life and world map.  Center Supplies:  Everything for this activity

 

Cup Tower*:  Families build towers by stacking cups on top of each other.  Makes a great competition to see who can build the tallest tower!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, paper or plastic cups.

 

Toe-Tac-Tic *:  A fun problem solving game that is the reverse of Tic-Tac-Toe.  The first person to get three in a row loses!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, pencils.

 

Water Drop Dragster:  Families race a drop of water through a laminated maze to see who wins!  Center Supplies:  door sign, instructions, and mazes.  School Supplies:  cups of water.

 

Coin Drops*:  Families will predict and test how many drops of water stay on a penny and nickel.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, droppers, door signs.  School Supplies:  copies of instructions, pennies & nickels, water, pencils.

 

Balloon Kabob:  Families are challenged to skewer an inflated balloon on a bamboo stick to demonstrate the properties of latex polymers.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, balloons, cooking oil or Vaseline, paper towels, and bamboo skewers.

 

Sound is Vibration*:  Families engage in various activities to show that vibrating objects produce sound and cause vibrations in whatever they touch.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, tuning forks, ping pong balls, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, rulers, wooden craft sticks, pencils, rubber bands, and cups of water

 

Straw Whistle Symphony:  Demonstrates that sounds are produced by something vibrating (a straw) and how that affects pitch by making the straw shorter.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, plastic straws, and scissors.

 

Stereo Hanger:  Families will hear sound waves from a vibrating coat hanger as they travel through a string to the ear, creating a sound that resembles that of a church bell.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, metal coat hangers, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and string

 

Bubble Painting:  Families make beautiful art when bubbles made in a colored solution pop against white paper leaving a beautiful design.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  white paper, bubble solution, plastic plates, copies of instructions, straws, old newspaper.

 

Light Bends*:  A great activity for younger kids to see the effect of light refraction as they view objects in a cup of water.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, clear plastic cups, crayons, water, and pencils.

 

Just Passing Through*:  Great activity for younger kids as families use a flashlight to discover which materials are transparent, translucent, or opaque.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, flashlights, mirrors, baggies of materials, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, D-batteries for flashlights, and water

 

Mirrors Reflect*:  Families will use mirrors in various activities to show that light travels in a straight line.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, mirrors, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, crayons, and small objects

 

Magnify*:  Families will experience viewing various objects using magnifying lenses.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, magnifying lenses, objects, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, and other small objects for observation.

 

Mirror Maze:  Families trace their way through a simple maze while viewing the maze pattern only in a mirror.  Lots of fun!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, laminated mazes, mirrors, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Color Splash*:  Families observe how two or three different colors of food coloring act in oil and water.  The result is fascinatingly beautiful.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Clear plastic cups, vegetable oil, water, food coloring, copies of instructions

 

Floating Pennies:  Families will see pennies that appear to be floating in water due to refraction of light as it passes through water.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, pennies, Styrofoam coffee cup, water, and tape

 

Flying Butterfly:  Families make tissue paper butterflies fly using magnetic attraction.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, magnet wands, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, tissue paper, paper clips, tape, string, and scissors.

 

Elec-Fish-Ity:  Families go “fishing” using statically-charged balloons to attract small paper fish.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, balloons, tape, scissors, string, rulers for fishing poles, wool cloth or garment to charge balloons.

 

Electric Chicks:  Great activity to demonstrate that electrical currents require a complete loop through which to pass to conduct electricity.  Also demonstrates conductors and insulators.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, chirping-chick toys, rubber gloves.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, water, and cups

 

Kilowatt Pennies:  Families learn to read electric meters and compare the electrical consumption of various appliances.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, electric meters, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, various electrical appliances (hair dryer, can opener, mixer, pencil sharpener, lamp, toaster, clock, and vacuum cleaner), calculators.

 

High Wire Acts:  Families experiment finding the center of balance of a paper clown using pennies.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, copies of designs on card stock, pennies, masking tape, scissors.

 

Nail Balance:  Families rise to the challenge of balancing six nails on the head of one nail, then see if they can balance even more nails – the record is 23 nails!  Center Supplies:  Everything needed for the activity.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Leap Ball:  Families are challenged to move a ping pong ball from one cup to another by only blowing air.  A fun demo of the Bernoulli Principle.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, ping pong balls and cups.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Magic Tricks:  Fun demonstration of inertia by flicking an index card out from under a coin as it drops into a cup.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Coins, index cards, cups.

 

Penny Power:  A lesson in the transfer of energy with nothing more than a few coins.  Center Supplies:  instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  copies of instructions; coins (pennies or nickels) index cards, drinking glasses

 

Bernoulli Ping Pong:  Families suspend a ping pong in air blown through a straw.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, ping pong balls.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, bendable straws.

 

Dancing On Air:  Families experience Bernoulli’s Principle by suspending a ping pong in air blown through a hair dryer.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, one hair dryer.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, additional hair dryers.

 

Frog Legs:  Families fold origami-style frogs for a jumping contest of potential and kinetic energy!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, old business cards or index cards.

 

Hot Hands*:  A great activity to demonstrate heat energy travels by convection as families dip metal cans in soapy water to form a film over the opening.  As they hold the can, their body heat causes the soap film to rise.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, tin cans.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, pencils, bubble solution.

 

Baleena The Whale:  Families will be amazed with this life-sized, inflatable model of a humpback whale.  Various activities on sink/float, feeding, and a cassette of whale songs are included.  Please note that this activity needs a large room with a high ceiling to be set up, i.e. gym.  Center Supplies:  Baleena the whale, box fan, activity sheets, posters of whales, and tape of whale songs.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheets and consumable supplies for activities

 

Coral Reef:  Families will each construct a portion of a coral reef using simple materials.  By the end of the evening you have a coral reef colony! Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, yarn or pipe cleaners, glue, construction paper, toilet paper rolls (optional), scissors.

 

Jelly Bean Key:  Families have fun using a dichotomous key to classify and identify flavors of Jelly Belly® jelly beans.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, Jelly Belly® jelly beans, and small paper cups to distribute jelly beans.

 

Eye Tricks*:  A fun demonstration of “after-image” as families color and then stare at their images for one minute and then look at white paper to see the image that appears.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, orange, black, and green crayons, and plain white paper

 

What Your Brain Sees:  Another fun optical illusion due to persistence of vision.  Families spin disks with images on each side and see the motion as a blending of the two images.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, image patterns, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, copies of patterns on card stock, coloring markers/crayons, scissors, rubber bands, and hole punchers.

 

Tongue Twisters *:  A fun activity where families are challenged to say the color of a word instead of reading the word itself.  The brain quickly becomes confused as a demonstration of the Stoop Effect.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and tongue-twister cards.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Depth Illusions:  A fun optical illusion where families watch a swinging pendulum holding a dark lens over one eye.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, sunglass lenses, and pendulum weights.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Who Dunnit?:  Families try to solve a mystery and at the same time learn more about their own fingerprints.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, fingerprint types, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, scotch tape, pencils, and something to clean hands.

 

Lot of Hot Air:  Great demonstration of calculating lung capacities as families blow up balloons and measure its diameter to determine their capacity.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, rulers, calculators, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, balloons, pencils.

 

Impact Craters*:  Families make craters by dropping various objects into a “moon soil” of flour and cocoa mix.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, shakers, crater objects, posters of craters, containers.  School Supplies:  Flour, cocoa mix, copies of instructions.

 

Mini-Planetarium I:  Families build simple constellation viewing tubes by punching their favorite constellation onto construction paper taped to the open end of a tube.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, constellation patterns.  School Supplies:  Toilet paper rolls or construction paper, black construction paper, tape, scissors, blunt tip pencils, copies of instructions and patterns.

 

Mini-Planetarium II:  Families build simple constellation viewing tubes by punching their favorite constellation into the bottom of a plastic Dixie cup.  Then view their constellations with a flashlight through the cup in a dark room.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, flashlights, constellation patterns.  School Supplies:  12-oz. Dixie cups (not clear), thumb tacks, copies of patterns and instructions, D-batteries for flashlights, dark room.

 

Crystals:  Families construct models of the different crystal systems using paper patterns, and then gumdrops and toothpicks.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, patterns; door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and crystal patterns, tape, scissors, gumdrops, and toothpicks.

 

Paper Rockets:  Families build simple paper rockets and blast them off in a competition.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, straws, round-unsharpened pencils, tape, and scissors.

 

Mini-Water Cycle:  Families construct their own version of the water cycle in miniature using ziplock baggies, markers, and wet sand.  Then they take them home and set in a sunny window to watch the water cycle in action!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, permanent markers, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, gallon-sized ziplock baggies, wet sand.

Star Search:  Families discover how adding a drop of water to broken toothpicks will miraculously turn into a star pattern once the wood fibers absorb the water.  Center Supplies:  Family instructions, water droppers, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, flat-sided toothpicks, wax paper, and water.

Lighten Up:  Families compare the electrical consumption of incandescent versus fluorescent light bulbs to see which is better.  Center Supplies: Family instructions, electric meters, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, hand towels, pencils, calculators, electricity.

 

 

Grades 6-8 Science Activities

 Printable Version (Microsoft Word)

 

Cup Tower*:  Families build towers by stacking cups on top of each other.  Makes a great competition to see who can build the tallest tower!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, paper or plastic cups.

 

Toe-Tac-Tic *:  A fun problem solving game that is the reverse of Tic-Tac-Toe.  The first person to get three in a row loses!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, pencils.

 

Water Drop Dragster:  Families race a drop of water through a laminated maze to see who wins!  Center Supplies:  door sign, instructions, and mazes.  School Supplies:  cups of water.

 

Coin Drops*:  Families will predict and test how many drops of water stay on a penny and nickel.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, droppers, door signs.  School Supplies:  copies of instructions, pennies & nickels, water, pencils.

 

Balloon Kabob:  Families are challenged to skewer an inflated balloon on a bamboo stick to demonstrate the properties of latex polymers.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, balloons, cooking oil or Vaseline, paper towels, and bamboo skewers.

 

Nuts and Bolts:  A great activity to understand how the Periodic Table of Elements is organized based upon similar properties as families arrange various nuts and bolts to create their own table.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, baggies of nuts and bolts, and door sign.  School Supplies: Copies of instructions.

 

Sound is Vibration*:  Families engage in various activities to show that vibrating objects produce sound and cause vibrations in whatever they touch.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, tuning forks, ping pong balls, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, rulers, wooden craft sticks, pencils, rubber bands, and cups of water

 

Straw Whistle Symphony:  Demonstrates that sounds are produced by something vibrating (a straw) and how that affects pitch by making the straw shorter.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, plastic straws, and scissors.

 

Stereo Hanger:  Families will hear sound waves from a vibrating coat hanger as they travel through a string to the ear, creating a sound that resembles that of a church bell.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, metal coat hangers, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and string

 

Mirror Maze:  Families trace their way through a simple maze while viewing the maze pattern only in a mirror.  Lots of fun!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, laminated mazes, mirrors, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Color Splash*:  Families observe how two or three different colors of food coloring act in oil and water.  The result is fascinatingly beautiful.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Clear plastic cups, vegetable oil, water, food coloring, copies of instructions

 

Floating Pennies:  Families will see pennies that appear to be floating in water due to refraction of light as it passes through water.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, pennies, Styrofoam coffee cup, water, and tape

 

Electric Chicks:  Great activity to demonstrate that electrical currents require a complete loop through which to pass to conduct electricity.  Also demonstrates conductors and insulators.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, chirping-chick toys, rubber gloves.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, water, and cups

 

Kilowatt Pennies:  Families learn to read electric meters and compare the electrical consumption of various appliances.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, electric meters, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, various electrical appliances (hair dryer, can opener, mixer, pencil sharpener, lamp, toaster, clock, and vacuum cleaner), calculators.

 

Nail Balance:  Families rise to the challenge of balancing six nails on the head of one nail, then see if they can balance even more nails – the record is 23 nails!  Center Supplies:  Everything needed for the activity.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Leap Ball:  Families are challenged to move a ping pong ball from one cup to another by only blowing air.  A fun demo of the Bernoulli Principle.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, ping pong balls and cups.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Magic Tricks:  Fun demonstration of inertia by flicking an index card out from under a coin as it drops into a cup.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Coins, index cards, cups.

 

Penny Power:  A lesson in the transfer of energy with nothing more than a few coins.  Center Supplies:  instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  copies of instructions; coins (pennies or nickels) index cards, drinking glasses

 

Bernoulli Ping Pong:  Families suspend a ping pong in air blown through a straw.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, ping pong balls.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, bendable straws.

 

Dancing On Air:  Families experience Bernoulli’s Principle by suspending a ping pong in air blown through a hair dryer.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, one hair dryer.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, additional hair dryers.

 

Frog Legs:  Families fold origami-style frogs for a jumping contest of potential and kinetic energy!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, old business cards or index cards.

 

Baleena The Whale:  Families will be amazed with this life-sized, inflatable model of a humpback whale.  Various activities on sink/float, feeding, and a cassette of whale songs are included.  Please note that this activity needs a large room with a high ceiling to be set up, i.e. gym.  Center Supplies:  Baleena the whale, box fan, activity sheets, posters of whales, and tape of whale songs.  School Supplies:  Copies of activity sheets and consumable supplies for activities

 

Coral Reef:  Families will each construct a portion of a coral reef using simple materials.  By the end of the evening you have a coral reef colony! Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, yarn or pipe cleaners, glue, construction paper, toilet paper rolls (optional), scissors.

 

Jelly Bean Key:  Families have fun using a dichotomous key to classify and identify flavors of Jelly Belly® jelly beans.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, Jelly Belly® jelly beans, and small paper cups to distribute jelly beans.

 

Eye Tricks*:  A fun demonstration of “after-image” as families color and then stare at their images for one minute and then look at white paper to see the image that appears.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of worksheets, orange, black, and green crayons, and plain white paper

 

What Your Brain Sees:  Another fun optical illusion due to persistence of vision.  Families spin disks with images on each side and see the motion as a blending of the two images.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, image patterns, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, copies of patterns on card stock, coloring markers/crayons, scissors, rubber bands, and hole punchers.

 

Tongue Twisters *:  A fun activity where families are challenged to say the color of a word instead of reading the word itself.  The brain quickly becomes confused as a demonstration of the Stoop Effect.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and tongue-twister cards.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Depth Illusions:  A fun optical illusion where families watch a swinging pendulum holding a dark lens over one eye.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, sunglass lenses, and pendulum weights.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Who Dunnit?:  Families try to solve a mystery and at the same time learn more about their own fingerprints.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, fingerprint types, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, scotch tape, pencils, and something to clean hands.

 

Lot of Hot Air:  Great demonstration of calculating lung capacities as families blow up balloons and measure its diameter to determine their capacity.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, rulers, calculators, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, balloons, pencils.

 

Impact Craters*:  Families make craters by dropping various objects into a “moon soil” of flour and cocoa mix.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, shakers, crater objects, posters of craters, containers.  School Supplies:  Flour, cocoa mix, copies of instructions.

 

Crystals:  Families construct models of the different crystal systems using paper patterns, and then gumdrops and toothpicks.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, patterns; door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and crystal patterns, tape, scissors, gumdrops, and toothpicks.

 

Paper Rockets:  Families build simple paper rockets and blast them off in a competition.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, straws, round-unsharpened pencils, tape, and scissors.

 

Mini-Water Cycle:  Families construct their own version of the water cycle in miniature using ziplock baggies, markers, and wet sand.  Then they take them home and set in a sunny window to watch the water cycle in action!  Center Supplies:  Instructions, permanent markers, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, gallon-sized ziplock baggies, wet sand.

Star Search:  Families discover how adding a drop of water to broken toothpicks will miraculously turn into a star pattern once the wood fibers absorb the water.  Center Supplies:  Family instructions, water droppers, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, flat-sided toothpicks, wax paper, and water.

Lighten Up:  Families compare the electrical consumption of incandescent versus fluorescent light bulbs to see which is better.  Center Supplies: Family instructions, electric meters, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, hand towels, pencils, calculators, electricity.

 

Grades K-2 Math Activities

 

Clip Me Around:  Measurement using standard units of paper clips.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies: Copies of instructions, pencils, and paper clips

 

Just a Minute!:  Time estimation and value.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Bean Sort*:  Sorting, counting, data collection, and graphing.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and baggies of mixed beans.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and pencils or crayons

 

Race to 100*:  Counting to 100, addition.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, dice, door sign, laminated 100 grids, dry-erase markers.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions.

 

Spill and Count*:  Place value, tens, ones. Center Supplies:  Instructions, baggies of dried beans, and frame cards.  School Supplies: Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Roll Big Number*:  Place value, hundreds, tens, ones. Center Supplies:   Instructions, dice, and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Roll All Six *:  Probability. Center Supplies:   Instructions, door sign, and dice.  School Supplies:   Copies of worksheet and pencils

 

Space Shapes:  Symmetry and geometric shapes. Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, pattern blocks, and game spinner.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Puzzle Squares:  Geometric shapes and problem solving.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and puzzle blocks.  School Supplies: Copies of instructions

 

Under Construction:  Building one- and three-dimensional geometric shapes using straws.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, straws, pipe cleaners, and scissors

 

Gumdrop Dome*:  Building geometric shapes using toothpicks and gumdrops. Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, gumdrops or other substitute, and toothpicks.

 

Toe-Tac-Tic*:  Problem solving as students try NOT to get three X’s or O’s in a row.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies   Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Domino Duels:  Addition, multiplication, comparing more or less than.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, dominoes, and door sign.  School Supplies   Copies of instructions, pencils, and scratch paper.

 

Domino Woes:  Addition, multiplication, comparing more or less than, data collection.  Center Supplies:   Instructions, dominoes, and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, pencils, and scratch paper.

 

Fraction the Tangram:  Simple fractions, geometric shapes, problem solving.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, tangram puzzle pieces, door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and pencils.

 

Grades 3-5 Math Activities

 

Just a Minute!:  Time estimation and value.  Center Supplies:  Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Roll All Six *:  Probability. Center Supplies:   Instructions, door sign, and dice.  School Supplies:   Copies of worksheet and pencils

 

Space Shapes:  Symmetry and geometric shapes. Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, pattern blocks, and game spinner.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions

 

Pierced Paper*:  Symmetry and geometric shapes, making the “papel picado” decorations of Mexico.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions, tissue or other colored paper, string or yarn, glue sticks, scissors, rulers, and pencils

 

Halves and Not*:  Symmetry, patterns, and geometric shapes. Center Supplies:   Instructions, door sign, and mirrors.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and grids, pencils or colored pens

 

Geo-Panes:  Using toothpicks and clay balls, geometric shapes are constructed according to a provided pattern and submerged into bubble solution. The result is amazing, as the internal structure of each shape forms, creating a three-dimensional “bubble”. Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:   Modeling clay, copies of instructions, toothpicks, string, soapy water, tall and wide containers, and old newspapers.

 

Puzzle Squares:  Geometric shapes and problem solving.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, door sign, and puzzle blocks.  School Supplies: Copies of instructions

 

Under Construction:  Building one- and three-dimensional geometric shapes using straws.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, straws, pipe cleaners, and scissors

 

Gumdrop Dome*:  Building geometric shapes using toothpicks and gumdrops. Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, gumdrops or other substitute, and toothpicks.

 

Toe-Tac-Tic*:  Problem solving as students try NOT to get three X’s or O’s in a row.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies   Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Toothpick Puzzlers:  Problem solving, geometric shapes, diagrams, spatial sense as families try to solve puzzle challenges using toothpicks. Center Supplies: Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies:  Copies of instructions and toothpicks

 

Shrinking Square:  Problem solving, spatial sense, and geometric shapes.  Center Supplies:   Instructions and door sign.  School Supplies   Copies of instructions, pennies, and rulers

 

Dice Battle:  Place value to the millions, comparing large numbers.  Center Supplies:   Instructions, dice, and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Domino Duels:  Addition, multiplication, comparing more or less than.  Center Supplies:  Instructions, dominoes, and door sign.  School Supplies   Copies of instructions, pencils, and scratch paper.

 

Domino Woes:  Addition, multiplication, comparing more or less than, data collection.  Center Supplies:   Instructions, dominoes, and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, pencils, and scratch paper.

 

The Best of Times:  Multiplication card game. Center Supplies:   Instructions, decks of cards, and door sign.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions, pencils, and scratch paper.

 

Tangram Teasers:  Families are challenged to build different shapes using only their tangram puzzle pieces.  Center Supplies:   Instructions, door sign, tangram puzzle pieces.  School Supplies:   Copies of instructions and pencils

 

Grades 5-8:  Math Around the World

The following games are part of a kit which includes all the materials needed to play the games.

NIM:  This math game is said to originate from ancient China and involves game theory, a growing branch of modern mathematics.  Players take turns removing pieces from a game board.  Logic is needed to develop a strategy that will enable a player to always win by removing the last piece.

Kalah:  This math game is played in various forms throughout Africa, the Phillipines, Asia, Brazil, the West Indies, and the United States.  The oldest known Kalah board was found in what is now known as Egypt.  This game of numerical and logical skill relies on strategy, mental math, seeing patterns, anticipating outcomes, and the ability to rapidly grasp visual representations of numbers.

The Tower of Hanoi:  This math game was invented by a French mathematician who was inspired by a Hindu legend of a pyramid puzzle for temple priests.  This game provides a strong correlation to Algebra and Functions math strands.

Shongo Networks:  This math game traces its origin to the Congo Basin of Africa.  Players determine whether networks are traceable and if so, whether there are multiple ways to trace them.  This is an important part of network or graph theory.

Magic Squares:  This math game originated in China and allows players to discover a variety of patterns numerically or visually.  Players then can use their logic and problem solving skills to determine a pattern.

Game Sticks:  This math game originated among the Native Americans living in the West and Southwest.  Six sticks are tossed at a time in this game of probability and statistics.

Games of Alignment:  The exact origin of these games is unknown.  However, old gameboards have been found in Egypt, China, Crete, Ireland, Norway, Rome, and Sri Lanka.  These games involve strategy, game theory, logic, and spatial visualization.

Hex:  This game originated in Denmark and the United States.  Hex is a strategy game that also involves spatial visualization, logic, and problem solving.