Category: Activity

Build a Castle & Discover the Magic of EngiNEERING!

11/18/2024

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Supplies:

Blocks or you can substitute blocks for any building materials, including recycled craft supplies

Activity:

Read Princess Elsie Builds a Castle to learn about the engineering design process!
Build your own castle that can withstand strong winds and an earthquake! You can use the next page to walk through the engineering design process - start by asking questions, researching other castle ideas, brainstorming or imagining the possibilities, and then prototyping!
Test your castle in strong winds by flapping a large piece of cardboard near it (just like the dragon in Princess Elsie!).
Test your castle for earthquake resistance by jumping up and down next to it!
If it falls, try again building a new castle! If it works, you can still experiment with new ways to make a castle!
Share your videos or pictures on social media and tag us @theprincessprogramstem or comment below!

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Celebrate World Space Week

10/10/2024

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World Space Week is a special time when people all over the world celebrate everything about space! It happens every year from October 4th to October 10th. During this week, we learn about stars, planets, astronauts, and rockets. People also talk about all the amazing things humans have done in space, like landing on the moon or sending robots to explore Mars.

Celebrate with fun activities to help your kids understand space and how scientists explore it. We have 2 special coloring pages and 2 easy activities you can do at home:

World Space Week is celebrated at this time because of two important events in space history:

October 4, 1957: The launch of Sputnik 1, the first satellite to go into space. This was the start of space exploration, and it was a huge achievement for humanity!
October 10, 1967: The signing of the Outer Space Treaty, which created rules for how countries should explore and use space peacefully. It’s like an agreement for keeping space safe and fair for everyone.

These dates were chosen to honor those two big moments in space history!

Shop for Space Toys

Check out a few space themed toys and craft kits you can also try with your little STEM Princess! These are all Amazon Affiliate Links and a portion of the sales for any purchases may be used to advance The Princess Program STEM mission.

Happy World Space Week!!

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Static Electricity Wand Experiment

8/24/2024

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Supplies (affiliate links):

recycled thin plastic bag
plastic rod or thin PVC pipe
piece of wool or fur

Instructions:
1) Cut a small piece or a loop from the recycled plastic bag.
2) Rub the piece of plastic bag on the piece of wool or fur for 30 seconds.
3) Run the plastic rod on the wool or fur for 30 seconds.
4) Hold the small plastic loop above the plastic rod and see what happens!
Note: Plastic bags could pose a suffocation hazard to young children, so please ensure they are supervised at all times while playing with their magic wand.

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LED Magic Wand DIY

7/13/2024

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Note: All crafts and activities are to be done with adult supervision, and the use of any developed products should be supervised as well. Some parts may not be suitable for young children, so please follow the manufacturer's guidelines for all supplies used.

Supplies (with affiliate links):
- electrical tape
- LED
- popsicle sticks
- copper tape
- CR2032 battery
- scissors

Instructions:
1) Wrap a strip of copper tape all the way around one of the popsicle sticks horizontally approximately 1/3 of the way up the stick.
2) Wrap another strip of copper tape all the way around the same popsicle stick horizontally about 1cm below the first strip of copper tape.
3) On the same popsicle stick, run a piece of copper tape from each loop of copper tape to the end of the popsicle stick, making sure the copper tape touches the loops. This will leave a gap with no copper tape between both loops.
4) On another popsicle stick, run a piece of copper tape along the whole length of one side of the popsicle stick.
5) Cut approximately 1 inch off the third popsicle stick.
6) On the 1 inch piece of the popsicle stick, run a piece of copper tape along the whole length of one side of the piece.
7) Use copper tape to attach one side of the LED leads to the top of each of the long popsicle sticks.
8) Test the battery and LED by placing it between the two popsicle sticks right below the LED and squeezing. If it doesn't work, try flipping the battery upside down, try a different battery, or try swapping out the LED by removing the copper tape and replacing it.
9) Place the cut popsicle stick between the two popsicle sticks, with the copper tape on the inside.
10) Place the battery in between the two popsicle sticks where the 1 inch segment was cut out.
11) Use electrical tape to wrap the popsicle sticks together. Make sure to put extra tape around where the battery is attached to keep it secure!
12) Cut a small piece of electrical tape and use it to attach the small 1 inch piece of popsicle stick where the two loops of copper tape are on the outside of the wand. Make sure the copper tape of the small piece is facing the wand.
13) Press the 1 inch piece of popsicle stick - this is now your on switch - and watch your wand light up!

What spells are you going to cast?

Ask questions or share pictures of your magic wand in the comments below!

Note: The battery used in this craft could pose a safety risk to young children. If swallowed, please contact your doctor and seek medical attention immediately.

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TPP STEM Blog

Build a Castle & Discover the Magic of EngiNEERING!

Celebrate World Space Week

Shop for Space Toys

Static Electricity Wand Experiment

LED Magic Wand DIY

TPPS STEM Supplies

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