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TPP STEM Blog

Love Potion STEM Valentines Activity

1/31/2025

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Welcome, STEM Princesses! Let's dive into the magical world of chemistry to create our very own Love Potion No. 1! 
​
Don’t worry — this isn’t just any fairytale potion; it’s a scientific experiment in disguise!
Using sparkly science, and enchanting ingredients, we’ll explore how different substances mix, just like real chemists do in their laboratories. Along the way, we’ll learn about density and polarity all while crafting a sparkly potion fit for a princess!

So grab your tiaras and your safety glasses — it’s time to discover the magic of STEM! 
Picture

Supplies

Picture
  • Heart shaped jar (glass jar linked, but recommend plastic if a child will be playing with it)
  • Baby oil
  • Food Coloring
  • Sparkles / Glitter
  • Optional, but recommended - hot glue sticks and hot glue gun

Instructions

  1. Fill your heart shaped jar approximately halfway with baby oil (approximately 75 ml for the sample jar)​
    You can substitute vegetable oil if you'd prefer a taste safe alternative
  2. Mix approximately the same amount (75 ml for the sample jar) with your favorite food coloring in a separate container
  3. Optionally add in your favorite glitter to the colored water mixture
    You can substitute edible lustre if you'd like a taste safe alternative
  4. Use a funnel to pour the water mixture into your heart shaped jar, making sure you don't overfill it
  5. Tightly place the cork or lid on the jar
  6. Recommended for parents to add hot glue around the lid to make it more secure for play, and of course wait for it to cool before letting your child play!

Questions to ask:
  • What do you think will happen when you shake your potion?
  • What do you notice when you shake your potion?
  • Why do you think the two liquids don't mix?

STEM Vocabulary:
💖 Density – How heavy or light something is compared to its size. In our potion, liquids with different densities will layer instead of mixing—just like oil floating on water!
💖 Polarity – A property that determines what liquids mix and what stay separate. Water is polar (it likes to stick to itself), while oil is non-polar (it doesn’t mix with water). That’s why oil and water don’t blend in our potion!
💖 Solubility – How well something dissolves in a liquid. Some ingredients (like sugar or food coloring) dissolve in water, while others (like glitter or oil) do not.
💖 Viscosity – How thick or thin a liquid is. Honey and syrup have high viscosity (they flow slowly), while water and juice have low viscosity (they flow quickly).

If you'd like some extra special potion activities, check out the full enchanted potions lab below!

Note: Always supervise your child when playing with their love potion. Please read all warnings on ingredients to ensure you know when to contact your doctor if ingested.
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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:

  1. Read Princess Elsie Builds a Castle to learn about the engineering design process!
  2. 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!
  3. 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!
  4. If it falls, try again building a new castle! If it works, you can still experiment with new ways to make a castle!
  5. Share your videos or pictures on social media and tag us @theprincessprogramstem or comment below!
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Static Electricity Wand Experiment

8/24/2024

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Picture
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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