Summer Fun: Post 4th of July STEM Activities

Summer is officially here! As the days grow longer and hotter, you may be looking for some fun, kid- friendly activities to fill up your summer days. Look no further, Mathnasium to the rescue! Although we clearly got caught up in the festivities last weekend, you can still break out these games in between bites of barbecue and apple pie anytime this summer. Here are some STEM activities your kids can enjoy. 

• Recreate the American Flag 

The American flag is a history lesson and a math lesson all in one! The flag is made up of 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies when the United States of America was founded. The stars represent our 50 states. 

For the younger crowd, you can make an easy popsicle stick American flag. Count out 13 popsicle sticks. Using paint, crayons or markers, color seven sticks red and six white to match the flag colors. Then, glue two popsicles sticks vertically to the  back of your colored popsicle sticks to hold everything together. Turning your flag back over, color in the left side of the flag blue or glue down a blue piece of paper cut in the shape of a rectangle. For the last step, glue on 50 silver star stickers (or how ever many you have) or dot your construction paper to represent the 50 states.  Now you’re ready for the parade! 

• Patriotic Paint Fireworks

One of the best things about 4th of July is the fireworks! Although it’s best to leave the real fireworks to the professionals, it doesn’t mean you can’t recreate your own fireworks simulation at home. You’ll need the following supplies: 

• Vinegar and Baking Soda

• Red, White and Blue Washable Paint

• 3 Small Ziplock Bags

• 3 Muffin Cups

• Trash Bags or Newspaper (Optional)

Note: Even though the paint is washable, the activity may be messy, so this activity is best to do outside. 

1. Pour one cup of vinegar into each Ziplock bag. Add two teaspoons of paint to each bag and seal it up. 

2. Add baking soda to each muffin cup until full and save it for later. 

3. If you want to cover your yard from potential paint spray, cover the preferred area with a trash bag or old newspaper to make cleanup easier. 

4. Place the Ziplock baggies on the paper or trash bag. Place a muffin cup in each bag and seal it up again. 

5. Now comes the fun! Shake up the bags, place them back on the paper and stand back! After a few moments, the fireworks should begin. 

Try the activity as many times as you want. Change up the amount of vinegar and baking soda. What happens when you measure and add more vinegar than baking soda, and vice versa? What do you notice? How far does the paint splatter travel? How can you measure the distance? 

• Math Water Blast

What’s the 4th of July without an outside water activity to beat the heat? To play Math Water Blast, grab your Supersoaker water gun or a spray bottle, plastic or foam cups and some math questions.  If you need ideas for the math questions, The National Museum of Mathematics has some quick patriotic math trivia with some cool math facts about the 4th of July holiday here. 

1. To get started, decorate cups for each participant with colored markers, stickers, or a decoration of your choice. 

2. Line the cups up on a table side by side and fill up your water gun or spray bottle with water. 

3.  Ask each participant a math question.  Let your child work out the problems on scratch paper or on a chalkboard, if needed. 

4. Each correct answer equals to one point and the chance to spray their cup and try to knock it down.

5. If the player answers incorrectly, the opposing players get a chance to spray their cup. 

6. The first person to knock over all their cups wins the game!

If no one knocks their cups over in the first round, increase the degree of difficulty of the math questions in the 2nd round, and so on. For an extra challenge, if the question has to be solved on the chalkboard, add a time limit for an answer. 

If you’re looking for more summer math inspiration, Mathnasium is offering summer instruction for children in grades 2 through 12. We offer in-center learning taught by our expert instructors. If virtual instruction works better for you and your child’s schedule, we also offer live, virtual instruction at no extra cost to you! Take advantage of this great opportunity to allow your child to stay ahead this summer. Give us a call today or reach out to us via text or online to schedule your child’s free math assessment.