STEm week: Independence Day

STEM is back in the Children's Gallery and we had a very busy first week!

In honor of the holiday, the STEM theme is Independence Day. There were three STEM-based activities: Painting Fireworks, Construct a Monument, and Cracking Jefferson's Code. 

The first activity was Painting Fireworks.
To do this activity, you need:
- Dish soap
- Acrylic paint
- Water
- A blank sheet of paper
First, you blow into the mixture with a straw, creating bubbles! Then, you take a sheet of paper and place it on top of the bubbles. Once you pull the paper away, a design is left on the paper where the bubbles were! This is a super fun and creative activity! (As well as a little messy!)

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The second activity was Construct a Monument. We used mini marshmallows and toothpicks to design our own monuments! This enjoyable activity lets you work with different materials to construct something extraordinary. It's simple and fun to do!​

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The third activity was Cracking Jefferson's Code!
To do this activity, you need:
- 2 printed out circles with the alphabet
- Glue
- A paper pin

Once the decoder is put together, you have to choose 2 secret letters; for example, we used TJ in honor of Thomas Jefferson! The T is the outer letter and the J is the inner letter. Once you have those, you can create and decode your own secret messages! This was a super fun activity once we got the hang of it. 

There are plenty of fun, creative, and instructional activities for kids to take part in! Come back each week for different STEM-based games, crafts, and other activities! We are looking forward to seeing you here in the coming weeks. Make sure to check back every Wednesday for a new update on what the theme and activities are for the week! 

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