Look! We're Learning!

Early Learning. Happy Teaching.

  • Shop
  • Printables
  • Homeschool
  • Crafts
  • Parenting
  • Blog
Make engineering fun with this printable Build A House STEM Challenge Cards for kids!

Build A House STEM Challenge Cards

October 7, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM education can feel a little overwhelming at times.

Especially if you’re an English major (like myself).

But STEM is really just about applying science, technology, math, and engineering into a hands-on concept.

Which means designing structures, three-dimensional shapes, and so on by using scientific principles, math concepts, and construction techniques.

Put simply – it’s building things with math, science, and technology skills.

So we can totally do this. And these printable Build A House STEM challenge cards are a fun way to get started!

Printable Build a House STEM Challenge Cards

Think of STEM as designing a solution to a real-world problem.

When we help students imagine ways to solve common problems, we encourage them to think creatively, develop plans, and collaborate – all very useful skills.

Build A House STEM Challenge for Kids

Read on to see how to get your set of these STEM challenge cards for free!

And, be sure to check out our list of weather STEM learning ideas while you’re here!

Make engineering fun with this printable Build A House STEM Challenge Cards for kids!

Build A House STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

To use these Build A House STEM challenge cards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Printer (with ink)
  • Cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Laminator (optional)
  • Building materials: index cards, toilet paper rolls, construction paper, etc.
Elementary STEM Building Challenge Cards

This set of STEM activity cards features 16 different design challenges for students.

They’re given eight ideas for building a house with specific materials and eight ideas for building a house with specific features.

Building a House STEM Challenge for Elementary

A blackline version of the cards is included too!

How to Use These Build A House STEM Challenge Cards with Students

It’s important to help students remember that they are not required to use only the building material on the card.

But the item listed should be the primary material.

For example, if they are working on the card that says “Build a house using construction paper”, they’re welcome to use fasteners, such as glue, tape, paper fasteners, etc.

Simple Engineering STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

If you have students who are new to STEM, they may feel overwhelmed and not sure where to begin.

Stimulate their creativity by asking questions such as: “If I wanted to build a house with index cards, how could I get started?” “Should I begin by forming the walls or the roof?” “How do you think we can get the house to stand up?”

Fun House Building STEM Challenge Cards

One of my favorite techniques is to suggest something ridiculous that would never work.

The kids can’t wait to correct my idea with something better!

Design a House STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

You may want to start by having students choose one of the “Build a house using…” cards.

This will give them some time to practice designing and building a 3D structure.

Simple STEM Challenge Cards for Building a House

Then introduce the “Build a house with…” cards to challenge them to add new features, such as a working door, a swimming pool, and more.

Design a House STEM Challenge

Scroll down to get your set of these Build A House STEM Challenge Cards – free!

Try some of these other ideas for teaching STEM to elementary students!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!
Help students measure and compare objects with these printable weight STEM challenge cards!
This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!
Printable STEM Challenge Cards for Kids to Build a House

To get your set of these Build A House STEM Challenge Cards, click the image or the link below to have them sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday!

Click here to get your printable resource

>>> Build A House STEM Challenge Cards <<<

Help students measure and compare objects with these printable weight STEM challenge cards!

Printable Weight STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

February 9, 2021 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If you’re new to teaching STEM, introducing it to students can feel like learning to speak a new language.

For those of us who started teaching years ago, combining science, technology, engineering, and math is a completely different way of teaching than we’re accustomed to using.

So I’m all about the simple STEM challenges at home and in the classroom. If you can take the mystery out of STEM, it suddenly starts to make sense – to us and to our students.

Which is where these printable weight STEM challenge cards come in handy!

What Weighs More STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

These are perfect for a quick STEM activity at science centers, in small groups, and for after-school assignments.

They’d also be excellent if you’re homeschooling and trying to implement more STEM education this year.

And they’re no prep!

Read on to get your set of these STEM challenge cards – free!

And, for more ways to use STEM, take a look at our list of 20 STEM activities you can do when distance learning!

Help students measure and compare objects with these printable weight STEM challenge cards!

Printable Weight STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

To use these weight STEM challenge cards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Printer (with ink)
  • Cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Bucket balance scale or digital classroom scale (depending on grade level)
Weight STEM Challenge Cards

These are so simple for students in early grades!

Use the supplies list to gather basic items, such as marbles, bolts, sticks, leaves, and rubber bands.

Weight STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

Then count out the number of items on each card.

Use a scale to determine which group of items weighs more and let students record their findings.

Printable Weight STEM Challenge

You can use this activity as a bridge to discuss gravity (which affects how we perceive weight), measurement, and even comparing numbers.

Once all of the challenge cards have been completed, let your students present their findings.

Depending on their grade level, they can even report the specific weights of each group of objects and calculate the difference.

Scroll down to get your set of printable weight STEM challenge cards!

Don’t miss these other ways to use STEM in the classroom!

This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!
These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!
Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!
Printable Weight STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

To get your set of weight STEM challenge cards, click the image below!

You’ll sign up for our free email newsletter and you’ll get the challenge cards sent directly to your inbox!

Click here to get your free printable!

These printable LEGO STEM Building Challenge Cards are a fun way to get kids into STEM building over the summer!

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

June 1, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Anyone else have kids who get a new toy and then are bored with it ten minutes later?

I think this is pretty common, but I didn’t expect it to happen when we got our kids a set of LEGO blocks.

I imagined my children making endless creations and showing them off to all of their friends. Also, I was kind of hoping at least one of them would take to engineering.

What actually happened was that we bought the blocks and they just sat in the closet for months on end.

Turns out my kids needed a little inspiration jump start.

So I’m glad to share these printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards with all of you – in case yours need a little boost too.

Fun LEGO STEM Challenge Cards for Kids

There are enough LEGO building ideas here for four weeks of open-ended STEM play!

Which can be a real lifesaver on long afternoons, believe me.

Keep reading to see how to get your set – free!

Ready for more fun with LEGO blocks? Take a look at our list of 20 LEGO STEAM Activities for kids to try!

These printable LEGO STEM Building Challenge Cards are a fun way to get kids into STEM building over the summer!

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

To use these printable LEGO STEM Challenge Cards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Printer (with ink)
  • Printer Paper
  • Scissors
  • Laminator (optional)
  • Lego blocks
Printable Lego STEM Challenge Cards

This printable LEGO building challenge features 28 different LEGO build ideas for kids.

Each idea features a specific component, but also leaves much to each child’s imagination.

Printable Lego STEM Challenge Building Cards

Several of the LEGO build ideas also include other concepts, such as science, math, and engineering.

So these are awesome for a quick STEM activity with students of just about any age!

LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards for Kids

Do you have specific LEGO ideas you’d like your kids to try? Do they have specific challenge ideas of their own?

This set also includes six blank LEGO challenge cards, so you can let the kids challenge one another (or you) to make a creation as well.

If you’d like, you can laminate the blank cards and then let the kids write challenges with dry erase markers. That way, you can wipe them clean and let them come up with more ideas later!

STEM Lego Challenge Building Cards

Scroll down to get your set of these printable LEGO Building Challenge Cards!

Looking for more fun ways to learn with STEM? Try these activities!

This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!
These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!
Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!

LEGO STEM Printable Building Challenge Cards for Kids

To get your copy of these printable STEM LEGO Challenge Cards, click the image or the link below to have them sent to your inbox – free!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday night!

Click here to get your free printable

>>> LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards <<<

This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!

20 Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

May 21, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Many parents and educators are practicing what’s called “distance learning” these days.

Rather than children going to a physical class and learning directly from their teachers, they might be learning concepts online and conducting science experiments while still at home.

If you’re a teacher or a parent struggling to work with STEM in early grades while learning from home, these distance learning STEM activities for kids can help!

Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

These are simple, hands-on learning ideas that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math, as well as Art – if you prefer to learn STEAM concepts.

Read on to see the full list below!

And, for more ways to learn STEM in early grades, take a look at our list of easy weather STEM activities for kids!

This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!

How to Use STEM Activities With Kids

If you’re feeling intimidated by teaching STEM to early learners, don’t be!

You don’t have to include all five STEAM disciplines in each activity. As long as the lesson or learning activity includes two of these concepts, you’re good.

A simple way to think about STEM is “How can I bring this learning concept off the page to a real-world application?”

So, for example, if you’re learning about a math topic, how can you make it into a hands-on activity that students can work with kinesthetically?

The goal is to take learning from something students just memorize to a concept they truly understand from multiple viewpoints.

20 Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

The list of 20 distance learning STEM activities for kids below can help you think of lots of other ways to make teaching STEM fun!

1. Lego Bar Graphing – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Lemon Volcano Science Experiment – STEAM Powered Family

3. Math Facts Building Cards – Left Brain Craft Brain

4. Build an Umbrella Challenge – Raising Lifelong Learners

5. Wire Wood Building Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning

6. Glittery Germy Hands Experiment – The Soccer Mom Blog

7. Butterfly Chromatography Experiment – Buggy and Buddy

8. Science in Motion Apple Game – The Educators’ Spin On It

9. Respiratory System Investigation – Life Over Cs

10. Bacteria Science Experiments – Our Journey Westward

20 Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities

11. Astronomy Moon Journal – Buggy and Buddy

12. Build a Mini Greenhouse – Kids Activities Blog

13. STEM Skittles Activity – The Inspiration Edit

14. Hatching Dinosaur Eggs Activity – STEAM Powered Family

15. Grow a Rainbow Experiment – The Best Ideas for Kids

16. Building Block Challenge – Life Over Cs

17. Make a Paperclip Float Experiment – Raising Lifelong Learners

18. Light Up Rocket Bookmark – Left Brain Craft Brain

19. Sandbox Volcano Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

20. Apple Build and Count Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning

Take a look at these other simple ways to teach STEM!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!
Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!
These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

February 11, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM activities for kids are super popular these days.

And with good reason! If you can incorporate several subjects into a hands-on activity, it’s always a hit with students.

With spring rapidly approaching, it’s a great time to learn about weather with kids. And these fun weather STEM activities make this topic easy and fun!

These simple STEM experiments are perfect for small groups, weather units, science centers, after school, homeschooling, and more!

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

If you’re feeling intimidated by teaching STEM, using a familiar science concept like weather is a great way to get started. 

Personally, once I started using STEM projects with students, I found that it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I thought it would be. 

And, with a fun concept like weather, it’s easy to get kids excited about these hands-on science projects!

Read on to see the full list of fun weather activities for kids. And for more ways to work with STEM, don’t miss our list of easy STEM activities for early grades!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

1. Coffee Can Condensation – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Hands-On Weather Graphing Activity – Rainy Day Mum

3. International Weather Tracking Activity – Mama Smiles

4. Wind Science Experiment – Teach Me Mommy

5. Build a Wind Turbine – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

6. DIY Lightning Experiment – Learn Play Imagine

7. Rain Cloud Weather Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

8. Make a Tornado In a Bottle – Gift of Curiosity

15 Simple Weather STEM Activities for Kids

9. Snowstorm In a Jar Experiment – B-Inspired Mama

10. DIY Pudding Cup Anemometer – Parenting Chaos

11. Make a DIY Thermometer – Lemon Lime Adventures

12. DIY Hurricane Experiment – Inspiration Laboratories

13. Shadow Towers STEM Challenge – No Time for Flashcards

14. Kite Flying Wind Activity – KC Edventures

15. Solar Heat STEM Activity – STEAM Powered Family

Did you enjoy these Weather STEM activities for kids? Take a look at these other science learning ideas!

Ready to teach the kids about space? This printable solar system science unit study is perfect for exploring the members of our solar system!

These spring science ideas are wonderful for teaching science to the kids this year!

Teach students about animals with this animal diets and habitats sorting activity! Such an easy way to learn about animal science with young learners!

Follow my It’s Science! Pinterest board for more ways to make learning science fun!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are perfect for spring science experiments at home or in the classroom!

Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!

20 Fun LEGO STEM Activities for Kids

July 4, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEAM education is everywhere these days.

In fact, many schools now offer specialized classes and camps for kids who have an interest in learning science, technology, engineering, art, and math together.

If you’re new to teaching these concepts, though, STEM can be a little intimidating. 

But it doesn’t have to be! You can actually make STEM education fun. Especially if you try some of these fun LEGO STEM activities with the kids!

Bring STEAM learning to life with these fun and easy LEGO STEAM activities for kids!

I don’t know a single child who doesn’t love building with LEGO. And anytime we can make learning into a hands-on experience, our kids have a much easier time grasping the concept we’re teaching.

So when you use LEGO bricks to demonstrate abstract concepts, it becomes so much easier for children to understand what they’re learning. 

And, if you can make learning into a fun activity, then you won’t have to pull teeth to get the kids to do schoolwork, right?

Take a look at these easy STEAM activities below and try to find a few your kids might like! Don’t forget to see our roundup of 45 easy STEM activities you can try at home too!

Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!

20 Fun LEGO STEM Activities for Kids

1. LEGO Bar Graphs – Look! We’re Learning!

2. 10 Frames Math with Lego – A Little Pinch of Perfect

3. Timed Lego Build Game – Simple Play Ideas

4. Lego Science Scavenger Hunt – Fun a Day

5. Coding a Lego Maze – Research Parent

6. Lego Balance Scale STEM Project – Kids Activities Blog

7. Lego Displacement Experiment – Lemon Lime Adventures

8. Printable Lego Challenge Game – Artsy Fartsy Mama

9. Lego Bridge Building Challenge – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

10. Lego Solar System – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

11. Lego Stamping Activity – Powerful Mothering

12. Lego Number Identification – Simple Play Ideas

13. Lego Skip Counting – Kids Activities Blog

14. Pick Two Lego Math Game – Creative Family Fun

15. Lego Shadow Towers Science – Lemon Lime Adventures

16. Lego Pulleys STEM Building Challenge – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

17. Printable Lego Challenge Card Game – One Mama’s Daily Drama

18. Lego Challenge Wind Racers – Lego Librarian

19. Lego Pendulum Painting – Kids Craft Room

20. Building Lego Paper Machines Challenge – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

More LEGO STEM Activities for Kids to Try

Do your kids love LEGO so much they’ll want even more LEGO STEM activities to try? Here are some of our very favorite LEGO learning ideas your kids might like too!

(This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

LEGO Chain Reactions Building Kit

LEGO Creator Pirate Roller Coaster Building Kit

LEGO Wild Wool Preschool Game

Did you love these LEGO STEM activities? Try some of these other STEM learning ideas too!

These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!

10 Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

And see even more ways to teach STEM at home on my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!

45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

April 2, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

These easy STEM activities for kids are great for adding some hands-on fun to learning science, technology, engineering, and math!

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities are a staple in our homeschool lessons. It allows my kids to have fun and learn at the same time. One minute they might be mixing potions for a science project and the next working on a math activity.

But, of course, STEM learning isn’t just for homeschoolers. And that’s why I’ve rounded up 45 awesome and easy STEM activities that work great for classroom activities or after-school activities if you don’t homeschool.

Take a look at the list below to find some cool hands-on learning activities for teaching STEM subjects! And, for more science fun, check out our list of 40 spring science ideas for kids!

These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!

45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Floating Egg Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Expanding and Bouncing Egg Experiment – Blue Bear Wood

3. Simple Skittles Science Experiment – East Coast Mommy

4. Bottle Rockets – STEAM Powered Family

5. Nature Engineering Challenge – Share It Science

6. Build a Catapult – Science Sparks

7. Newspaper Trees – The Wise Owl Factory

8. Fidget Spinner Inertia Experiment – From Engineer to SAHM

9. 3D Phases of the Moon Activity – KC Edventures

10. Felt Circle Fractions – In Our Pond

11. DIY Inventor’s Box – Little Worlds Big Adventures

12. DIY Lego Launcher – Thriving STEM

13. Pipe and Water Play – Moms and Crafters

14. DIY Anemometer – Capri + 3

15. Compare Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Materials – Mother Natured

16. Wheels On the Bus Motion Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

17. Shark Coding Game – Life with Moore Babies

18. Build a Straw Hexbug Maze – Buggy and Buddy

19. Straw and Circle Glider – Red Ted Art

20. Weather Vs. Erosion Experiment – The Natural Homeschool

21. Building Block STEM Challenge Cards – Life Over C’s

22. Foaming Dragon Science Experiment – The Joys of Boys

23. STEM Paper Columns – Creekside Learning

Visit the next page for more easy STEM activities kids can do!

Pages: 1 2
Learn to use if else statements and other advanced coding functions for kids with Bitsbox!

Advanced Coding Lessons for Kids with Bitsbox

March 3, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Since we’ve been working on coding with our middle schooler this year, she’s learned how to write code for apps, video games, and more! So in this month’s Bitsbox box, we were excited to see her branching into some advanced coding lessons for kids, including if – else statements and sin() functions.

And to top if all off, she got to explore these coding techniques while creating fun fairy-tale inspired apps and art! See how we used the Bitsbox A Land Far Away box to introduce advanced coding skills with absolutely no tears!

Why Our Kids Love Coding with Bitsbox

If you want to see more Bitsbox coding in action, be sure to check out how we used our first box to introduce coding for kids to our tween and how we used our second box to explore robotics!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Learn to use if else statements and other advanced coding functions for kids with Bitsbox!

Bitsbox A Land Far Away Subscription Box Unboxing

I always like to begin these posts with a look at what’s inside the Bitsbox deluxe subscription box. Each month’s box has a different theme, so when you purchase a Bitsbox subscription, your child get a new set of apps to create based on a new theme in each box. This month’s theme was “A Land Far Away” and all of the apps were inspired by fairy tales.

Bitsbox A Land Far Away Box

Look at all this coding goodness! What I love about Bitsbox is that they make coding fun for kids, so when you buy the deluxe subscription, you always get a few extra toys along with your coding cards for the month.

Bitsbox A Land Far Away Unboxing

This month we had trading cards for making mini apps, supersize cards for building advanced applications, temporary fairy-tale tattoos, a sheet of app stickers for keeping track of her progress through the unit, a Cata-pencil (yep, you guessed it – a pencil with a catapult on top) and a movable wooden snake.

Shortly after this picture was taken, my sons discovered the snake and ran off with it. I’ll probably never see it again.

Assembling the Bitsbox Binder

The first thing we did was to add our new coding cards to our Bitsbox binder. We received that along with our second box last month. As we shuffled through the cards, Tigger found two apps she wanted to make right away.

Choosing a Bitsbox App to Code

A mini app called “Dream Catcher”.

Exploring Code Functions with Bitsbox

And a supersized app called “Bling This Thing”. Color me surprised.

A Look at the Bitsbox Coding Binder

Once we had all of the app cards in the binder, it was time to get started!

Advanced Coding Lessons for Kids with Bitsbox

In the Grown-Up Guide (seen in the unboxing picture at the beginning), Bitsbox adds a bit of explanation for parents about exactly what our kids will learn in this box. By the way, that guide is a life-saver. A lot of us parents are like “Huh?” when we hear coding terminology, so that overview was very helpful.

One of the skills used this month is the if-else statement, which is an important skill to use for JavaScript programming. If-else statements are also used in Microsoft Excel and in basic logic, so they’re very useful.

Coding the Bitsbox Dream Catcher App

The apps Tigger wanted to work with first don’t use this function. But one does use the sin() function, a skill used in C programming. When she saw that one app let her make art, she was off and running with that one, no matter what programming functions it used.

Working with Advanced Coding Functions

Since Dream Catcher is a mini app, it only requires a few lines of code. She had it completed in just a few minutes. And it creates this:

Pretty neat, right? It’s a look at how math can be used to create actual art!

After that, it was on to the app “Bling This Thing” – the one she was most excited to create this month.

Coding with Advanced Functions

“Bling This Thing” lets kids choose an object to decorate with jewels. And you can choose really any of the available coding stamps in the unit: cupcakes, crowns, thrones, even monsters!

You can also choose which jewels you’d like to show up as available stones, whether you want the app to select random jewels, and if you want to add any sounds when the jewels appear. It’s a really great exercise in customizing coding to create a desired result – super helpful if your kids are thinking about coding or graphic design for a living.

Exploring Coding as Siblings

This app was such a big hit that my third-grader tore himself away from the wooden snake to come out and watch. (Side note: There is no doubt that these children are siblings. Wow.)

It works! Tigger found that she could customize the app even more, slowing down or speeding up the appearance of each jewel or deciding which way the jewels would rotate as they showed up.

Keeping Track of Completed Bitsbox Apps

After we were done, she added the “Bling This Thing” sticker to her app tracker guide to mark it as completed.

We have absolutely loved learning to code with Bitsbox! In just three months, my tween has learned that computer coding is used to create apps, video games, graphic design, sound effects, and images.

Plus, she’s learned how to use coordinate geometry, sin() functions, and JavaScript programming language – without any mind-numbing boredom. After all, when your twelve-year-old asks you to code for fun, you know you’re on the right track.

Learning to Code at Home with Bitsbox

Sign up for a Bitsbox subscription yourself and let your children take some advanced coding lessons for kids at home! If you want to try just one box to see how you like it, visit the One-Time Product Shop to buy a single box!

Don’t forget: You can save 20 percent on a brand new Bitsbox subscription with you use the promo code SELENA20! (This code is only valid on new subscriptions and does not apply to purchases from the One-Time Product Shop. All subscriptions automatically renew on the first of the month.)

Want to learn more about Bitsbox? Sign up for the Bitsbox mailing list to learn about new products, boxes, and upcoming promotions! And if you want more ideas for teaching with Bitsbox, sign up for the educator mailing list!

Be sure to check out Bitsbox on social media:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

See our other Bitsbox reviews below!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

See how we used our Bitsbox subscription box to cover introductory robotics for kids! My middle schooler loved it!

And follow my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board for more engineering inspiration!

See how we used our Bitsbox subscription box to cover introductory robotics for kids! My middle schooler loved it!

Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox!

February 10, 2017 by Selena Robinson

We’ve been working on STEM concepts with our middle schooler for the past several months and she’s been enjoying learning science, technology, and even math concepts along the way. Our Bitsbox subscription has been a huge help in this. This girl absolutely hated math a year ago, but now that she’s learning how to use it to make things, she’s seeing mathematics in a whole new way!

This month’s Bitsbox subscription box came with a new theme: Robots! And it was a perfect way to cover introductory robotics for kids with my sixth-grader! Read on to see what’s in the Bitsbox Robo Boogie box and how we used it to code a robot video game!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

See how we used our Bitsbox subscription box to cover introductory robotics for kids! My middle schooler loved it!

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Subscription Box

Last month, we got the introductory Bitsbox basic subscription box: Animal House. So this month we were on the next box with the theme: Robo Boogie! As you might guess, it’s all about having fun with robotics!

Bitsbox Subscription Box Review - Look! We're Learning!

One of the best things about a Bitsbox subscription is that it starts being fun as soon as you pop open the box. There’s absolutely no drudgery about learning to code with these kits.

Bitsbox Subscription Box Unboxing - Look! We're Learning!

The Robo Boogie box included a new set of app supercards, a miniature app trading card pack, a set of temporary robot tattoos, a super nifty deluxe binder for storing all of our cards, and a fun Cubebot toy. (As a mom nerd, I was most psyched about the binder. I am not ashamed of this.)

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Supercards - Look! We're Learning!

Each supercard contains a fun robot-themed app that kids can code using the code on the back. There are also cards with tips and tricks for making each app a bit unique.

Bitsbox Subscription Box Trading Cards - Look! We're Learning!

The trading cards are tiny little app instructions for mini coding sessions.

Bitsbox Cubebot Toy - Look! We're Learning!

And the Cubebot was a fun “extra” in the kit. It’s actually a really neat toy. It comes as a perfect cube. But if you move the pieces around, you get a robot! The challenge is getting him back into a perfect cube again. It’s hard!

Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox

Bitsbox Robo Boogie Mini Apps - Look! We're Learning!

After we organized all of the supercards into our brand new binder, Tigger decided to start with the app “Robodog Loves Robocat”. At the risk of sounding condescending, I knew she’d pick that one first. 🙂

Working on Bitsbox Robo Boogie Apps - Look! We're Learning!

So she read the coding instructions, signed in to her Bitsbox account, and got to writing the code. After completing the initial app, she wanted to add a bit of “flair”. So we flipped to another supercard and found a unique fill to add as the background.

Robodog Loves Robocat Bitsbox App - Look! We're Learning!

Ta-da! This is Robodog Loves Robocat with the Future City background. When you click Play, the robot dog chases the robot cat off the screen. Neat!

Keeping Track of Completed Bitsbox Apps - Look! We're Learning!

As you move through a Bitsbox subscription box, you can keep track of the apps you’ve completed with this fun sticker page. One down, eleven to go.

Bitsbox Castle Defender App - Look! We're Learning!

For the next app, Tigger really wanted to code “Castle Defender.” If you look at the top right corner, you’ll see that this app has an icon that shows the needle all the way to the right. That means this is an app with a higher degree of difficulty.

I pointed that out to Tigger, but she would not be swayed. She was determined to code that app. I love it.

Coding the Bitsbox Castle Defender App - Look! We're Learning!

She read the instructions, stopping to test it after each step. According to the instructions, the game includes two characters: a heroic, selfless rock and an evil robot. After double-checking the code and re-reading the instructions, we ended up with a pretty neat robot video game!

As you can hear, even my little ones came in to watch the game being played. They all wanted a chance to try!

The original coding instructions call for the rock to spin at a rate of 15, but when we tried to play it that way, we had a hard time hitting the robot. With a little tweaking (reducing the speed to 5), we got a speed we could manage better.

And that’s one of the biggest parts of engineering: tweaking code to suit your (or your client’s) vision. I love how easily she’s learning these concepts without feeling bored or overwhelmed.

Completed Bitsbox App Tracker - Look! We're Learning!

Boom! Another app successfully coded in this month’s box!

Coding a Robot Video Game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

Now that Tigger sees what you can code robots to do in an app, we’re going to start researching how robotics engineers use coding to program actual robots to move, speak, and more. This was a wonderful way to start learning about that field!

Introductory Robotics for Kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

Our Bitsbox subscription just keeps getting better. We’re looking forward to sharing next month’s box with you!

Be sure to check out the Bitsbox Basic Subscription and sign up! You can choose from one-month, three-month, or twelve-month plans – and they are all amazing! Or if you just want to buy a box outright, you can do that in the One-Time Shop! Great for testing the box to see if your kids love it! (They will.)

PROMO CODE: Save 20% on a new Bitsbox subscription of any length with the special Bitsbox promo code SELENA20! This code does not expire, but it does not apply to purchases from the One-Time Shop or to subscription renewals. New subscriptions only. All subscriptions renew automatically on the first of the month, unless canceled.

For more information about Bitsbox subscription offers and boxes, sign up for the Bitsbox mailing list! And get special tips for teaching with Bitsbox when you sign up for the teachers’ mailing list! Plus, keep up with Bitsbox online at:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Want more details about Bitsbox? Check out our review of the first subscription box!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

Plus, learn more about teaching STEM to kids on my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

Engineering a Toothpick Bridge for Kids

STEM for Homeschoolers: How to Build a Toothpick Bridge with Pitsco Education!

January 3, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

STEM education is a huge priority in our homeschool these days. We’ve got a busy middle schooler and I want her to get a good introduction to science, technology, engineering, and math during these years. That way, as she goes on in her schooling, she won’t be intimidated by these subjects later. And who knows? Maybe she’ll become an engineer herself!

So I jumped at the chance to try the Toothpick Bridges Maker Project from Pitsco Education! See how this curriculum helps kids learn how to build a toothpick bridge and learn about design and engineering at the same time!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Engineering a Toothpick Bridge for Kids

Pitsco Education Toothpick Bridges Maker Project

Pitsco Education offers many, many resources for homeschoolers who want to work on STEM concepts with their kids. Each of the resources are grouped by category. For example, if you want to focus on math, you can browse plenty of awesome math projects. What I love about Pitsco’s product selection is that all of the lessons feature hands-on projects, which are an incredible teaching method for active homeschoolers (like ours).

The Pitsco Education Toothpick Bridges Maker Project was the foundation for our lesson. In the kit, there are:

  • Structural glue
  • A ton of toothpicks
  • Bottles for handling the glue
  • A toothpick bridge tester
  • And an instructional video on how to design your own toothpick bridge

We also received the complete lesson plan Masterpiece Toothpick Bridges: A Guide for Teachers and Students, which was a huge help for me as the educator. The plan includes plenty of activities, research, and illustrations to make an entire month of lessons based on this concept. It’s very, very detailed and an excellent in-depth lesson we’ll be working on through the rest of the year.

How to Build a Toothpick Bridge

I was so thankful for the Toothpick Bridges DVD. It really helped my middle schooler to “see” exactly what the process is for designing and creating her bridge.

Pitsco Toothpick Bridge DVD Lesson

Since she has ADHD, she watched the video once and said “I got it!” As we started on the project, though, I could see that she didn’t really get it quite yet. So I played it a second time and watched it along with her, pausing frequently to ask about her understanding. That really helped her get a clearer idea of what was involved in the process.

Pitsco Toothpick Bridge Lesson Plan

In the Toothpick Bridges teachers’ guide, there are examples of stunning toothpick bridges constructed by students. Some of these are practically works of art. This time, though, we stuck to the basics.

Drawing a Toothpick Bridge Template

We started by creating a paper template to use as the design for our bridge sides. My middle schooler used the template on the DVD as her guide.

Designing a Toothpick Bridge

Then it was time to start measuring how many toothpicks we’d need for each side. We laid them down on the template to get a look at how to place them before we started adding glue.

Drying Toothpick Bridge Sides

As the video shows, building these bridges takes time. You can only create one side at a time and you can only construct one set of diagonals at a time. Which meant that we’d work on it for a while, let it set up, then resume working on it. For a child with a short attention span, this was an excellent activity for working on a longer-term project.

Assembling a Toothpick Bridge

Once the individual sides dry, you can stand them up and attach them together, forming your bridge. As you can see, we used a LOT of glue. Next time, we’ll cut back on that a bit…lol.

Preparing to Test a Toothpick Bridge

Once our bridge was constructed, it was time to test it! The goal here is to put as much weight as you can possibly can on the bridge to see how much it can bear before it breaks.

Testing the Strength of a Toothpick Bridge

As the video showed, we put on some safety goggles first. No one wants to catch a toothpick in the eye.

We placed a piece of wood (from the Toothpick Bridge tester) on the bridge and tied the bucket to a string. Our bridge wasn’t quite wide enough for the piece of wood to lie straight down, so it’s possible that our results were a bit skewed. Next time, we’ll be sure to use the piece of wood as the template for how wide the flatbed of the bridge should be.

We gradually added sand to the bucket until…the bridge broke!

Breaking a Toothpick Bridge

Afterward, we weighed the sand to see how much our bridge could hold before breaking. It was 6.5 pounds! Who knew you could hold up six and a half pounds with just toothpicks!

Testing the Strength of a Completed Toothpick Bridge

This was a STEM activity we truly loved. And we’ll be repeating it again this school year now that we have a better understanding of how to engineer a bridge from scratch.

How to Design and Build a Toothpick Bridge

Are you working on STEM concepts with your kids this year? Be sure to check out the incredible products available from Pitsco Education for kids!

Plus, get more ideas for teaching STEM on my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

Basic Coding for Kids with Bitsbox!

December 9, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My sixth-grader is a bit…shall we say, math-averse? She can do the work, but she really, really, really doesn’t like it. Teaching her math can be frustrating for both of us. And, since she has ADHD, keeping her attentive during lessons is a challenge all its own.

But, in today’s society, learning a STEM skill, such as computer coding, is critical to understanding the modern world and developing a stable career. There’s just no way around it.

Naturally, I want my daughter to feel comfortable pursuing a career in any sector she wants. But I was at a loss as to how to get her excited about STEM learning. Which is why I was so glad to be selected to try the Bitsbox monthly subscription box!

Read on to see how we’ve been using Bitsbox to teach basic coding for kids in a super fun way! Plus, learn how to save 20 percent on your first month’s subscription!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

Why Teaching Basic Coding for Kids Can Be Tough

I think that I might be a member of the last generation born before the widespread use of the Internet. I vividly remember the day we got our first modem. It was a huge event.

I’m mentioning that because writing computer coding is just not something I learned as a child. It wasn’t until after I became an adult and got started as a web content writer that I discovered how webpages are made. It was fascinating, but the learning curve was steep.

I knew that I wanted my kids, especially my daughters, to learn coding at an early age. But let’s face it: writing computer code is NOT the most glamorous thing in the world. And since my oldest daughter has ADHD, I was concerned that the required attention to detail would make it almost impossible for her.

Thanks to Bitsbox, though, I don’t have to even wonder how to make coding interesting. It’s all been done for me! This is the very first time my daughter said “That was fun. I want to learn more.” about anything involving a STEM-related skill. Which is a huge win for us.

How Bitsbox Makes Basic Coding for Kids a Snap

So what’s so special about Bitsbox? For one thing, the site is set up specifically for kids, so as a parent there’s very little direct instruction you’ll have to do. While I love teaching my children, by middle school I want them to develop some kind of independence and using Bitsbox really reinforced that with my daughter.

When you visit the site, you have the option to subscribe to the monthly box program or make a one-time purchase of a specific kit. Once you make your selection of either the Basic Bitsbox or the Deluxe Bitsbox, you just wait to receive your box in the mail. The first box is animal-themed, which was a perfect fit for our daughter, who loves all things animal.

Bitsbox Kit Unboxing - Look! We're Learning!

Look at all these goodies!

What's in a Bitsbox basic coding for kids kit? - Look! We're Learning!

Our Bitsbox, which is the most like the Deluxe Bitsbox, featured a slew of animal-themed apps written as code language on individual “Super Cards”. There were also stickers, temporary tattoos, miniature cards (for bite-sized coding), an envelope holder for our cards, and a VIP button.

Bitsbox Animal House Safari Origami Kit - Look! We're Learning!

Plus, we got a mystery toy – a Safari Origami set!

Bitsbox Coding Cards for Kids - Look! We're Learning!

Each card gives a four-digit code that allows users to begin working on an app of their own. Once a student enters the code, he or she can write code in basic HTML that creates and animates an app on a virtual tablet that appears on the screen.

Using Bitsbox to introduce basic coding for kids - Look! We're Learning!

The cards progress from very, very easy to a bit more complex. The first app my daughter tried was called “Food Fight”, which walks you through coding that changes the background color of the tablet screen, places a piece of pie in the center, and then makes it explode. Fun, right?

But what caught my eye right away were the additional questions included in each Bitsbox app’s instructions. How can you change the background to a different color? Can you make an icon dance instead of explode?

Those are great, because they encouraged my daughter to look at coding as instructions that tell a webpage, program, or document what to do. Rather than just copying down the coding on the card, she started to think about what the instructions were actually implementing. That’s how you encourage kids to become engineers – by developing critical thinking.

Introducing coordinate geometry with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

After a few of the other basic apps, she wanted to move on to one of the more complex appls – Run Dodo Run. The coding actually lets kids make their (basic) computer game!

The instructions include a primer on working with coordinate geometry – something we’ll actually be talking about in math this year. So I copied the coordinates on the board and had her find a few ordered pairs.

Coding a first computer game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

As she learned, the numbers in the coding can mean anything from the places on the screen you want icons to appear to how fast you want objects to move or how high you want them to stand.

When she first entered the coding, the game wouldn’t work. And guess what? I refused to help her find the mistake. After a few minutes, she called out “I found it!”, corrected it, and voila! Her game worked just fine.

Coding a computer game with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

This is a child who can get so frustrated with a mistake in a math problem that she wants to quit. But she wanted to see her Bitsbox app work, so she stuck with it. The fact that the program encouraged her to see her project through was one of the biggest benefits I saw from using the box. And this was on the very first day.

http://vid1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag98/lookwerelearning/MVI_7789_zpsvdxj82pn.mp4

Take a look at how her coded game works in the video above!

Teaching basic coding for kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

She had such fun with this program that she wants to work with it everyday. I see a future coder in our family!

If you’re ready to get your kids excited about computer coding, I cannot recommend Bitsbox enough. It’s worth a try to see how much it helps your children learn just how awesome writing code can be!

And now for the really awesome news: You can score a 20 percent discount on your first month’s subscription to Bitsbox! Just use the unique promo code SELENA20 at checkout and – boom! – 20 percent comes off the price of your first box! And you can use it on a one-month, three-month, or twelve-month subscription. So there’s no length requirement to get your discount!

Just a note: You can use this 20 percent off code on any Bitsbox subscription, but it is not valid for purchases from the one-time product shop or for subscription renewals. All subscriptions renew automatically on the first of each month, so if you want to cancel, you’ll have to contact the company before then. But I really don’t think you’ll want to cancel. 🙂

How to teach basic coding for kids with Bitsbox - Look! We're Learning!

To learn more about Bitsbox, subscribe to the company’s mailing list for news about products or sign up for the special mailing list for educators to get tips for how to use Bitsbox for your kids!

Plus, you can keep up with Bitsbox on social media using the following networks:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Don’t forget to use the special promo code SELENA20 to save 20 percent off your first month’s subscription! And when you sign up and receive your first box, be sure to let me know how you and your children like it!

Get more tips for teaching STEM to your kids with my STEM for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

Simple 3D Printing for Kids with the Atmosflare 3D Pen

Simple 3D Printing for Kids with Atmosflare!

March 1, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I’m kind of an old, so the whole concept of 3D printing is still kind of “weird science” to me. But 3D printing holds a LOT of promise. Scientists are even trying to use the technology to make organs for organ transplants!

So it’s worth it to introduce it to kids. And that’s why I was excited to get a chance to try the Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen! While it’s an artistic tool, it’s also a cool way to introduce 3D printing for kids! Take a look at how the pen works below!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Simple 3D Printing for Kids with the Atmosflare 3D Pen

How the Atmosflare 3D Pen Introduces Kids to 3D Printing

In short, 3D printing works by layering molded plastic into a specific design shape to make a product. And that’s how the Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen works as well!

For me, understanding how 3D printing works was a bit…difficult. But when I broke it down into steps (design, layer, create), it made more sense. And that’s why using the Atmosflare pen is a simple introduction to how 3D printing works: you can use the exact same steps!

Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen

As you can see, the Atmosflare pen comes with the pen, two ink cartridges (blue and red), and a battery.

Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen Unboxing

In the box, there are all the pen components and a very simple instruction diagram. But if you’re unsure how to assemble the pen, you can find instruction videos directly on the Atmosflare website.

How to Use the Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen

So, here’s my take on the Atmosflare pen: simple to assemble, not so simple to master.

Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen Use

As you can see, it fits nicely in your hand – just like a pen. To use the pen, you just squeeze the ink cartridge between your fingers….

How the Atmosflare 3D Pen Works

and hold down the light curing button on top to harden the ink as it flows out.

3D Printing Shapes with the Atmosflare Pen

After a few practice shots, we built a simple 3D shape – a cube.

3D Printing Cube with the Atmosflare Pen

We established a base, drew the sides, and then connected the top. We had to add a bit more ink at the corners to hold it together.

Drawing with the Atmosflare 3D Pen

On to our first structure!

3D Printing Art with Atmosflare

It’s a swing set! Kind of…

This pen is a lot of fun to work with, but it takes some practice to learn to use it properly. So if you have a child who’s easily frustrated, prepare him or her in advance for the fact that it will take a while to learn how to actually make something with the pen.

Atmosflare 3D Pen Usage Tips:

There is definitely a learning curve with the Atmosflare 3D Pen, so you can find helpful instruction videos on the company website. But here are a few tips we picked up as we used it:

  • Decide what you’re going to make before you begin. Once you start using the pen, it’s kind of hard to improvise without making a mess. Have an idea in mind before you start.
  • Always start with a base. It’s nice to think that you can just start drawing in the air, but you can’t. You need a base first, then you can start building up from there.
  • Go slowly. When you push the curing button, the ink tends to harden on the tip and clog. So try to work slowly to give the ink a chance to catch up with your movements.
  • Work in stages. I found that if you’re creating a structure, it’s best to work on one part at a time. You can even form a complete shape flat on the table and then attach it to another shape by just joining them at a corner and using the curing function on the pen.

Are you ready to introduce 3D printing for kids to your family? You can get an Atmosflare 3D Pen at ToysRUs, Best Buy, Amazon, and from the Atmosflare website!

But if you want to get one for FREE, you can win one in the huge Atmosflare giveaway! 30 winners will get an Atmosflare 3D Drawing Pen absolutely free! Use the giveaway widget below to enter.

Entry-Form

For more 3D drawing tips, keep up with Atmosflare using the social media links below!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Save 30% off your first month!

Help your middle schooler learn to code with these middle school coding projects for beginners! These are easy enough for any first-time coder to try!

Fun and Easy Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

February 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

It’s hard for me to believe, but I’ll have a middle schooler this fall. (Yikes!) And one of the subject areas I really want to focus on with her is STEM.

But – here’s my conundrum – I wasn’t really that interested in science as a kid. And, to make matters worse, the sciences have vastly expanded since I was in school.

I had no clue about computer programming as a kid and no real desire to learn it after I grew up. Today, though, it’s obvious that our kids need to learn (at least) the basics of coding.

Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners FB

Personally, I want to encourage my daughter to learn anything without feeling that it’s “too hard” or “too complex”. And programming can certainly appear that way, especially at first.

So I’ve found middle school coding projects that are perfect for beginners! Trust me, they’re even easy enough for us parents to teach!

Try some of these easy coding projects with your middle schooler over summer break! By the way, find out how to use Bitsbox to get a new set of coding projects for middle schoolers each month!

Help your middle schooler learn to code with these middle school coding projects for beginners! These are easy enough for any first-time coder to try!

Images c/o: iofoto & belchonock / depositphotos

Easy Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

Coding itself is a bit abstract for my kids to grasp. But when I tell them “You can learn to do ______”, they get way more interested.

And that’s what I like about these easy middle school coding projects for kids. They all teach kids to make something. Even better, they’re all absolutely free!

1. Learn to make a website. Really. With CodeAcademy, kids (and adults) can learn to create a website from scratch in as little as four hours.

2. Draw a waving snowman. Khan Academy’s Intro to JavaScript course is simple enough for middle school kids to learn.

3. Make a GIF. GIFs are everywhere and, I’ll be honest, I love them. Kids will love using Google’s Made with Code program to design their own!

4. Build a Star Wars galaxy. Code.org features a simple and super fun Star Wars drag and drop exercise that’s perfect for beginning coders!

5. Design digital art. Another Code.org project, this one lets kids use coding and math to create art from angles.

6. Program a virtual robot. Lightbot is a project that teaches kids how to send program commands to a robot that follows their instructions.

7. Make your own beats. This Made with Code project lets kids use Blockly to create their own music.

8. Code a 3D Solar System. In this Scratch project, students can alter and design an existing solar system project and add their own touches.

9. Design an animated story. Google CS First, a resource for introducing computer programming, offers this project to kids of all ages, but it’s ideal for middle grades.

10. Create a video game. With W3Schools, students who have a basic understanding of HTML and JavaScript can build their own games.

Beginner Middle School Coding Projects

More Resources for Middle School Coding Projects:

For more help to get middle schoolers started in programming, try these affiliate resources from Amazon! (For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming
  • Code Master Programming Logic Game
  • Learn to Program with Scratch: A Visual Introduction to Programming with Games, Art, Science, and Math

10 Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

See more coding ideas below!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

See how we used our Bitsbox subscription box to cover introductory robotics for kids! My middle schooler loved it!

And get even more ideas for STEM education from my STEM for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

Don’t miss these other great posts!

Free The Grouchy Ladybug Printables ADHD Handwriting Help for Kids Sleep Tips for Kids with ADHD Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

This post is part of the 28 Days of Hands-On STEM Activities for Kids linkup! Stop by to get a look at all of the awesome STEM resources being shared this month!

28 Days of Hands On STEM


Simple STEM Challenges with Hands-On Engineering!

July 29, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I’ve set a few homeschooling goals this upcoming school year and one is to include more STEM learning with the kids. My biggest problem is that my passions include literature, writing, and dance – basically everything that is the opposite of STEM….lol.

So I was excited to try the book “Hands-On Engineering” from Prufrock Press! If you’re unsure how you can set up STEM learning at home, this is a great resource for simple STEM challenges!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

Simple STEM Challenges with Hands-On Engineering

In “Hands-On Engineering“, you get complete teacher instructions, project descriptions, internet resource links, and student activity sheets. It’s almost a no-prep solution to planning STEM activities. 🙂

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

The resource is described as appropriate for grades 4-7 and I can see why. Some of the projects are fairly detailed and require a good amount of critical thinking from kids. But I decided to use it with all three of our school-age kids – just to see.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

The teacher resources are fabulous. There are diagrams, explanations, Internet links, and summaries that give you a good background of each activity.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

We settled on the Build a Catapult challenge from the book, and that involved getting an understanding of how a lever works. I drew the same diagram from the Instructor Key on the board and we talked about the essential parts of a lever.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

Then the kids sketched their own diagrams. Afterward, we used some of the internet links listed in the Teacher’s activity sheet for the catapult activity.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

We watched a video showing how ancient catapults (or “onagers”) were assembled and we talked about some of the advantages and challenges they posed for armies in battle. Then it was time for the kids to build their own catapult!

Explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Math!
Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

One thing I really like about “Hands-On Engineering” is that there are no detailed instructions on how to build the item in question. As a result, the kids were forced to try various methods, brainstorm ideas, and cooperate. Among the list of available supplies were rubber bands, clothespins, popsicle sticks, and plastic spoons.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

What really impressed me was that, of all three children, Pooh (our almost seven-year-old) was the first to build a working catapult!

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

We rounded up all of the pennies in the house and, before I knew it, it was raining pennies from heaven…lol.

Simple STEM Challenges - Look! We're Learning!

Look at that face. That is the face of a boy who is extremely pleased with himself.

Once Pooh figured out the basic design of a catapult, the other kids made their own. But then they started hitting the chandelier in my dining room with their pennies, so they were banished to the living room. After all, engineers have to learn to work in all kinds of environments. 😉

I loved Hands-On Engineering and I’m looking forward to making more of the projects with the kids this school year! If you’d like to try to build a catapult or any of the other simple STEM challenges in “Hands-On Engineering“, check out the book for yourself!

3 Ways to Interest Girls in Science

June 17, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Tigger is a HUGE science fan. Huge. She loves learning about animals, the human body, the environment – pretty much any scientific topic you can think of.

Here’s the issue for us: She has ADHD. So finding ways to hold her interest in a science lesson can be a challenge.

When I heard about the opportunity to try a new science program – Mosa Mack Science – I jumped at the chance! And I’m so glad I did. By using the program, I learned three ways to interest girls in science and they worked for us!

Disclosure: I received access to this program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

3 Ways to Interest Girls in Science

Ways to Interest Girls in Science

1. Make it accessible.

First of all, science has to be accessible for girls. I’ll be honest. I was not interested in science as a child, except for dinosaurs which I still happen to think are awesome. 🙂

I was definitely more interested in the humanities, as were most girls in my school. Now that the sciences have become more inclusive, I’m glad to see that more girls are pursuing STEM fields.

MM Screenshot 5

Accessibility is one of the things I love about Mosa Mack Science. It’s extremely easy to use. All of the modules are located on the site, complete with a summary and a blurb about the specific activity students will complete during the process.

I loved that because I could easily look at the summaries and help Tigger choose a topic that interested her.

MM Review

Naturally, I looked through the module first and printed all of the materials. It gave me a head start on planning, so I could keep her moving from activity to activity without having to wait around.

MM Screenshot 3

Each module includes a Warm-Up – a gentle introduction to the topic at hand. Since we were covering the “Food Chains” module, our warm-up was an intro to food webs and how they are organized.

MM Screenshot 4

After learning about food webs and getting instructions to make our own, we also had the chance to do a design project (a super tie-in to STEM)!

MM Screenshot 2

The module also has a short, animated video that contains a scientific mystery Mosa Mack has to solve. In a separate window, you can click and find out the answer (after your kids try to think of it, of course).

2. Make it relatable.

Female scientists were hardly even discussed when I was in school, except for Marie Curie. Most of the women I learned about were wives or mothers of famous people – wives of presidents, wives of civil rights leaders, mothers of famous singers, and so on.

A major reason I wanted to review this product was because the main character, Mosa Mack, is a girl of color. Since Tigger is a young girl of color, she loved seeing someone who resembled her on the screen. When girls relate to scientists, they are far more likely to see science as a field “for them”.

MM Screenshot

Further, Mosa is an excellent portrayal for young girls. She’s inquisitive, persistent, well-spoken, and extremely intelligent – everything we want our daughters to be!

3. Make it interesting!

Finally, science lessons should be interesting! I was always bored in science class, because it mostly consisted of lectures. Mosa Mack Science, though, is much more interactive.

MM Review 3

The characters in the videos are funny, but not distracting. And the story moves quickly enough to keep kids’ attention, even wiggly ones like Tigger. 🙂

MM Review 4

The modules also include hands-on activities that relate to the video. Tigger completed a paper review of the major points covered in the video. The handout contained still captures from the video to help her recall the pertinent scenes.

MM Review 1

Tigger also got to make vocabulary and quote flashcards using new terms she learned in the unit. In the Food Chains unit, some of her terms included “Primary Consumer”, “Decomposer”, and “Producer”. She cut out the pictures, matched them with the right quotes, and added her terms and definitions.

MM Review 2

All done! She had a blast and quickly asked me when we could do more of the units!

Do you have a budding girl scientist in your family? How do you help her direct her interest in the sciences? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to visit Mosa Mack Science to check out the free resources and learn more about the program!

STEM for Homeschoolers: Decomposition Lesson Ideas for Kids

September 23, 2014 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

As I mentioned earlier this year, we’ve made a bit of a homeschooling U-turn in our family and started focusing more on STEM subjects and foreign language.

So – we’ll be sharing more science lessons and experiments on the blog, along with resources we find online that we love for learning STEM concepts. Today we’re sharing a recent activity using decomposition lesson ideas for kids!

This decomposition unit study gets into the dirty truth about living things!

Decomposition Lesson Ideas for Kids

This was NOT one of our planned lessons. A banana in our fruit bowl began to rot and the kids were fascinated by it. So I decided to let it rot so we could examine decomposition up close.

Decomposition Lesson Ideas - Look! We're Learning!

The amazing thing about kids is that they are fascinated by gross stuff. They wanted to see the rotting banana up close. So we got out a plastic fork and poked around.

Decomposition Lesson Ideas - Look! We're Learning!

That gave us a really close look at the bacteria growing inside the fruit.

Decomposition Lesson Ideas - Look! We're Learning!

Yuck.

Decomposition Lesson Ideas - Look! We're Learning!

That face says it all. But then we learned about the process of decomposition and how amazing it is! First, we watched a clip from Sid the Science Kid showing a lab experiment about decomposition.

All living things decay after dying, which is called decomposition. From plants to people.

Michigan Tech University has a great explanation of what happens during the process of decomposition. Basically, bacteria, fungi, and worms perform the work of decomposition by breaking down living organisms after death. This is a GOOD thing, because the broken down organisms become part of the soil and provide a natural fertilizer so that new things can grow. It’s the ultimate recycling!

To get an even closer look at decomposition, check out this video of a watermelon slowly decomposing over 35 days.

Gross! But also kind of cool, right? For more decomposition lesson ideas, check out these great resources!

Activities about Decomposition:

  1. Free Decomposing Worksheets for Grades 5-6: Great Schools
  2. Decomposing Experiment – Education.com
  3. Biology for Kids: An Overview of Fungi – Ducksters
  4. Easy Decomposition Experiment – Science Sparks

Books about Decomposition for Kids

Books about Decomposition for Kids:

  1. Insects as Decomposers by Lyn Sirota
  2. Composting: Nature’s Recyclers by Robin Koontz
  3. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
  4. What’s Sprouting in My Trash? A Book about Composting by Esther Porter
  5. The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book about Decomposition by Joanna Cole
  6. Decomposers (Science Kaleidoscope) by Greg Roza

Decomposition Unit Study Lesson Ideas for Kids

If you enjoyed these decomposition lesson ideas, stop by and see some of our other unit studies!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Unit Study

Turtles Unit Study

Firefighter Unit Study - Look! We're Learning!

Plus, follow my It’s Science Pinterest board for more hands-on science fun!

Decomposition Lesson Ideas - Look! We're Learning!

Hi! I'm Selena, a veteran teacher and homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
About Me Contact Terms of Use Privacy Policy Places I Share
Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Homeschool Printables Unit Studies Shop the Store
Copyright ©2023, Look! We're Learning!. All Rights Reserved. Design by Pixel Me Designs