10 STEM Activities for Kids in Summer

It may be August, but we are still in full swing here at Pirate Adventures! The water cannons are firing and we are finding lots of treasure out there in the Annapolis Harbor.  Our pirate ship will sail six times daily until Labor Day but, alas, there’s no denying that school time draws closer… But who’s to say school can’t be just as fun as summer?! We are lucky enough to have an Anne Arundel County STEM  teacher on staff at Pirate Adventures.  You know him as “Boots” during the summer months and he has been kind enough to give us a some suggestions to keep STEM alive during the summer months with the kids.  Check out our field trip page or bring your family and take advantage of our interactive hands-on adventure on the Chesapake Bay.  Give us a call at Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake and we can STEM-ify your next trip with pirate facts, map reading, and more! If you can’t make it to us, here are some summer STEM activities for kids in Summer to help ease you and your kids back into the school spirit!

Bottle Rockets

Ever wish you had something a little more powerful than our water cannons to take out Pirate Pete with? Say no more! Here is an exciting activity where you and your kids can create a baking soda and vinegar powered bottle rocket to launch in your backyard! Change your measurements of ingredients and experiment to find the best ratio of chemicals! https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/bottle-rockets

Ice Cream In a Bag

End the day with something sweet, and create some delicious ice cream in a bag! There are tons of different directions on how to make ice cream in a bag, but I prefer this one because they have an easy print out to observation sheet. Great for every little chemist out there that doesn’t mind putting in a little extra effort to get an extra sweet reward!
http://buggyandbuddy.com/make-ice-cream-bag/

Coding

I know, I know, coding sounds a bit overwhelming for kids, but hear me out! There are some incredible websites for letting your kiddos start learning some computer science, all through tons of fun games! I’m a tad partial to the Moana one, but with Minecraft, Star Wars, and more, you can’t go wrong! For the even younger ones, there are some activities you can do together as a family!
https://code.org/learn

Wind Power

On those breezy end of summer days, why not use the nature for your advantage? Building wind powered cars (or boats) are a great way to talk about surface area, wind resistance, and more, all with a race! If it isn’t windy enough to get out sailing, then try using a fan, or even just using your own lung power!

http://www.housingaforest.com/wind-powered-cars/

Solar Oven

For the outdoor chef in all of us, try building a solar oven! If you’ve ever wanted s’mores in the middle of a sunny day, here’s a fun way to get that and a great lesson on thermal energy. Once you set up your thermal oven, your s’mores should be ready before you can say “Pirate Pete stole our keys!”*

*Time will vary on how hot the sun is. Us pirates are known for our s’mores delicacies!
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/15594/solar-oven

Make Musical Instruments

At the pirate ship, we can often be found jamming out to some classic Rolling Stones or Metallica tracks, but how about building your own instruments to rock out with? Here are some fun examples of instruments you can build with your kids, but don’t stop there! Get creative and build something new! And if anyone just happens to build a pirate themed rock instrument set, let me know. I’m trying to start up the band again – The Rusty Scallywags!
http://buggyandbuddy.com/exploring-science-sound-homemade-instruments/

Get Messy with Lava Lamps and Slime

If you’ve ever been to our boat, you know that most of our crew has plenty of face-paint on their hands and shorts from tattoos given out in the day, and also, we just like getting messy! These homemade lava lamp and slime experiments are a blast to get a little messy with a really fun result! I’ve seen a few that can even glow in the dark, but I haven’t been brave enough to try yet!
https://www.kiwico.com/diy/Science-Projects-for-Kids/3/project/Make-Your-Own-Slime!/578
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/bubbling-lava-lamp/

Mix Math and Water Fun

They may not be as strong as our water cannons, but squirt guns can still be a ton of fun! And with a little bit of creativity, they can become a math game that keeps your wits as sharp as your shot! Here’s a fun example, but feel free to make your version as challenging as you want, “targeting” whatever math skills you want to hit the most!
http://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/water-squirter-math-game/

Make a Stop Motion Movie

Movie buffs rejoice! For all those lovers of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the Lego Movie, and more, stop motion animation can let you make your own crazy movies! And don’t fret, it’s not nearly as hard as it seems! This site has a ton of helpful hints and apps (Stop Motion Studio, Stikbot, etc.) you can get so you can start filming using your very own smartphone or tablet! So get started on the next big feature!
http://tinkerlab.com/easy-stop-motion-animation-kids

Star Gaze and Watch for Meteor Showers

Who says the fun has to end when the sun has set on the ship? We may be going to bed to prepare for our next pirate adventures, but make sure you stay up to see some of the amazing sights of the night sky! With all the meteor showers and eclipses, now would be an amazing time as any to get some star watching in!
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/watch-meteor-shower-kids/

Post pictures of you and your family trying these ideas, coming up with more ideas, or your thoughts on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/chesapeakepirates/, and give us a call at 410-263-0002 to schedule your next Pirate Adventure before the summer ends!