Celebrate Halloween with STEM

While Halloween and trick-or-treating may look a little different this year, that does not mean that the fun and festivities need to stop. After sifting through our collection of hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities, we’ve selected a few that are perfectly in line with this spooky season. Great for families and innovators of all ages, we invite you to try one out today!

1. Parachuting Pumpkins

In this (potentially) explosive STEM activity, participants create their own pumpkin parachutes! You’ll attach upcycled materials from around your house to a small pumpkin or gourd and create a landing zone to see how effective your designs are. Using the power of prototyping, you can modify and improve your parachute.

2. Candy Catapult

Build your very own catapult using different kinds of Halloween candy and materials from around the house, like clothespins, spoons and scrap wood. Transform this into a game by giving members of your family 20 minutes to construct their catapults, and then launch candy pieces at a pre-determined target. For even more fun, try launching candy from different distances and adding special features to your candy catapults to make them even more effective.

3. STEM in the Kitchen

The next time you’re baking your favorite Halloween treats or making a warm gallon of apple cider, consider using this time as an opportunity to apply informal learning to approach STEM topics in an accessible way. For example, having your child measure ingredients is a great way to give context to mathematical concepts like fractions. Similarly, because cooking is filled with chemical reactions including fermentation, caramelization and pyrolysis, through everyday cooking, your child can see (and taste) scientific concepts firsthand.

Looking for an exciting new way to explore STEM?

Thousands of children across the country have engaged in easy, at-home fun with our Innovation Exploration Kits^™. Each kit offers tons of materials for endless exploration and creativity, delivered right to your door. To learn more, check out our website!