National STEM Day is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
It's an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of these disciplines and to inspire interest in STEM education and careers, especially among kids. The goal is to encourage students to explore and pursue careers in STEM fields, as these areas are critical for advancement, innovation, and economic growth.
We have five fun ways to celebrate National STEM Day on November 8 — or anytime you want to tap into your inner scientist, coder, engineer, or mathematician!
1. Start with a giggle.
Much like conducting experiments in a lab, crafting a joke that will spark a reaction requires a dash of chemistry, a pinch of biology, and a lot of precision to turn test tubes into jest tubes!
Q. Why did the scientist take out his doorbell?
A. He wanted to win the No-Bell prize.
2. Math matters.
Math is the foundation for virtually every aspect of technology and engineering, but it's also pretty magical. In Mean Girls, Cady says she likes math "because it's the same in every country." Her friend Damian responds, "That's beautiful."
The finger math trick for the Nine Times Table in the movie Stand and Deliver really piqued my interest in math and numbers, and it has only continued to increase since then.
Spark your child's interest in math! Teach them our Magical Math Trick that will have your kids adding in no time! It's a fun party trick that even kids as young as 5 can master with some practice!
3. Blend your art and engineering sides.
Because of their innate curiosity and desire to explore the world around them, many children seem to have an inclination to build and create from a young age.
We have 10 Paper Challenges for Kids that will let your kids explore their creative side along with their talent for design. From paper airplanes to a paper chain that you can create to count the days till Christmas (and then use to decorate the tree), there's virtually no limit to what you can create with just paper, scissors, and tape.
If you want more STEM fun you can do at home, type "STEM Lab" into our search bar at the top of the page!
4. Dive in deeper.
Through interactive exhibits, audio-visual presentations, and hands-on activities, museums and planetariums offer STEM-related education that most of us can not provide at home.
Here are a few to visit:
- Butterfly Pavilion (Westminster) ~ Entomology, Biology
- Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus (Denver): Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science (Denver) ~ Astronomy, Geology, Biology
- Fiske Planetarium (Boulder) ~ Astronomy, Physics, Space Exploration, and STEM-Focused Programming
- Fort Collins Museum of Discovery (Fort Collins) ~ Chemistry, Ecology, Physics
- Space Foundation Discovery Center (Colorado Springs) ~ Space Exploration, Technology, and STEM-Focused Programming
- WOW! Children's Museum (Lafayette): Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math
5. Make it a movie night!
Spark your child's interest and ignite their curiosity in STEM-related topics through a family movie night. Click on the links below to borrow a DVD from the Englewood library.
BONUS: A few of these are based on true stories!
- Meet the Robinsons (G): A brilliant young inventor named Lewis sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew and discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands. The wacky and lovable Robinson family helps him learn to keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself.
- Wall-E (G): After hundreds of lonely years, a waste management robot finds true love — and a new purpose in life — when he meets EVE, another robot sent on a mission to Earth to see if it is safe for human life.
- Apollo 13 (PG): Based on the remarkable true story of the harrowing journey of NASA's Apollo 13 mission. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert become stranded 205,000 miles from Earth in a crippled spacecraft. At Mission Control, astronaut Ken Mattingly, flight director Gene Kranz, and a heroic ground crew race against time to bring them home.
- Big Hero 6 (PG): A young robotics prodigy named Hiro and his robot Baymax team up with their like-minded friends to become high-tech superheroes who try to save their city from a dangerous villain.
- Hidden Figures (PG): Based on the incredible true story of three African-American female mathematicians who were the brains behind NASA's early space program.
- October Sky (PG): The true story of Homer Hickam Jr., a high school student in rural West Virginia, who seemed destined to repeat his father's harsh life in the coal mines until he turned his attention to the skies. His interest in building and launching rockets led him to become a NASA engineer.
- A Wrinkle in Time (PG): Based on the classic children's book, the story follows Meg, a young girl who travels through time and space to rescue her father from a dangerous villain.
- The Martian (PG-13): After a bad storm blows across Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead and left behind. Using his scientific knowledge and ingenuity, he must find a way to signal to Earth and survive on a hostile planet with limited supplies.
