DeSTEMber Austin: 2018

Kids of all ages darted towards DeSTEMber Extravaganza prested by Girlstart across the nation on December 1 to create and innovate. They tested remote control cars, built battery operated “doodle bots,” and students and parents alike learned that science is fun.

DeSTEMber Extravaganza, a free event hosted by Girlstart, encouraged curious minds to take an active role in exploring science, technology, engineering, and math. The event kicked off a month of free STEM activities and experiments posted on the Girlstart website here.

A big thank you goes out to our sponsors in Austin; 3M and Women in Physics, and our partners across the nation; City Center, Columbia Neighborhood Center, and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club, as well as our volunteers in every location! Because of you, a parent watched his son learn about electricity for the first time and another saw her daughter delight in unfolding a perfectly designed paper snowflake. It’s the little moments that count, and your contributions made them possible.

You can check out photos from all of the events online here!

STEM Holiday Gift List

These toys will expand your child’s horizons as they learn to build, think creatively, problem solve and follow instructions. Amazon is a fast, convenient place to purchase these items, but Walmart also has a vast (potentially cheaper) selection.

Snap Circuits

This kit is perfect for a budding electrical engineer. It allows kids to design custom circuits and create over 300 electronic circuit projects. The kit includes everything your little engineer could need, and the pieces snap into place. If your child enjoys building with blocks or legos, they’ll love this gift.

Price: $45
Age: 8+
Requires 2 AA batteries

https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC-300-Electronics-Exploration/dp/B0000683A4#customerReviews

Honorable mention:
Electronic Playground
Smaller, more self-contained circuit board. It’s about half the price and since it uses actual wires, it’s more true to life. Both products succeed in teaching kids about circuits and electricity.

Price: $23
Age: 10+
Requires one 9V battery

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1603925/elenco-50-in-1-electronic-playground.jsp?skuid=94674376&ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=EC%20TOYS&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=94674376&CID=shopping15&utm_campaignid=196835972&pid=googleadwords_int&af_channel=CSE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxZPgBRCmARIsAOrTHSbK8QCSX_2Q_JKW-C70o5xOEHhlnC9qdC5ivODZC0S3K45rqsoh-D0aAvTVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Geode Breaking Kit

This kit comes with ten geodes that break open to reveal extraordinary crystals and a 16 page learning guide that describes how geodes are formed. To be fair, this isn’t the type of gift that provides years of fun, but it’s sure to delight parents and children alike. With the help of a parent, kids as young as five can put on a pair of safety goggles and get cracking. Once broken, the crystals can be kept as a keepsake or gifted to others.

Price: $25
Age: 5-8 with close supervision, older kids will also enjoy
Must provide your own hammer

https://www.amazon.com/NATIONAL-GEOGRAPHIC-Break-Geodes-QUALITY/dp/B0160JB7IS/ref=sr_1_5?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1543867015&sr=1-5&keywords=science+kits+for+kids

My First Mind Blowing Science Kit

This is an affordable kit for young scientists that packs a punch. The box includes 11 activities that range from learning about acids and bases to creating “jiggly crystals” and “test tube sunsets.” Many of these experiments could be done with household items, but for $12, it’s worth it to have a premade kit with everything in one place.

Price: $12
Age: 4-13 (adult supervision required)

https://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Explorer-First-Blowing-Science/dp/B000BURAP2/ref=sr_1_6_acs_osp_osp35-c4a2d073-af_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1543867015&sr=1-6-acs&keywords=science+kits+for+kids&tag=heavy0013-20&ascsubtag=c4a2d073-af7d-4e3e-a18a-fc55e438faf4&linkCode=oas&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.c4a2d073-af7d-4e3e-a18a-fc55e438faf4&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&pf_rd_p=7f6b8bb9-631f-46f6-b8ad-496a9af123d5&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_wg=TyHQ6&pd_rd_w=hdrNA&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-inline&pd_rd_r=a29a2613-34cf-4e76-bc80-70c1aefe8e35&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_i=science+kits+for+kids&pf_rd_r=VDRBNC5EP0GKYN7JC5JS&creativeASIN=B000BURAP2&pf_rd_p=7f6b8bb9-631f-46f6-b8ad-496a9af123d5&pd_rd_w=hdrNA&pd_rd_i=B000BURAP2&pf_rd_r=VDRBNC5EP0GKYN7JC5JS&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-inline&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pd_rd_wg=TyHQ6&pd_rd_r=a29a2613-34cf-4e76-bc80-70c1aefe8e35&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=science+kits+for+kids

Crayola Color Chemistry Set for Kids

This kit allows kids to explore their creativity with Crayola. You’ll need some outside ingredients to make these experiments work, but overall, this product has great reviews. All the colors are washable, but make sure you have plenty of paper towels and newspapers on hand. Experiments include: an exploding volcano, glow worms, sticky slime and ten others.

Price: $17
Age: 7+

https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Color-Chemistry-Steam-Activities/dp/B07B958BPR/ref=sr_1_18_sspa?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1543867015&sr=1-18-spons&keywords=science+kits+for+kids&psc=1#customerReviews

Joytech Precision Colorful Gyroscope

This classic toy amazes people of all ages. It seems to defy gravity through its use of centripetal force. If your child likes fidget spinners, they’ll enjoy watching a gyroscope balance upright on a string or rotate weightlessly around a pedestal. The same technology is used in modern aircrafts!

Price: $29
Age: any

https://www.amazon.com/Joytech-Precision-Gyroscope-Anti-gravity-Exquisite/dp/B07F1MVYHN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1543871737&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=gyroscope&psc=1

Thank You DeSTEMber Extravaganza Volunteers

Girlstart kicked off the month of DeSTEMber with our DeSTEMber Extravaganza on Saturday, December 1st in four locations throughout the country: Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Houston, TX, and Sunnyvale, CA.

In total, Girlstart provided free, frosty hands-on STEM fun to over 1300 participants nationally, and close to 100 volunteers led hands-on activities including foam rockets, scribble bots, instant snow, virtual reality, snowflake design, LED holiday decorations, and more. We are so thankful to have such amazing volunteers in all of these locations who took time to engage and inspire kids and their families in STEM.

To see pictures from all of the events CLICK HERE.

Hands-On Wednesday: Surface Tension Bath Toy

To celebrate the return of DeSTEMber next month, we are revisiting our favorite activities from 2017! Click here to explore our Surface Tension Bath Toy activity.

Have you ever seen bugs that can walk on water? Learn how surface tension allows bugs to walk on water and create your own toy raft that will not sink and can be propelled through the water.