Cardboard Automata
Up, up, and around it goes! Discover how an automata combines simple machines to transfer energy and motion to animate an object. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
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destember
Calendar of Events
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Air Cannon
Boom! Boom! Boom! Explore the physics behind air pressure to engineer a cannon. Create a vortex of air to see how far you can launch your pom-pom across the room! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Bee Hummer
Bzzzzzzz! Discover the science behind sounds as you engineer a device that creates air vibrations that sound like a swarm of bees. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
OzoBlockly Programming
From changing light colors to creating a square, there are many programming experiences you can discover using OzobotsTM, small programmable robots that follow color-coded or pre-programmed commands. Grab your smartphone and get ready to play and program at the same time! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Role Play Robots
Right, right, then a left. You know these are directions, however, you need more information to follow them. Explore how a computer programmer has to be precise and direct when coding a device in this fun, role playing robot game! Check out our video below to see one of our summer camp counselors receiving instructions …
2 events,
Tinkercad
Have you ever created an image and wished you could see what it would look like in 3D? Discover how TinkercadTM can be used to bring your creation to life. After a little practice, design your own unique holiday decoration. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Foam Rockets
How do rockets fly? How do engineers design them to know which direction they will travel? Launch your own rocket to test the best ways to keep it in the air. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Sew It Up
Have you ever had your favorite stuffed animal’s stuffing start to come out? Channel your inner veterinarian as you practice four different suture types to stitch them back up! Determine which stitch will work best for a particular cut: interrupted, mattress, continuous, or lock. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Visual Soundwaves
We hear sound through vibrations in the air, but have you seen these soundwaves move? Engineer a laser visualizer that recreates the different movements of sound as you talk into a vibration chamber! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Balancing Bicycles
Don’t look down! Do you remember practicing how to balance when learning to ride a bike? Can you imagine riding a bike on a tightrope high in the air? Discover how weights and a low center of gravity can keep you on the rope. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Dancing Diamonds
Have you ever seen a paper crane or made a paper airplane? Those figures were created using the art of origami! By combining the use of scissors and origami, you can fold and cut paper to create dancing diamonds! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Towel Origami
Have you ever wanted to fold a towel or napkin into an animal to impress your friends? Create a paper crane as you discover the math behind origami. Elaborate on your origami skills to make a towel swan and compare the scaling between the two. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Square Wheels
Who said you can’t roll around on square wheels? Explore the geometry behind different 3-dimensional shapes and how they work together to create a square-wheeled car! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Rubber Duck Rescue
Rubber duckies overboard! A shipment of rubber ducks fell off a cargo ship on their way from Hong Kong to the United States, and we need your help to collect them before they pollute the ocean! Design a SpheroTM-powered rescue device to collect the ducks before they drift out to sea. Click here for a …
2 events,
Kinetic Structures
Did you know a pinwheel spinning in the wind is a type of kinetic sculpture? What other things can you think of that move with the wind? Use your creativity to design your own kinetic sculpture to twirl in the breeze. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Holiday Stop Motion Video
Lights, camera, action! Learn about stop motion animation and make your own holiday-themed stop motion video. Create a story, background, characters, and props for your movie. Then, photograph these objects using the Stop Motion Studio App to bring them to life! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Straw Kazoos
Kazoos make a crazy sound that can be really fun or really annoying (depending on if you’re making the sound or listening to the kazoo). Design your own kazoo and discover the unique pitches you can create with just a few cuts. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Keep it Warm
Have you ever wondered how a thermos keeps your drink cold or your soup hot? Discover how thermal energy transfers between different materials to determine if they are conductors or insulators. Elaborate on your observations to design your own insulated cup. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Propeller Boat
Discover the mechanics behind propulsion by engineering a propeller-powered boat. Explore how mechanical energy can be transformed to create different forces that give boats power to propel through water! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Scribble Bots
Engineer a robot that will scribble and draw a design on its own! Get creative with circuitry and explore electrical energy to power a motor that will vibrate your scribble bot and make unique and colorful artwork. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a world-renowned conservation leader and works with organizations around the world to save wildlife. Sea turtles are found in every ocean in the world but plastic is also found there. Unfortunately, many sea turtle species mistake plastic and microplastic for their food. Find out just how hard it is to tell …
2 events,
Laser Maze
How many mirrors can you use to hit the target? Can you determine the best angle needed to reach your goal? Explore light and the law of reflection as you create a laser maze from a series of mirrors! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Siren Sounds
Wee-oh, wee-oh, wee-oh! Can you hear the siren sounds in your head? What causes the pitch to change? Explore the relationship between wavelength and frequency to create an array of pitches! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
LED Holiday Decoration
Explore circuits and electrical energy while creating your own unique holiday decoration! Add an LED light to make your design sparkle as you discover the skill of soldering. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Holiday Rube Goldberg
Roll a marble to knock down the dominoes that then drop a ball, which releases a lever that fills up a cup of milk! Explore how simple machines can make work easier and discover how organizing a chain reaction of simple machines creates a Rube Goldberg Machine. Design your own Rube Goldberg Machine that waters …
2 events,
Navigate Your Way
Did you know ship captains use trigonometry to help them safely sail the seas? Explore how to take measurements like an early ocean navigator as you create and use your own sextant! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Composting Bins
Looking for an organic way to recycle pine needles after the holidays this DeSTEMber? Build your own composting bin! Using household materials, learn how to improve the environment in your own backyard by recycling nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich items. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
SciGirls
Friction is a force that resists motion when two objects are in contact. If you look closely at the microscopic surfaces of all objects, there are tiny bumps and ridges. When you try to slide one object over another using just a small amount of force, the object won’t move since those tiny bumps and …
2 events,
Sprinkler Science
Did you know turbines generate power from the wind and can provide a great source of renewable energy? Learn how to build your own wind turbine with a few household items, then add some water to create your own wind-powered sprinkler! Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Rescue Diver
Explore the power of magnets as you use a magnetic wand to simulate saving divers at sea! Watch out though, the magnetic force that can help save our divers can also attract things like sharks and other dangerous sea creatures. Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
2 events,
Dream Big
Wrap up the last day of DeSTEMber and launch into the New Year by thinking about your goals. When you set goals, there are no boundaries to your imagination, it is LIMITLESS. Decorate your street sign to guide and motivate you to “Be Limitless!” Click here for a DeSTEMber activity! Materials List
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OUR PARTNERS
Thank you to DeSTEMber partners!
Byrd Polar Climate Research Center
Dallas Arboretum
EcoTarium
The Franklin Institute
Science Action Club
SciGirls
Science is Elementary
Scientific Adventures
Frontiers of Flight
Bat Conservation International
MathHappens
Remora
UT WINS