Today we are going to show you a cool icebreaker guaranteed to get your child excited about STEM!
Many times, kids hear the phrase STEM and immediately moan and groan about how they hate math or say that they are not good at it; it’s time to change that.
In this guide we will walk you through an easy yet impactful STEM icebreaker you can do at home.
Marshmallow Tower
Oh cool, let’s build a tower of marshmallows! While that sounds like the definition of a marshmallow tower, that’s not it (LOL).
The marshmallow tower icebreaker requires you search around your home for a few basic supplies:
20 sticks of dry spaghetti
1 yd of string/yarn
1 yd of tape
1 Large marshmallow
(*additional marshmallows to eat!)
Now that you have the supplies, we will walk you through what to do with them.
The Challenge
By now your child is looking puzzled and confused at the supplies in front of them, pause for a moment, look them square in the eye and say “Are you ready to STEM?”.
The instructions for Marshmallow Tower are fairly simple:
Using ALL of the supplies in front of you to build a structure that can hold the marshmallow up. After the activity has wrapped up, be sure to have your child share what they learned, what worked, and what didn’t work.
Note: To make it more challenging, set a timer and give your child 18min to complete the task.
How is this related to STEM?
I’m glad you asked that question! This icebreaker not only promotes teamwork (if you are doing it in a group setting); but it allows the child to explore the basic engineering process of brainstorming, designing, testing.
Be sure to add this to your “sun and fun 2022” list of things to do!
If you want more STEM activities for your child check out the STEM Starts With M.E. Boxes! They are packed with wonderful Math and Engineering treats! Grab yours today @ www.stemstartswithme.com.
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