Early Childhood Zone
Activities and demonstrations for families with young children under 8 years old
-
A Kid's-Eye View of the Microscopic World
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age
Seeing is believing. That is why this program will allow pre-K to elementary school-aged children to experiment hands-on with magnifying lens and microscopes so that they can explore the unseen microscopic world of cells and tissues. The program will introduce young children to fun (but powerful) technologies that can reveal the tiny parts that make up us and our surroundings. Children will get to look at prepared microscope slides of animal, insect, fungi, and plant cells/tissues. They can also prepare their own samples of plants, soil, and sand for microscopic viewing. There will also be coloring print-outs and fun sticker handouts for the children.
-
Communication Station
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Everyone communicates differently, and every kind of communication is great! At the communication station, audience members will have the opportunity to learn and try out different forms of communication. These include gestures, speech, low-tech AAC, and high-tech AAC. AAC, or augmentative and alternative communication, is any form of communicating other than speech!
-
Critter Collectors: Fieldwork Exploration Zone
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age
How do researchers collect their study animals? They head into the field and get hands-on! This program introduces kids to different types of organisms and the methods scientists use to gather them. Learn how to spot a squid hidden in the sand and capture it with a net. Try collecting insects from plants using specialized tools. Explore the world of anemones under a microscope. Through these hands-on activities, kids will discover how researchers find and study animals in the wild while gaining a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
Learn more about Critter Collectors: Fieldwork Exploration Zone
-
Ramp and Roll
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Sunday, April 6, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age
Help your children experience the joys of scientific exploration through a ramp and roll activity you can recreate at home!
Playing with ramps and things that roll helps children learn simple principles of physical science and engineering. A ramp is an example of a simple machine called an inclined plane.
“Work” has a specific meaning in physics involving the transfer of energy to an object and making it move. We don’t expect young children to know this. When we say that “simple machines make work easier,” we are using an accurate but young-child-friendly description of what simple machines do and how they help people.
-
STEAM Plays: Using the Arts to Talk About STEM
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age
The STEAM Plays is an original musical theater piece that toured elementary schools and was performed at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams on the MSU campus in the fall of 2024. Since then, the playwright and designer, members of MSU's faculty, have created a free-access website for students and teachers to perform the play or parts of it on their own. The website includes a corresponding curriculum that helps teachers guide students in integrating the arts into STEM. Join us for an interactive session of performing, playing, and learning!
Learn more about STEAM Plays: Using the Arts to Talk About STEM
-
STEM and Nature Activities with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Sunday, April 6, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Join the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in exploring STEM-based experiences! Launch a rocket, create objects using 3D technology, and so much more! Join our partners as well from the Leslie Science and Nature Center, which will feature live animals up close and other nature-based activities.
Learn more about STEM and Nature Activities with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
-
When to Go to the ER
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Sunday, April 6, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
This hands-on activity will teach parents and young children how to identify common symptoms and decide when emergency care is needed. Families will explore:
-
Fun Experiments to do at Home
Sunday, April 6, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age
Guess how many drops of water can fit on a penny (spoiler alert: more than you think)? Find the answer by using a pipette filled with water. Water molecules cling together, causing several drops to fit. Learn about properties of water with a lava lamp. Oil and water do not mix but dye and water do, causing large bubbles to float around in the oil.