This summer, school may be out, but exciting STEM experiments are always in! Every day at Primrose Schools® Summer Adventure Club, children enjoy a wide variety of STEM activities that challenge them in new ways while still having plenty of sunny-day fun. 

 We know that the summer season is the perfect opportunity for you and your child to spend quality time together, so we wanted to share a few of our favorite STEM activities inspired by Summer Adventure Club that the whole family can enjoy. 

Two of these activities include the Bee Bot®, a programmable robot that’s developmentally appropriate for children aged 3-4. Through May 31, 2023, Bee-Bot® will be available at a 10% discount from their website! Use code PRIM10BEE. 

Flower Garden Obstacle Course  

Supplies:

• Bee Bot  
• Book: Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski  
• Poster board  
• Colorful construction paper  
• Safety scissors  
• Tape  

  Instructions:

• Find Your Inspiration: Start by reading the book Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski with your child. As you read together, point out the flowers, herbs and other beautiful pieces of nature you see in the garden. You can use the illustrations as inspiration for your own garden.
• Create a Garden: You and your child can create three-dimensional flowers by crumpling colorful paper into a ball. Cut strips of paper and ask your child to tape them to the ball to create plant stems. Once you have three or four flowers made, you’re ready to create the path!
• Design the Path: Talk with your child about what shape they think the path should be. For your first path, try to keep the shapes simple by choosing a square or plus sign. You can always create more intricate paths after practice. Tape long strips of green paper to the poster board to make the shape you’ve chosen. Make sure that the path is long enough to cover the length and width of the poster board.
• Send Off Your Bee Bot: Add the flowers to the garden path. Ask your child to turn on the Bee Bot, place it on the path and start using the buttons to code a path for the Bee Bot to move along. Remind them to be careful not to “pick” the flowers in the garden by bumping into them. Try to keep the Bee Bot on the path as it makes its way through the garden. For variation, your child can play a different version of the game where they “pick” the flowers by programming the Bee Bot to push the flowers off of the mat instead.  

Bee Dance Steps  

Supplies:   

• Bee Bot  
• Book: Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski  
• Poster board  
• Bee Bot marker attachment (purple attachment)  
• Non-toxic marker that fits with attachment  
• Fun dance music  

Instructions:

•   Why Do Honeybees Dance?: Read through Rick Chrustowski’s book Bee Dance with your child. At the end of the book, there is a section called “Why Do Honeybees dance?” After reading, ask your child: “I wonder if we can make our Bee Bot dance. Would you like to see if you can code our Bee Bot to draw its dance steps?” 
• Get Your Bee Bot Groove On: Place the marker attachment onto the Bee Bot and put the bot on the poster board. Play some fun songs and ask your child to program the Bee Bot to dance along to the music. Watch along with your child as the Bee Bot draws its dance moves. Ask them: “Do you see any shapes or other designs in the lines?”
• Make a Masterpiece: Encourage your child to program the Bee Bot to their heart’s content. They can join the Bee Bot in drawing on the paper to create a cool piece of art with their new bot friend.   

  Save the Dinosaurs from the Lava  

 Supplies:  

• Recycled plastic container such as a plastic drink bottle  
• Air-dry clay or DIY clay: 1 cup of flour (all purpose), ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of water (mix ingredients to create a thick dough) 
• Plastic toy dinosaurs  
• Vinegar  
• Baking soda  
• Red food dye or non-toxic red paint  
• Pan with sides or plate  

  Instructions:

• Build a Volcano: Your child can save the dinosaurs from the flowing lava with this easy craft. Start by building the volcano together. Gather the clay and roll it into long “snake like” shapes. Place the container onto the plate or pan and coil the shapes around it. Work together to smooth out the coils against the container, but don’t thin them out too much as you’ll need a thick surface to work with. Place the toy dinosaurs in the clay at the base of the volcano and on the surrounding plate.
• Make a Plan: Once your volcano is made, talk with your child about how a volcano works. Ask your child to think of ways to move the lava away from the dinosaurs using dough or other materials. One simple method they can try is building a canal that will divert the lava away.
• Save the Dinos: You can test out their diversion by carefully adding half a cup of baking soda to the volcano. Slowly pour the vinegar (with the red food coloring added) on top of the baking soda. Continue to add vinegar until the “lava” starts to flow. Does the lava move away from the dinosaurs? If the diversion doesn’t work, encourage your child to try different methods until they save the dinos. 

 For more on how your child can enjoy a summer of STEM, check out:  

• Summer Adventure Club: Robotics Teaches Life Skills in a Fun Way 
• Summer Adventure Club: Where Learning Meets Fun 
• Age-Appropriate STEM Activities to Try at Home