Think Summer Fun at Home!
Summer is here and Think Together is making it its mission to bring the summer fun into your home! Think Summer is filled with curriculum-based enrichment activities that actively engage the minds and encourage curiosity for our students. In the list below, you will find some of our Think Summer activities that you can easily do at home.
It’s a Solid…It’s a Liquid…No, it’s Oobleck!
Is it a solid or liquid? Think Summer students were fascinated by the mystery of oobleck. This simple mixture combines to make the perfect STEM experience where kids can learn to have fun with science. With an activity like this, kids can learn the difference between the distinct states of matter.
Materials You’ll Need:
- 1 Container
- 1/2 cup of corn starch
- 1/4 cup of water
- Utensil to mix with
Instructions:
- Pour 1/2 cup of corn starch into container.
- Pour ¼ cup of water and mix with corn starch.
- Continue mixing combination until smooth.
- Have fun and enjoy!
Create Fan-tastic Paper Windmills
It’s heating up but Think Summer students kept their cool with their own windmill! This simple yet creative activity will help kids learn about the wind and how windmills work.
Materials You’ll Need:
- Paper
- Crayons or markers
- Push pin
- Straw
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Take a piece of paper and cut into a perfect square. Fold the paper into a triangle, taking one corner and lining it up to the other side. This will leave excess on one side that, once cut, gives you a square!
- Use your imagination and create fun designs to both sides of the paper!
- Fold your paper diagonally to create a perfect triangle and press lightly. Do the same to the opposite side. Once unfolded, there will be a perfect “X” on the page.
- Cut halfway along creases, towards the center. Do not cut all the way.
- Bend each corner to the center of the page. Do not fold.
- Once all 4 corners are at the center, place straw behind the center and push the push pin to secure all corners.
- All done! Enjoy the cool breeze of your very own windmill.
Time to Clean Up!
A fun beach trip can also be educational! This Think Summer we taught our students the importance of keeping our oceans clean, while also showing them the science behind why oil and water don’t mix.
Materials You’ll Need:
- Clear container
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Spoon
- Cotton Ball
- Paper towel
- Cotton Wool (Optional)
- Sponge (Optional)
Instructions:
- Fill a clear container halfway with water.
- Drop a small amount of oil into the water and watch as the oil and water separate!
- Use different materials to try and sperate the oil from the water. (Spoon, Cotton wool/ball, paper towel, and sponge.)
- Pour dish soap into container and mix! Watch as the oil slowly begins to disappear.
Summer is a great time to relax and spend time with family and friends. It can also be a great time to learn new things, especially with students becoming more susceptible to the “summer slide”. The “summer slide” pertains to the loss of math and reading skills throughout summer break, which can cause subsequent skill loss each year. According to Scholastic, “…children in 3rd to 5th grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break”.
Think Together aims to prevent the “summer slide” by partnering with our school district partners. Programs like Think Summer provide students with a safe space to learn and experience new things every day, even after school is out of session. As a result, students can go into the school year with confidence and fun memories to tell their friends!
