Written by Emma Lian and Trinity Nguyen
Happy December, y’all! It’s that time of year that everyone looks forward to—wearing warm sweaters and scarves, drinking hot cocoa by fireplaces bundled up in blankets, and having fun with your loved ones! Even though it’s already the end of 2020 and we’re still in quarantine, there are still so many fun ways to explore the realm of STEAM from the safety of your own home! These activities are a great learning experience and enjoyable for the entire family!
Minecraft
Minecraft is a worldwide famous block game that has been around for over 10 years. It is a first-person game that allows you to PvP, connect with players from all around the world on servers, and most importantly, build! All you need is a Minecraft account, which can be purchased here! There are many different versions, ranging from pocket edition to desktop! Once you have the game, the possibilities are endless. Not only that but if you ever feel stuck, there are thousands of videos that provide lots of tips and tricks for how to play the game. Let your creativity flow and channel your inner architect!
If you’re more into engineering, there’s something for you too! There is a thing called “Redstone” in Minecraft that allows you to make cool traps and sliding doors and even produce full metro stations. There are simple tutorials all over YouTube for complete beginners to experts! The possibilities are endless and there’s something for everyone to do in Minecraft.
Need some building inspiration? Here are some builds Trinity and her brother have made!
Gingerbread Houses
We’re sure you’ve seen or made a gingerbread house at least once in your life. If you’ve never built a gingerbread house, then it’s the perfect time to try it! If you have done it before, why not make a contest out of it? It teaches you the basics of structure and putting together pieces that go together, and on top of that, it’s yummy! Plus, a friendly family competition helps stimulate creativity within each other.
Have fun with it, and if you build a gingerbread house, post a picture of it on Instagram and tag us (@g.star_westlake) in it! We’d love to see it!
Giftwrapping Leftover DIY
With the leftover cardboard and wrapping paper from Christmas gifts, why not make some cool structures? You can craft a variety of structures, like miniature castles or some type of animal. Just let your imagination flow! It helps develop basic architectural aspects. How can you build a strong structure using something a bit flimsy? How can you include all the aspects of something you want to build without it falling? All these different questions can and will work your mind and allow you to think deeply about building. For decoration, you can use ribbon or wrapping paper! The possibilities are endless.
Homemade Hot Chocolate Bombs
Due to the cocoa butter that’s found within the chocolate, it melts fairly easily. Why not make hot chocolate with it?
Chocolate, preferably in chip form so that it would be easier to melt
Instant hot chocolate, or make your own
Marshmallows
Any other topping (you pick!)
Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals in the microwave, or make a double boiler (a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water) and melt the chocolate that way. When the chocolate is melted, fill 2 half-sphere molds to the brim with the melted chocolate, and then proceed to pour out the excess chocolate, making an easy hollow sphere within the mold. After the chocolate has dried and set, take the chocolate spheres out of their respective molds. Fill one of the half-spheres with the instant hot chocolate mix, and melt the rim of the other half-sphere. Once melted, put the two spheres together, and seal them with more melted chocolate. Now you can dunk the ‘bombs’ in milk, and watch as they dissolve.
These bombs can be easily customizable! Unleash your creativity!
Salt Crystal Formation
The chemical formula for salt is NaCl, which is an ionic compound. In ionic compounds, one or more electrons, the negative particles within a molecule, are transferred from one atom to another.
For this experiment, you’re going to let the water in a solution of salt and water evaporate, leaving the salt to form some sort of formation. Incorporate equal parts salt and water in a bowl, and pour the contents onto a flat surface, where a thin layer of the solution forms. Let the solution dry under the sun until all that’s left is the salt.
The leftover salt should form crystalline structures, which is what ionic compounds would form when the water in their aqueous form is evaporated. This is similar to snow. H2O, or water, is also an ionic compound. When water is frozen, it starts to crystallize, which is why snow has that unique structure.
We hope we’ve inspired you to explore the wonderful world of STEM during the quarantine. We know how hard it is to continue entertaining yourself during these times, and if you do any of these activities, please tag us on Instagram @g.star_westlake! We’d love to see what you guys come up with!
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