We are preparing for a Summer full of fun and engaging activities to keep kids learning during their break from school. Each of these books shares STEM activities to keep busy or tales of STEM leaders to inspire!
The Questioneers
These books follow a group of friends who each have amazing talents and, of course, STEM-related passions! Your child will easily be able to relate to 1 of the 5 characters and will enjoy following along with their adventures. Their website also offers free downloads and activities to go along with the books!
"This funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math."
This book is loaded with hands-on activities that encourage your children to get outside and make a difference! "From building a wind turbine and a go-kart to creating light, growing vegetables, and making green gifts, Eco Kids Self Sufficiency Handbook offers a wide range of ways to capture the imagination and make a positive contribution to the world around us."
"Space and the ocean. If you don't think they go together, think again! Both deep-sea and space explorers have to worry about pressure, temperature, climate, and most importantly, how to survive in a remote and hostile environment. Join us on an amazing journey as we go up in space with astronauts and dive deep down in the ocean with aquanauts to explore the far-off places of our planet and the solar system. With a strong tie into STEM topics--such as making connections, making comparisons, and recognizing patterns across content areas--readers will discover the amazing science and incredible innovations that allow humans (and sometimes only machines) to survive in these harsh environments."
"In Calling All Minds, Temple Grandin explores the ideas behind all of those questions and more. She delves into the science behind inventions, the steps various people took to create and improve upon ideas as they evolved, and the ways in which young inventors can continue to think about and understand what it means to tinker, to fiddle, and to innovate. And laced throughout it all, Temple gives us glimpses into her own childhood tinkering, building, and inventing."
"Ask A Scientist focuses squarely on kids – what they want to know and how best to give them the right answer. We think you’ll find a lot of the questions in this educational book will sound familiar and the format really lends itself to engaging young readers with just the right amount of detail. It’s also brimming with illustrations that do a fabulous job of informing the content."
"Did you ever wake up to one of those days where everything is a problem? You have 10 things to do, but only 30 minutes until your bus leaves. Is there enough time? You have 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants. Can you make 1 good outfit? Then you start to wonder: Why does everything have to be such a problem? Why do 2 apples always have to be added to 5 oranges? Why do 4 kids always have to divide 12 marbles? Why can't you just keep 10 cookies without someone taking 3 away? Why? Because you're the victim of a Math Curse. That's why. But don't despair. This is one girl's story of how that curse can be broken."
"Developed by the Science Museum, London, as a complement to their new interactive gallery for children, explores seven key scientific areas: force and motion, electricity and magnetism, earth and space, light, matter, sound, and mathematics. Each spread centers on an open-ended question or activity, with space on the page for the child to write, draw, or interact with the book. Bend water with static power. Pack a suitcase for a trip to space. Design a new musical instrument. At the end of the book, there is a section for children to record their own guided independent investigations, including surveys and space to log the results of their experiments."
We hope your Summer is packed with STEM fun! Which STEM books have your children enjoyed the most?
GIGIL STEM subscription boxes come with 5 hands-on learning activities for kids aged TK-5th grade. We offer 3, 4, 6, or 12-month subscriptions, with separate boxes for TK-1st grade with age-appropriate activities. We also accept charter funds! We are currently approved with iLead, Compass, Sky Mountain, and Sage Oak Charter Schools. If you'd like us to apply to become a vendor for your charter school, email us at hello@gigilstemkits.com!
To learn more about our STEM kit of the month, visit us here!