Summer Activities for Kids STEM Skills

Summer is officially here and parents everywhere are looking for ways to keep their kids busy (mentally and physically).

Though summer vacation can be the perfect time for kids to relax and visit with friends and family, it's also an excellent time for kids to participate in educational activities designed to further strengthen their STEM skills.

Here are five STEM activities guaranteed to keep your kids busy all summer long:
Try a Few Fun Projects/Experiments. Let your kids reach for the stars by building their very own bottle rocket - a great activity to strengthen your child's chemistry and engineering skills. Better yet, make it a group activity and invite a few of their friends over. Have them compete to see whose bottle rocket travels the longest distance. Have some extra pool noodles lying around? Use them to build a periscope. This DIY activity strengthens your kid's engineering skills as well as teaches them all about image refraction.
Look for Bugs in the Yard. Your child can practice his or her insect identification skills by exploring your yard to uncover some interesting insects. Have your child write down a description of each insect they discover, then help them do some research to find out its name, eating habits, lifespan and more!
Set Up a Lemonade Stand. Who doesn't love a refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day? Help your child set up a lemonade stand at the end of the driveway. It will give them a chance to sharpen those math and measuring skills, so they don't get rusty during the summer months. Bonus: you can even have them save that money for a new game or donate it to a charity of their choice.
Grow a Garden. Dig deep to find your inner green thumb and create a family garden. Kids can keep a notebook to record the types of seeds they plant and the care they receive. Also, they can record daily changes in color, height or even the fragrance of the plants.