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Fun STEAM Activities for Kids with TV Video Calling

Fun STEAM Activities for Kids with TV Video Calling

There is no doubt about it, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we do things.

Where only one and a half years ago your kid was enjoying in-person play dates with friends, today many of these meet-ups take place over video calling services such as Zoom.

If your kid will soon be having a TV video calling date with friends, below are some fun educational STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for them to enjoy. As always, always make sure to be safe and have proper parental supervision when trying out activities with kids.


Build an Electromagnet

Learning about electricity and magnetism is incredibly interesting. Your kids can build their own electromagnet with some copper wire, a battery, electrical tape, and a nail.


Take an iron nail (around 3 inches), and wrap it tightly with the copper wire making sure not to overlap the wires. Leave around 10 inches of wire on each end. You can always cut the wire at the end to get your desired length. Attach one end of the wire to the positive end of the battery and the other end to the negative end. Secure them in place by utilizing some electrical tape.

Place some paperclips or other metal items and watch in amazement as the nail is turned into a magnet!

 

The Ultimate Science Project

Experimenting with a science project through video calls on your TV is great fun for kids! All you need for a simple apple oxidation project is (you guessed it) some sliced apple and a variety of different liquids.

Steam challenge on TV Video Calling

Lay the apple slices into individual cups or containers and soak them in your range of liquids. Make sure to label each cup accordingly. After several minutes, carefully remove each apple and you will be able to determine which liquids have caused the apples to brown. Below are a couple of ideas, but feel free to try anything else you can think of.

Ideas for liquids: Lemon juice, Orange juice, Water, Salt water (1 tbsp per cup), and Milk.

 

Binary Code Bracelet

A fun activity that ties in the future of technology! Making a binary code bracelet is a great way to introduce your children to binary code. Have them make a bracelet that spells out their name, best friend, a sibling or even the family pet.

You will need beads in 3 colors, some string or elastic, scissors and a binary code chart which can be printed out with a quick Google search.

One color will represent “0”, another will represent “1”, and the 3rd color will be the divider. Measure out the string according to the size you want, make a knot on one end and slide in the colors according to the binary chart and your name, placing a divider bead between each letter. Once finished, tie off the piece of string and you will have a pretty bracelet with a meaning!

 

Whether you are connecting with long distance loved ones, or simply having a fun STEAM TV Video calling play date. ONSCREEN is here to help you get started with our Spark TV Video calling device.

For more information about the ONSCREEN Spark, click here.