Are you looking for ways to combined learning and fun into your kid's education? Whether you're a teacher looking for distance/in-person STEM activities or a parent looking for ways to integrate more STEM learning at home, we've got just the thing for you! Here are the February 2021 STEM holidays and a few ways to talk to your kids about them.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 11, 2021
Women make up half of the world's population, but they're greatly outnumbered in the STEM fields. The United Nations includes increasing the number of women and girls in STEM fields as part of their Goals for Sustainable Development and to "rise to the challenges of the 21st Century."
Celebrate Women and Girls' Potential with these short activities at home.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science activities for kids
For Kids 4-7
Grace Hopper was a US Navy Admiral and early Computer Science Pioneer. She created the first compiler and coined the term "bug".
Enjoy this Grace Hopper read-along picture book. Watch on YouTube ->
Mae Jemison is an engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She was the first black woman to travel into space.
Enjoy this Mae Jemison read-along picture book. Watch on YouTube ->
For Kids 7 and Up
This short video introduces the ideas of gender equality in a kid-friendly way. After watching, use these questions to start a conversation with your learners around their opinions:
- What is the main point of the video?
- According to the video, why is it important for girls to learn how to code? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
- Why do you think the video specifically mentions teaching girls to code?
- How do these facts and ideas make you feel? Are you interested in learning about or working in technology in school and college?
- How would you feel if someone told you that you didn’t belong in these fields because of your gender?
- Do you think it is important for boys and girls to have the same opportunities in technology? Why might it be important to have women in technology?
- What changes need to be made? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
Valentines Day!
February 14, 2021
Valentine's Day might not be a STEM holiday, but it's a great day to celebrate with your kids at home or in the classroom. This Coding Mission brings coding and Valentine's Day fun together with a new adventure from the fuzzFamily. Join Blue and the other Fuzzes for a coding challenge.
Valentines Day STEM Activity for Kids
See the complete coding mission and activity worksheet here.
National Engineering Week
February 21-27, 2021
National Engineering Week was founded in the United States around George Washington's birthday, February 22, to increase engineering and technology fields' diversity and spark interest among young students.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, was also an engineer. President Washington invented farm tools and advocated for the advancement of engineering.
National Engineering Week Activities for Kids
Day 1: What is an Engineer?
"An engineer is a person who designs and builds complex products, machines, systems, or structures. Engineers want to know how and why things work. They have scientific training that they use to make practical things."
Day 2: Use these questions to start a conversation with your kids about engineering:
- Talk about some things an engineer made:
- "Our swing set, to make sure it doesn’t tip over when dad/grandpa/uncle swings on it!"
- "Engineers built the castle at Disney World so that it is safe for the princesses to live in."
- "Engineers make the rollercoaster at the theme park so that it can go upside down and twist and turn safely."
- "The bridge/street we take to school, to make sure it is strong enough for our car to drive on every day."
- "Video games to make sure they don’t crash or glitch, and save your score."
- "The airplane we took on vacation to make sure it can fly safely through all kinds of weather."
- What are some other things you think an engineer made?
- Tell me something you wish an engineer would make?
- If you could engineer something, what would you like to make?
Day 3: Silly Discussion Questions to Spark Imagination
Use these questions from parents-together.com to start a conversation with your kids about engineering and STEM ideas:
- If you had to measure your height in Oreos, how many Oreos tall do you think you would be?
- What are 5 things you need to make a fort in your house?
- If you could build a house out of any material, what would it be and why?
- If you had all the LEGOs in the world, and the time to do it, what would you build?
- What would happen if earth lost its gravity for a day?
- What would happen if we humans could start living in space? Would you want to live in outer space? How come?
- 100 years from now, what do you hope has been invented?
Share your 2021 STEM Holiday Celebration with us!
How are you celebrating 2021 February STEM Holidays with your kids? Did you learn something new? Is this something you'd like to see more of on the Kodable blog? Tell us in the comments below or tag @kodable on social media and tell us all about your STEM Holiday Celebration.
Want more STEM Holidays events and activities? Get the complete 2021 STEM Holiday Calendar Here!
