As Father’s day is fast approaching, here are some Father’s day inspired STEM gifts that kids can do with their fathers as a bonding experience or presented as a gift.
1. Build Your Own Barbecue Smoker
Description: Make your father’s day dinner on your own home-built smoker manufactured out of terra cotta pots.Â
What Do I Need?
For this activity, you will need the following items:
- 16″ terra cotta pot
- 16” terra cotta saucer
- Small grill grate
- Charcoal
How do we do it? Â
1. Fill the terra cotta pot with charcoal. You may want to fill it partway with bricks first so you don’t have to use as much charcoal.
2. Light the charcoal and place the grate on top.
3. When the grate is warm, start grilling your food as normal.
4. Use the saucer as a lid making sure enough air gets in to keep the fire going.Â
To get more details about this activity, click here.
2. Homemade Science KitÂ
Description: There are plenty of science kits available for purchase but nothing beats experimenting with things around the house.Â
What do I need?
Your kit can include any combination of household items that you would like to experiment with. Some commonly used ones are….
- Kit Case
- Baking soda
- Borax powder
- Skittles, M&M’s or other candy.
- Batteries
- String light circuits
- Tape
- Tinfoil
- Safety goggles
How do I do it?Â
Put together your kit in any way you choose. After giving it to your dad, spend the holiday bonding over a number of fun experiments.
3. DIY Race Cars
Description: A race car made of household items that makes a great S.T.E.M gift and activity for a father’s day in lockdown.Â
What do I need?Â
This is another gift that can be made in whatever way you choose. But one particular model can be made out of….
- Cardboard
- Drinking straws
- 4 Bottle caps
- 2 Wooden Dowels ¼ by 18’’
- 1 DC Motor with battery and propellor
- Scissors
- Hot glue
How do I do it?Â
1. Draw the body of your car on cardboard and cut it out.
2. Cut the drinking straws so you have two pieces that are just a little longer than the width of the car body.
3. With the car body horizontal to you glue one straw vertically on the back of the car making sure an even amount hangs off both ends. Do the same at the front of the body.
4. Cut two dowels so that they are slightly longer than your straw ends.
5. Make a hole in the center of one bottle cap and slide it onto the end of a dowel. Secure it with hot glue.
6. Slide the dowel through the back straw then glue a second bottle cap to the other end of the dowel. Repeat this on the front.
7. Turn the car over so the bottle caps are on the floor.
8. Hook up your dc motor to the battery and propellor. Secure this to the top back of the car with the propellor facing behind.Â
Have a blast racing your new car!
For more STEM-inspired activities, go to STEM at Home