Photos: 10 STEM projects that you can do with (or without) your kids

By Erin Carson June 29, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

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Photos: 10 STEM projects that you can do with (or without) your kids

Glowing Putty, Gels, & Slime Kit

Gels, polymers and phosphorescence — all words that belie the cool of a kit called Glowing Putty, Gels, & Slime Kit. This chemistry kit has 15 different experiments. Some glow, some are edible, some bounce. All sound like a good time. $15.99

Tin Can Robot

It’s summer. Of course you’ve got an empty pop can lying around somewhere. This kit lets you turn it into a little robot that can actually move around. $12.59

Visible V-8 Engine

If your kid is interested in engines, then she or he might dig this see-through V-8 engine that you build and then operate via hand crank in order to see how the pistons and valves work. $53.63

GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine

This kit lets you build a zoetrope by combining engineering, art, and animation. $29.99

Adafruit MintyBoost USB Charger Kit v3.0

One challenge of modern travel is keeping all those electronics charged. Here’s a kit from Adafruit that lets you build a USB charger out of a small candy tin. So, schedule some project time before hitting the road. $24.99

Altoid Tin Speakers

Those Altoid tins — they’re begging for inclusion in a DIY project. Check out Instructables’ guide to turning them into mini speakers. Price varies (probably depending on whether you get regular, mini, or off-brand Altoids).

Rock Candy

Image: SkyF/iStock

Rock Candy

Let’s keep talking about candy. A cool and delicious way to learn about crystals is to make rock candy. Here’s one set of directions for how to do it.

Image: SkyF/iStock

6-in-1 Educational Solar Robotic Kit

Teach your kids about the power of the sun with solar-powered this robotics kit. The kit can turn into a windmill, puppy, boat, and more, and the motor runs only on the sun. $11.20

Sound Collector Kit

This is the perfect time to talk to your kids about parabolic microphones. This kit lets you build a listening device, essentially, that picks up sounds from far off — and teaches kids about how sound waves travel through the air. $10.49

Papertronics Lunar Modules

These little paper characters have electric circuits in the paper. You can tear them out, draw on them, fold them up, and watch them glow. $16

By Erin Carson

Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.

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