Chain Reaction @Home

This program engages children (and families) in hands-on, thought-provoking, open-ended STEM/STEAM explorations with ample opportunities to learn:
1) Physics principles: force and motion, scale, cause and effect
2) Engineering practice: plan, build, test, improve
3) Values: trial and error, persistence, growth mindset

Program Description:
Kids build their own Rube Goldberg Machines at home with common household objects, recyclables, repurposed materials, and their own common tools and toys. During my live demonstration/presentation session, kids engage through questions and comments, which I address in real time. Afterwards, the real hands-on work begins at home. This follow-up work is reinforced by my online library of pictorial instructions, video demonstrations, and thematic slideshows, which can be freely accessed on any device. Kids (and families) share their progress by sending in pics and videos, which are shared through a class blog page, curated for safety and security. My work dovetails well with Next Generation Science and National Core Arts curriculum, but is not tied to it - Playful Engineers promotes child-centered exploration and play from in-school to un-school!

RSVP to sfoster@cwmars.org at the Berlin Public Library