Education

Stay-At-Home Summer: Science Activities for Families

Each week, the WorldStrides Education Team develops a collection of activities centered around the locations we love (and the subjects we’re smitten with!). Each collection of projects is created with the whole family in mind, and will get you moving, thinking, creating, and most importantly of all – having fun!  This weeks collection focuses on SCIENCE!

While it’s one thing to read up on science in a textbook, hands on experiences really make it click! This collection of exercises takes some of our favorite activities from our STEM programs and re-creates them for home. From Costa Rican ziplining, to Icelandic lagoons, and Plankton races in the Florida Keys, you’ll learn about different places and lessons, all while having fun!

Costa Rican DIY Zip-Line

LEARN: Taking a zip line through the rainforests of Costa Rica is a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the canopy and experience a thrill. Watch this PBS video clip of videographer Frank Boll ziplining through Costa Rica.

DO: Create your own zip line using materials in your home! This helpful guide from The Tech Interactive has everything you need to complete this challenge, with plenty of variations to put your design skills to the test.

THINK: What materials did you use for your zip line? Were they effective? How many times did your design fail before you reached a successful outcome? How would you design it differently next time?

Need more inspiration? Take a look at what the Curriculum and Academics team created at home!

Icelandic Blue Lagoon Face Scrub

LEARN: Iceland’s Blue Lagoon has a variety of natural treatments so you can pamper yourself in the warm, healing waters. Watch this short video to see some travelers experiencing these treatments firsthand.

DO: Treat yourself to refreshed, super soft skin by creating your own face scrub. The best part? You can use ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! Combine 2 tsp of brown sugar and honey for a sweet exfoliator (use oatmeal if you have sensitive skin). Coffee grounds, coconut oil, and yogurt also make great bases for scrubs! Read other mask instructions here!

THINK: How does geothermic activity produce such interesting and useful materials? How else do we use unique natural elements every day? Where else can I travel to experience other geothermic wonders?

Florida Keys Inspired Plankton Races

LEARN: Plankton are organisms that live in the top layer of the ocean, continuously drifting along with the current. They represent the bottom layers of our food chain and play an immense role in producing around 50% of the world’s oxygen. Learn more about plankton with this TedED video featuring the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

DO: As plankton must rely on drifting to survive, when we recreate plankton we must ensure that they move within the water, never sinking or floating. When in the Florida Keys, students have plankton races, where they create plankton and observe which characteristics increase the chances of survival.

THINK: Why do plankton play such a large role in our ecosystem? How do we know about so many different types of plankton? What would happen if plankton didn’t exist? Did I really swallow plankton at the beach last year?

Want to have plankton races of your own? Use some of the supplies you have around your house! See what we recreated below.

Make the most thrilling zipline of all time? Make sure to share it with our team at discovery@worldstrides.com – we might share your hard work and creativity on our social media!  And if you’re looking for more activities, take a look at our Washington D.C themed activities!