Make Incredible Memories with Summer Science

School is winding down and I was frantically gearing up to share my summer science bucket list with you. I have been pouring over my science books and Pinterest boards. I was imagining our summer schedule of when we’d complete the bucket list. I was determined to make the best science list EVER.

Then I stopped.

I stopped because I don’t want to just do science and get stressed out if we don’t manage to get it done. Instead, I want to use science to make amazing memories this summer with my kids. I want to share with them the things we don’t get to enjoy during the school year like staying up late to watch the stars and find some fireflies.

This summer instead of crossing off a bucket list, I want to use the summer to slow down, relax, reconnect, and rediscover the extraordinary in the ordinary. And surprisingly, kids do the best in helping us recognize how extraordinary our world is.

I have made this list (with source hyperlinks) to inspire us. My goal is to make memories that we’ll look back and say, remember that summer when…..

We stayed up past bedtime to do science at night:

• Find the Big Dipper and then draw other constellations
• Watch this summer’s meteor showers
• Find fireflies and catch them in a jar
• Watch the phases of the moon (and then eat some Oreos)

We made the best of the 100°F heat and learned about the power of the sun: 

• Make suncatchers
• Save an old pizza box to make and cook in a solar oven (Check! We made s’mores which in my opinion is a “brilliant” solar energy snack)
• Melt crayons outside in the sun

We celebrated the Fourth of July with some STEM crafts:

• Make paper bangers
• Make and shoot straw rockets  (Check! This was so simple and the last time we laughed so hard was when I watched the lady with the Chewbacca mask!)
• Make EASY confetti firecrackers (We discussed potential and kinetic energy while popping paper and eating marshmallows.)
• Make marshmallow shooters (then try and catch them in our mouths)

We went fishing and to the beach:

• Find beach rocks and make them sparkle with crystals!
• Fish for ice to cool off after we go fishing (Check! See here how I realized this would make amazing entertainment for kids while waiting at a busy restaurant!)
• Make an ocean wave in a bottle

We made and played in our food: 

• Make smores in a jar
• Make icecream in a bag 
• Eat water melon then make oobleck in it

We had water balloon fights and played in the pool:

• Blow up water balloons with pressure
• Make our own bubble snakes 
• Race some pool noodle boats

We spent $10 or less on  science “doo-hickies”:

• Make an electromagnet 
• Make a clock out of a potato
• Explode a 2L bottle of soda with a Mentos geyser. (Check! We rocked a birthday party with a sugary soda blast here.)

We did acts of kindness using science:

• Make lemonade for our neighbors, then do a science show with lemon volcanoes  
• Write secret message to a friend with invisible ink 
• Make easy playdough and then send the ingredients and instructions to a friend
• Make marbled milk paper and write a thank you to the local firemen

OK – so there it is. Memories I hope to make and hope that you will be inspired by. Have an amazing summer vacation and stay tuned for some amazing summer science giveaways!