Being both a middle school STEM educator and a mother of two teenagers pursuing engineering careers, I understand the paramount importance of engaging children in hands-on STEM activities. These activities are pivotal in preparing our youth to confront the formidable challenges facing our world today, including climate change, public health crises, artificial intelligence, and national security. It is the children equipped with STEM skills who will lead the charge in addressing these real-world problems.
Children are naturally inclined to build, create, and invent, but regrettably, they often lack the essential STEM education required to nurture these interests. Studies conducted prior to the pandemic revealed that elementary students were receiving less than 30 minutes of science education per day. The situation was even bleaker in schools serving low-income communities.
Even in schools with the resources to prioritize STEM education, the kind of project-based, real-world learning experiences that can kindle a passion for science are rarely offered. It is significantly more effective to ignite children’s enthusiasm for STEM by encouraging them to ask questions about topics that genuinely interest them. Fostering their love of inquiry is the key to unlocking the answers and cultivating crucial skills.
That’s why I am delighted to share that the YMCA hosts its annual “THINGAMAJIG® INVENTION CONVENTION” to unleash the creative potential and problem-solving skills of children.
ABOUT THINGAMAJIG INVENTION CONVENTION
This year’s “Thingamajig®” offers a plethora of hands-on creative challenges and extends STEM experiences into the summer for children aged 5 to 14. With both in-person and virtual options available, there are numerous ways for children to participate. Register your child now to be a part of the excitement! For more information, visit bit.ly/thingamajig2023.
To help you and your children get into the STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) mindset, the YMCA has shared some warm-up activities, including crafting solar ovens, launching hot air balloons, and creating DIY bouncy balls. Select your favorites to explore, draw inspiration from, and then embark on one of the Thingamajig challenge topics listed below. Detailed rules and guidelines can be found on the official website at bit.ly/thingamajig2023.
THINGAMAJIG ACTIVITY TIMELINE
- Now – July 21st – Virtual Challenge: Participants from across the country can work on building solutions to a range of challenges (listed below). Visit bit.ly/thingamajig2023 for registration and challenge details.
- July 10-14 – Camp Challenge: YMCA branches in and around DC are offering a special Thingamajig Camp to help children collaborate on more extensive projects, with counselors available to provide guidance.
- July 27-28th – Expert Review and Feedback: A panel of experts from various fields will offer valuable feedback on each project, keeping students engaged in STEAM skill-building. The panel will also select entries for special recognition in each category and overall.
- August 2nd – In-person Invention Convention: An in-person, hands-on Science Fair/Festival will be held at the US Patent and Trade Office, providing registered participants with the opportunity to meet experts, explore new activities, witness demonstrations, tackle individual and team challenges, and be inspired to develop their next big ideas! This event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2, 2023, from 9 am to 3 pm at The United States Patent & Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
THINGAMAJIG CATEGORIES
- Amazing Action Contraption: Challenge yourself to re-engineer an everyday object into something entirely different. What cool thingamajig can you create?
- App to You: Create an app that can make a difference for someone special.
- Green Thing: Explore your surroundings and discover a cool invention or green technology that can enhance your neighborhood.
- How on Earth: Develop an innovation that can help improve the environment, considering the Earth’s current challenges.
- iCan…Play: Design an incredible game or toy that enables kids of all abilities to have fun while staying safe.
- JOY: Be a JOYMAKER by creating something unique that can bring joy, smiles, or laughter to someone’s day.
- Limb Friendly: Design a helpful invention appreciated by someone missing a limb or someone in need of extra assistance. What remarkable invention can you conceive?
- Paper Made: Have fun creating eco-friendly inventions using only paper or cardboard.
- Ready, Set, GO: Put Newton’s Law of Motion into action. Design an exciting mobile creation using recycled materials and your engineering skills that can spin, roll, rock, and move. What fantastic creation can you rev up?
- Robot Magic: Design an amazing robot, large or small, to perform a task that contributes to making the world a better place.
- Scrap Art: Unleash your imagination and creativity to craft a masterful work of art from scraps and other found objects. Sculpt it, frame it, and find your way to the THINGAMAJIG Masterpiece Gallery.
- Shoes, Shoes, New Shoes: Become a shoe designer and create exciting environmentally friendly footwear. Put your name on the next innovative design for stylish shoes.
- Zero Waste Trashion Fashion: Aspire to become a Zero Waste Fashion Engineer and design incredible fashion pieces from both found and unfound materials as you prepare to hit the runway in style.
STEAM WARM UP
To prepare your S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) brain, you can engage in various hands-on activities at home. Please note that while these warm-up activities are excellent for summer STEM learning, they do not qualify as challenge entries for Thingamajig, as the competition requires original work and unique inventions.
- Make an Air Quality Monitor: Create an air quality monitor using card stock, white graph paper, petroleum jelly, tape, a sharpened pencil, and a magnifying glass. Set it up to measure air quality in different locations.
- Build Your Own Bouncy Ball: Craft homemade bouncy balls using Borax, cornstarch, warm water, liquid glue, food coloring, and other simple supplies. Experiment with various ingredients to see how they affect the bounce of your ball.
- Baked S’mores (Solar Oven): Learn to cook s’mores without an open flame using a solar oven made from a shoebox or pizza box, aluminum foil, black construction paper, and plastic wrap. Enjoy flameless s’mores on a sunny day.
- Explore Thermodynamics: Discover the principles of thermodynamics by conducting experiments with lightweight trash bags. Learn how temperature affects the buoyancy of a bag and observe the differences between warm and regular air inside the bag.
- Paper Airplanes: Test your paper airplane folding skills and see whose plane can fly the farthest. Experiment with various folds, paper types, and objectives to find the best design.
- Strongest Bridge: Challenge yourself to create the strongest bridge using index cards and pennies. Build three different bridge designs, test their strength, and experiment with enhancements.
- Sprouting Seeds: Save seeds from fruits and vegetables, sprout them, and then plant them to observe their growth. This activity provides a hands-on introduction
