STEM activities and challenges are a great way to keep your kids busy, learning, and having fun this summer. Below I share a few of my favorite summer themed STEM activities to try with your family. Make a Sundial Before the invention of clocks, people used the sun to tell time. You can make your own simple backyard sundial with a stick, a piece of chalk, and some rocks.  Find a sunny space in your yard, preferably some place that gets consistent sun throughout a large portion of the day. Stick a stick into the ground so that it stands upright. Your stick should be about a foot to a foot and a half tall. At the next new hour place a rock where the shadow of the stick ends. Mark the hour on the rock with the chalk. Set a timer for the next hour and repeat the process for as many hours as the sun allows. Leave your sundial in place and use it the next day to tell time! *This is just a simple version of a sundial so it will only be accurate for a short time. As the seasons change and the

  My younger two girls are crazy about snails. They love watching them crawl around under the ivy in our backyard, and they frequently spend their afternoons building villages out of rocks and sticks for their little backyard friends. I ended up putting together a snail unit study for them awhile back and thought I would share in case anyone else's kiddos love snails as much as mine do. This unit study covers snail taxonomy, snail anatomy, types of snails, snail diets, snail habitats, snail adaptations, and more. It includes informational reading sheets, worksheets, vocabulary words, coloring sheets, science diagrams/posters, a word search, instructions for a science experiment and a hands-on science activity, writing prompts, a snail racetrack, and more! *Grab it here:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Snails-Printable-Unit-Study-9703278 *And check out my other printable resources here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Barefoot-Mom Follow me on Te

Summer is such a great time of year for exploring the natural world! There are lots of insects out and about to observe, plants and gardens to watch grow, and warm evenings that are perfect for stargazing! Below I share some of my favorite summer nature study activities and lots of nature study resources to check out. Summer Nature Study Activities Watch Fireflies Fireflies are one of my favorite things about summer. Get outside in the evening and enjoy them!  Here are a few resources for learning about fireflies: - National Geographic: Watch Fireflies Glowing in Sync to Attract Mates  (video) - SciShow Kids: Fireflies- Nature's Baffling Blinkers  (video) - Kristin Moon Science: Fascinating Fireflies- The Science Behind the Glow Learn About Cicadas Cicadas buzzing in the trees is a sure sign that summer is here. Look around your yard and see if you can find any to observe. If you get lucky you might find one in the process of molting. Here are a few resources for learning about cic