(Note: this post contains affiliate links that earn from qualifying purchases.)

MORE: Big List of Picture Book Biographies for Women's History Month - includes biographies of women in the arts, social sciences and more!

Natural Scientists and Biologists

Read and learn about women trailblazers who worked as doctors, naturalists, oceanographers, environmentalists and biologists.

The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated y Daniel Rieley. This is a wonderful biography Dr. Bath, who made significant contributions to medicine, including a treatment for blindness. Written in rhyme, the narrative flows well and the illustrations are engaging. End material, including a letter from Dr. Bath, photographs, a timeline and further details about Dr. Bath's life and work make this biography extra special.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. This fun picture biography brings to life a woman who persistently followed her goals and broke 19th century barriers to be allowed into medical school, faced the rejection of her fellow students and then her colleagues, all the while proving she was smarter than they were. I love the vibrant, energetic illustrations.

Just Wild Enough: Mireya Mayor, Primatologist by Marta Magellan, illustrated by Clémentine Rocheron. Cuban-American Mireya Mayor grew up in Miami with a passion for animals and dance. Eventually becoming a primatologist, she struggled to be taken seriously when others judged her based on her appearance. She became the first woman wildlife TV reporter for National Geographic and discovered a new species of lemur in Madagascar. I particularly loved how this biography emphasized that scientists can have lots of different interests.

MORE: Biographies of Latinx and Hispanic Luminaries

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola. This book starts out with the quiet "investigations" of a girl watching a pond. When her family moves to Florida, Slyvia Earle starts her investigations of the Gulf of Mexico. Earle's love for the ocean and its life drift off the page, and this is a surprisingly moving book with lovely detailed illustrations that invite explore. It's a wonderful book to start a conversation with your kids, not only about the importance of ocean life to the planet, but how one's own interest can lead to a greater purpose.

MORE: Nonfiction Books about the Ocean and Marine Life

The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter. Winter's picture book biographies, with her spare but deliberate illustrative style, are very readable. Winter describes the out-of-the-box research and life of Jane Goodall and kids will come away with a richer understanding of what being a primatologist (and "a watcher") really is. For another Goodall biography, read Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell.

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins, illustrated by Jill McElmurry. In 1881, Katherine Olivia Sessions was the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in natural science. After moving to a nearly tree-less city in San Diego, she advocated and spearheaded a campaign that transformed the area to a lush green land. I hope Sessions's story inspires other kids to make a difference in their community.

MORE: Books about Women in Politics and Women Activists

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Julie Paschkis. One of the first known female naturalists, 13-year-old Maria has to catch and study insects in secret otherwise her 17th Century neighbors will accuse her of witchcraft. The metamorphosis of butterflies and moths, or “summer birds,” was not well-understood at the time and such creatures were considered “beasts of the devil.”

Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor, illustrated by Laura Beingessner. Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, was a wake up call about the impact our use of chemicals has on the environment. Lawlor's biography looks at Carson's life from the beginning through the publication of her iconic work.

MORE: Books to Inspire Care for the Environment

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. In 2004, Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for her work restoring trees to Kenya. Maathai’s story emphasizes the importance and cooperation of an extended community of women, and will make kids aware of the power of individuals to bring positive, long-lasting global change. As always, Kadir Nelson’s illustrations are stunning.

Wangari is one of the fearless women on our women cards coloring page! Click here to print the women cards coloring page for free!

The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photography by Caitlin O'Connell and Timothy Rodwell. This book is a text-heavy book suitable for kids 8 and up, or for younger kids who may have an intense interest in elephants. Scientist Caitlin O'Connell studied elephants in Africa and made important discoveries about their behavior and how they communicate with each other. This is actually a really fascinating book, full of information not just about O'Connell, but about elephants and their habitat.  Adults will enjoy reading it just as much as the kids.

MORE: Middle Grade Books for Women's History Month

Women Inventors and Engineers

In addition to the selected books below, view our full list of biographies of women inventors, and inspire your kids with these fiction picture books about little inventors.

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Guided by her Cherokee heritage and principles, Mary Golda Ross spent her life striving to excel. In school, she was the only female in her math class, which simply spurred her on even more. During WWII she worked on aircraft design and afterwards she was instrumental in developing secret projects at Lockheed. I hope this children's biography of Mary Golda Ross becomes part of every classroom's STEM curriculum!

The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter. Born in Iraq, and educated in London, Hadid designed intriguing buildings around the world. As a Muslim woman, the road was not easy and she had to overcome the hurdle of prejudice. This biography is written simply, making it a great choice for the early elementary set. Make sure to look at photographs of Hadid's beautiful buildings, too.

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrator Dow Phumiruk. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of Chinese-American Maya Lin, the architect and artist who created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It traces her journey from a girl who was fascinated by nature, building and learning about the art of structures to the college student who enters a contest to design the Memorial. An author's note gives further information.

Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor by Emily Arnold McCully. Mattie started inventing things when she was just a girl. She figured out how to make faster sleds, better kites and when she was twelve, she invented a device to protect loom workers. She also invented a machine to manufacture paper bags. The illustrations in this book are wonderful, flowing watercolors are accompanied by blueprint like drawings of Mattie's inventions.

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Melissa Sweet is actually not a 32 page picture book biography but I am sneaking it onto the list anyway. This book is a collection of stories about fascinating women and their inventions. Ages 8 and up.

Women Mathematicians, Physicists and Chemists

Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Despite the efforts of others, Sophie Germain was determined to pursue her interest in mathematics. Nothing, not even the French Revolution, could stop her. Her resilience and perseverance paid off and her work led to predicting vibration patterns, used later in architectural design.

Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars by Jodie Parachini, illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. This lyrical biography of Irish astrophysicist tells the story of how Burnell fought back against educators who insisted women couldn't study physics and went on to a successful career, leading to her discovery of how pulsing sound wave comes from a neutron star.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman. This is the story of four amazing mathematicians, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who contributed to NASA's success by providing important calculations. But it wasn't easy and they had to overcome strong racial and gender barriers to succeed.

How to Hear the Universe by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Sara Palacios. This is a fun biography about Gabby González that also introduces young kids to Albert Einstein’s theory about ripples in space-time (bet you didn't see that coming)! Decades after Einstein, González immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina, became fascinated by Einstein's theory, and set out to prove it.

Look Up!: Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Raúl Colón. This book focuses on the intellectual life of woman who is now considered one of the most important astronomers. After she graduated, she got a job at Harvard Observatory, where–with other women–she counted stars for the male astronomers. However, Leavitt made discoveries about star brightness and distance calculations that made the other astronomers realize her value. Colon's illustrations are top notch, as usual.

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by April Chu. I love this illustrated biography of a woman who has recently been "discovered" as the first computer programmer. The daughter of the notorious poet, Lord Byron, Ada's math-loving mother raised her away from her. Ada has an inquisitive, curious mind and when she meets Charles Babbage (who invented the first mechanical computer), it is Ada who figures out how to program it. A fascinating and gorgeous book with fun details that will fascinate children.

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu. From and early age, Hopper loved to figure out how things worked. Encouraged by her parents to study math and science, despite the domination of the field by men, Hopper's curious mind helped her persevere and her strength of mind led her to enlist in WAVES, the women’s division of the Naval Reserve, during WWII. Hopper remained in the Navy until she was 80 (!) solving incredibly complex computer programming problems.

Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Lucy Knisley. Margaret Hamilton grew up from being a curious girl who loved to solve problems to an MIT graduate who worked for NASA. She wrote a computer code that could solve any problem a spacecraft would encounter (which sounds like an impossible feat to me!)

MORE: Books about the Moon Landing

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington. Not as text heavy as many picture book biographies, this is a wonderful book about the first African-American in space, Mae Jemison. The narrative focuses on the young Mae and her dreams to see the earth from space. When she learns she needs to be an astronaut to go into space, she learns as much as she can about the stars and what it takes to be an astronaut. Her parents encourage her to dream big, even in the face of others' skepticism.

MORE: Nonfiction Books about Space

Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia by D. Anne Love, illustrated by Pam Paparone. In the 4th century Egypt, Hypatia, the daughter of a mathematician, received the kind of education most women were denied. The story follows Hypatia from childhood as her father dedicates himself to teaching her everything he knows, from activities like fishing, to the importance of grammar. When she grew up, men and women alike sought her advice on many topics. Fortunately, Hypatia's death at the hands of a mob is relegated to the author's note so that kids can focus on her learning and accomplishments.

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You may not immediately of science and art as natural partners. After all, science is traditionally taught as being defined by data and testing, while art is the result of spontaneous creativity. However, these science art projects for kids demonstrate there is beauty in science and give kids a way to explore the artistic process through scientific exploration!

Don't forget to explore how math and art projects will wow your kids, too!

Spin Art

Harness the power of centripedal force to create unique art with a common kitchen tool: a salad spinner! Drop washable paint (for easy clean-up) onto plain paper and place in the bottom of the spinner. The rotation makes the paint fly in a circular motion, creating interesting designs. Get the details for how to make spinner art at home here. Afterward, use the paper for cards, bunting, and wrapping paper.

More Science Art Projects

Over at Babble Dabble Do, Ana shares how to make amazing salt pendulum paintings.

The creative genius behind TinkerLab shows kids how to grow their your own geodes to learn about the scientific method and chemical reactions.

Pink Stripey Socks has some creative suggestions to explore art materials like a scientist! What a fun way to encourage artists to apply scientific principals to their work.

Over at Left Brain Craft Brain, you'll find instructions for a great last minute boredom buster that combines creativity with science as a way to learn about the science behind flight.

Want more activities that combine science and art? Our STEAM Kids book contains over 50 projects! Learn more about STEAM Kids here.

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We've searched out the best subscription boxes for tween, ages 9-12, that work to help kids develop their critical thinking and innovative creative skills, like arts and crafts, science, reading and even outdoor adventuring!

Note: this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission.

STEM Subscription Boxes

Tinker Crate, is a science and engineering crate that is geared towards kids ages 9 and up. We subscribed to Tinker Crate for many years and absolutely loved it. Each project introduces kids to a different STEM concept, like hydraulics, electric currents, fluids in motion, and aerodynamics. The crate includes everything you need for the project, as well as detailed instructions, an explanation of the scientific concepts and ideas for further investigation. My kids put together a rocket, a glider, a catapult, an hydraulic arm, an irrigation system and more.

Art Boxes

Doodle Crate is an art and craft based box for kids ages 9 and up. Each month introduces a new technique, includes all the supplies needed for the project as well as a detailed handbook with instructions, and further ideas for maker projects. Video tutorials are also included. Past projects have included candle making, weaving, batik, leather work and more.

Adventure Boxes

THiNK OUTSiDE BOX. I love the idea for this box. The THiNK OUTSiDE BOX encourages kids to have screen-free fun outdoors. Each month a box full of 3 – 5 outdoor gear items, reference cards, outdoor education and activities for fun outdoor adventures arrives on your doorstep. The intro box includes a backpack and subsequent boxes are organized around a theme, like first aid, wildlife or navigation. The main subscription is geared towards kids ages 7-16, but a Junior box subscription for kids 4-7 is also available for younger kids who want to get in on the action (and who wouldn't!).

Silverquicken Quest invites kids to use their detective skills and imagination to solve an escape room-type puzzle each month. Each mystery is set within a fantasy story about the secret Silverquicken School. Inside the box are stories, puzzles and clues, as well as fun tools like decoders. The box is aimed at kids ages 9-12 and is designed for your young puzzler to work independently or with others.

Book Boxes

Bookroo has book subscriptions boxes for different age ranges, including a middle grade box perfect for tween readers. Each box includes two high quality middle grade books for ages 9-12. A useful feature of Bookroo is that you can alternate between different box levels, so if your reader also needs chapter books for 7-10 year olds, they can get a few of both. All of the the past boxes have featured books that I would personally recommend.

Comic Crate. For kids who love comic books, Comic Crate is a fun way to encourage them to read. Each monthly box includes 6 brand-new comic books. Parents can select an age-appropriate rating for their child from all-ages to TeenPLUS.

beTWEEN the Bookends is aimed at kids ages 9-13. Each box includes 2-3 books and a variety of themed "lifestyle" items. The items are curated for a gendered girl audience, but of course that doesn't mean the box is only for girls. That said, it's best to keep the targeted audience in mind. Many of the books in past boxes are ones we have read and enjoyed.

Cooking Boxes

Yummly Crate is designed to teach kids ages 6-14 about the science of cooking! Imagine that–a STEM based approach to learning how to cook. Young chefs learn about biology and chemistry all while experimenting in the kitchen and whipping up yummy treats. Each monthly box includes 2-3 recipes, 2 hands-on projects and a zine. Yummly Crate is an excellent choice if you are looking for a subscription box that will also foster family bonding.

The post Best Subscription Boxes for Tweens that Foster Creative Thinking appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Note: this post contains affiliate links.

Thaumatropes

Learn about the scientific concept persistence of vision and challenge children to put their engineering and design skills to work by making thaumatropes. Make and design your own, or use our Halloween thaumatrope template to watch bats fly, spiders spin and pumpkins grin.

Tessellations

Tessellations are a great math art project. Your kids can get into the Halloween spirit by making black cat tessellations for very simple Halloween STEAM project, but it would be easy for students in a math or art class use our open-ended, standard tessellation instructions to create their own creatures like ghosts and monsters.

Halloween STEAM Kids

We've got so much more Halloween STEAM activities and STEM projects in our Halloween STEAM Kids ebook. Some of the projects include:

• Fizzing Pumpkins
• Spider Web Science
• Magic Potions Density Tower
• Milk Jug Skeletons

The digital format makes it easy to have all the instructions at your fingertips without having to go back and search for them all over the internet! PLUS, you get 31 Days of Halloween STEAM Challenge Cards FREE!!

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MORE: Retro crafts for kids that are still super cool

Using the markers, color in a pattern on the whirligig disc or template. Put a design on both sides. Patterns that work well for a spinning toy are swirls, checkerboards, and alternating lines.

If using the template, glue one to each side of the cardboard circle.

Finally, use the scissors to poke two holes on either side of the center of the whirligig and thread a long length of string through the holes, knotting the ends.

How to Spin the Whirligig

Holding the ends of the string, spin the whirligig around and around. Once you have it going, pull the yarn in opposite directions, but not too tight. The circle should spin fast and you can look at your decoration to see how it looks different in motion. Experiment with keeping the yarn tight, or giving it a bit of slack.

MORE: Now that your kids have made one old-fashioned spinning toy, try this cool diy spinning noise maker!

About the Whirligig Toy: History and Science

It turns out the whirligig, or spinner, has a long history. Both the ancient Greeks and Native Americans are known to have played with spinning toys that resemble the diy whirligigs of today. They could be made from buttons, bone or wood.

It sounds like the word, "whirligig," is made up, doesn't it? In actuality, it's composed of "whirlen" (to whirl) and "gigg" (toy/top), both from Middle English. Plus, it's a word that's just tons of fun to say.

Some whirligigs where designed so that the friction causes by the spinning action made a buzzing sound. Our DIY buzzing spinning toy is another example of how that science of sound works.

MORE: How to make an old-school bead and string puzzle

Originally published 2009, updated 2023

The post DIY Whirligig Toy for Old-Fashioned Childhood Fun appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math, and STEM toys and games make excellent gifts! We've tried and tested all sorts of STEM toys over the years to make this STEM gift guide. Here are the best of the bunch!

Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn this blog commission.

GEARS! GEARS! GEARS!

FIND IT: AMAZON

Many of the items on this list are for elementary school aged kids and tweens, so let me begin with a fabulous choice for preschoolers on up. The gears fit together in so many ways, giving kids an early start to engineering with a fun alternative to Standard Unit Blocks. Ages 3 and up.

TINKER CRATE

FIND IT: KIWICO

Tinker Crate is a science and engineering crate that is geared towards kids ages 8 and up. We subscribed to Tinker Crate for many years and absolutely loved it. Each project introduces kids to a different STEM concept, like hydraulics, electric currents, fluids in motion, and aerodynamics. The crate includes everything you need for the project, as well as detailed instructions, an explanation of the scientific concepts, and ideas for further investigation. My kids put together a rocket, a glider, a catapult, an hydraulic arm, an irrigation system and more. Ages 8 and up.

NOTE: KiwiCo. has sets for all ages from babies to older teens, so be sure to view all their selections.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EARTH SCIENCE KIT

FIND IT: AMAZON

It is impossible to go wrong with National Geographic! This kit has more than 15 STEM experiment activities including dueling water tornadoes (!!), building an erupting volcano, growing a crystal, creative a glow-in-the-dark vortex, and two geologic dig kits. It includes learning guides and clear instructions for hours of fun.

CODE MASTER PROGRAMMING LOGIC GAME

FIND IT: AMAZON

Code Master is a single player game that uses programming logic to create a sequence of events that will allow them to navigate a map in search of crystals. There are 10 maps with 60 levels. It is recommended for ages 8 and up. My almost 7 year old has become a little obsessed with it, but he needs me to sit with him and give him a lot of guidance. My 10 year old easily plays by himself. I love how much of a challenge the game is, while also being enjoyable.

KLUTZ LEGO CHAIN REACTIONS CRAFT KIT

FIND IT: AMAZON

This is a super cool set in which kids use LEGO to engineer gadgets and machines that set in motion chain reactions. We have several Klutz books and they all have extremely clear instructions, which are GREAT for kids who can get frustrated in the building process. Ages 8 and up.

CASTLE LOGIX

FIND IT: Amazon | Smart Games (EU)

The wooden pieces of Castle Logix are so great for little hands. The game includes four castle blocks and three turret pegs and a book of 48 challenges. Kids use visual and spatial skills, logic, planning and problem solving to put together the blocks so they match the image in each challenge. What I love about Castle Logix is that it grows with your child. They start out at age 3 with the easy challenges and work their way us as they get older! This game was a mainstay in our house for many years. Ages 3 and up.

LEGO TECHNIC SETS

FIND IT: AMAZON

In case you had your head in the sand like I did, you may not be familiar with all the inventive LEGO sets that go beyond basic building. I especially like LEGO Technic Building Kits which feature functioning gearboxes, wheels and axles. Age range varies.

SPHERO

FIND IT: AMAZON

The SPHERO program allows kids to experiment with coding, robotics and technology with hands-on activities. In other words, kids don't just stare at a screen to learn code. They go beyond code while they build, engineer, and even create art! Kids program code for the SPHERO robot, and a wide variety of enhancements are available. The robot is even waterproof and shatterproof so kids can really go to town with their experiments! Ages vary, the kit shown is best for ages 8 and up.

PRIME CLIMB

FIND IT: AMAZON

Prime Climb is an excellent math board game. It's fairly fast paced and has won a zillion awards. Playing Prime Climb requires kids to exercise their multiplication and division skills, while also teaching about prime numbers. Age 10 and up.

BEDTIME MATH: A FUN EXCUSE TO STAY UP LATE

FIND IT: BOOKSHOP | AMAZON

I bet you never thought you'd have a kid who would use math as an excuse to stay up late! Well, neither did I! This book contains riddles, puzzles, problems that are kid-friendly. The best part is that each problem is divided into three different challenge levels so that kids of all ages and skill levels can stay up late with math! I dare you to let this book help you and your kids love math! There are three books in the series. Ages 4-7

The post STEM Gifts for Kids that Foster Creative Thinking and Innovation appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Alternatively, you can tape several layers of cardboard together, or use a thin piece of plywood.

Cut your tube the width of your board. Tape it to the bottom of the board in the center.

Glue the bottle cap to the top of one end of the board.

How to Launch

Place a soft item (such as a pompom) into the bottle cap.

Count down from 10.

On zero, yell, "Blast off!!!" and with all your might, slap down on the end catapult without the cap.

Watch the pompom sail through the air. "Wheeeeeee!"

MORE: Simple machine play with a diy pulley

Catapult Target Game

Once your child has got the hang of their new toy and is catapulting objects all over the living room, take a moment to redirect their attention to some more structured target practice.

We set up this simple target game in no time with only two items. All you need is a large piece of paper and a pen. As you can see, the target doesn't need to be pretty.

Place a large piece of paper on the floor. A length from a roll of butcher paper is perfect. Next, draw concentric circles and write a point value in each one.

Optional: place a small container in the very center as the bullseye as we did. You can also just draw the bullseye, if you prefer.

Using the diy catapult, launch items, aiming for the center of the target. Depending on the landing spot, each successful launch is worth a point value.

Using this target, kids can simply make up their own rules.

Do they want to play until they reach certain point value? Or a predetermined number of rounds?

Your job as the parent is to sit back, cheer them on, and drink your coffee.

Enjoy!

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This Christmas math art project is a great STEAM activity for kids to do at home, but also in the classroom, where kids working together can construct a huge fractal tree.

For the uninitiated... a Sierpinski triangle is a mathematically generated pattern in which self-similar shapes are repeated across different scales in a never-ending feedback loop. In layman's terms, the same shape is repeated in different sizes to infinity.

The fractal is named after Wacław Sierpińsk, a Polish mathematician, who made contributions to set theory and number theory. You can read more about the math involved in the Sierpinski triangle here.

You can see my Sierpinski triangle drawing project in my book, STEAM Kids Christmas, and now I am going to encourage you to take that drawing and turn it into a 3D fractal triangle!

Here's a peek at the 2D Sierpinski Christmas tree:

Find out how to make the fractal tree drawing in STEAM Kids Christmas.

Okay, on to 3D fractal math art awesomeness.

First watch the video to experience the magic, or scroll down for written instructions and the photo how-to.

Note: although we did this project as a Christmas tree, you can do it any time of year without a holiday theme.

How to Make a 3-Dimensional Sierpinski Tree

Tuck in the flaps and tape edges.

Make the basic tree by taping together 4 tetrahedrons to make one large tetrahedron. Three tetrahedrons are the base and one tetrahedron sits on top, as shown in the photograph below.

Make four of these basic trees.

Tape the 4 basic trees into a large tetrahedron. Again, three basic trees will form the base, with one basic tree settled on top. This large tetrahedron will be composed of 16 of the original tetrahedrons.

Congratulations. You just made your first Sierpinski fractal!

Make as many of these large tetrahedrons as you wish in order to keep scaling up your fractal design. Follow the rule that you'll need four of each size to scale up.

If you are doing this as a holiday project you can top off the fractal tree with a star. TIP: in STEAM Kids Christmas I included instructions for making a fractal star, also known as a "Koch snowflake"! See below for a sneak peek of the math art snowflake!

Don't forget to do more awesome STEAM projects, including beautiful math art projects and designs throughout the year. My team has an amazing resource I know you will love.

The post Sierpinski Fractal Triangle: Holiday Math Art for Kids appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

STEM (STEM stands for Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) toys not only have have imaginative and educational value, but kids will continue to play with them long after the wrapping paper has been recycled. This list of STEM gifts will grow with your child. The best part? We've also done the work to find the perfect book to accompany the gift.

(Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. Qualifying purchases made through these links may earn commission.)

LEGO Creative Bricks Set. Even if your child has a zillion LEGO sets, they probably still need one of these basic brick sets. All the special LEGO sets have so many tiny and specific pieces, my kids find it hard to build anything from their imagination without the addition of these basic bricks. We actually added two of these sets to our collection so the kids could engineer whatever they wanted. The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More! includes step by step instructions for lots of ideas to inspire kids.

MORE: Books to inspire inventors and engineers

Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes. We've tried loads of paper airplane tutorials, but Klutz was the absolute best. The paper is good quality, the instructions are clear, and the book includes extension ideas for exploring the engineering and flying of paper airplanes. Kids will enjoy reading The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont and learning about the first pilot to lift off and land a completely self-propelled plane.

PicassoTiles® 100 piece set Magnet Building Tiles are nearly identical to MagnaTiles, but less expensive. Every parent I have ever talked to has said that colorful magnet tiles are one of their kids' very favorite toys and they have played with them for years. Pair a set of magnet tiles with If I Built a House, a picture book about a kid who dreams up an elaborative, inventive house.

Our family has had years of enjoyment with our subscriptions to the KiwiCo. family of activity boxes. Your curious child will love the glorious goodness in the monthly subscription box, Tinker Crate. Each month, your child receives a box that has everything they need to construct a cool project. We've made motors, planetariums, gravity games and more. Honestly, a gift that lasts all year long is the best kind and 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions are available. For those in between days, include a copy of Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes: Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun by our favorite go-to science guy, Steve Spangler.

Robot Turtles Game is big news in the board game world. It's been featured on major news sites and was the most backed board game in Kickstarter history. Since being picked up by ThinkFun, the price has become affordable and it's now a top selling game. Robot Turtles teaches young children about basic programming without ever using an "on button". Since this game is best for preschoolers through 2nd grade, pair it with the picture book, Boy and Bot, about the friendship between a boy and his robot, and how they learn to "fix" each other.

MORE: Gifts for kids who want to learn coding

Snap Circuits is a must-have STEM building set. We have gotten so much use out of ours. We got it several years ago for my older son, and when his younger brother was older he started using it, too. Inspire your kids with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the true story of how a boy brought electricity to his village in Malawi.

Gravity Maze. This is one of our favorite single player logic games. Using challenge cards (there are 40!), players work to construct interlocking mazes to direct a ball to the endpoint. Gravity by Jason Chin is an amazingly beautiful book that will have kids eager to explore the force that keeps us grounded and wonder what would happen without it.

MORE: Best single player logic games for kids

The Inventor's Box: Creative Challenges is chock full of stuff for kids to–you guessed it!–invent stuff! Pair it with Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor, about a 19th century girl who started inventing things at the tender age of 12.

MORE: Picture book biographies about Women Inventors

MindWare KEVA Contraptions are super cool sets encourage kids to put their engineering skills to work building chutes, funnels, curves and tracks for ball runs. The Way Things Work (Revised edition) is a book that will grow with your child and spark them to investigate how machines are put together as they work on building their own!

Qwirkle Board Game is one of our family's favorite games. I featured it in our game of the month series. It teaches logic, patterning, spatial awareness and strategy, all skills which are important for math. It's also a MENSA select game so you can feel super smart while playing it! Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature is the perfect STEM pairing book because it teaches about mathematical patterns and is appropriate for a wide range of ages. It also has gorgeous photos.

MORE: Math gifts for kids, even those who think they don't like math!

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There is a lot of sensory engagement going on when solving this rope and bead puzzle. Kids have to focus on their sense of touch to guide and manipulate the bead and not let the strings get tangled up. But not only are they working on those fine motor skills, they also have to exercise patience while working on logical thinking skills.

Some versions of the puzzle use rings instead of beads, but it's the same concept. You may remember these types of string and ring or bead puzzles from your own childhood. They have been around since the beginning of time and while there are many puzzles with very, very complicated solutions, this is a good starter puzzle for younger kids and you can offer a couple of hints to help them along. (More on that in a minute.)

How to Make a String and Bead Puzzle

To learn how to make the puzzle watch the how-to video, or read the written instructions below. This short video shows you how to make the puzzle, and at the end I show you the puzzle solution. (You can only watch the solution after you have tried to solve it on your own. Sorry, that's the rule.)

Under the written instructions I've included hints on how to solve the puzzle.

You will need: 

• Cardboard
• Hole punch (Optional, a scissors will also work)
• String
• Bead or ring
• Scissors

Solving the Puzzle

Objective: Move bead from one side of the string to the other.

3 hints to give your kids: (ONLY after they've given it the ol' college try)

1. Pull the loop forward.
2. Pull all four strands forward through the center hole.
3. Follow the string with the bead.

The best part is that after kids solve the puzzle they will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and be eager to hone their skills on another brain puzzler!

More Old-Fashioned Puzzles

• Make and solve the famous T-Puzzle!
• This triangle puzzle will stump your kids
• How to turn two circles into a square

The post More Old School Fun: String and Bead Puzzle appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.