Bring your favorite fairy tales to life with these STEM kits. They connect the story to a fun, DIY activity where the students get to problem solve and work together to bring the stories to life.
I'm sure that you've all read about the importance of incorporating STEAM activities into your classroom. By adding STEAM (also known as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) into the classroom, students integrate all of these concepts to work together and solve real problems. That's why I was so excited when I came across these fun Fairy Tale STEAM challenges! 
I always do STEAM challenges on Friday afternoons with my students. They work together to ask "wondering questions", brainstorm solutions, think through potential problems, seek out information, and apply this information to create a solution. These STEM Journals really help the students focus on planning because they prompt them to ask, imagine, plan, create and improve.
These journals are great because they come in a set of 12 and really direct the students into what to do next.
It can be daunting to think about where to start with STEAM, but these three kits take care of planning and prep! For example, the Jack and the Beanstalk STEAM kit fuses the fairy tale with the challenge of building a parachute to help Jack jump from the top of his beanstalk. My class loved reading the story in their small challenge group. It motivated them because they knew the story and wanted to save Jack!
When I tell you that these sets come with all the supplies you need, I am not joking! Included in this set, for their creative endeavor are: coffee filters, yarn, baker's twine, paper, stickers, clear plastic bags, pipe cleaners and cotton sheets.
My students enjoyed this challenge a lot. They were very creative, problem solvers and I knew that they would enjoy the next STEAM Challenge Kit: Three Little Pigs.
Much like the first challenge, the students were asked to build houses that'll protect the three little pigs from the big, bad wolf! I divided the class into three groups: one for the straw house, stick house and brick house.
This Three Little Pig-inspired STEAM really engaged the students because it sparked a creativity in them build solid structures to protect the little pigs!
Thank goodness for our loyal 4 oz Elmer's® Washable School Glue which really helped the students glue down the wooden craft sticks, paper straws, and foam cubes to the cardstock.
This was a giant success and we even shared it with our first grade buddies. So, if you are hesitant or worried about where to start and what to do for STEAM, look no further than all the AMAZING STEAM activities that come with everything you need to engage your curious, little engineers in learning! Next on our list is the STEAM Challenge Kit: Three Billy Goats.
I cannot wait to see the bridges that these architects build to to help the Three Billy Goats Gruff safely avoid the troll! Oh, the endless possibilities of STEAM!
