How to Make Valentine's Educational and Fun? This Easy STEM Challenge Encourages Creativity

Would you like a STEM Valentine's challenge that is fun, educational AND keeps learning going while celebrating the holiday? Valentine's Day is a when we celebrate love and friendship (and chocolate!) and it's a day that many students look forward to but, it can also be a day that disrupts learning in the classroom. Turn Valentine's into a learning opportunity with this engineering and design challenge that has students create a Valentines card holder. I love seeing their creativity!

Click HERE to see this project on TPT

My students love this Valentine's Card Holder STEM Challenge and I love their incredible creativity. A student who LOVES spaghetti made a bowl with spaghetti where the Valentine cards are added in with the noodles. For some, love and spaghetti are the same.

How this Easy Valentine's STEM Challenge Works and Encourages Creativity

The Valentine's Card Holder STEM Challenge uses the engineering and design process to teach students about criteria and constraints. Students are given a budget of $20 to spend on building materials and must use their creativity and problem-solving skills to design and build a card holder. This not only teaches valuable STEM skills but also allows them to think critically about how they can use their resources in the most effective way.

Why Stem Challenges are Great Learning Tools

• I see curriculum that includes an engineering unit as a stand unit of study. Consider skipping it and incorporate some STEM STEAM or STREAM challenges during the year.
• STEM challenges can be done in 30 minutes or over a few days every now and then throughout the year and are hands on experiences that students love.
• STEM projects can be a quick challenge just for fun, a holiday activity, or connected to a specific standard. My friend, Lynda Williams, has great STEM challenges.
• Be sure students know the difference between criteria and constraints as you proceed with your challenge (this is a tested standard.)
• STEM challenges sprinkled in throughout the year and put in context versus taught alone, provides long term learning.

This Valentine's Day resource offers a unique and engaging way to teach STEM concepts while celebrating the holiday. Click HERE and go to the PREVIEW on TPT to see all that is included.

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These Valentine's cards highlight famous scientists and inventors and can be used to teach students about the history of science and technology. These Valentine's Day cards feature ten scientists and inventors including Charles Darwin, Katherine Johnson, Sally Ride, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and Mary Anning. These cards are a fun and educational way to celebrate the holiday, and they can be used as a starting point for discussions and research projects.

Whether you're looking for a unique way to teach about famous scientists and inventors or a way to bring STEM into the classroom, these resources are a must-have for any science-loving teacher.