National STEM Day Is Coming Fast — How Much Time Do You Have?
- Amy
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
National STEM Day (November 8) is almost here — the perfect excuse to bring curiosity and creativity to life. Whether you’ve got five minutes or a full day, you can make STEM Day fun, meaningful, and totally doable.
I Have 5 Minutes and No Budget
You don’t have time to build a robot army — but you’ve got five minutes for a spark of STEM. When time and budgets are tight, even a quick, hands-on demo can wow your students and spark real curiosity.
Try a fast, visual mini-lesson that gets students thinking about how our eyes and brain work together to see color.
The Big Idea: Color isn’t just what we see — it’s how our brain interprets light. These quick experiments explore the science of color perception through two engaging activities you can do with just a printer and a few crayons or markers.
Activity 1: Mix It Up
Use the printable Color Wheel Sheets to let students explore what happens when primary colors mix. Red and yellow make orange, blue and red make purple — but what’s really happening is that light is being absorbed and reflected in new ways. Students will see how color mixing is actually light science in action.
Instructions:
Cut out each color wheel from the printable.
Carefully push a pencil or straw through the center of the wheel. Use a small piece of tape to secure it if needed.
Spin and observe!
As the wheel spins, the colors blend together — your eyes and brain combine the colors faster than you can see each one individually.
Activity 2: The Afterimage Illusion
Ever stared at something bright and still “seen” it after you looked away? That’s called an afterimage illusion — and it happens because the cone cells in your eyes get tired after focusing on one color for too long. When you shift your gaze to something white, your brain fills in the opposite color to balance things out. Pretty amazing, right?
Try It: The Smiley Face Illusion
Start with this fun visual trick!
Instructions:
Look at the yellow smiley face (yellow circle with black eyes and a smile).
Stare at it for 30–45 seconds without looking away.
Then quickly shift your eyes to a blank white space or sheet of paper.
👀 What do you see? If you notice a faint face — but with inverted colors — you’ve just experienced an afterimage!
Try It: The Blue Square Test
Now that you’ve seen how afterimages work, let’s test it with color blocks.
Instructions:
Print the Color Square Printable and hold it about 12 inches away.
Stare at the blue square for one full minute.
Move your eyes to the white side of the page.
What do you see? You should notice a yellowish square appear — that’s your eyes and brain working together to create the illusion!
Try It: Create Your Own Illusions
Use markers or crayons to make your own colorful squares or simple shapes — hearts, stars, letters, or anything you like. Once you’ve practiced, try drawing more detailed pictures or patterns to see how the afterimage changes with different colors and designs. This turns your experiment into a mini science-and-art challenge — where creativity meets color perception! Then repeat the steps: stare, look away, and see what color your eyes create next!
Why It Works
Both quick experiments show that color isn’t a fixed property of objects — it’s a perception created by light, the eye, and the brain. That’s real science you can see in just a few minutes!
Classroom Tip
Keep a few of these printables on hand for early finishers, rainy days, or quick brain breaks. They’re perfect for sparking curiosity about light, vision, and how we see the world around us.
➡️ Download the free “Science of Color” printable set and bring color perception to life — no prep, no extra materials, just hands-on science magic!
If you loved exploring how our eyes and brain create color, you’ll enjoy diving deeper into optical illusions and visual science!
➡️ Check out the free Persistence of Vision – Thaumatrope Kit to discover how fast-moving images can trick your brain into seeing motion where there isn’t any. It’s another quick, hands-on way to blend art, light, and perception in your classroom.
I Have an Hour and a Few Supplies
An hour gives you time to build, test, and explore — the sweet spot for hands-on learning.
Activity 1: Race a Can with Static Electricity
Think you can make a soda can move — without touching it? Get ready for some hands-on fun as you explore the invisible power of static electricity and discover how electrons and protons interact.
When you rub a balloon on your hair or a carpet, it collects extra electrons, giving it a negative charge. The nearby soda can becomes positively charged, and the two attract — making the can roll toward the balloon.
Supplies Needed:
Empty soda can
Balloon
Tape - for the start and finish line
Instructions:
Blow up a balloon and tie it off.
Place an empty soda can on its side on a smooth surface like a table or floor.
Use tape or paper to mark a start line and a finish line — about 2–3 feet apart.
Rub the balloon on your hair, sweater, or carpet for 10 seconds to build up static.
Hold the balloon near the can (without touching it) and see if you can race it across the finish line!
Challenge friends or classmates — whose can can go the farthest or fastest?
What’s Happening: You’re seeing electrostatic forces in action — the same science behind clingy laundry or lightning in a storm! As electrons jump between materials, they create charges that attract or repel, causing motion.
Activity 2: Find the Mystery Drinker — Fingerprint Science!
Ever wondered how detectives solve mysteries? With just a few household items, you can reveal hidden fingerprints and learn why no two people in the world share the same print! This hands-on activity brings a little bit of forensic science into your classroom or kitchen.
Supplies Needed:
Clean drinking glass
Talcum (baby) powder
Paintbrush
Clear tape
Dark construction paper
Instructions:
Grab a clean drinking glass and press your fingertips against the side.
Use a small paintbrush to gently dust a little talcum (baby) powder over the area.
Gently blow off the extra powder — you’ll see light-colored fingerprint ridges appear.
Press the sticky side of a piece of clear tape over the prints to lift them.
Stick the tape onto a piece of dark construction paper to make the prints easy to see.
What’s Happening: The powder clings to the tiny oils and sweat your skin naturally leaves behind, revealing the unique patterns of loops, whorls, and arches on your fingertips. Every person’s fingerprints are one-of-a-kind — that’s why they’re used for identification!
Why it works
This setup works perfectly for a single-class lesson, a library workshop, or an after-school event.
I Have a Small Budget for National STEM Day
You’ve got a little budget — maybe $50, maybe less — and that’s enough to make something big happen. With just a few carefully chosen Xplorably kits, you can create hands-on STEM experiences for your students without breaking the bank.
You can buy one kit per student so they can take it home. Or, divide students into small groups and purchase 4–5 kits per class to rotate activities.
Here are five Xplorably kits — one for each letter of S.T.E.A.M. — that make planning simple:
Science - Discover Astronomy – Planetarium Projector ($3/kit)
Explore space with this hands-on STEAM kit that lets kids build a working projector to learn how the Moon’s phases change throughout the lunar cycle.
Technology - Paper Circuits – My Community ($2/kit)
Introduce basic electronics by lighting up a paper city with simple circuits. Kids learn how electricity flows while creating a project they can proudly display.
Engineering - Build a Catapult ($3/kit)
Kids build, and test their own mini catapults. Great for hands-on lessons about force, motion, and problem-solving.
Art - Learn & Create Braille Art ($3/kit)
Combine creativity with tactile learning as kids explore the Braille alphabet, write their first word using raised beads, and turn it into a framed piece of art to display and share.
Math - String Art – Geometric Shapes ($3/kit)
Turn geometry into art! Kids learn about shapes, angles, and symmetry while creating visually stunning string art projects.
Why it works
Affordable, flexible, and scalable for multiple grade levels. Try rotating STEM stations — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math — or host a mini Maker Day with Xplorably kits.
➡️ Bring hands-on STEAM learning to your classroom or event — shop Xplorably kits today and spark creativity in every student!
➡️ Make a big impact on a small budget! Gift a Xplorably Gift Card so your child’s teacher can select affordable STEAM kits that fit seamlessly into the classroom curriculum.
I’ve Got Plenty of Time… Because November 8 Isn’t Happening
If you’re thinking, “There’s no way I can pull this off by National STEM Day,” you’re not alone. The good news? STEM learning doesn’t expire on November 8! Pick any day this month — or even later in the year — to host your own Hands-On STEM or STEAM Day that celebrates creativity, curiosity, and teamwork.
If you’re a color-coding enthusiast (same here!), plan your day around five vibrant stations — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Each color represents a discipline, making it easy for students to rotate, stay organized, and see how the subjects connect in the real world.
Need help getting started? We’ve got you covered.
➡️ Read our blog post, How to Host a Budget-Friendly STEAM Fair or Maker Faire, for ideas on space setup, timing, and making your event memorable — even with limited time and funds.
Whether your event is next week or next semester, Xplorably can help make your STEM day simple, affordable, and exciting for every grade level.
Ready to bring your STEM or STEAM Day to life? Whether you’re planning one station or five, Xplorably makes it easy. Our hands-on learning kits start at just $2 each, and we can even pre-pack and label kits with your school logo to save you time. Explore our ready-to-go kits, or reach out — we’ll help you design a day that inspires every student to imagine, build, and explore.
➡️ Visit our Events Page for free planning resources, tips on ordering custom kits, and ways to stretch your budget without sacrificing the fun.
Keep the Fun Going
STEM isn’t just a one-time activity — it’s a mindset you can spark any day of the year, in any classroom.
Reflect: “What was your favorite challenge and why?” ➡️ Download the Free Reflection Kit → https://www.xplorably.com/product-page/steam-challenge-reflect-remix-reimagine
Extend: “How could we improve it next time?”
Connect: Tie the activity to real-world problems or careers.
Share: Tag @XplorablyInc on Instagram or Xplorably on Facebook — we love seeing classrooms in action and might feature your classroom on our page!
➡️ Shop Classroom STEM Kits Starting at $2 → https://www.xplorably.com/steam-kits
➡️ Get Free Event‑Planning Help and Kit Ideas →https://www.xplorably.com/events
Final Thoughts
Whether you have five minutes or a full day, STEM is about curiosity, creativity, and connection. You don’t need perfect plans or endless prep time — just a moment of wonder (and maybe a rubber band or two). Ready to plan your STEM Day?