Mad Scientist Night

This year's fourth and fifth grade family night -- Mad Scientist Night -- was a blast! Based on parent and student feedback and my own observations from last year, I made several changes. One of those changes was the snack. Last year I just had water and plastic test-tubes with tiny candy. This year I still had the test-tubes (They are just too cute!) which I gave out as the kids left. For snack we offered water bottles, radioactive jello, and moon pies. 

This year I again had passes made with the kids' pictures already printed on them. They added their "mad scientist" name (list provided to them) and then put them in a plastic pocket. One girl wears hers to school everyday now!

I still had the rooms divided up by the letters in STEAM, with science activities in one room, technology activities in another, engineering activities in another, and art/math activities in the last. I added some new activities. Below are lists of what each room contained along with pictures of the kids enjoying the activities. 

*The biggest change I have already decided to make next year is to move the 4th/5th family night to the beginning of the year. The spring sports schedule keeps so many kids from coming. I believe that if we host this family night in the fall, we will have better attendance. I plan to move the TK/Kindergarten family night to the spring and invite our little pre-k kids to join us.

*A surprise outcome of this family night is that I have several parents interested in my STEM Club next year. They want their kids to be a part of this once-a-week club that I'm planning on having. YAY!

Science Activities:

• Microscopes with slides and recording sheets -- these microscopes have big viewing screens and are so cool. I had two, but as of this moment I have two more
• Bubbling Toxic Tonic with recording sheets -- the kids predict outcomes of mixing different substances and then record the results; I added goggles this year
• Periodic Table Battleship -- more people enjoyed it this year
• Geodes -- still had some trouble breaking them, but we sent each participant home with one to break there

Technology Activities:

• Bee Bot with Solar System Mat (x2) -- this year I made some "black holes" which the parents strategically placed after student selected task card; the "black holes" had to be avoided in reaching the goal
• Ozbots (x2) -- I made mad scientist ozbot sheets that had to be coded to get from start to finish
• Lego Robotics Kits with tablets (x2) -- they could choose their own activity to build, pair and code
• Periodic Table Puzzle -- not really tech, but the library was the best place to put it

Engineering Activities:

• Magnatiles
• Marble Run (x2) -- plastic stacking pieces which they use to build an intricate marble run
• Marble Run -- magnetic pieces for magnet board which they set up to have marble roll into final piece
• Photo Op -- science background, Einstein wig, photo op signs

Art/Math Activities:

• Snack
• 24 Game (x2) -- one with fractions and one with whole numbers
• Agomograph Sheet
• Mad Scientist Math Activity Sheet
• "It's not a __________ It's a ______________" Sheets -- I had several that were all science related

I love Family Nights! They give me a chance to connect with parents. They give parents a chance to connect with their kids. They give the kids a chance to explore on a larger platform the activities which we do all year. Family Nights -- another reason I'm lovin' in the library!