Muscles + Math = STEM at the Gym

I have been going to this gym for over two years and have never considered the amount of STEM going on here. The Technology of the machines that keep all the stats for me, so I don't have to. Like how far I have walked, how many calories I have burned, and what my heart rate is. The number of gears, pulleys, and cables that are present and can be adjusted to change must be in the hundreds. The math here ranges from simple counting to calculating percentages and calories, and even bringing in geometry on the treadmill with inclines and angles.  

“Stories, Science, and STEM-ories!”

This summer, we spent at least three days a week visiting the library. They recently updated the children's area, and now it is full of fun, innovative technology everywhere. The kids now have access to multiple computers, gaming areas, and a picture wall that they can upload drawings to and bring them to life on the big screen, even though the checkout center has technology, including lasers to scan your card and a sensor pad that registers up to 5 books at once. I couldn't grab a picture, but the second floor has 3d printers, a recording studio, and an abundance of computers.

“Games, Gears, and STEM-tastic Cheers!”

Chuck E Cheese, where a kid can be a scientist? Oliver's birthday was this week, and one of his requests was to go to Chuck E Cheese. We saw all sorts of STEM here; the flying bike he is riding on is raised when the child pedals. There are gears, pulleys, and belts that all work together to raise the cart into the air. Every game runs on technology; in fact, we found out what happens when the power surges: all the games turn off. We got to practice our forces and motions by jumping on the trampoline. How much force you bounce with directly relates to how high you can bounce.  

“Counting, Weighing, STEM While Shopping!”

Ah, the grocery store, the place where math occurs at every corner, and my budget goes out the window. Something I wanted to see this week was whether it is cheaper to make a cake from scratch or buy a premade cake from the bakery. I did this under the impression that I had zero ingredients at my house. So I priced out the flour, sugar, eggs, etc, and the total came to around 23 dollars, not including the cost of frosting. The bakery cake was $20 and didn't involve me baking. We had a delicious store-bought cake. One of Oliver's favorite things to do in produce is weigh stuff, so we are always measuring the difference between items and determining weight.

“Slides, Swings, and STEM-y Things!”

We love the new park out on Urish Road; however, we have heard a lot of people complain that it's not safe. So after the park opened, I did a bunch of research into the engineering design. The netting is spaced out in a way that is made to stop a child from descending if they were to fall. Additionally, the ropes provide friction for gripping, and tension keeps the ropes tight and strong. Oliver recently learned how to swing. He is expierinceing gravity, motion, and learning how energy can be expelled to create movement. 

“Hands-On Fun: STEM for Everyone!”

We love visiting some of the kid-friendly places around Topeka, from the library, to the discovery center, to the local pumpkin patch. Recently, the discovery center has been remodeling, and one of their newer building toys is an archway that you can build and explore. We worked together to build this arch up and then talked about the science behind how it stays standing. Arches use force to keep them together, and how without the top piece, the keystone, the arch would collapse. 

When we visited the pumpkin patch, we talked about the science behind why corn acts as a type of quiksand when you step into it. 

“STEM Makes a Splash!”

We love visiting Great Wolf Lodge, and the amount of science and math going on here is amazing. We talk about the amount of water used every day, how many gallons the giant bump bucket holds. Where the water goes at night, and how all the water is kept clean. The engineering that goes into creating safe slides, and even the conveyor belt that takes the tubes up to the slides. Oliver is always here with the hard-to-answer questions, so we got to talk to an employee about where the water goes at night and how the treatment system works. 

“Strikes, Spins, and STEM Wins!”

If anything is chock full of STEM, it's the bowling alley. There are forces, velocity, and energy transfer. The technology that monitors your ball speed, keeps score, and raises and lowers bumpers for kids. The engineering of the ball returns the pin machine, and even the bowling ball. And the math involved in keeping score, which I will never understand. 

“STEM at Home, Where Ideas Roam!”

We practice STEM in the house pretty regularly and sometimes in the most unexpected ways. Recently, I bought this lift-top coffee table so we could do puzzles in the living room. As I was putting it together, I noted the engineering that went into the design of the product and the equipment that raises and lowers the top. Additionally, I did some simple wiring for the lights underneath and the plugs for phones and other tech. 

Over the last few months, we have been reading a Minecraft book series. You may not think books and STEM go together, but this book has an evil AI monster, VR headsets that transport the kids into the game, and a silly science teacher who creates lots of tech chaos in her school.