Labs & Activities

Science Themed

Science STEM labs ignite curiosity and make learning come alive! By experimenting, building, and exploring, children develop critical thinking, creativity, and hands-on problem-solving skills. These interactive experiences help kids connect classroom concepts to the real world, boost confidence, and foster a love for discovery that lasts a lifetime. Whether they're mixing up reactions, designing inventions, or asking big questions—STEM labs empower young minds to think like scientists! 

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Science Field Trips- 

🎃 Pumpkin Potion Fizz!

Children will explore simple chemical reactions by creating a “magic pumpkin potion” that fizzes and bubbles like a witch’s brew.

🍬 Edible DNA 

In this sweet science activity, students build 3D DNA models using edible materials, helping them visualize the structure of genes and understand the basics of genetic coding. 

🏺 Egyptian Experimentation Experts-Mummification 

Students focus on controls and variables, observation, solutes vs solvents, and solutions, among other topics as they set up and carry out their mummification labs.  

📜 Egyptian Papyrus Producers 

Students recycle natural materials to craft their own papyrus-style paper, learning about resource conservation, physical changes, and the transformation of matter.

💥 Bubbling Bottles 

A fizzy, colorful adventure into the states of matter! Students create mini lava lamps and explore gas formation, density, and the movement of molecules in this fun, hands-on lab.

🍦 Chilling Changes: Ice Cream & the Science of States 

Students dive into physical changes and heat transfer as they make (and eat!) homemade ice cream while learning about solids, liquids, and gases.

🚀 Blast Lab: The Science of Mini Explosions 

Students work collaboratively to learn about chemical reactions and catalysts and end with a fun sensory experience.

🌠 Rocket Reactions: Blast Off with Chemistry 

Students learn about chemical reactions, propulsion, force, and changes in energy as they create mini bottle rockets.

🌊 Saltwater Sleuths: Cracking the Code of Density 

Students learn about density, buoyancy, and variables as they set up and run a saltwater experiment.  Ocean-themed art activity included.

🧪 Slime Time Chemistry! The Polymer Playground 

It’s ooey, gooey fun! Students create their own ocean-themed slime while learning the science of polymers and non-Newtonian fluids. Includes a themed art extension.

🌼 Pollination Simulation: Plant Reproduction 

Through interactive simulations, students explore how plants reproduce and pollinate, gaining a deeper appreciation for nature’s tiny workers—pollinators!

🌱 Grow & Tell: The Secret Life of Plants 

Students learn about the parts and functions of plants while designing and planting their own take-home gardens in this hands-on life science activity.

🌟 Power Plants: The Glowing Spinach Lab

Students uncover the hidden energy of plants in this glowing science lab that highlights bioluminescence and photosynthesis in action.

🌼 Flower Power: Capillary Action in Plants

Watch flowers “drink” in this colorful lab on how water travels through plant stems. A vivid experiment showing capillary action and plant biology!

🍦 Ice Cream Chemistry: From Liquid to Lick-able

It’s edible science! Students explore physical changes and freezing points while mixing up their own batch of delicious homemade ice cream.

🌋 Lava Blast Bottles

With fizzing reactions and vibrant visuals, this activity lets students explore chemical reactions and gas formation as they build erupting lava bottles.

💡 Glow Flow: DIY Lava Lamps

Oil, water, and color collide in this fun lab that shows density, polarity, and chemical reactions in glowing, groovy motion.

🧪 Soil Sleuths: Shake It & Make It

Students become soil scientists as they create and observe soil shakes, learning about soil layers, texture, and composition.

🌸 Plant Parts & Pollination: The Flower Breakdown

Students dissect and explore the anatomy of flowers, learning about reproduction, pollination, and the role of petals, pistils, and pollen.

🍂 Fossil Forest: Dancing Leaves & Nature Prints

A perfect blend of science, art, and sensory exploration—students create fossil-inspired leaf rubbings while developing fine motor skills.

🧬 DNA Detectives: Fruit Edition

Extract real DNA from fruit and dive into plant reproduction, flowering vs. non-flowering plants, and how we see the invisible with basic lab tools.

💧Tension Trouble: The Science of Water’s Skin

Students explore surface tension through fun challenges and experiments, uncovering why water acts the way it does.

🎨 INKcredible Science: Chromatography Art Lab

Where art meets chemistry! Students explore pigment separation using chromatography to create vibrant, tie-dye-style science masterpieces.

🌺 Petal Power: Build-a-Flower STEM Garden

In this creative lab, students assemble their own model flowers while learning about the parts of plants, photosynthesis, and reproduction.

💧 Eco Flow Lab: Water Filtration & The Water Cycle

Students simulate real-world water filtration and track the water cycle through interactive experiments focused on sustainability.

🌿 Bio Bloom Lab: Grow Your Own Greenhouse

Students explore what plants need to grow, plant reproduction, and photosynthesis as they build a mini greenhouse to take home and nurture.

🌞 Solar S’more Lab: Harnessing the Heat
Get ready to cook with the power of the sun while learning about renewable energy, heat transfer, and the greenhouse effect along the way! Science has never been so delicious!

Technology Themed

These labs provide an opportunity for children to develop their digital literacy skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity in a safe and supportive environment.  Students learn by doing!

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⚙️ Technology Field Trips-

🏮Light Up the Lantern: A Spark of Chinese Innovation

Students create paper lanterns with LED lights and circuits as they learn about a new culture.

🤖 Bot Builders Lab

Students explore basic programming and problem-solving by coding robots to complete fun challenges

🤖 Rockin’ Robots 

Students rotate through a variety of stations featuring different types of robotic technology.

💡 Circuit Conductors 

Students dive into the world of electricity by constructing simple and series circuits. They’ll light bulbs, power motors, and get a firsthand look at how electricity flows through a system.

Engineering Themed

Engineering STEM labs challenge kids to think critically, design creatively, and collaborate with purpose. By building bridges, launching rockets, or solving real-world problems, students learn how to turn ideas into action. These labs nurture resilience, teamwork, and a growth mindset—teaching kids that failure is just a step toward innovation. Engineering experiences empower children to become confident problem-solvers and future-ready thinkers in an ever-changing world.

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🏗️ Engineering Field Trips-

🏠 Raise the Roof: Climate-Proof Construction

Students explore global architecture by designing roofs suited to different climates—from snowy slopes to tropical shields.

🌳 Eco-Engineers: Design a Treehouse

Students take on the role of environmental architects as they design and model treehouses that balance safety, stability, and sustainability.

🎢 Straw Coaster Mania 

An exciting physics-based challenge where students explore potential and kinetic energy, gravity, and force by designing, testing, and improving their own straw roller coasters.

🟠 Wall Marble Run 

Designed for younger learners, this simplified version of Straw Coaster Mania lets students create wall-mounted marble tracks while learning about motion, slopes, and problem-solving.

🏜️ Ancient Egypt- Project Pyramid 

Students explore the history and architecture of Ancient Egypt by working in teams to plan, design, and build large-scale pyramid models using collaborative engineering principles.

💧 Ancient Egypt- Teetering Shadufs 

Students learn how Egyptians engineered water-lifting tools to irrigate crops. They’ll build their own working shadufs and discover how simple machines made life easier in the past. 

🏇 Chariot Challenge: Engineering like the Ancient Greeks

Students dive into Greek innovation as they build functional chariots using simple materials—then race them to test speed, balance, and design!

🏯 Great Wall Builders: Engineering Ancient Wonders

Students journey to Ancient China as they learn about the construction of the Great Wall. Working collaboratively, they’ll engineer their own miniature walls with an emphasis on strength and stability.

🎯 Siege Engineers: Constructing Ancient Greek Catapults

After exploring Greek warfare and engineering, students design and build catapults to test their accuracy and distance in friendly competitions.

🏰 Medieval Makers: Life on the Manor & Watermill Engineering

Students step into Medieval life by designing and building working watermills using recycled materials—learning about simple machines and renewable energy in the process.

⛵ Voyage of the Vikings: Building Longships

Students explore Viking history and maritime innovation by designing and constructing their own longships, focusing on balance, buoyancy, and teamwork.

🚲 Wheelin’ Around! 

In this eco-focused engineering challenge, students transform recyclable materials into moving vehicles, while learning about transportation design, motion, and sustainability.

💦 Waterwheel Wonders 

Students build functioning waterwheels from recycled materials while learning about energy transformations, mechanical systems, and the role of water in renewable energy production. 

🌉 Bridge Blitz: Build It or Break It 

From brainstorming to blueprints, students tackle real-world engineering challenges by designing and constructing bridges—then testing their strength under load.

🏹 Battle of the Builders: Catapult Edition 

It’s build vs. build! Students design their own catapults and compete to see whose design launches projectiles with the most accuracy and distance.

🧻 Wrap It Up! Engineering Ancient Egypt 


Combining history and engineering, students learn about Egyptian mummification techniques and create their own "mummies" to take home in this fun cultural-meets-science lab.

🧃 Snack Attack! Engineering Snack Holders from Recyclable Materials

A creative recycling challenge where students engineer snack holders out of reused materials, focusing on structure, design, and functionality—plus, snack time made smarter!

🚤 Float It, Sink It, Build It!

Students test buoyancy and density with hands-on floating experiments—then design and race boats made from everyday materials.

🎈 Blown Away Balloon Cars 

Students explore Newton’s Laws of Motion, as well as kinetic and potential energy, by designing and building balloon-powered race cars. The final challenge? A team race to test their creations!

🚀 Rocket’s Red Glare  

Design and test two different types of straw rockets to determine which one has the best accuracy and distance!​​

🥚 Egg Zipline Rescue

Design and construct a protective carrier for a raw egg using recyclable material while learning about gravity and motion, energy transfer, and force and impact resistance!

Art 

Each of our labs and activities is infused with an art component. We strongly believe that children flourish when they are able to express their creativity freely. Engaging children in activities they are truly interested in is crucial for unlocking their full learning potential. Integrating art not only strengthens understanding through visual and tactile learning but also nurtures problem-solving, design thinking, and self-confidence.  Creativity fuels innovation!

Animal & Marine Sciences

Through these hands-on STEM labs, children dive into the fascinating worlds of ecosystems, biodiversity, and ocean conservation. These experiences not only build scientific knowledge but also nurture problem-solving, observation skills, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Whether studying animal adaptations or simulating ocean habitats, students gain real-world insights while developing a lifelong love for science and discovery.

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Animal & Marine Science Field Trips:

🐾 Masters of Disguise: Animal Adaptation Lab

Students explore how animals survive in the wild by investigating real-world adaptations like camouflage, mimicry, and behavioral changes.

🐛 BUGTOPIA! Engineering Mini Insect Playgrounds

Students learn about insect habitats and behaviors, then design imaginative miniature playgrounds for bugs using creative thinking and engineering principles.

🌱 Worm World: Underground Architects

Dig deep into soil ecosystems as students design cozy “earthworm hotels” while learning about decomposition, tunnel systems, and nature’s original recyclers.

🐚 The Seashell Breakdown: Acid Strikes Back 

Students discover acid-base reactions using real seashells and vinegar. They'll observe chemical changes throughout the week as shells gradually dissolve. Includes an ocean-inspired art activity for extra fun.

🐦 From Scraps to Snacks: Feed the Wild

Using recycled materials, students engineer creative wildlife feeders while learning about animal diets and environmental stewardship.

🌊 Ocean Mysteries: Glow-In-The-Dark Jellies

Dive deep into the bioluminescent world of jellyfish as students explore ocean life and create glowing jelly models to take home.

🏖️ Erosion in Motion: Build Your Own Beach

Students design and sculpt 3D beach models to explore how wind, waves, and water shape coastlines. Through hands-on experimentation, they’ll observe erosion in action and discover how natural defenses like mangroves help protect our shores.

🐛 Bug Trap Engineering - Students study the biology of bugs and their habitats while designing Humane Insect Observation Devices to take home!

🐘 Adaptive Design: Biomimicry of the Elephant Trunk

Students will explore the function and versatility of an elephant’s trunk, then apply biomimicry to design and build a model "trunk" that can pick up and move objects of varying sizes and weights.

Home School Community Programs

Our Homeschool Community Programs provide hands-on, small-group STEM learning in a collaborative, social environment. Students engage in meaningful projects that reinforce academic concepts, build problem-solving skills, and develop teamwork—all while connecting with peers and experienced educators.

We currently offer homeschool programming through Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation (monthly sessions) and the Tarpon Springs Recreation Department (weekly sessions), giving families flexible options to participate in high-quality community-based enrichment.