Our 4 week journey at Demarest Library

This past month, our STEM club had the amazing opportunity to host a four-week program at Demarest Library, where we got to introduce kids to some super fun and hands-on STEM activities. Honestly, it was such a rewarding experience to see how excited the kids were every single week, and it reminded us why we love STEM so much. Here's a little recap of everything we did and some of the cool moments we’ll never forget!

Week 1: Messy, Magical Oobleck

We kicked off the first week with oobleck—because who doesn’t love a science experiment that’s messy AND cool? Oobleck is this weird substance that’s both a liquid and a solid, and it blew the kids’ minds. Some of them spent ages just punching it and then watching it drip through their fingers.

The best part? Watching their reactions when they figured out how it worked. A few kids started asking really thoughtful questions, like, "Why does it get hard when you hit it?" (non-Newtonian fluid for the win!). Honestly, though, the cleanup was intense. Oobleck was everywhere—on the tables, the chairs, and, somehow, even on the ceiling (still not sure how that happened). But seeing how much fun the kids had made all the effort worth it.

Week 2: Marshmallow Tower Madness

Week two was a total change of pace: the Marshmallow Tower Challenge! We split the kids into teams and gave them spaghetti, marshmallows, and a simple goal—build the tallest tower that wouldn’t collapse. It was so fun watching their competitive sides come out.

Some teams went all-in on height, only for their towers to tip over right at the last second. Others focused on making their bases super stable, which paid off in the end. One team even tried to build a double-decker tower, which didn’t exactly work out, but their creativity was next-level. The best part was seeing how the kids encouraged each other, even across teams. One girl ran over to another group to share her tip about using toothpick pyramids for extra support. Moments like that showed us how powerful these activities can be in bringing people together.

Week 3: Slime Science

Okay, if you’ve ever made slime, you know how much of a crowd-pleaser it is. Week three was all about experimenting with slime recipes—what happens if you add more glue? What if you add less activator? Some kids were super precise, measuring out their ingredients down to the last drop, while others were just like, “Let’s pour it all in and see what happens!” Spoiler alert: We got some REALLY strechy slime

Week 4: Lighting Up Creativity

For our final week, we wanted to do something a little more challenging, so we introduced the kids to circuits using copper tape, LEDs, and batteries. The goal was to create light-up drawings, and the results were amazing.

Some kids drew simple shapes, like hearts and stars, while others went all out with detailed scenes like rocket ships and robots. One child even made a evil snowman that looked incredible when the LED lit up. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though—there were definitely some “Why won’t my light work?!” moments. But with a little troubleshooting (and a lot of patience), everyone got their circuits working in the end.

One of my favorite parts of this activity was seeing the kids’ faces light up (literally!) when their drawings came to life. Teaching them about electricity and circuits in a way that felt fun and creative was such a cool experience.

Looking Back

These four weeks at Demarest Library were unforgettable. Each session was a chance for us to connect with the kids, share our love of STEM, and learn from them too. They surprised us with their creativity, curiosity, and even their random questions (like “Can you power an LED with a potato?”—which, by the way, is now on my list of things to try).

We’re so grateful to the library staff for letting us take over their space and to the parents for bringing their kids every week. Most of all, we’re thankful to the kids for making this experience so much fun. We can’t wait to bring more STEM magic to other libraries soon!