Lights On Afterschool with Science Friday

This Thursday, October 24, we’re showcasing the 25th year of Lights On Afterschool to shine a light on the need for high-quality, hands-on afterschool STEM programs for all children. Together, we can help the next generation of scientists learn, thrive, and succeed. There are hundreds of ways to celebrate the amazing afterschool programs that help young people prepare for a bright future. For example, you can host an afterschool activity with free resources from Science Friday Educate. Below we’ve compiled lessons, projects, and resources to provide inspiration.

Or, visit the Afterschool Alliance Light On Afterschool website to find an event or afterschool program near you.The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support students by offering them opportunities to learn new things and discover new skills.

Down to Earth activities include a brief hands-on investigation, background information about related science and technology on the ISS, and an exciting design challenge connected to real-world problems you can solve in your community. Designed for middle school-aged learners, these activities require inexpensive, easy-to-find materials, and can be completed in 45-90 minutes so they’re easy to use anywhere, anytime. There are four Design Challenge Missions in the collection.

Prepare to be swept away into a world of discovery as you unlock the mysteries of the mind in the Hack Your Brain online escape room adventure! Each chapter is packed with hands-on investigations and brain-teasing challenges. Immerse yourself in the captivating story of a young scientist and robot, paired with thought-provoking educational resources that will expand your understanding of neuroscience in an engaging and interactive way. The collection features six activities designed for middle-school aged learners.

The Sun Camp educational program features easy-to-do, hands-on STEAM activities for families and educators curious about Sun science. The activities are designs for grades K-3, but are adaptable and flexible for most ages. Each uses simple materials to explore an important concept about how the Sun and solar systems work. Investigate what the Sun is made of, why shadows happen, how gravity and magnetic fields work, and more. There are six activities in the collection.

For ten years, Science Friday has hosted Cephalopod Week to highlight these eight-armed creatures and the outstanding, octopus-obsessed people who study and care for them. The Ink-Credible STEAM Adventure toolkit contains ideas for events, STEAM projects to try, books to read, and artwork to help you create ex-ceph-tional activities for your location—wherever that may be. Mix and match these materials to build the perfect program for your learners!

Try This activities are quick and simple investigations based on Science Friday stories. They require minimal materials and preparation, while providing learners with the opportunity to explore an interesting phenomena in science through inquiry based learning.

Aha! by Science Friday, is a series of short science experiments that you can do in 15 minutes or less, with materials you can find at home.

CoBuild Challenges are activities that Science Friday co-created as contributing members of CoBuild19, a collective of educators, organizations, and researchers working to help youth and their caregivers spend quality time together building and creating.

Want even more? Scroll though our collection of afterschool activities for some of the best all-ages, hands-on projects from the Science Friday Educate library. Or reach out to [email protected] with questions.