Boys & Girls Club Blog

In the new year, Club members have been busy exploring! They’ve been getting creative through a variety of music and art activities and experiments during STEM learning.

Kids have been trying out instruments such as the tambourine, learning hand claps, making egg shakers, and doing chant circles to get to know each other. These types of musical activities teach them how to keep beat and rhythm and work together to create music.

During art, kids made puffy paint and have been painting using other objects, such as broccoli and golf balls, rather than paintbrushes to create their masterpieces. They are learning how different object surfaces make different patterns with the paint.

Some of our members’ favorite STEM activities have been learning about physics in sports. During our Super Bowl-themed week, kids built paper footballs, goalposts, and jumps for snowboard figurines while learning about types of angles and triangles. They enjoyed creating chemical reactions through vinegar experiments and doing challenges such as trying to build a raft that floats and creating the tallest candy heart tower during Valentine’s week. They also learned about the science behind how popcorn begins as a little round kernel and can be turned into a puffy and delicious snack (they love activities that involved tasty treats!) Lastly, our younger kids had a great time learning about how shadows are created and how they change in shape or size with the movement of light. Our members are always fascinated with scientific concepts and it’s so exciting to see!

Club members also enjoyed a visit from Ms. Marie, our friend from the Oshkosh Public Library. Ms. Marie shared Margaret Hamilton’s story through the book “Margaret and the Moon”. Then, using a balloon and paper plates, members experimented with thrust, such as from a rocket.

This spring kids will be learning about famous artists and experimenting with different art styles. We will also begin our On Wisconsin program where we learn more about things that are native to our state. As we move into summer, we are excited to get members outdoors to do activities within nature and outdoor experiments.