Family STEAM Event

Cosmosphere Family STEAM Events are an amazing mix of education and fun!

Are you looking for an engaging family community event that is turnkey and ready to go? Then, you need to book a Family STEAM Event with the Cosmosphere! The Cosmosphere’s STEAM educators make the crowd’s favorite liquid nitrogen ice cream, and they’ll perform the Cosmosphere’s traveling live science show, Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab. Plus, we’ll include four additional activities with the supplies and train educators to run the activity stations! All while creating an unforgettable experience, delivering NGSS-aligned content, and engaging family learning.

For Family STEAM Nights, the Cosmosphere will provide up to two educators. If you would like more than two educator-led activities, we can provide up to six different activities (we will provide the supplies) and will show your teachers how to lead them.

Activities + Standards

Cosmosphere-Led Activities (if these activities are chosen, they must be led by Cosmosphere staff):
- Living in Space: Sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom differ greatly in space. Learn what it’s like to live in space! Discover the science of orbit, types of space food, and how to become an astronaut. (NGSS-aligned: K-LS1-1; K-ESS2-2; KESS3-1; 3-LS4-3; LS3-2; MS-LS2-3)
- Dr. Goddard’s Rocket Lab: An explosive live science show about the history and physics of rocketry. (NGSS-aligned: K-PS2-1; K-PS2-2; 3-PS2-1; 3-PS2-2; MS-PS2-1; MS-PS2-2; HS-PS2-1)
- LOXIC (Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream): Cosmosphere STEAM Educators use liquid nitrogen to create ice cream quickly. Yummy and educational. The school must provide milk and cream if the STEAM night is not hosted at the Cosmosphere.
Educator-Led Activities (activities that can be led by teachers or Cosmosphere staff):
- Spacesuit Glove Relay: Students race through various challenges with layered gloves that mimic the thickness of what astronauts wear in spacesuits. This approach is great for practicing soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
- Ultra-Violet Beads: Create a bracelet that changes color under UV light. (NGSS-aligned: MS-PS4-2; HS-PS4-5)
- Docking Cups: Try to dock two cups together, mimicking the challenges of docking two spacecraft.
- Blind Driver: Driving in another world is a team effort. Students navigate the map by trusting their partner. Great for practicing soft skills of trust and teamwork.
- Solar System Bracelets: Make a bracelet that contains the sun, planets, and asteroid belt. (NGSS-aligned: MS-ESS1-3)
- Change of Constellations: Create different constellations using clay and toothpicks.
- Foam Plate Gliders: Students build homemade gliders and learn the basics needed for something to fly.
- Build a Better Lander: Students emulate engineers and create a model lunar lander that needs to land six marshmallow astronauts safely on the ground. (NGSS-aligned: K-2-ETS1-2; 5-PS2-1; 3-5 ETS1-3; MS-PS2-1; MS-ETS1-4; MS-PS2-3; HS-ETS1-2)
- Rocket Crawl: Students race to see who can deliver the model rocket to the launch pad first without tipping the rocket over. (NGSS-aligned: K-PS2-1; K-2-ETS1-2; 3-PS2-; ETS1-3; MS-ETS1-4; HS-ETS1-2)
- Catapult Challenge: Design and build a small catapult. (NGSS-aligned: K-2-ETS1-2; ETS1-3; MS-ETS1-4; HS-ETS1-2)
- Logic Puzzles: Students work to complete logic puzzles
  - Nail Puzzles – Balance all the nails on a single nail
  - Matching Cards – Out-of-this-world matching game
  - Pyramid – Connect the pieces to complete a pyramid
  - Soma Cube – Arrange the pieces to complete a cube
  - I Spy – Find hidden objects in these space-themed picture riddles
  - Color Cube Stack – Stack cubes so each side shows the four colors