The past 2 weeks have been filled with last-minute revisions and buzzer-beater deadlines from my clients who are all trying to get things done before the holiday break. And for a yaya-less writer momma like me, that led to my desperate need for activities that will keep the 5-year-old BUSY while I work.

Who would’ve thought that these 3M Post-its can be my life saver during crunch time?

Whenever Tash says she’s bored, I tell her that it’s a good thing because it will force her to use her creativity and imagination. That’s my profound way of encouraging her to get busy so I can work. 😅

Glad I didn’t have to look far. With the help of 3M Post-its which is one of my work essentials, Tash was able to do some crafts and play with her paper animal friends.

Of course, I helped Tash create these cute paper animals because the first batch she created were abstract origamis. Is there such a thing? 🤔😅

Aside from being colorful reminders of adults’ to-dos, these little pieces of paper can do so much for kids. It’s a welcome addition to their growing crafts/experiment kit.

Science Experiment

Aside from art activities like this, 3M materials can also be used for fun science experiments at home. 3M promotes the significance of science in our society and its relevance in our daily lives by supporting the next generation of innovators and thinkers through fun, engaging, and educational DIY Science at Home experiments. 

It’s important to foster curiosity and encourage our kids to unleash their inner scientists through easy and engaging at-home experiments. Be sure to test out the experiment yourselves before trying it with your little scientists as the activity listed below would require parental supervision.

Blast off with a paper rocket

Preparing our children for different stages of life may seem like rocket science but let’s take a step back and enjoy the time we have together with some paper rocket science.

Materials needed: 2 pieces of paper, scissors, drinking straw, and tape

In science, we learn that variables may affect the outcome of an experiment. Let’s explore how different designs can change the way your rocket propels:

1. Fold a piece of paper into four and cut them into smaller rectangles.

• Take one of the small rectangles and roll it around the straw to make a tube (not too tight). Tape the tube you have made so it stays rolled up. 

• Next, pinch and tape one end of the tube to make the nose of the rocket.

• With a different piece of small rectangle paper, cut some right-angled triangles to make fins before taping them onto the tube.

• Repeat steps to make a few rockets with different tube lengths and/or different numbers of fins.

Place the rocket on the straw and blow for blast off. When you are experimenting, you may realize that some changes make a bigger difference than others. Once you have an idea of what changes are the most important, try designing a rocket that can go the farthest, or fly the most accurately.

Learn more about this experiment at the 3M Science at Home website.

Find out what other experiments 3M scientists are sharing by watching the videos at the Science at Home webpage. Hopefully, these experiments can help inspire your child and ignite their passion for science and learning.