GIGIL’s STEM Kits is a subscription that sends hands-on STEM activities for kids. Each themed box will include 5 activities, along with materials, worksheets, and activity guides. There are two box types available, one for kids 4-7 years old and the other one for kids 8-11 years old. The regular subscription is $37.95 a month, with an option for sibling add-on. You can also get the box for $34.95 on a 3-month subscription plan, $31.95 on a 6-month subcription plan, or $28.95 on a 12-month subscription plan. If you’re not yet ready for the regular box, they also offer a Mini STEM Kit for $29.99.
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This box’s theme is REACH FOR THE STARS.
Everything in my box!
They included a sheet with a message for parents.
Activity 1: Planet Model. In this STEM activity, kids will learn about the solar system and how it works by making their own planet model!
The materials for the activity include a foam cylinder, paint and paint brush, scissors, skewers, glue, 1 large foam ball, 2 small foam balls, 6 medium foam balls, pipe cleaners, pen, and paper plate.
My kids started by painting the foam balls!
To get the colors of the planets right, they looked at planet images from a book as a reference!
For the smaller foam balls, my kids used the skewers to hold them in place while painting.
Here’s the finished plant model!
This activity is also a good opportunity to discuss why the planets have different colors! My kids were SO proud of this model and it was placed gleefully in the center of our dining table for weeks. I love not having to go find all the balls at the store to do this (if you even can – in the past, I’ve had real trouble sourcing materials for projects like this!).
Activity #2: Swing on a Star. The second activity is about making a star life cycle diagram. My kids were not able to complete this activity since they used the black paper for the Moon Phases project. This looks like a nice activity and the kids would love to try it next time!
Activity #3: Constellation Geo Board. Next up, my kids learned about constellations!
The box provided a cork board, pins, and rubber bands for this activity.
They also provided worksheets where kids can simply connect the dots to form the constellations. Kids can also use these sheets as a reference when forming the constellations on the board.
This is a fun activity and it was definitely a great way of familiarizing kids with constellations!
Activity #4: Outer Space Diorama. The next activity is about making diorama featuring planet cutouts! This requires the use of the empty STEM box as well. Other materials provided in the box are scissors, fishing wire, tape, star stickers, crayons, glue, white paper, and planet map.
For this, kids just need to arrange the planets in their proper position and stick them. Aside from learning about the planets, this is also a great way to enhance fine motor skills.
Activity #5: Moon Phases. The last activity in the box is all about the phases of the moon! The materials provided in the box include clear cups, tape, scissors, and phases of the moon print. My kids also used the black sheet of paper for this activity.
They didn’t provide an instruction paper for this one, only a video demonstration!
This is another easy activity, but would’ve been easier with paper instructions rather than just video instructions (it was also really long)! My kids just had to cut the moon images and the corresponding names for the phases of the moon, then stick them chronologically on the clear cups. The black sheet served as the night sky. All in all, it’s such a fun way to learn why the moon we see from earth changes its shape!
This month’s GIGIL STEM Kits is all about outer space. There’s a total of 5 hands-on STEM activities in the box, which tackled interesting topics such as constellations, moon phases, star cycles, planets, and more. It’s just a bit disappointing because the materials are not enough to complete all the activities. We received only 1 sheet of black paper, but two activities required it. It was a bit odd as we received full size supplies for other activities. Still, my kids enjoyed the rest of the projects and they were able to learn a lot from them. Overall, it was a fun activity box for the kids and definitely a nice way to learn STEM at home!
What do you think of this month’s box?
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