There are many ways to get your children involved in STEM-related activities this November.
November 1, 15: Try out the new stop motion studio app, learn to make your own gifs, and shoot video with Stikbots and LEGOs at the Morse Institute Library in Natick. (Ages 11-18)
November 2, 16, 30: Participate in inquiry based, hands on science experiments for young learners at the Faneuil branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 4-10)
November 2: Bring magic to science and art with simple materials and activities at the South Boston branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 3+)
November (various dates): Take a “Learn To Code” workshop with CodeCampKidz hosted at the Microsoft Store in the Natick Mall and the Microsoft Store in the Burlington Mall. Free. (K-12)
November 3, 10: Learn the fundamentals of Python, a powerful programming language at the Boston Public Library. (Teens)
November 4: Free admission to The Discovery Museums: Science in Acton.
November 4, 18: Create a complete video game from the ground up using Game Maker at the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 13-17)
November 5: Amherst College Splash for middle and high school students. Take a bunch of short classes on a huge variety of cool topics (STEM and more) at Amherst. Cost: $10
November 5, 6: Participate in Barnes and Noble’s Mini Maker Faire at stores around MA. Free
November 5: Make art, join in a story hour and take a special tour at the MFA. Arrive before 9 am for free admission. (For young kids and their parents.)
November 5: Participate in hands-on math challenges in small teams at the Girls’ Adventure Math Expedition (GAME) at MIT. Cost: $40 (6th and 7th grade girls)
November 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27: Hands-on engineering and design at the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. (Ages 12+)
November 7, 14: October 3, 17, 24: Learn some beginner science concepts with the help of books and fun activities at the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 3-5)
November 8, 11: Give your kid(s) the opportunity to design, build, and code during Empow Studios full-day NanoCamp in Lexington. Projects include video game design, animation, robotics, 3D printing, DJing, Scratch, and more. Cost: $95 (Grades 2-8)
November 9: Join astrophysicist and former NASA consultant, Kevin Manning, in a fun program for all ages and learn about the size and scale of the universe at the Newton Free Library.
November 12: Brandeis Splash for grades 7-12. Take a bunch of short classes on a huge variety of cool topics (STEM and more) at Brandeis. Free event.
November 12: Work in a real software development environment, gain experience with Touch Develop and develop a unique personal collage at the Microsoft Stores in the Natick Mall. Free (Ages 8-12)
November 12: Learn how to build a 3D model and make a two color keychain on the MakerBot Replicator 2 at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington. (Grades 6-12)
November 13: Boston College Splash for high school students. Take a bunch of short classes on a huge variety of cool topics (STEM and more) at Boston College. Free event.
November 13: Clark University Splash for grades 5-12. Take a bunch of short classes on a huge variety of cool topics (STEM and more) at Clark University. Free event.
November 15: Build and play with LEGO WeDo at the Belmont Public Library.
November 17: Explore math, science, and the arts with children’s books and related activities at the Newton Free Public Library. (Ages 3-5)
November 17: Learn how to use computer programming to code Finch robots at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 5-8)
November 19: Attend a Mini Maker Faire during the regional First Lego League (FLL) Competition hosted at Newton North High School. Free and open to the public.
November 19, 20: Annual MIT Splash weekend for high school students. Take a bunch of short classes on a huge variety of cool topics (STEM and more) at MIT. Cost: $40
November 22: Build models and then program them to move and react with LEGO WeDo at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 5-6)
November 27: Get your tickets for MIT’s Friday After Thanksgiving (F.A.T.) Chain Reaction at the Rockwell Cage Gymnasium. Cost: $12.50 Adult, $5 Student
Girls Who Code Clubs
The Girls Who Code Clubs Program teaches computer science to 6th-12th grade girls. Girls who participate in the clubs will receive 40 hours of instruction from volunteer instructors in computer science including project based activities to reinforce concepts like conditionals, lists, and loops as well as skills like mobile app development.
Girls Who Code clubs are free and many are held at libraries and schools. With the growth of the clubs, I am now including a list of the clubs for Massachusetts and New Hampshire here. If you are interested in information, please contact the Club site directly.
- Acton Boxborough Regional High School: Acton, MA
- Bedford Free Public Library: 7 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA
- Bellesini Academy: 94 Bradford St., Lawrence, MA
- Belmont Public Library: 336 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA
- Boston Latin School: 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA
- Boston Public Library- Teen Central: 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua: 1 Positive Place, Nashua, NH
- Brookview House: 2 Brookview St., Dorchester, MA
- Cambridge Public Library (2 sessions): 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
- Carlisle Public School: 83 School St., Carlisle, MA
- Cary Memorial Library: 1874 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
- Dover Public Library: 73 Locust St., Dover, NH
- Dudley Middle School: 70 Dudley-Oxford Road, Dudley, MA
- Endicott College: 376 Hale St., Beverly, MA
- Everett High School: 100 Elm St., Everett, MA
- Goodnow Library: 21 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA
- Holderness School: 33 Chapel Lane, Plymouth, NH
- LEAP for Education, Inc.: 209 Essex St., Salem, MA
- Lexington Christian Academy: 48 Bartlett Ave., Lexington, MA
- Mario Umana Academy: 312 Border St., East Boston, MA
- Match High School: 1001 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA
- Memorial Hall Library: 2 North Main St., Andover, MA
- McKay K-8 School: 122 Cottage St., Boston, MA
- M.G. Parker Memorial Library: 28 Arlington St., Dracut, MA
- Nathaniel Bowditch School (K-8): 79 Wilson St., Salem, MA
- Needham High School: 609 Webster St., Needham, MA
- Newton Free Library (2 sessions): 330 Homer St., Newton, MA
- Northeastern University: 440 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA
- Paul Pratt Memorial Library: 35 Ripley Road, Cohasset, MA
- Peabody Institute Library: 82 Main St., Peabody, MA
- Pembroke Public Library: 142 Center St., Pembroke, MA
- Penn Brook Elementary School: 68 Elm St., Georgetown, MA
- Public Library of Brookline (2 sessions): 361 Washington St., Brookline, MA
- Robert Frost Public Charter School: 1675 White Mountain Highway, North Conway, NH
- Rodgers Memorial Library: 194 Derry Road, Hudson, NH
- Robbins Library: 700 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA
- The Founders Academy Public Charter School: 5 Perimeter Road, Manchester, NH
- The Rivers School: 333 Winter St., Weston, MA
- Waltham Public Library: 735 Main St., Waltham, MA
- Watertown Free Public Library: 123 Main St., Watertown, MA
- Wayland Free Public Library: 5 Concord Road, Wayland, MA
- Wellesley Free Library: 530 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
- Wiggin Memorial Library: 10 Bunker Hill Ave, Stratham, MA
Image: Maker Faire 2009: Lego Rube Goldberg machine by Chris
