There are many ways to get your children involved in STEM-related activities this April.
April 1: Free admission to The Discovery Museums: Science in Acton.
April 2: Participate in “SET in the City,” a girl’s science, engineering and technology day in the Boston area. Cost: $20 (Grades 9-12)
April 2: Come see “Circuits and Computers“ at Science on Saturday’s at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium. Free (All ages)
April 2, 3: Attend YouthSpark Camp and explore a Minecraft world through code at the Microsoft Store in Boston. Free (Grades K-12)
April 2-9: Hands-on engineering and design at the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. (Ages 12+)
April 2, 30: Learn about biology through hands-on experiments with MIT’s Biology Undergraduate Student Association at the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Cost: Included with museum admission.
April 2-10: It’s the 7th annual National Robotics Week. Click here to find events in MA.
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Girl Makers and Coders is a program for girls who enjoy designing things, working with their hands and want to learn how to code at the Central Library in Boston. (Ages 13-18)
April 6: Escape the Dungeon of Kithgard while learning to code in Python at the Central Library in Boston. (Ages 13-18)
April 6, 13, 20: Attend YouthSpark Camp and create and publish an interactive computer game at the Microsoft Store in Boston. Free (Ages 12+)
April 7: Explore math, science, and the arts with children’s books and related activities at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 3-5)
April 7, 14, 21: Learn and experience the power of science with hands-on, interactive science experiments and lessons at the Connolly branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 6-10)
April 8: iRobot comes to Empow Studios in Lexington to give kids a sneak peek at some of the newest robot innovations, in celebration of Robotics Week. Free event. (Grades 2-8, parents optional)
April 11: Create ‘Habitats’ for your Hexbug to do battle and race at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 5+)
April 13, 20: Inquiry-based, hands-on science experiments for young learners at the Faneuil branch of the Boston Public Library.
April 15-24: Attend the Cambridge Science Festival, an annual 10-day celebration of science, technology, engineering, art and math in Cambridge and New England with over 160 events. Many events are free. For all ages.
April 16: Attend a fun, casual, math-themed storytime at the Cary Memorial Library in Lexington. (Ages 3-5)
April 16: Join in simple experiments, structure building, and other fun creations and activities at the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 8-12)
April 18-22: April Vacation camp at Empow Studios in Tech & Design in Belmont, Newton, and Lexington inspire kids to build and program projects in video game design, robotics, animation, 3d modeling, music & video production, and more! Cost: $335/half day and $595/full day (Grades 2-8)
April 18-22: Single-day April vacation tech camps at Zaniac in Woburn. Prices vary.
April 18-22: April vacation classes at Einstein’s Workshop in Burlington. Cost: $350/class (Grades K-8)
April 19: Come make a mini spinning, buzzing, vibrating bot using just a toothbrush and some basic electrical supplies at the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 10-17)
April 19: The Rhode Island Computer Museum will teach about coding in Minecraft at the Watertown Free Public Library. (Ages 8-12)
April 20, 21, 22: Participate in the Teen Tinker Club and work with littleBits at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 6-12)
April 20, 30: Learn to code with Scratch at the Cambridge Public Library. (Ages 8-12)
April 21: Join for stories, a yarn wrapped rainbow craft, sensory bins, file folder games, building blocks and other hands-on STEAM activities at the Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library.
April 21: Learn about dry ice and the changing states of matter through the tale of “Dragons & Dreams” at the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library.
April 21: Learn the science behind how water works at the Adams Street branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 4+)
April 21: Join the littleBits DIY Club and use electronic building blocks to create inventions at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 9-12)
April 23: Lincoln Lab’s Science on Saturday will be present at MIT’s Open House Demos & Activities at MIT Campus. (Ages 5-17)
April 23: Join an educator from the Children’s Museum of Easton for engineering fun at the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy. (Preschool+)
April 26: Explore LEGO WeDo robotics at the Belmont Public Library. (Grades 2-4)
April 28: Attend a DigiGirlz Event, introducing young women to computer science professionals and fundamentals, so they can explore career paths and empower themselves through coding at the Microsoft Store in Boston. Free. (Grades K-12)
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 around Massachusetts. With the growth of the clubs, I am now including a list of the public clubs here. If you are interested in information about a club, please contact the Club Site directly.
- Belmont Public Library: 336 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA
- Cambridge Public Library (2 sessions): 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
- East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library: 365 Bremen Street, Boston, MA
- Harvard University: 93 Dunster Mail Center, Cambridge, MA
- LEAP for Education, Inc.: 209 Essex St., Salem, MA
- Light of the World Empowerment: 275 Washington St., Dorchester, MA
- Medway High School: 88 Summer St., Medway, MA
- Memorial Hall Library: 2 North Main St., Andover, MA
- Needham High School: 609 Webster St., Needham, MA
- Newton Free Library (2 sessions): 330 Homer St., Newton, MA
- Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School: 161 Lower Westfield Rd., Holyoke, MA
- Public Library of Brookline (2 sessions): 361 Washington St., Brookline, MA
- Reuben Hoar Library: 41 Shattuck St., Littleton, MA
- Smith College: 1 Chapin Way, Northampton, MA
- Watertown Free Public Library: 123 Main St., Watertown, MA
- Wellesley Free Library: 530 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
Image Source: img_0020 by Boston Spring
