Activities for Kids
Looking for kid-friendly activities? Here are some educational transportation and STEM-related resources for students of all levels.
Disclaimer: The resources on this page may be shared with students and families to promote non-formal educational resource awareness. Please note that these are not intended to be used to continue educational programming, unless they are recognized as part of an approved FIDS plan and have a means to insure compliance with FAPE and EL requirements.
Flex Your Artistic Muscles
Click a book below to open the PDF. From there, it can be downloaded and printed.
Accordion
Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionThis PennDOT themed coloring book includes images and puzzles, as well as educational content to challenge your child's artistic abilities and teach them a new thing or two!
Click here to download PennDOT's Safety Activity Book.
Think like an engineer! Take the marshmallow and toothpick challenge.
Materials needed:
- 25 toothpicks
- 20 marshmallows
- Tape measure or yard stick
What is the tallest freestanding structure you can build with 20 marshmallows and 25 toothpicks?
Start with what you know...
- What shapes can you make with your marshmallows and toothpicks?
- Which of these shapes are strongest? (Wobble them to find out!)
- Think of a plan, and begin building! To make it more challenging, add a time limit (approximately 5 minutes).
Extend the challenge into a full engineering lesson!
- After building, students measure height of structure, note the data.
- Discuss observations. What strategies did students try? What worked, and what didn't? Why?
- Students consider ways to improve on their earlier design or approach. Try again. Can they beat their own previous record?
- Discuss results. What was the most successful strategy? Why?
Now, change the challenge! Using the same materials what is the strongest structure they can build? Can they build something that can hold a deck of cards? A book?
Think like an engineer! Take the gumdrop and toothpick challenge.
Materials needed:
- 50 toothpicks
- A bag/box of gumdrop candies, such as Spice Drops or DOTS
- Tape measure or yard stick
Extend the challenge into a full engineering lesson!
- Discuss the engineering factors used when building a tower. What shapes are best to use? Triangles are generally the most stable shape. Larger bases provide more stability, etc.
- Ask if there was anything different they could have tried, or what worked and what didn't.
Now, change the challenge! Using the same materials what is the strongest structure they can build? Can they build something that can hold a deck of cards? A book?
Become a Master of Words
Click a game below to open the PDF. From there, it can be downloaded and printed.
Answer Keys
Hands-On Activities
The Marshmallow-Toothpick Challenge
Think like an engineer! Take the marshmallow and toothpick challenge.
Materials needed:
- 25 toothpicks
- 20 marshmallows
- Tape measure or yard stick
What is the tallest freestanding structure you can build with 20 marshmallows and 25 toothpicks?
Start with what you know...
- What shapes can you make with your marshmallows and toothpicks?
- Which of these shapes are strongest? (Wobble them to find out!)
- Think of a plan, and begin building! To make it more challenging, add a time limit (approximately 5 minutes).
Extend the challenge into a full engineering lesson!
- After building, students measure height of structure, note the data.
- Discuss observations. What strategies did students try? What worked, and what didn’t? Why?
- Students consider ways to improve on their earlier design or approach. Try again. Can they beat their own previous record?
- Discuss results. What was the most successful strategy? Why?
Now, change the challenge! Using the same materials what is the strongest structure they can build? Can they build something that can hold a deck of cards? A book?
The Gumdrop-Toothpick Challenge
Think like an engineer! Take the gumdrop and toothpick challenge.
Materials needed:
- 50 toothpicks
- A bag/box of gumdrop candies, such as Spice Drops or DOTS
- Tape measure or yard stick
Extend the challenge into a full engineering lesson!
- Discuss the engineering factors used when building a tower. What shapes are best to use? Triangles are generally the most stable shape. Larger bases provide more stability, etc.
- Ask if there was anything different they could have tried, or what worked and what didn’t.
Now, change the challenge! Using the same materials what is the strongest structure they can build? Can they build something that can hold a deck of cards? A book?
Bicycle Safety
Learn bike safety rules and master all the safety skills with your own Backyard Bike Rodeo!
Earn your bicycle driver's license by learning to maintain your bike, fit your helmet, and by promising to follow the rules of the road and always drive safe.