Recommended Activities to Explore @ Home
Are you physical distancing at home and looking for a range of STEM activities to do with your family? Check out these recommendations from our outreach professionals!
| Activity | Topics | Target Age | ||
| Create a Masterpiece: Color a Science Snapshot | Earth science, geography, polar research | 3 to 12 | ||
| Complete a Virtual Puzzle | History, exploration | 5 to adult | ||
| Explore Kelleys Island in VR | Earth science, geography | 10 to adult | ||
| Look at Earth's Atmosphere with Fluid Earth Viewer | Earth science, geography, atmospheric science | 10 to adult | ||
| Franklin Park Conservatory's Virtual Experiences | Plants, gardening, cooking | All ages | ||
| Plant Science Videos | Plant science, STEM careers, biofuels, bioproducts | Middle and high school | ||
| Citizen Science Projects in all Disciplines | Citizen science, biology, plants | 16 to adult | ||
| STEM Investigations for Families | STEM, sensemaking | Children, PK+ with parents | ||
| Astronomy and Underrepresented Groups | Astronomy, webinar | Middle school to adult | ||
| STEM Lectures | Birds, fungus, science | Middle school to adult | ||
| Coloring the Collections - Museum Animals and Plants | Animals, plants, museum collections | 5 to adult | ||
| NOAA Activity Book - Oceans, Salmon, and Orca | Oceans, salmon, orca, coloring | 3 to 12 | ||
| Tour of the Smithsonian | Natural history, Earth sciences, tour | All ages | ||
| Learn about Infectious Diseases Through Gameplay | Infectious disease, epidemiology, STEM careers | Middle and high school | ||
| Vaccine Activity Book | Vaccines, germs | 5 to adult | ||
| Medication Safety, Prevention Education, and Drug Safety | Medication safety, opioids | K-12 | ||
| Four Color Fest Activity Book by Melinda Lanius | Mathematics | 3 to adult | ||
| BAMM Puzzle Posters | Mathematics, chess, puzzles, probability | 12 to adult | ||
| Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Webinars | Mathematics, puzzles, games, challenges | K-12, adults |
Contributing Centers and Departments
While the centers and departments listed below are not offering in-person programs at this time, their teams are still available for virtual programs and consultations on learning experiences.
Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center
The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center is focused on polar and climate studies. The Center’s mission is to engage in world-leading research, education, and outreach that enhance The Ohio State University’s programs in polar and alpine regions, cyrospheric processes, reconstruction of past climates, climate variability and change, and the impacts of climate on the environment and society. The center runs regular public programs, and group tours can be arranged.
| Public Events | Group Tours | Educational Activities and Lessons |
Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center staff at byrd-contact@osu.edu with any additional questions.
Center for Applied Plant Sciences
The Center for Applied Plant Sciences (CAPS) supports interdisciplinary research that span the continuum between basic research and practical solutions to address challenges in four strategic areas, 1) photosynthesis and carbon fixation, 2) biomass and bioproducts, 3) crop improvement and functional foods, and 4) plant-microbe interactions. CAPS is committed to sharing science with the public through K-12 programming and community outreach events.
| Outreach Programs | Online Education Resources |
Contact the CAPS Education and Outreach Specialist at price.1217@osu.edu with any additional questions.
Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center
Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is an important model system for plant science research. The Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) provides seeds and DNA resources for Arabidopsis and related species to researchers and educators worldwide. The ABRC Outreach program aims to bridge the gap between Arabidopsis research and science education. ABRC offers a variety of outreach programs available to school and community groups including field trips, classroom visits, school and community events and teacher workshops.
| Outreach Programs |
Contact ABRC staff at ABRCedu@osu.edu for additional information or to request a program.
Arne Slettbak Planetarium
The Arne Slettebak Planetarium is located in Smith Laboratory on The Ohio State University main campus in Columbus, serves the university and central-Ohio with educational programs in Astronomy and beyond. Operated since 1968 by the Department of Astronomy, it is a 63-seat 30-foot dome theater with a state-of-the-art Spitz SciDome XD digital projection system giving exquisite views of the night sky and takes you on digital journeys to the planets, stars, and distant galaxies.
| Outreach Programs |
Contact planetarium staff at planetarium@osu.edu with any additional questions.
Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park
The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park (ORWRP) is a 52-acre urban ecological site consisting of two experimental wetlands, an oxbow wetland, bottomland hardwood forest, a shortgrass prairie, and a mesocosm compound. The Heffner Research and Education Building houses a 65-seat classroom, analytical and teaching laboratories, an experimental wet laboratory, offices, and meeting spaces. In 2008, the ORWRP was distinguished as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The greater mission of the ORWRP is to acquire and communicate knowledge of water quality and aquatic ecosystems through research, teaching, and outreach. The ORWRP plays an important role in developing solutions to pressing environmental conservation and management issues in Ohio, nationally, and internationally.
| Overview | Public Events | Group Tours |
| Outreach Activity Form | Teaching Activity Form | Research Activity Form |
The grounds are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. For larger groups (10 or more), a guided tour, or more information, contact the park staff at water@osu.edu.
Zero Waste at Ohio Stadium
The Ohio State University campus-wide sustainability goals include the commitment to be zero waste by 2025, meaning 90% of all waste is diverted from the landfill to recycling and compost. To help achieve this goal, the Department of Athletics is working to make game days zero waste. Zero Waste at Ohio Stadium works inside the stadium and in the tailgate lots to divert game day waste from the landfill, including outreach and fan engagement to help Buckeyes recycle right. Group tours are available to learn more about the program.
| Outreach Programs |
Please contact the Department of Athletics Sustainability staff at ATH-Sustains@osu.edu with questions or kindly complete the online form available at https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/zero-waste-at-ohio-stadium/ to request a tour.
Ohio 4-H STEM Education Initiatives
Videos from August 2020 Online Professional Development Sessions
Click on videos to play them. Buttons below each video allow for full-screen viewing.
| Greening the Classroom: Using Plants to Teach Science |
Preventing Prescription Drug Misuse: Tools to Help, Prevent and Advocate for Safe Medication Practices Across the Lifespan |
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| Exploring Earth's Climate: Past, Present, and Future | The Solar System with the Arne Slettebak Planetarium |
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| Explore the Mighty Mussels of Ohio's Waters |
This page can be reached using go.osu.edu/stemvisit. Please direct feedback and questions to Jason Cervenec at cervenec.1@osu.edu or 614-688-0080.