9th Annual Family STEAM Night Brings Hands-On Learning to Mt. View Elementary

Mt. View Elementary School recently hosted its 9th Annual Family STEAM Night, welcoming students and their families for an evening full of creativity, discovery, and hands-on learning. STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics—was highlighted through a wide variety of interactive stations where families could explore concepts together while having fun.

A special part of the evening was the support of student volunteers from Mount Olive Township High School (MOHS). These high school students assisted at each activity station, helping guide younger students through challenges, explaining concepts, and encouraging creative thinking. Their enthusiasm and leadership helped make the event run smoothly while providing younger students with positive role models.

Families had the opportunity to rotate through many engaging stations. At the Binary Code Necklace station, students learned how computers communicate using binary code, made up of 1s and 0s. By assigning different colors of beads to represent numbers, students created necklaces that secretly spelled out their names in code.

The Marshmallow Challenge invited families to work together to build the tallest possible structure using spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow placed at the top. This activity emphasized teamwork, trial and error, and engineering design.

At the Boat Design Challenge, students used simple materials to design boats that could float and carry weight. Families tested their designs in water, making adjustments to improve stability and buoyancy.

Technology stations were especially popular throughout the evening. At the Ozobots station, students programmed small robots to follow color-coded paths and complete challenges. The Spheros station allowed students to control robotic balls through coding and app-based commands, demonstrating how programming can control movement and direction.

Students also explored digital learning tools at the Osmos and Quiver station. Osmos combined physical pieces with interactive tablet games to strengthen problem-solving skills, while Quiver allowed students to color pictures that came to life in augmented reality through a mobile device.

Creativity was on full display at the Neon Art station, where students created glowing artwork using bright fluorescent materials. At Magnetic Painting, magnets were used to guide paint across paper, showing how magnetic force can influence movement in creative ways.

The Dominoes Chain Reaction station challenged families to carefully line up dominoes and design patterns that would create satisfying chain reactions once the first piece was tipped. The Puzzle Face activity encouraged careful observation as students matched facial features to complete funny and unique faces.

Students could also take part in Olympic Activities, which combined movement with problem-solving challenges inspired by athletic events. The Pipe Cleaner Challenge and other self-guided engineering activities encouraged students to build creative structures using simple materials.

Finally, the World’s Greatest Search & Discover station tested students’ observation skills as they searched for hidden items and details within busy illustrated scenes.

Family STEAM Night continues to be a highlight of the year at Mt. View Elementary. The event provides students with meaningful opportunities to explore, experiment, and collaborate with their families. With the help of the MOHS student volunteers, the evening successfully celebrated curiosity, creativity, and the excitement of learning through hands-on experiences.