FREE STEAM Fun for Westchester Families

3/20/17 - By Susan Miele

STEAM programs are really heating up in Westchester, with both in-school and extracurricular activities sprouting up all over the place. In case your family hasn’t yet caught the craze, STEAM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and math, and there's a growing movement to ramp up education for kids in these areas.

We previously posted our guide to STEAM centers in Westchester. Now, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite FREE STEAM programs planned for kids this spring. Whether your child is a future physicist, meteorologist, computer programmer, entomologist, astronomer, mathematician, collage artist or engineer, there’s something for all ages and interests.

Our Event Calendar is frequently updated with new additions, so view it often to stay up to date. Now grab your planner, ‘cause things are getting really STEAM-y out there!

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Science

Physics of Flight - Harrison
Monday, March 20, 2017
As part of a month-long series of programs celebrating Amelia Earhart, this session focuses on air as a state of matter and the potential roles of air pressure in rocketry.

Wacky Weather Experiments – South Salem
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Bring the weather from the outside to the inside!

Sandy's Silly Science - Elmsford
Tuesday, March 28, and April 18, 2017
Future Einsteins and Curies can get zany with this story and science program. This is a recurring program, but as of this posting dates beyond March were not yet determined.

Beyond the Big Bang – Hastings
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Reserve your spot ASAP for this historically sold-out astronomy lesson taught by a local high school student who, impressively, is a Regeneron Science Talent Search finalist and a 2017 Siemens Competition national finalist. Take home a project you create.

High Touch - High Tech – Pound Ridge
Saturdays – April 15, May 20, June 17, 2017
Find out why rainforests are important to us, step into the world of geology and discover the incredible world of spiders and insects—each at a different session of this recurring program that takes a magnifying glass (so to speak) to different science topics.

Gizmos Science Fun Club and Gadgets Science Fun Club - Rye
Gizmos: The first Friday of the month through June 2017
Gadgets: The third Friday of the month through June 2017
Two related programs by different names focus on the same scientific topics but are segregated by age, with Gizmos catering to younger scientists. Spring-themed topics are on the agenda.

Science Lab – North Castle
Wednesdays through May 31, 2017
Budding Einsteins can enjoy experiments, stories and crafts for STEM-y fun and education!

Technology

Family Saturdays @ the Lab - Pleasantville
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Kids can get hands-on with film technology in old-fashioned analog style.

Stop Motion Animation – South Salem
Second and fourth Mondays of each month
Bring an iPad and learn to create your own stop-motion animation using an app.

Coding Club – White Plains
Monday, April 17, 2017
Multiple coding languages are the focus of this hands-on class in computer creativity.

Opening Day at the Science Barge - Yonkers
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Welcome spring at the kickoff to the season at the Science Barge with an exciting lineup of fun activities to get things going.

Engineering

Engineering EXPO - White Plains
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Students can meet with representatives of engineering colleges and businesses to gain a better understanding of what an interest in engineering can lead to. Exhibits galore!

Forts & Castles – South Salem
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Commonly found items are employed to create a fortress of your own design.

Jellybean Engineering Challenge – South Salem
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Repurpose that leftover Easter candy to create a structure of your own imagination.

Art

Free Children's Art Workshop Series - Yonkers 
Most Saturdays through June 24, 2017 
This series of FREE art workshops for kids focuses on a different artistic medium each week, such as pottery, ceramics, drawing and more.

I Spy an Artist - Elmsford
Thursday, March 30, and Thursday, April 27, 2017
Art and literature combine at this program where kids create art based on images found in kid lit.

Family Day - Katonah
Sunday, April 30, 2017
The Katonah Museum of Art will present the newest installment of its Family Day series—focusing (pardon the pun) on photography—when an afternoon of assorted art projects tie in with a current exhibition.

Collage Workshop - Yonkers
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Using cut-up cereal boxes, artist Michael Albert creates collage art to depict scenes, names and more and will teach your kids his craft at this event.

Math

Math Workshop - Tarrytown
Every other Thursday through June 8, 2017
Math enthusiasts unite! If you love solving challenging math problems, then sharpen your pencils because this workshop is for you!

Math Play – Mount Vernon
Mondays through May 22, 2017
Math practice is fun at this skill-building program.

STEAM Mix

Full STEAM Ahead - Larchmont
Select Tuesdays
The agenda for STEAM program varies with each session; this spring, topics include study of gravity, the weather and shadows.

Full STEAM Ahead! - Ossining
Wednesdays
Get STEAM-y at this library program that focuses on science, technology, engineering, art and math.

Looking for even more STEAM programs? Our Event Calendar is frequently updated with new additions, and signing up for our weekly newsletters keeps you cutting-edge. You can also follow us on Facebook

Photo: Jacob Burns Film Center