With the kids stuck at home, activities that don’t involve a TV or computer screen can be a welcome change. These two games from hand2mind, which teach a combination of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) skills, can get the wheels turning in young minds for a few hours (or days) during these long stay-at-home days. Both can be ordered at hand2mind.com or amazon.com.

Erupt! Volcano and Fossil Lab Kit

Ages 8-17 (Grades 3-12)

$31.49

The classic volcano science experiment gets a fun addition with the Erupt! Volcano and Fossil Lab Kit by hand2mind.

Part of the STEM at Play! Series, this kit includes 15 experiments and 13 lab tools. The instruction booklet is a brief science lesson on the history of Earth with a focus on the dinosaur era.

The experiments take you on a journey through Earth’s formation beginning with building your active volcano, erupting it and ending with the fossilization process of dinosaurs.

The booklet has clear illustrations so you can follow along. There are also great pictures of how your creation resembles the actual structure of Earth.

The lab tools include most of what you will need to complete the experiments, however you may need additional supplies in order to finish some of these experiments. For example, in order to erupt the volcano you’ll need vinegar.

One thing is for sure: These experiments will give you hours of learning, some can take a few days to complete. In the final experiment of the kit, you need to wait two to three days to fossilize your dinosaur.

The variations and difficulty level of the experiments are appropriate for ages 8-17, allowing multiple family members to join in.

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Moving Creations with K’NEX

Ages 8-12 (Grades 2-8)

$39.99

Become an engineer with Moving Creations with K’NEX. There are nine different builds and 18 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) experiments.

The builds are sorted into two different categories: pneumatics (air) and hydraulics (water).

The booklet attached to the game box includes descriptions of each project, along with short lessons on pneumatics and hydraulics. Each one also includes two experiments labeled Imagine and Think Better to use with your new creation.

In the Imagine experiment kids are challenged to use their new creation in fun scenarios. For example, when creating a rocket launcher, you’re asked to pretend you work for NASA and launch your rocket as far as possible.

The Think Bigger experiment of each build tests the limits of your creation with an interactive space for you to write notes and practice the scientific method. With the rocket launcher build, you’re asked to attach more pieces to the rocket and see how it affects the way it flies.

Other “air” builds include a submarine, a catapult and an air car. The “water” builds feature a brake, dump truck, drawbridge, butterfly and a digger.

Moving Creations with K’NEX includes 84 different pieces; each project has an easy, step-by-step illustrated guide in the booklet.