The gymnasium at Alden Terrace Elementary School was transformed into a science lab last Friday afternoon as students and families measured and experimented their way through a STEM + Families Science Festival aimed at turning curiosity into hands-on discovery.
The festival, organized by Alden Terrace PTA, was funded through a $1,500 grant from National PTA and sponsored by Bayer Fund as part of the national STEM + Families Science Festivals program. The initiative is designed to make science more accessible for students and families by turning abstract concepts into shared, hands-on experiences.
Tables and stations invited families to take part in 10 science experiments and one demonstration, each designed to spark curiosity and questions. Students observed reactions as they created lava lamps, mixed and stretched sticky slime and tested chemical reactions in elephant toothpaste experiments that foamed and surged across trays.
Other stations guided families through more structured learning moments, including a “journey through the bloodstream” activity that illustrated how things travel through the bloodstream and a materials-based “strange action group” experiment focused on how different substances interact when combined.
The festival encouraged collaboration between children and their families, with students required to complete at least six experiments alongside a parent or guardian to earn a reward: a free ice cream from Mr. Flavors, a local ice cream truck that served as one of the evening’s most popular stops.
National PTA President Yvonne Johnson said the program is intended to broaden access to STEM learning in everyday settings.
“Alden Terrace PTA and PTAs across the country at all levels work hard every day to make a difference for students, families and schools and make every child’s potential a reality,” Johnson said. “We are pleased to equip Alden Terrace PTA with resources to help inspire, empower, educate and engage families in STEM possibilities.”
PTA Co-President Jessica Macias said the festival reflected a broader goal of building both academic confidence and community connection through shared learning experiences.
“We are so excited to have this opportunity to inspire a love of STEM in future generations of the Elmont and Valley Stream community and to encourage our families to join in the educational development of our students,” Macias said.
Alden Terrace PTA said that the initiative aims to mark another step in expanding hands-on STEM access and strengthening the link between family engagement and classroom learning through interactive, real-world exploration.
