Lemonade wars bring learning to life at Kleine Brogel Elementary

Martin, Stephanie

Apr 11, 2025

Students at Kleine Brogel Elementary School take part in a hands-on STEAM project inspired by The Lemonade War.

Students in the multiage 4-5 class at Kleine Brogel Elementary School participate in a hands-on STEAM project inspired by The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Led by teacher Lacey Pyatt, the project challenged students to create and market their own lemonade stands, applying real-world skills like advertising, pricing, and teamwork. The event fostered creativity and entrepreneurship while incorporating lessons in science, math, and design. The success of this year’s event has sparked plans to expand the Lemonade War next year, turning it into a school-wide tradition.

At Kleine Brogel Elementary School, students in the multiage 4-5 class recently took their reading beyond the classroom with a hands-on STEAM project inspired by The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, led by their teacher, Lacey Pyatt.

The story, which follows a brother and sister in a friendly lemonade stand competition, sparked the idea for students to host their own version of a Lemonade War. But this wasn’t just about making lemonade—it was about standing out, being creative, and applying real-world skills in advertising, pricing, and business planning.

The project challenged students to come up with unique ways to draw in customers from Kindergarten through third grade. Each team of "sellers" had to design a marketing strategy to convince younger students to buy their lemonade instead of their classmates’. The results were fun, imaginative, and surprisingly savvy.

Some teams offered free prizes with every cup, while others gave out bracelets, snacks, or even hand massages. It quickly became clear that this was more than just a lemonade sale—it was a lesson in entrepreneurship.

Throughout the activity, students learned how to:

Advertise their products in a way that caught attention
Set customer-friendly pricing strategies
Consider supply and demand
Work together as teams to plan, adjust, and improve

The classroom transformed into a small marketplace, filled with excitement, teamwork, and a bit of healthy competition. The younger students enjoyed visiting each stand and choosing their favorite, often torn between the extra perks.

This STEAM-based project brought together elements of science, math, economics, and design, making it a cross-curricular success. It allowed students to apply what they’d learned in a meaningful, hands-on way that encouraged critical thinking and problem-solving.

Due to the success of this year’s event, there's already buzz about expanding the Lemonade Wars next year to include the entire school. With even more participants and creative ideas, the project is on track to become a yearly tradition that combines learning with fun and a splash of friendly competition.