25 Awesome STEM Activities For Preschoolers

Why STEM Activities for Preschoolers?

We love participating in simple STEM activities at home, and my son always enjoys them when they are presented at school. Here’s our list of reasons STEM is so valuable for preschoolers…

• Kids need time to wander around, explore nature, and make observations.
• Preschoolers love to build block cities, humongous towers, and crazy sculptures.
• They need free access to blank paper and various art tools to explore colors and textures.
• Preschoolers want to play around with loose parts and create neat patterns.
• They need the opportunity to mix potions and get messy.

Can you see the hints of science, engineering, math, and art in all those things? That’s what makes an activity great for preschool STEM and STEAM!

The youngest kids already know so much about ecology, geology, physics, chemistry, and astronomy. YOU just don’t realize it yet. All they need to know comes from exploring the world around them.

The best thing adults can do with preschool STEM is to stand back and observe. Maybe offer up a question or two to encourage more exploration or observation. But please, please don’t lead your kids step by step!

Allowing your kids to engage in a STEM or STEAM-rich environment provides them with immense opportunities for personal growth. Additionally, it encourages self-confidence, which turns into leadership down the road.

Empower Your Kids With STEM

We need innovators, inventors, engineers, explorers, and problem solvers. We don’t need more followers; instead, we need kids who will take the lead and solve the problems that no one else has solved.

And that starts with preschool STEM activities that allow kids to be kids and allow them to play and explore out of their seats joyfully.

So if you hear the word preschool STEM curriculum and you really feel like you want to roll your eyes, just remember adults like to make big titles. Your kids will adore preschool STEM activities because of the freedom they will provide.

It’s a win/win situation for adults and kids and, ultimately, the entire world. So, what type of preschool STEM activities will you share with your kids?

What Do You Need For Preschool STEM?

There are no specific tools, toys, or products that you must have to create fantastic preschool STEM activities. I guarantee that you have everything you already need!

Of course, there are always a few fun things you can add to a STEM kit and always have on hand. But I encourage you to look for those things first around the house or classroom.

Check out these helpful STEM resources…

• Home Science Lab Set Up
• Preschool Science Center Ideas
• Dollar Store Engineering Kits For Kids
• DIY Science Kit

25 Preschool STEM Activities

Check out the suggestions below for fun STEM activities for preschoolers, from science to engineering, technology, and math. Also, simple preschool STEM challenges that include all four areas of learning. Click on the links below to learn more about each STEM activity.

5 Senses

Observation skills start with the 5 senses. Discover how to set up an excellent and simple discovery table for early childhood learning and play that uses all 5 senses. Plus, it includes additional 5 senses activities!

Absorption

Grab some items from around the home or classroom and investigate what materials absorb water and what materials don’t.

Apple Fractions

Enjoy edible apple fractions! It’s a tasty math activity that explores fractions with young kids. Pair with our free apple fractions printable.

Balloon Rocket

3-2-1 blast off! What can you do with a balloon and a straw? Build a balloon rocket, of course! It is simple to set up and sure to get the discussion rolling about what makes the balloon move.

Bubbles

Mix up your own inexpensive bubble solution recipe and get blowing with one of these fun bubble science experiments. 

Building

Tr building activities for preschoolers, too! If you haven’t pulled out the toothpicks and marshmallows with your kids, now’s the time! Or set up this bridge-building challenge with blocks, miscellaneous items, and paper!

Chick Pea Foam

Have fun with this taste-safe sensory play foam made with ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen! This edible shaving foam, or aquafaba, as it is commonly known, is made from the water chickpeas are cooked in.

Dancing Corn

Can you make corn dance? I bet you can with this simple to set up science activity.

Egg Drop Project

Design the best way to protect your egg from breaking when dropping it from a height. Bonus suggestions for how to make this simple STEM challenge work for preschoolers.

Fossils

Do you have a young paleontologist in the making? What does a paleontologist do? They discover and study dinosaur bones, of course! You will want to set up this must-try dinosaur activity for your preschoolers.

Freezing Water

Explore the freezing point of water and discover what happens when you freeze salt water. All you need are some bowls of water and salt. You can even try ice fishing indoors!

Grow Seeds

Set up a simple seed germination jar and watch what happens to the seeds.

Ice Cream In A Bag

Make your own ice cream in a bag without using a freezer. Fun science you can eat!

Ice Play

Ice makes for excellent sensory play and science material. Ice and water play make the best non-messy/messy play around! Keep a couple of towels handy, and you are good to go! Check out the many fun ice-melting activities you can do.

Kaleidoscope

Make a homemade kaleidoscope for STEAM (Science + Art)! Find out what materials you need and how to make a kaleidoscope with a Pringles can. 

Beginner Coding

This printable beginner coding game is a fun way to teach kids about algorithms as they help the vehicle get to the right building!

Magic Milk

How do you make magic milk or color-changing rainbow milk? The chemical reaction in this magic milk experiment is fun to watch and makes for great hands-on learning.

Magnets

Exploring magnets makes an awesome discovery table! Discovery tables are simple low tables with a theme for kids to explore. Usually, the materials laid out are meant for as much independent discovery and exploration as possible. Magnets are fascinating science, and kids love to play with them!

Measuring Length

Learn about what length is in math and how it differs from width with the free printable worksheet. Measure and compare the lengths of everyday objects with a hands-on STEM project.

Measuring Sensory Bin

Nature Sample Observations

Young kids love using test tubes. Go around the yard and collect a small sample to put in a test tube. Let the kids fill the test tube with water and use a magnifying glass to examine the contents.

Naked Egg

Find out why this egg in vinegar experiment is a must-try STEM activity. Can you make an egg bounce? What happens to the shell? Does light pass through it? There are so many questions and one easy experiment using everyday supplies.

Oobleck

Our oobleck recipe is the perfect way to explore science and a fun sensory activity all in one! Just two ingredients, cornstarch and water, and the right oobleck ratio make for tons of fun oobleck play.

Penny Boat Challenge

Make a tin foil boat and fill it with pennies. How many can you add before it sinks?

Rainbows

Explore rainbows by making them with a prism and more ideas. Just lots of fun, hands-on play in this STEM activity!

Ramps

Build ramps with a stack fo books and a piece of sturdy cardboard or wood. Check out how far different cars travel and play around with the height of the ramp. You can even put different materials on the surface of the ramp to test friction. It’s great fun!

Shadows

Set up some objects (we used towers of LEGO bricks) and explore shadows, or just use your body. Also, check out shadow puppets.

Slime

Make slime with one of our easy slime recipes, and learn about the science of non-Newtonian fluids.

Snap Cubes

Work on one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and writing numbers with snap cubes and our free printable snap cube number mats.

Solids, Liquids, Gasses

Can you believe this is a straightforward water science experiment you can do in little time if necessary? Explore how water changes from solid to liquid to gas.

Sugar Crystals

Sugar crystals are easy to grow from a supersaturated solution. Make homemade rock candy with this simple experiment.

Volcano

Learn about volcanoes and have fun with your own erupting volcano baking soda and vinegar reaction.

Volume

Play with volume using solids and liquids! This is a playful way to learn more complicated math concepts.

Preschool STEM Project Ideas

Are you looking for fun STEM projects for preschool to fit in with a theme or holiday? Our STEM activities can be easily changed using different materials and colors to fit a season or holiday.

Check out our STEM projects for all the major holidays/ seasons below. 

• Valentines Day STEM
• St Patricks Day STEM
• Earth Day Activities
• Spring STEM Activities
• Easter STEM Activities
• Summer STEM
• Fall STEM Projects
• Halloween STEM Activities
• Thanksgiving STEM Projects
• Christmas STEM Activities
• Winter STEM Activities

More Fun Preschool Topics

• Geology
• Ocean
• Math
• Nature
• Plants
• Science Experiments
• Space
• Dinosaurs
• Art
• Weather

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Printable Preschool Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle!

What’s Included:

There are 10+ preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost and book suggestions add to the learning time.

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