Calling all junior scientists, engineers, explorers, inventors, and the like to dive into our INCREDIBLE list of best-ever STEM activities for kids. These are STEM projects you can do and they work! Whether you are tackling STEM in the classroom, with small groups, or in your own home, these fun activities are the perfect way to introduce STEM to kids.
Simple STEM Activities for Kids
Not sure where to start with STEM activities? Start here! Below, you’ll find our STEM projects for kids organized into different sections for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and STEAM (STEM +Art). Grab the free printable 👇 for a quick introduction to fantastic STEM activities you can do at home or in the classroom.
Click here to get your free printable STEM activities pack!
Science STEM Activities for Kids
🔎 Simple science experiments were some of our very first explorations into STEM! Check out these awesome science experiments below.
Blow Up a Balloon with Chemistry – Use a simple baking soda and vinegar reaction to inflate a balloon and explore chemical reactions in action.
Bouncing Egg Experiment – Can you make an egg bounce? Try this classic egg in vinegar experiment to dissolve the eggshell and reveal a rubbery surprise.
Mentos and Coke Reaction – Drop mentos into a bottle of soda and watch an explosive geyser form! A fun way to explore physical reactions and gas release.
Crushed Can Science – What happens when a hot soda can meets cold water? Explore the power of air pressure in this dramatic experiment.
Food Science Fun – Try these kitchen science experiments using everyday ingredients. From chemical reactions to edible experiments, these activities make science delicious!
Plant Breathing Experiment – Discover how plants “breathe” with this outdoor science activity. Plus, check out more plant experiments for kids to explore photosynthesis and respiration.
Exploding Bag Experiment – Take science outside and make a popping bag using a chemical reaction! A mess-free and exciting way to learn about gases and pressure.
Grow Your Own Crystals – Kids love crystals! Easily grow borax, salt, or sugar crystals while learning about solutes and solutions. Try our favorite Crystal Geodes experiment for an extra wow factor!
What Makes Ice Melt Faster? – Investigate melting rates with a simple ice melting experiment for kids of all ages. You can also set up Ice Melt Races or explore Slippery versus Sticky Ice.
Growing Germs on Bread – Explore the invisible world of bacteria and mold by testing how germs grow on slices of bread. An excellent hygiene and microbiology lesson!
Eggshell Strength Test – How strong is an eggshell? Try this eggshell strength experiment to test the hidden power of this fragile structure.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano – You have to try this classic baking soda and vinegar volcano experiment for an explosive chemical reaction!
Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment – Watch gummy bears grow as they absorb water through osmosis. A fun way to explore absorption and diffusion! Try potato osmosis, too!
Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction – Demonstrate potential and kinetic energy with a popsicle stick chain reaction that snaps and pops! Set up a domino chain reaction, too!
Paperclip Surface Tension Challenge – How many paperclips can float in a glass of water before the water spills over? Discover the power of surface tension with this simple science trick. You can also set up a paperclip chain STEM challenge
Floating Paperclip Experiment – Can you make a paperclip float on water? Try this surface tension experiment and see how water molecules hold together.
Skittles Experiment – Pour water over Skittles candy and watch the colors spread in a vibrant pattern! Plus, check out other fun candy experiments.
Ice Cream in a Bag – Science you can eat! Make homemade ice cream in a bag to learn about phase changes and freezing points.
Newton’s Laws of Motion in Action – Explore Newton’s Three Laws with a fun hands-on experiment using an indoor snowball launcher or a pom-pom shooter.
Water Experiments – Water isn’t just for summer! Try these fun and easy water science experiments that are simple to set up any time of year.
Surface Tension Science – Learn about surface tension using water, soap, and other household materials with these engaging surface tension experiments.
DIY Spectroscope – Split white light into the colors of the spectrum by building your own simple spectroscope—a great way to explore light and optics.
Static Electricity Fun – Rub a balloon on your hair and watch it attract water, or move an aluminum can! A simple way to explore static electricity.
Soap-Powered Boat Experiment – Explore surface tension and propulsion with a soap-powered boat that zooms across water.
Lemon Battery Experiment – Power a light bulb using a lemon and explore how electricity can flow through fruit!
Water Refraction and Light Bending – Try a water refraction experiment to explore how light bends through water, making objects appear distorted or shifted.
Slime Science Fun – Making slime is a must-try experiment! Explore non-Newtonian fluids and test different slime recipes. You can even create your own slime science project!
Popular Slime Recipes to Try:
🔎 Explore our list of physics experiments with easy-to-set-up instructions and simple science information. Explore Newton’s laws of motion and more.
🔎 Explore our list of chemistry experiments with easy-to-set-up instructions and simple science information. Take a look through our baking soda and vinegar reactions here.
🔎 Explore our list of biology experiments with easy-to-set-up instructions and simple science information. Take a look through all of our life cycle activities or plant experiments here.
🔎 Explore our list of earth science experiments with easy-to-set-up instructions and simple science information. Take a look through all of our ocean projects or space activities.
Erupting Lemon Volcano – A fizzy lemon volcano is always a big hit! Watch as the citric acid and baking soda react for a bubbly explosion of fun.
Fizzy Lemonade Science – While you’re at it, try fizzy lemonade science and explore the same reaction in a delicious, drinkable experiment!
Oobleck: Solid or Liquid? – Is it a liquid or a solid? Make oobleck and explore non-Newtonian fluids with this hands-on science activity.
Balloon Rocket Experiment – Build a balloon rocket and explore Newton’s Laws of Motion with a simple, high-speed STEM challenge.
Fireworks in a Jar – Real fireworks might be unsafe, but these fireworks in a jar use simple ingredients to create a colorful chemical reaction!
The Snow Water Cycle – Learn how snow melts and transforms through the water cycle with this fun, hands-on winter science activity.
DIY Water Bottle Rocket – Create a water bottle rocket and explore thrust and pressure in action with this exciting chemical reaction! You can also create a bottle rocket using air pressure.
Dancing Sprinkles Experiment – Explore sound waves and vibrations by making sprinkles dance with sound energy! A great way to visualize sound in action.
DIY Magnifying Glass – Learn how light bends and magnifies by making your own simple magnifying glass with water and household supplies.
Rising Water Candle Experiment – Try this fascinating rising water experiment using a candle, glass, and water to explore air pressure and combustion.
Extracting Strawberry DNA – Did you know you can see DNA with the naked eye? Try this fun and easy strawberry DNA extraction experiment to explore genetics!
Lava Lamp Experiment – Set up a homemade lava lamp to explore liquid density and watch a fun chemical reaction in action.
Blow Up a Balloon with Salt and Soda – Can you inflate a balloon using just salt and soda? Try this surprising reaction and see what happens!
Blubber Experiment – How do polar bears stay warm in freezing temperatures? Test insulation properties with this fun and hands-on science activity.
Oil Spill Experiment – Learn about ocean pollution by trying this oil spill cleanup challenge, testing how difficult it is to remove oil from water.
Homemade Lava Lamp with Salt – Make a lava lamp with salt and watch as oil, water, and salt interact to create a mesmerizing effect.
Freezing Point Experiment – Will it freeze? Test how salt affects the freezing point of water in this simple yet fascinating experiment.
Viscosity Experiment – Grab some marbles and explore viscosity by testing which liquid allows the marble to sink the fastest.
Bubble Science Experiment – Blowing bubbles may seem like play, but there’s fascinating science behind bubble formation! Can you make different bubble shapes?
Potato Osmosis Experiment – Learn about osmosis with this easy potato osmosis experiment, demonstrating how water moves through plant cells.
Sink or Float Challenge – Test sink or float with common kitchen items, or take the penny boat challenge to see how many pennies your boat can hold before sinking! Try our floating orange experiment, too.
Exothermic Reaction with Yeast – Try an exothermic reaction using yeast for a fun Elephant toothpaste or potions-themed STEM project with dramatic foaming results.
Floating Dry Erase Drawing – Is it magic or is it science? Make a dry-erase drawing float on water using surface tension tricks!
Broken Toothpick Stars Experiment – Watch broken toothpicks transform into a star shape in this amazing experiment that explores capillary action.
Food Chain Science – Find out how to represent the flow of energy with a simple food chain activity. Plus, grab our printable food chain worksheets to extend the learning!
Biomes Lapbook Project – Explore the biomes of the world with this fun and interactive lapbook project that helps kids visualize different ecosystems.
DIY Planetarium and Constellations – Build a DIY planetarium to explore constellations and learn about the stars found in the Milky Way galaxy.
Paper Helicopter Experiment – Learn about aerodynamics and physics by making a paper helicopter that spins as it falls!
Color Wheel Spinner – Explore color blending and physics by making a color wheel spinner that shows how colors mix when in motion!
Screaming Balloon Experiment – Explore centripetal force and how objects travel in a circular path with this exciting screaming balloon experiment!
Layers of the Atmosphere – Learn about the Earth’s atmosphere with engaging activities and printable layers of the atmosphere worksheets.
Oil and Vinegar Science – Discover what important ingredient allows oil and vinegar to mix in this fun chemistry experiment.
Invisible Ink Experiment – Write a secret message using homemade invisible ink and reveal it with simple science tricks!
Solar System Lapbook Project – Explore the planets of our solar system with this interactive printable solar system lapbook project. Make a diorama too!
Lung and Heart Models – Learn how your lungs work with a DIY lung model, or explore how your heart functions with a hands-on heart model activity.
Stroop Test and Brain Science – Take the Stroop Test and discover something fascinating about how your brain processes information and colors!
Technology STEM Projects
💡 Technology and engineering STEM activities introduce kids to coding, circuits, robotics, and hands-on problem-solving, making learning both fun and interactive. These projects encourage creativity while exploring real-world technology concepts
LEGO Coding Challenge – Code with LEGO for a fun introduction to coding and technology, perfect for hands-on learning with bricks!
Binary Code Projects – Explore binary code by making a coding bracelet or coding ornaments that spell out messages in ones and zeros.
Hands-On Algorithms – Learn all about algorithms and even create your own—no screen required! A great unplugged coding activity for kids.
Fruit and Vegetable Electricity Experiment – Check out how vegetables and fruits can generate electricity to power a clock in this fun and simple experiment. Try a lemon battery, potato lightbulb, or pumpkin clock.
3D Printing for Kids – Have fun creating with a 3D printer, designing and printing your own unique STEM creations.
Build a Robot Car – Use a simple robot kit to build a robot car and explore the basics of robotics and engineering.
Morse Code Messages – Send secret messages to a friend using Morse Code, just like spies and inventors from history!
Electromagnet Experiment – Explore electromagnetism by creating your own electromagnet and testing its strength!
Playdough Circuits – Create conductive and insulating playdough circuits to learn about electrical flow in a fun and squishy way.
Paper Circuit Card – Light up a paper circuit card using copper tape and LEDs for a creative electronics project.
Aluminum Foil Circuit – Use aluminum foil to build a simple circuit and discover how electricity flows through different materials.
Simple Circuit for Kids – Learn how to build a simple circuit with a battery, wires, and a light bulb in this beginner-friendly electrical engineering project. Then explore parallel circuits, series circuits, and switches.
DIY Flashlight – Build a DIY flashlight using simple circuit components and a small LED light to explore how electric circuits work in real life!
Homopolar Motor Experiment – Explore electromagnetism and build a simple homopolar motor to see how electricity and magnetism work together.
Engineering STEM Projects
💡 The design process is a huge part of engineering projects for kids. Make sure to note the science, tech, and math that go into these STEM activities too!
Be an Architect for a Day – Step into the role of an architect with this 3 Little Pigs STEM project, designing and constructing sturdy homes.
Egg Drop Challenge – Test your engineering skills with the classic Egg Drop Challenge and design a structure that will protect an egg from a high fall.
DIY STEM Toys – Make fun DIY STEM toys and follow along with a printable guide for hands-on learning and creative problem-solving.
Wind-Powered Car Experiment – Build a wind-powered car and explore how wind energy is transformed into motion, learning about renewable energy.
DIY Pinwheel – Make a pinwheel that turns wind energy into motion.
DIY Kite and Solar Oven – Build a DIY kite and test how wind lifts it into the air, or make s’mores with your very own homemade solar oven!
Landmark Engineering Challenge – Construct a famous landmark like the Eiffel Tower using everyday materials in a hands-on architecture challenge.
Bridge Engineering Challenge – Research and build a truss-style bridge or a cable-stay bridge. Draw your design, gather materials, and test its strength with a paper bridge challenge.
Self-Propelled Car Projects – Design and build a rubber band car, balloon car, or wind-powered car, and check out our favorite self-propelled car projects!
Marble Roller Coaster – Build a marble roller coaster from recycled cardboard tubes and explore the physics of motion and gravity.
DIY Snow Shovel Challenge – Construct a snow shovel for a fun winter STEM challenge, testing materials and design for efficiency.
Water Filtration Experiment – Can you purify dirty water? Learn about filtration and create a DIY water filter using simple household supplies.
Ancient Egyptian Water Clock – Make a water clock like the Ancient Egyptians and explore an early method of measuring time using the flow of water.
Pinhole Camera for Eclipse Viewing – Make a pinhole camera to safely view an eclipse, learning about light and optics in the process.
Paper Rocket Experiment – Build a paper rocket and launch it to explore the basic physics of thrust and aerodynamics.
Wind Power Experiments – Learn about wind energy by building a windmill, anemometer, or a wind vane and discovering how wind direction and speed are measured.
Wind Tunnel and Hovercraft Engineering – Engineer a wind tunnel to test aerodynamics or build a hovercraft for a hands-on exploration of air pressure and lift!
DIY Catapult Challenge – A DIY catapult is always a hit! Try building a LEGO catapult, marshmallow catapult, or even a pumpkin catapult for hands-on physics fun.
LEGO Challenge Calendar – Print out our LEGO Challenge Calendar for a ready-to-go collection of quick and engaging engineering challenges.
LEGO Water Dam Project – Design a LEGO water dam using basic bricks and explore how structures can control water flow in this easy STEM challenge.
DIY Sundial – Make a sundial and learn how to tell time using the position of the sun and shadows.
Simple Machines Exploration – Explore different types of simple machines and try building a hand crank winch or a paper cup pulley system!
Archimedes Screw Pump – Build your own Archimedes Screw, a simple pump inspired by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes!
Aquarius Reef Base or Lunar Lander Model – Design and build a model of the Aquarius Reef Base to explore underwater habitats or construct a Lunar Lander for space exploration.
Homemade Compass – Make a DIY compass using simple materials to learn how to find north using Earth’s magnetic field.
DIY Phone Speaker – Create a DIY phone speaker that amplifies sound waves, making your phone’s music louder with no electricity needed!
Mini Paddle Boat Experiment – Learn about paddle boat mechanics and propulsion by making your own DIY mini paddle boat.
DIY Stethoscope – Build a homemade stethoscope and listen to a friend’s heartbeat while learning about sound transmission.
STEM Design Challenges for Kids
Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower Challenge – Test your engineering and design skills by building the tallest and strongest tower using spaghetti and marshmallows.
Paper Airplane Launcher – Build a paper airplane launcher and explore the physics of aerodynamics and motion.
Strong Paper Challenge – Discover the strength of paper by testing different folding and rolling techniques to see how much weight paper can hold.
Straw Boat Challenge – Design a straw boat that floats and test how well it moves across water in this hands-on engineering and buoyancy challenge.
Paper Chain CHallenge – Who can create the longest chain from a single sheet of paper.
Math STEM Project for Kids
LEGO Math Challenge Cards – Use our LEGO math challenge cards to bring even more hands-on learning to math with creative building and problem-solving activities.
Paper Sculpture Shapes – Explore geometry and engineering by building paper sculptures to learn about shapes, balance, and structure.
Toothpick and Marshmallow Structures – Build 3D or 2D shapes using toothpicks and marshmallows to explore geometry, stability, and spatial reasoning.
Walking Through Paper Challenge – Try a fun STEM challenge by figuring out how to walk through a single sheet of paper with the right cuts and folds!
Printable Measurement Activities – Learn about weight and length with engaging printable activities that help kids grasp measurement concepts.
Mobius Strip Exploration – Create a Mobius strip, a fascinating one-sided shape, and explore its unique mathematical properties!
DIY Geoboard – Make your own geoboard and use rubber bands to explore shapes, patterns, and symmetry.
Tessellations for Kids – Combine art and math with these easy and fun tessellation projects, learning how patterns repeat in a seamless way.
Fractions with Fruit – Explore fractions using apples, oranges, or other fruit, then turn it into a fun fruit salad math activity!
Baking and Measurement – Pull out a recipe and get baking to explore fractions, volume, and measurement, and check out our favorite food activities for kids!
Non-Standard Measurement Fun – Try non-standard measurement around the classroom or house! Use this fantastic scavenger hunt.
100 Cup Tower Challenge – Stack, balance, and engineer a 100-cup tower for a fun mix of math and engineering, or use 100 of anything for the challenge!
3D Shape Nets – Print and cut out 3D shape nets to fold and create cubes, pyramids, and other 3D figures while learning about faces, edges, and vertices.
3D Shape Cards – Use 3D shape cards for a hands-on way to identify, match, and learn about different geometric solids.
3D Shapes Directed Drawing – Try a directed drawing activity focused on 3D shapes, helping kids visualize spheres, cylinders, and prisms in a creative way.
Pi Day: Explore Pi with hands on STEM activities that combine math and art.
STEAM Activities For Kids
🔎 Explore these STEAM activities for kids. (Science + Art!) Think fizzy paint, tie dye coffee filters, salt painting and more!
Fibonacci Sequence Coloring – Learn about the famous Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio with printable Fibonacci coloring pages.
Salt Painting – Use salt painting to explore geometry and symmetry while observing how salt absorbs liquid and creates unique textures.
Shadow Drawing and Measurement – Experiment with shadow drawing to explore angles, measurement, and scale, tracking how shadows change throughout the day.
Rain Painting and Probability – Create rain paintings and explore the probability of different splatter patterns, randomness, and the science of water absorption.
Salad Spinner Art and Centrifugal Force – Use a salad spinner to create colorful spin art, demonstrating circular motion, symmetry, and centrifugal force.
Coffee Filter Flowers – Transform coffee filters into flowers while exploring radial symmetry, absorption, and color mixing.
Fizzy Baking Soda Paint and Chemical Reactions – Mix baking soda paint with vinegar for a fizzy reaction and observe how patterns, shapes, and textures form.
Marbled Paper and Surface Tension – Create marbled paper to explore surface tension and fluid dynamics, watching how colors swirl and interact.
Magnet Painting and Force Exploration – Use magnet painting to observe how magnetic forces move objects, creating unique shapes and designs through physics and math.
STEM Topic Ideas
Are you looking for fun STEM projects to fit in with a theme or holiday? Cool STEM ideas can be easily changed up through materials and colors to fit a season or holiday.
Check out our STEM projects for all the major holidays/ seasons below.
Printable STEM Pack for Kids
80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!
- Full instructions with sample images
- Activity-specific instruction sheets
- Data Collection Sheets
- Questions for Reflection
- Architecture Building Cards: Try the tallest tower challenge
- Bridge Building Cards: Explore different types of bridges to build your own.
- Paper Chain STEM Challenge: Who can make the longest chain? Great icebreaker or quick challenge!
- 3 Little Pigs Architectural Pack: Design a house that won’t blow away!
- Great marshmallow challenge: A classic challenge kids love!
- Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
- What’s the difference between a scientist and an engineer?
- Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
- Engineering vocabulary cards
- Design a one-of-a-kind invention and write about it with this 5-page activity!
Yes definitely! You can see it here: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/how-to-make-slime-with-glue/