6 Picks for St. Patrick's Day STEM

By Amy Cowen on March 9, 2023 6:00 AM

Bring on the luck of the Irish with these six fun, hands-on STEM projects for St. Patrick's Day!

Photo collage of six STEM activities and experiments for St. Patrick's Day that are green or decorated to fit the theme

From the magical pot of gold at the end of a rainbow to lucky charms, leprechauns, shamrocks and more, St. Patrick's Day is brimming with opportunities to tweak science and engineering activities to fit the day.

Try one of these green picks for chemistry, engineering, and physics fun with students of all ages:

Leprechaun Snot: It just takes a bit of green to turn favorite slime-making science into something that has the kind of gross factor students love. (Tip! An NGSS-aligned slime lesson plan is available for educators.)
Shamrock Launcher: Use cardboard tubes and the energy stored in a rubber band to make a fun cotton ball launcher. Use green cotton balls for high-flying St. Patrick's Day fun! (See also: Simple Science Activities with Cardboard Tubes.)
Light Up Your Pot o' Gold: Use copper tape, a coin cell battery, and LEDs, to explore paper circuits and make light-up cards or artwork.
Lucky Lava Lamp: Use the fizzing power of Alka-Seltzer® to make a bubbling lava lamp. (Tip! This exploration of chemical reactions works well in all colors! For more fizzing fun, see 5 Fizzing, Foaming, and Bubbling Science Projects! Many of these activities can easily be given a colorful twist to work for St. Patrick's Day!)
Gold Getaway-Mobile: Build and "drive" a car that speeds along with the wind. (For other fun vehicles students can make and test, see Rev Up STEM Learning with Car Science Projects.)
Milk Rainbow: Create mesmerizing rainbows while exploring surface tension with this simple activity using milk, liquid soap, and food coloring.