9 STEM Activities to Teach about States of Matter

Use these free hands-on STEM activities help teach students about states of matter.

Free STEM Activities to Teach about States of Matter

The following hands-on science activities from Science Buddies' library of STEM Activities for Kids can be used with students in or out of the classroom to explore states of matter science:

1. Colorful Patterns in Melting Ice: colorful science activity helps students visualize and explore changes from solid to liquid.
2. Go With the Flow: use the task of pouring from a full container to explore the behavior of fluids.
3. Homemade Slushies: explore changes from liquid to solid while mixing up a tasty treat.
4. How to Harvest Water from Fog: set up a device to capture fog and explore the change from gas (water vapor) to liquid (water).
5. Measure the Pressure: build a barometer to measure atmospheric pressure and explore how temperature affects gases.
6. Measure Up with a Homemade Thermometer: make a simple thermometer and explore how temperature affects liquids and gases.
7. Oobleck: A Recipe for a Mesmerizing Mixture: explore how a non-Newtonian fluid behaves as both solid and a liquid.
8. Why Soda Fizzes — Boyle's Law Demonstration: use air- and water-filled balloons to explore Boyle's law and the connection between gas volume and pressure.
9. How Do Melting Polar Ice Caps Affect Sea Levels?: explore the change from solid to liquid in the context of polar ice caps.

Get Inspired with STEM Videos

The following videos are from the activities mentioned above. Short videos like these are a great way for student to see what's involved in a project or activity before starting.

Explore More

Learn more about states of matter from our partners at ChemTalk.

Thematic Collections

Collections like this help educators find themed activities in a specific subject area or discover activities and lessons that meet a curriculum need. We hope these collections make it convenient for teachers to browse related lessons and activities. For other collections, see the Teaching Science Units and Thematic Collections lists. We encourage you to browse the complete STEM Activities for Kids and Lesson Plans areas, too. Filters are available to help you narrow your search.

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