Teacher Resources | Science Buddies Blog (Page 1)

Boredom Busters: STEM Activities for End-of-Year and Summer Fun

May 28, 2026 9:00 AM

As the end of the school year approaches, these activities can be great fillers in between testing, in odd spaces in your schedule, or just for general end-of-the-year fun. These activities also are perfect for summer STEM in a variety of settings. 8 Free STEM Ideas to Fill End-of-Year Time The final weeks of the school year often mean varied schedules and pockets of time in the classroom that can be hard to fill. The activities featured here use… Read more

14 Paper STEM Activities

May 12, 2026 8:00 AM

Looking for last-minute STEM ideas for the end of the year, for after testing, for a classroom warmup, or for a rainy day at home? Try one of these paper-based STEM activities! STEM Activities that Use Paper! Doing science and engineering activities doesn't have to require lots of materials. If you are looking for something to do with students in the classroom or with kids at home, an engaging STEM learning experience might be just a stack of… Read more

A Simple 10-Step Guide to the 2026 Ball Run Challenge

February 10, 2026 8:06 AM

Follow the steps below to run the 2026 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge with students. The Ball Run Challenge is a fun and accessible activity for students in grades K-12. The 2026 Ball Run Challenge is an engaging, low-cost way for students to try engineering. As they design, build, test, and improve their ball runs to slow a ping pong ball from start to finish, students use the engineering design process, explore core physics concepts, and build… Read more

4 Ways to Teach Engineering Design

January 29, 2026 8:00 AM

Teaching students about the engineering design process helps prepare them to do engineering projects and think like engineers when it comes to problem solving, troubleshooting, and brainstorming solutions and inventions. With a combination of free videos, lessons, and learning materials, you can choose the tools that best suit the needs of your classroom. Teaching Steps of the Engineering Design Process If you teach the scientific method to students,… Read more

40 Scientists to Learn About for Black History Month

January 29, 2026 8:00 AM

February is Black History Month. Learn more about some of the many African American scientists and engineers who have made important contributions to science history. Black History Month: 40 Scientists to learn more about! Update! This post has been updated for 2026. In honor of Black History Month, we highlight 40 African American scientists and engineers who made important contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). There… Read more

12 STEM Activities for Lunar New Year

January 29, 2026 6:00 AM

Celebrate Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse with these free science and engineering activities for enriching hands-on STEM. What is Lunar New Year? Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) begins February 17, 2026. Lunar New Year starts with the new moon that happens in late January or February. Celebrations continue for 15 days and culminate with a Lantern Festival. In Chinese culture, 2026 will mark the Year of the Horse. There are… Read more

10 Reasons to Do the Ball Run Challenge

January 27, 2026 8:00 AM

Thinking about the 2026 Ball Run Challenge? Here are 10 reasons this free engineering challenge is a great fit for K–12 classrooms and programs. The Science Buddies Engineering Challenge The annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge makes it fun for students to try engineering. Each year, the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge presents an engaging engineering task that invites students in grades K–12 to use the engineering design process to… Read more

13 Activities and Lessons to Teach Potential and Kinetic Energy

January 7, 2026 8:00 AM

Use these free lesson plans and hands-on activities to explore potential and kinetic energy with students! What happens when you stretch a rubber band and let it go? Why? Explaining how energy is stored and transferred and how that relates to the movement and momentum of objects in motion involves understanding potential and kinetic energy. This is an area of science where getting hands-on with the storage, transfer, and release of energy really helps… Read more

STEM Calendar for Educators: Month by Month STEM Projects

January 5, 2026 8:00 AM

Plan ahead to bring exciting science and engineering to your students all year long. Our STEM Calendar offers a roadmap for finding teaching materials and hands-on experiments to match with seasonal and calendar events throughout the year. STEM Calendar — A Roadmap of Monthly Science and Engineering Connections for Events and Popular Themes We know educators often plan weeks or even months in advance for hands-on STEM experiments and… Read more

Gingerbread STEM!

December 9, 2025 8:00 AM

Gingerbread houses and characters are a great way to capture students' attention in the days leading up to winter break! Shake things up this December with a gingerbread house building STEM challenge in your classroom or try one of these other fun gingerbread-themed science and engineering explorations. Gingerbread STEM! Activities involving gingerbread houses and gingerbread people pop up in many classrooms in December and through the winter months.… Read more

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