STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

Program a Maze with Paper

STEM Activity

62 reviews

You probably use computer programs every day. Every time you use the internet, play a video game, or us a smartphone, you are using computer programs. Do you want to learn a little bit about computer programming, without the need to actually use a computer? In this fun activity, you will write a “program” – a set directions for a volunteer to find their way through a maze. Can you help them find their way through without crashing? Read more

Program Your Own COVID-19 or Flu Simulator with Scratch

STEM Activity

31 reviews

Are you curious about how public health officials think about and model how diseases like flu and COVID-19 move from one person to another? In this activity, you will use the kid-friendly programming language Scratch to write a simulation that uses bouncing dots to represent healthy and sick people. The simulation will show how we can take measures to slow the spread of a transmissible disease. Read more

Puffing Up Marshmallows

STEM Activity

6 reviews

With the peak of camping season behind us, any leftover marshmallows can be offered up to science exploration! Did you realize that this sticky, tasty treat is nothing more than air trapped in a stretchy substance? Have you ever tried to expand a marshmallow without getting your hands all sticky? How did you do it? And how big did it get? Blowing up marshmallows is what this activity is about. You might not “see” a gas like air, but could it help puff up a marshmallow? Be ready to… Read more

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Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

215 reviews

Did you know that the seaweed you've seen in the ocean or even eaten as a snack is inspiring innovators to imagine new materials? Large brown algae, like kelp, contains polymers—long chains of molecules—that are more environmentally friendly than the ones in most plastics. These natural polymers (alginates) could eventually be used to create sustainable everyday objects. Try your hand at using a bit of chemistry to turn biodegradable polymers from algae into your own custom… Read more

Rolling Race

STEM Activity

20 reviews

Imagine rolling two identical cans down a slope, but one can is empty and one is full. Which one will reach the bottom first? You might have learned that when dropped straight down, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of how heavy they are (neglecting air resistance). Is the same true for objects rolling down a hill? Try this experiment to find out! Read more

Science with a Smartphone: Lux Meter

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Did you know that you can use a smartphone as a scientific instrument to explore the world around you? Smartphones contain many built-in electronic sensors that can measure phenomena such as sound, light, motion and more! In this activity, you’ll use your phone’s light sensor to examine the brightness of light from different light sources and locations. How bright is the reading lamp in your living room compared to direct sunlight? Try this activity to find out! Read more

Scrumptious Science: Great Globs of Gluten!

STEM Activity

3 reviews

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dinner dish? Maybe it’s an aunt’s special cranberry sauce, or mashed potatoes combined with perfectly-seasoned gravy. Or perhaps you enjoy sinking your teeth into a succulent roasted turkey the most. Dinner rolls, biscuits, corn breads, muffins, pastries and pies may also be baked for this special meal; the foods in this group typically all contain a substance called gluten. In this science activity, you’ll explore why some foods, all made… Read more

Seasonal Science: The Reasons for the Seasons

STEM Activity

20 reviews

Have you ever lived someplace where you get to experience the full glory of all four seasons? If so, you know well the heady blossoms and dramatic skies of spring; the long, sun-drenched days of summer; the trees shaking in crimson and gold in fall; and the sparkling, brittle snows of winter. But do you know why we have these seasons, over and over again, in a cycle as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun? It actually has to do with the Earth’s tilt and the Moon. In this… Read more

Seeing in the Dark

STEM Activity

8 reviews

Have you ever considered taking a nighttime nature walk? Would you wait until there is a full moon, so you could profit from sunlight reflected on the moon, or would you rather take a flashlight? Do you think trees would look black, green, or grey in the dark? Do this activity to examine your night vision and prepare for your next nighttime adventure! Read more

Seeing Pedigree Science: Making a Family Tree of Traits

STEM Activity

19 reviews

Has anyone ever told you that you look just like one of your parents or grandparents? Some characteristics, like the shape of your hairline or whether your earlobes are attached or detached, are inherited. In this activity you’ll get to see how writing some characteristics onto a family tree can help you determine just how you inherited them. You will likely discover some characteristics that you got from your father, and for this Father’s Day you can thank your… Read more

Seeing Science: Exploring Perception with the Stroop Effect

STEM Activity

15 reviews

Have you ever tried to pat your head with one hand while you rub your stomach with the other? This science activity is kind of like doing that, but it can actually give you some insight into how your mind works. The challenge of this activity is to name colors. It sounds simple enough, right? If you think it does, you should see what happens when words of colors get in the way! This is a fun activity to try out with family and/or friends while spending time together over the holidays. Read more

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