STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

Soil Science: Study Microorganisms in Winogradsky Columns

STEM Activity

9 reviews

Our planet recycles and reuses everything on it that is needed to support life. It is an amazing, giant recycling system called the biogeochemical cycle. You can actually model this on a small scale by using a plastic bottle and mud to build what is called a Winogradsky column. In this activity, you will build your own Winogradsky columns and investigate how including different nutrients can affect which soil microorganisms flourish and which fail. Read more

Sorbent Science: Cleaning Up Oil Spills

STEM Activity

19 reviews

Have you ever seen news coverage or other pictures of an oil spill in the ocean and wondered how all of that oil could be cleaned up? Oil spills can devastate wildlife by covering them with oil, and they can damage our precious water resources by contaminating them with oil. Part of the problem of managing oil spills is that the oil can be challenging to clean up. In this science activity, you can test the absorptivity of different materials (called sorbents) to discover which ones are best at… Read more

Space Elevator Problem Set

STEM Activity

7 reviews

Space elevators zipping people and materials up into space might seem like a very futuristic and improbable idea, but is it that difficult? This activity will guide you through the mathematics. Try it out and see what is possible with materials that can be produced with current technology. 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

Spot the Fat in Your Snack

STEM Activity

16 reviews

Do you love potato chips? If you do, you are not alone. Potato chips are a very popular snack food. In fact, many people eat more than one bag of chips per month. When eating potato chips, have you ever noticed that your hands get really greasy? Maybe you have heard people telling you not to eat potato chips because they are bad for you and contain too much fat. But is this really true? Do this activity and find out by making the fats in potato chips visible. Read more

Static Science: How Well Do Different Materials Make Static Electricity?

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Have you ever noticed that some types of clothes are more susceptible to static cling than others? For example, a wooly sweater can have a lot of static cling, but clothing made out of cotton doesn’t get static cling nearly as much. How well do other materials around the house produce static electricity? In this science activity, you’ll explore this by making a simple, homemade electroscope and testing it out. The results may shock you! Read more

Statistical Science: M&M Math

STEM Activity

20 reviews

Have you ever wondered weather the outcome of a certain activity is predictable? For example, if you’re randomly picking a chocolate out of a box of mixed chocolates, can you predict how likely it is that you’d end up with a specific type of chocolate, such as a caramel-filled chocolate? To investigate this tasty topic, in this activity you’ll determine the frequency of different colored M&M’s in a package of M&M candies. M&M’s are… Read more

Stepping Science: Estimating Somebody’s Height from Their Walk

STEM Activity

6 reviews

Have you ever noticed you need to walk faster just to keep up with some people, or decrease your pace to walk with other people who are going slower? This is likely because of the difference in leg length between you and the person you are walking with. In this science activity, you’ll get to investigate just how much faster or slower different people walk, and see if you can use the relationship between a person’s walking pace and their height to estimate your own height. Read more

Strength in Numbers: Spaghetti Beams

STEM Activity

12 reviews

Have you ever helped your parents cook a pot of spaghetti? Strands of spaghetti are pretty long, so sometimes people break them in half so they fit into the pot more easily. How exactly does the spaghetti break? And what does this have to do with science? It turns out engineers and materials scientists study how materials break when they are bent. While professional engineers might be more concerned with steel beams in a bridge, you can still do a fun experiment with some pasta in your kitchen. Read more

Stretch It! How does temperature affect a rubber band?

STEM Activity

18 reviews

Have you ever noticed that some objects tend to expand when they get hot, and contract when they cool down? For example, you might run hot water over the lid of a jar that's stuck - this causes the lid to expand, making it easier to twist off. Does this effect work the same way for all materials? Try this fun activity to find out! Read more

Stretchy Balloon Science

STEM Activity

11 reviews

Balloons are fun and come in a variety of sizes, colors, and forms that makes them well suited for decorations, water play, modeling, and other creative activities. But balloons also have uses outside of recreation; weather balloons, balloons used to widen obstructed arteries, and balloons that provide transportation are just a few examples. The first balloons were made of animal bladders or intestines. This made way for the latex, rubber, and nylon fabric balloons we see today. Have you ever… Read more

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