STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

Seawater Science: Model Ocean Currents in Your Kitchen

STEM Activity

Have you ever wondered what causes ocean currents? Ocean currents have profound effects on the climates of the continents, especially those regions bordering on the ocean. For example, it’s thought that the Gulf Stream (a warm current around the North Atlantic Ocean) makes northwest Europe much warmer than it would otherwise likely be. In this science activity, you will model the behavior of these “rivers” of hot and cold water within the ocean to find out how temperature… Read more

Seeing Science: The Size of the Full Moon Rising

STEM Activity

3 reviews

Have you ever noticed how the moon appears bigger at the horizon, just as it is rising over the treetops, than it does later in the evening when it is overhead? Of course, the size of the moon does not change, but our perception of its size changes based on where it is in the sky. In this activity, you’ll investigate Emmert’s law, which helps explain the full moon illusion, and estimate the size of the perceived increase in size of the moon at the horizon. Then you… Read more

Seeing Science: Why do Video Game Characters Look Better Today?

STEM Activity

11 reviews

Have you ever wondered why video games today look better than video games from the 1980s? Today we have video games with relatively realistic figures, a lot of color and a lot of details, but these were not really features of games from the early 1980s. One major change between then and now is the number of pixels, or dots on the screen, used to represent video game objects. In this science activity you will put your artistic talent to use and investigate whether increasing the number of pixels… Read more

Featured

Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

224 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

Singing Science: How High and Low Can Your Voice Go?

STEM Activity

5 reviews

Do you enjoy getting together with family and friends to sing familiar holiday songs? It can be fun to do this time of year, gathered around a piano with a warm fireplace nearby, or bundled up together outside. Have you ever wondered what the highest note is that you can sing? How about the lowest? Or what about other people – do you think males and females can reach the same notes? How about children and adults? In this “note”-worth science activity, you’ll get to… Read more

Skipping Science: An Experiment in Jump Rope Lengths

STEM Activity

2 reviews

Have you ever wondered how you could do jump rope faster? The U.S. jump-rope record for the greatest number of jumps in one minute is 367! That's more than six jumps a second! How close do you think you can get to that number? What are some of the factors that will help you jump faster? One is the length of the jump rope! Read more

Snuggly Science: How Puppies Keep Warm

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Have you ever woken up on a cold, frosty morning and just wanted to snuggle down deeper under the covers? Animals, like puppies and piglets, do not like being cold either, but they do not have hands or blankets to wrap themselves up. So when animals get chilled, they change their behavior and do things like huddle – they curl up close to other animals. In this science activity, you’ll see just how much huddling can help reduce heat loss. Read more

Soil Compaction

STEM Activity

2 reviews

Have you ever noticed how much work it is to dig a hole in really hard soil? It's much easier to dig a hole in soft, loose soil. But why is that? Soil that is hard and dry is often compacted, which means that it has been packed down, making it denser and thereby difficult to penetrate. Soil that has become compacted is not only harder for you to dig a hole in, but it can also be much harder for a lot of other organisms, such as helpful earthworms, to survive in. Read more

Springtime Science: What’s Home Sweet Home to a Bug?

STEM Activity

Have you ever wondered how an animal chooses what type of environment to live in? With the arrival of spring, in many areas flowers will be blooming and animals will be emerging from their winter hiding places and searching for a place to live until next winter. One group of critters that can usually be found just about anywhere on land includes sowbugs and pillbugs. As they come out to enjoy the warmer weather, what type of environment do you think they’ll seek? In this science activity,… Read more

Succulent Science: The Role of Fats in Making a Perfect Pastry

STEM Activity

1 review

Have you ever wanted to bake the perfect pie to help warm up the cold holiday season? No matter whether it is apple, pumpkin, chocolate, pecan or pumpkin pie, every good pie needs a well-made pie crust. If the pastry crust is heavy or chewy then that can really affect how much you enjoy the pie. But how do you make a pastry crust that is light and flaky? In this scrumptious science activity, you will find out by investigating how the temperature of fat used (in dough) can affect a… Read more

Sweltering Science: Are Rooftop Gardens a Cool Idea?

STEM Activity

26 reviews

Have you ever seen a rooftop garden? Around the world, rooftops are being transformed into living green expanses. Besides beauty, rooftop gardens have a number of advantages, including growing food. How would you like some sky vegetables for dinner, or some fresh-cut roof flowers to put in vases in your house? Rooftop gardens can also take carbon dioxide out of the air while releasing breathable oxygen. But can rooftop gardens also keep your house cooler and lower… Read more

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