Fifth Grade STEM Activities for Kids (235 results)

Squishy Circuits: Light Up Your Play Doh® Creations!

STEM Activity

37 reviews

Do you like arts and crafts? How about making sculptures with Play Doh® or modeling clay? Imagine how cool it would be if you could add lights to your creations? That is exactly what you will get to do in this activity! Keep reading to learn how you can make any light-up sculpture you imagine, such as a house with lights in the windows, an animal with light-up eyes, or a colorful butterfly. Read more

The Ambiguous Cylinder Illusion

STEM Activity

22 reviews

Is it a circle? Is it a square? Or is it both? Make your own 3D printed "ambiguous cylinder" illusion in this fun activity. Read more

The First Cartoon: Make Your Own Thaumatrope!

STEM Activity

30 reviews

It's probably difficult to imagine a time with no television, no movies, and no cartoons. But believe it or not, those times weren't so long ago! What did those kids do when they couldn't watch movies? One of the most popular toys during that time was a great-grandfather of the modern cartoon. This toy was called a "thaumatrope," and in this activity you're going to make (and test) your own thaumatrope to learn about how vision works! Read more

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Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

222 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

The Impossible Arrow Illusion

STEM Activity

33 reviews

Make your own 3D printed "impossible arrow" illusion in this fun activity. No matter how many times you spin the arrow around, it always seems to point in the same direction—but its reflection in a mirror points the other way! How does it work? Try it and find out! Read more

Bake Your Ice Cream

STEM Activity

57 reviews

Did you ever bake your ice cream? An insulated bag or a cooler filled with ice can keep a treat like ice cream cool. Using the same principles, it is even possible to bake ice cream in a hot oven and have it come out frozen! This activity will teach you how. Read more

Build a Bird Feeder to Study Birds

STEM Activity

44 reviews

Did you know that there are about 10,000 different types of birds in the world? You don't have to go far to see some of them. Birds live outside in backyards and parks and can even be found in a busy city! Do you know what kinds of birds live in your neighborhood? Have you ever taken a close look at the birds you see in your backyard to identify them and observe their behavior? In this activity, you will build a bird feeder to attract birds, so you can study them. Read more

Build a Disk Siren

STEM Activity

18 reviews

If you live in an urban area, you probably hear them almost every day: sirens. Police cars, ambulances, fire trucks—they all can come blaring. Their wailing sounds are piercingly loud to help alert others to clear the road in front of them. But have you ever thought about how this loud noise is generated? Make your own disk siren in this activity and find out for yourself. Read more

Candy Core Samples

STEM Activity

47 reviews

Act like a geologist in this fun activity as you drill "core samples" from candy bars using a straw. Can you identify the type of candy bar just from a sample? Try this activity to find out! Read more

Circus-Trick Science: How to Balance Anything

STEM Activity

16 reviews

Have you ever wondered why it is harder to keep your balance with a heavy backpack on? Or why it is difficult to make a toddler's sippy cup tip over? Maybe you are the kind of person who wonders about circus balancing acts and would like to learn how to ride a bike on a rope. Or perhaps you want to know how to make your toy car less prone to toppling over when racing through a sharp curve. In this science activity, you will get to investigate balance using marshmallows, skewers, and… Read more

Color Taste Test—Do You Taste with Your Eyes?

STEM Activity

90 reviews

Have you ever tried adding green food coloring to your milk? Or blue coloring to the butter you spread on your bread? You may not have tried this, but for years, scientists have studied the effect of color and food appearance on how food tastes. Believe it or not, our eyes are an important part of how we taste and perceive food! In this activity, you will learn about how you can trick your taste buds—with just a little food coloring! Read more

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