First Grade STEM Activities for Kids (173 results)

How Do We Breathe?

STEM Activity

170 reviews

We breathe a lot—roughly 12 to 16 times a minute for adults and even more for children! Have you ever wondered how the process of breathing works so smoothly? Our lungs allow us to inhale the oxygen our body needs, but they do much, much more. They also allow us to get rid of carbon dioxide, the waste product created in the body, and they play a vital role in singing, shouting and even giggling. In this activity you will make a model of a lung and use it to discover how air flows in… Read more

Make Marbled Cards Using Science!

STEM Activity

82 reviews

Do you like both, arts and science? Then this is the perfect activity for you! You will create beautiful marbled paper cards and practice science at the same time! The only materials you need are shaving cream, food coloring, and sheets of paper. It might get a bit messy, but that is part of the fun! Read more

Oobleck: A Recipe for a Mesmerizing Mixture

STEM Activity

165 reviews

Have you ever wondered what whipped cream, jelly, and milk have in common? Aside from all being tasty, they are also all made up of tiny particles that are dispersed, or distributed, in water. This type of mixture is called a heterogeneous mixture. Some of these have very interesting physical properties, such as acting like a solid and a liquid at the same time! In this activity, you will get to create Oobleck, a mixture that is made using cornstarch and water, and then explore these… Read more

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Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

213 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

Protect Your 'Eggstronaut': Build an Egg-Drop Lander

STEM Activity

155 reviews

The egg-drop project is a classic and time-honored tradition in many science classes. The goal is usually to build a device that can protect an egg when dropped from a high location. This activity puts a twist on the classic project, motivated by real-world advances in space exploration. Can you build a reusable egg-drop lander that can survive repeated falls from the same height? Try this activity and find out Read more

Homemade Slushies

STEM Activity

107 reviews

Do you enjoy ice-cold drinks? A slushy is about as close as you can get to liquid ice: colder than water, but more drinkable than ice! Using some common household items, a little bit of patience, and the help of science, you can make this delicious, sweet drink at home. Try the activity, and you will be rewarded with a delightful treat! Read more

Measure Up with a Homemade Thermometer

STEM Activity

244 reviews

Are you eager to understand how everyday items work, or interested in making useful objects and instruments yourself? Have you ever imagined you could build your own thermometer? In this activity, you will make a liquid thermometer to track how temperatures vary with location, indoors or outdoors. What will turn out to be the hottest spot in your home? What about the coolest? Your very own homemade thermometer will be able to tell you! Read more

Model the Rock Cycle with Crayons

STEM Activity

145 reviews

Use crayons to model the rock cycle in this fun activity! You will make colorful sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous "rocks" from crayon shavings. Read more

How Big Are the Planets in Our Solar System?

STEM Activity

143 reviews

Did you know that there are more planets than stars in our galaxy? All of these planets circle around a star, but only eight of them—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—circle around the Sun—the star in our solar system. This activity explores the relative size of these eight planets. Is one bigger than the others, or are they all about the same size? Read more

How Tails Help a Kite to Fly

STEM Activity

55 reviews

Have you ever tried to build your own kite? Kites have been a source of entertainment for centuries for kids around the world. How do some features of a kite, such as its tail, affect how it flies? In this activity you will have a chance to build your very own kite, a simple sled kite, and use it to investigate how tails help kites fly. How well will your kite fly? Read more

3D Print with Sand: No 3D Printer Required!

STEM Activity

45 reviews

Don't have your own 3D printer? No problem! In this fun activity you will make your own colorful 3D prints using craft sand and glue. No 3D printer required! Read more

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