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Mechanical Engineering STEM Activities for Kids (24 results)

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Build a Cardboard Scissor Lift
STEM Activity
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22 reviews
Have you ever wanted to reach something way up high on a shelf? What about construction workers who need to reach up the side of a building or a tall utility pole? A scissor lift is a device that can extend to a great length but also fold up very compactly, making it easy to reach high places. In this project you will build your own from common household materials! Read more
Design a Cell Phone Stand
STEM Activity
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82 reviews
Why buy it when you can build it? That is the attitude you will need for this project. You have probably seen cell phone holders or stands around the house or in a car. They might seem like a very simple object, but they are a great way to learn about the engineering design process. In this project, you will design and build your own working phone stand. Read more
Duplicate Your Drawings with a Machine
STEM Activity
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26 reviews
Have you ever wished you could copy a drawing but make it larger or smaller? If you've tried to create a larger or smaller copy of your work, you've probably realized that it is very hard to get the details right. A machine called a pantograph, however, could help. It makes copies that can be scaled up or down or made the same size. In this activity you will make your own pantograph and then duplicate your drawings. Can you figure out how it enlarges, shrinks or turns drawings upside down? Read more
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Make String from Algae
STEM Activity
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212 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
Train Wheel Science
STEM Activity
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28 reviews
Have you ever watched a train roll by? If so, you might have wondered how the train is able to stay on its tracks. The secret lies in the train's wheels. Although they seem cylindrical at first glance, when looking more closely you will notice that they have a slightly semi-conical shape. (Of course, never get close to a working train!) This special geometry is what keeps trains on the tracks. In this activity you will put different wheel shapes to the test to find out why the conical wheel is… Read more
Absorb the Shock!
STEM Activity
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6 reviews
Have you ever ridden in a car over a pothole or a speed bump? You might feel the bumps and get tossed up and down in your seat a little bit, but not nearly as much as you would if the car did not have a suspension. Try this engineering project to learn how a suspension helps give you a smoother ride! Read more
Build Your Own Sports Equipment
STEM Activity
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30 reviews
Do you play or watch a sport where you use something (other than your hands or feet) to hit a ball? Golf, baseball, tennis, hockey—there are many different sports where players use something to hit a ball or a puck. In this activity you will design, build, and test your own sports equipment made from recycled materials. Read more
Gear Up Your Candy
STEM Activity
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6 reviews
Did you know that gears are all around you? You can find them in wind-up toys, bicycles, carousels, cars and trucks, cranes, drills, wind turbines, analog watches, and so forth! If you've looked closely at a moving bicycle, you have seen gears at work. Are you curious about their purpose? In this activity you will use candy to make gears and explore why they are so versatile. Read more
Gravity-Powered Sorting Machine
STEM Activity
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23 reviews
Have you ever used a coin-sorting machine to separate pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters? When you need to separate things that are all mixed together, using a machine can be much faster than picking them apart by hand. In this project you will build a machine that can automatically separate two different size marbles, powered by nothing but gravity. Read more
The Trick to Beating a Carnival Game
STEM Activity
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15 reviews
Have you ever played a game at a carnival, trying to win a stuffed animal or other prize? It might look easy, until you try it. Why are those "simple" games at the fairs and carnivals so hard? Is it really lack of skill or coordination or do those concessionaires use some basic laws of science to help them set up the games in their favor? In this science activity, you will investigate how physics can help you win — or lose — at the classic game of trying to knock over a pyramid of… Read more
Build a Differential from K'Nex®
STEM Activity
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10 reviews
What in the world is a differential and what does it do? A differential is a mechanism that helps cars go around turns without the wheels slipping. In this activity you will build your own working model differential from a building toy like K'Nex®! Read more
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