Physics STEM Activities for Kids (123 results)

STEM Activity

50 reviews

You might know that sound is caused by vibrations, but did you know that sound can also make things vibrate? You might have noticed this if you have ever been at a concert or in a car with the stereo booming. Sometimes the sounds are so loud that you can feel the vibrations! However, sounds that loud can damage your hearing, so in this project you will investigate them using something safer. Read more

Rubber Bands for Energy

STEM Activity

40 reviews

If you've ever been shot with a rubber band then you know it has energy in it—enough energy to smack you in the arm and cause a sting! But have you ever wondered what the relationship is between a stretched rubber band at rest and the energy it holds? The energy the rubber band has stored is related to the distance the rubber band will fly after being released. So can you guess one way to test how much energy a stretched rubber band contains? Read more

Waves in Slow Motion

STEM Activity

32 reviews

Have you ever noticed seagulls bobbing up and down on the ocean while surfers paddle forward to catch a wave? Maybe you remember floating on a lake, going up and down as a wave passed by, or the feeling of being swept ashore by a breaking wave. Water waves are fascinating. They come in all sizes, from a tiny ripple to monster waves that are ten meters high. You have seen them, but do you know what drives them, how they move across oceans and seas? In this activity, you will bring the… 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

Build a Bottle Centrifuge

STEM Activity

20 reviews

Have you ever ridden a merry-go-round at a playground? Did you notice how you felt like you were being flung toward the outside, so you needed to hold on to stay in place? Scientists make use of this effect in a centrifuge, which is a machine that separates substances based on their density. They can, for example, use it to separate different substances within a blood sample. In this fun activity, you will build your own simple bottle centrifuge and test how it works. Are you ready for a spin? 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

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

Drinking Water Cleanup

STEM Activity

26 reviews

Do you know where your drinking water is coming from? Sure, it comes out of your faucet, but how does it get there? Drinking water all over the world originates from either surface waters—such as lakes, reservoirs, and rivers—or from underground sources, such as groundwater. But would you want to drink water straight from a river or lake? Probably not; they can be really dirty and muddy! To become clean and safe, this water first has to undergo several treatment processes; the first… Read more

Explore the “POP” in popcorn

STEM Activity

25 reviews

Do you like popcorn? It’s not only a tasty snack but also fascinating to watch when it pops in the pot. But why does it do that? What makes the small popcorn kernel jump into the air and change its appearance? Where does the characteristic popping sound come from and does every corn pop? There are many good questions about such a simple snack. Are you curious to find out some answers? In this activity you will do some popcorn science and even get to snack on your experiment. Read more

How to Harvest Water from Fog

STEM Activity

44 reviews

How long do you think you could survive without drinking any water? Only three to four days! Your body needs water to function properly. We also rely on water for cooking, cleaning and many other activities. You might not think about getting enough water if you can get it easily by turning on your faucet. But what about areas that don't have a reliable water supply? In this activity you will learn about one creative way to collect water—from the air! Read more

Make a Self-Starting Siphon

STEM Activity

30 reviews

If you have ever seen someone use a siphon in a movie, they probably sucked on the tube to get it started. That can be dangerous with liquids like gasoline! Can you make a siphon that will start on its own? Try this activity to find out! Read more

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