Sixth Grade STEM Activities for Kids (209 results)

Build a Water Sprinkler Toy

STEM Activity

5 reviews

Do you enjoy playing with water? Have you ever considered building a water sprinkler toy? It is easier than it looks! Get some PVC pipes, a few connectors, and a backyard water hose, then drill a few holes and start connecting! What will be your most creative and most fun design? Read more

Build an Ion Wind Rotor

STEM Activity

3 reviews

Can you use electrically charged "wind" to make something move? Find out in this fun project as you build your own ion wind rotor. Read more

Candy Lightning: A Flashy Activity

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Did you know that instances of miniature lightning can occur in your mouth when you bite on a hard candy? Would it not be fascinating if you could observe these light flashes? Life Savers® Wint O Green® mints might just be the tool we need to observe this science! Crush them, observe, and detect what makes the flashes visible. How many sparks can you see? 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

Candy Waterfalls: Can Candy Flow Like Water?

STEM Activity

86 reviews

Have you ever poured sand out of a bucket, or poured cereal out of a box, and noticed it is a lot like pouring water? It is because sand and cereal are granular materials. This means they are made up of solid particles, but they can actually flow like liquids! Candies, like Skittles®, M&M's®, Nerds® candies and many others, are also granular materials. In this science activity, you will investigate how the size and shape of granular materials affect how they flow. And what… Read more

Design a Back Scratcher

STEM Activity

25 reviews

Don't you hate it when you have an itch you can't reach right in the middle of your back? Engineer a solution to the problem and build your own back scratcher in this fun activity! Read more

Design and 3D Print a Snowflake

STEM Activity

36 reviews

Design and 3D print your own snowflake ornament with Tinkercad in this fun winter-themed STEM activity. Read more

DIY Face Mask

STEM Activity

13 reviews

To slow the spread of COVID-19, the CDC recommends wearing a mask or cloth face covering—particularly in places where it is impossible to maintain social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from others). This recommendation is for everyone age two or older (children under the age of two should not wear masks). Many instructions to make your own mask are available online. This activity will help you think through the process of designing and making a mask as an engineering problem.… Read more

Dye Eggs Using Silk Ties for Egg-cellent Colors

STEM Activity

8 reviews

Have you ever dyed eggs? Turning eggshells from white into different, dazzling colors can be a lot of fun! People often do this using dye tablets to make different colors in a liquid bath. They then dip the egg into the liquid and wait till it turns the desired color. Eggs can be dyed in many other ways, and one neat method uses silk ties. Sounds strange to use clothing to dye eggs, right? But it actually works really well! In this activity, you will dye eggs with silk ties and… Read more

Explore Biodiversity Using a Homemade Bug Vacuum!

STEM Activity

5 reviews

It might seem impossible to estimate how many different bugs live in a nearby field, or how many types of birds live in a forest, but wildlife biologists often have to try to determine the number of different species in a given habitat. This plays an important role in helping us understand how healthy the environment is. In this activity, you will get to take on the role of a wildlife biologist by examining the biodiversity of bugs and other small invertebrates (such as spiders, centipedes,… Read more

Gingerbread House STEM Challenge

STEM Activity

74 reviews

How easy or difficult is it to build a gingerbread house? It depends on what you want your house to look like. Design possibilities are almost endless! You could make a multi-story building, try different shapes and sizes, or add extra features such as a balcony or chimney. The more complex your design gets, the more difficult it is to make sure that your house stays upright and keeps its shape. In this activity, you will become an engineer and design and build a gingerbread house that must… Read more

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