STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

STEM Activity

34 reviews

Have you ever wondered why salt is used to de-ice roads? Did you know that snow sticks more readily to pavement that has been treated with salt? Why would this be the case? In this activity, you will use the same principles to hoist ice cubes with a piece of string. Is it possible to do this without getting your hands cold? Try the activity and see what a pinch of salt can do! 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 an Irrigation System

STEM Activity

46 reviews

Irrigation, or the artificial application of water to crops, has been used by humans for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations build complex irrigation systems without the aid of modern technology or construction equipment. Can you design a model irrigation system using some simple household materials? Try this project to find out! Read more

Featured

Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

225 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

Charge from Change: Make a Coin Battery

STEM Activity

54 reviews

Have you ever wondered why your phone, computer, or a flashlight works without being plugged into a power outlet? Where does the electrical energy come from that makes all these portable devices function? You probably know the answer: they use batteries! But do you know how these batteries work? Batteries store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, which means that electrochemical reactions inside the batteries create electricity. It may sound complicated, but it is simpler than you… Read more

Chromatography: Be a Color Detective

STEM Activity

32 reviews

Do you love bright and vibrant colored art supplies? Do you ever wonder how these colors are made? The variety of colors comes from colored molecules that are mixed into the material used to make the product. Some colored molecules are synthetic (or manmade), like the famous Yellow #5 found in food dyes. Others are extracted from natural sources, such as carotenoid (pronounced kuh-RAH-tuh-noid) molecules, which make your carrot look orange, and can be extracted from saffron. Even… 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

Design a Cell Phone Stand

STEM Activity

86 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

29 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

Explore the “POP” in popcorn

STEM Activity

26 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

Exploring Mummification with Hot Dogs

STEM Activity

75 reviews

Have you ever seen or heard of the movies "The Mummy" or "The Mummy Returns"? Mummies have often played a part in nightmares for Western cultures, but in ancient Egypt, mummification was a serious religious ritual thought to be necessary for a person to enjoy the afterlife. In this activity, you will learn about the science behind the process of mummification by mummifying a hot dog. Read more

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