STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

Sunset Colors in a Glass

STEM Activity

72 reviews

Have you ever watched a sunset and wondered why the sky suddenly changes from blue to orange and red? Even during the day, the sky can have multiple colors ranging from bright blue to grey or white. Where do these colors come from? In this activity you will find out, and simulate your own sunset in a glass! Ready to let the sun go down? Read more

The Impossible Arrow Illusion

STEM Activity

33 reviews

Make your own 3D printed "impossible arrow" illusion in this fun activity. No matter how many times you spin the arrow around, it always seems to point in the same direction—but its reflection in a mirror points the other way! How does it work? Try it and find out! Read more

The Trick to Beating a Carnival Game

STEM Activity

16 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

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Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

215 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

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

Use a Drop of Water as Magnifying Glass

STEM Activity

14 reviews

Are you ready to bend light, magnify letters, and have fun with drops of water—all while getting a glimpse into how lenses work? Lenses are the key components in eyeglasses, contact lenses, binoculars, telescopes, and magnifying glasses, just to name a few devices. With this activity, a homemade magnifying glass is only a drop away! Read more

VOILa! Experimenting with Light Refraction

STEM Activity

48 reviews

If you pour water into a clear glass, what color is it? It’s clear, right? But what happens if you try to look through it to see the world on the other side of the glass? It looks a little distorted, maybe a little fuzzier and uneven. If water is clear, why can’t we see through it clearly? The answer has to do with how light moves through water, glass, and other transparent materials. Just like when you try to run in a swimming pool, when light tries to move through water or glass,… Read more

Which Materials Conduct Electricity?

STEM Activity

38 reviews

Electricity powers many of the devices you use every day. Those devices are made up of circuits, ranging from very simple (like in a lamp with a single light bulb) to very complex (like in a computer). Try this project to build your own simple circuit and use it to test which common household materials conduct electricity. Read more

Why Soda Fizzes — Boyle's Law Demonstration

STEM Activity

43 reviews

You have probably cracked open a soda before to see the liquid fizz right up out of the bottle, creating a huge mess. Why does that happen? It has to do with the carbon dioxide gas that is added to the liquid to make it fizzy. Opening the bottle releases the built-up pressure by the gas inside, causing the gas-liquid mixture to rush out the bottle. In this activity, you will demonstrate with the help of air- and water-filled balloons how a gas changes volume depending on its pressure. Read more

Worm Observation

STEM Activity

29 reviews

Earthworms are important for the soil and a lot of fun to study. Few people know there are over 2,000 types of earthworms. Some like to burrow deep in the soil, while others stay near the surface. Do you know what they eat, or what their eating and burrowing habits are? Fill a pot with moist dirt, add a few worms, and observe your worms to find out. Read more

Yogurt Cultures

STEM Activity

6 reviews

Have you ever wondered how yogurt is made, and why some yogurts differ from others? As most yogurt containers advertise, yogurt contains "live cultures." This means that there are living bacteria in the yogurt! These are not the harmful kind of microbes that cause you to get sick. Instead, these cultures have the amazing ability to turn plain old milk into a yummy yogurt treat. Do the bacteria affect what the resultant yogurt culture looks, feels, tastes and smells like? In this… Read more

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