STEM Activities for Kids (482 results)

STEM Activity

11 reviews

Have you ever looked at a package of dry yeast and found it hard to believe that it contains organisms that are alive? Add the right ingredients and presto, the mixture becomes a bubbly, oozing, mess of life! But what are the conditions that are needed for this to happen? What does that yeast need to become active and thrive? Try this science activity to find out for yourself! Read more

Slippery Science: Explore Friction by Launching Stuff

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Have you ever tried to get a running start and slide across a smooth, wooden floor while wearing socks? What happens if you try the same thing on a carpeted floor, or while wearing shoes? The amount of friction between your feet and the floor surface determines how well you can slide. Some combinations of surfaces, like socks on a wooden floor, produce very little friction. Other combinations, like rubber soles on a wooden floor, produce much more friction. In this project you'll do a much… Read more

Soil Science: Study Microorganisms in Winogradsky Columns

STEM Activity

9 reviews

Our planet recycles and reuses everything on it that is needed to support life. It is an amazing, giant recycling system called the biogeochemical cycle. You can actually model this on a small scale by using a plastic bottle and mud to build what is called a Winogradsky column. In this activity, you will build your own Winogradsky columns and investigate how including different nutrients can affect which soil microorganisms flourish and which fail. 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

Sorbent Science: Cleaning Up Oil Spills

STEM Activity

19 reviews

Have you ever seen news coverage or other pictures of an oil spill in the ocean and wondered how all of that oil could be cleaned up? Oil spills can devastate wildlife by covering them with oil, and they can damage our precious water resources by contaminating them with oil. Part of the problem of managing oil spills is that the oil can be challenging to clean up. In this science activity, you can test the absorptivity of different materials (called sorbents) to discover which ones are best at… Read more

Space Elevator Problem Set

STEM Activity

7 reviews

Space elevators zipping people and materials up into space might seem like a very futuristic and improbable idea, but is it that difficult? This activity will guide you through the mathematics. Try it out and see what is possible with materials that can be produced with current technology. Read more

Spinning Symmetry with Pinwheels

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Have you ever played with a toy pinwheel, or seen larger real-life versions like a windmill or wind turbine? Have you wondered why all the blades are symmetric? Why can’t they get away with just one blade? Try this project to find out! Read more

Spot the Fat in Your Snack

STEM Activity

16 reviews

Do you love potato chips? If you do, you are not alone. Potato chips are a very popular snack food. In fact, many people eat more than one bag of chips per month. When eating potato chips, have you ever noticed that your hands get really greasy? Maybe you have heard people telling you not to eat potato chips because they are bad for you and contain too much fat. But is this really true? Do this activity and find out by making the fats in potato chips visible. Read more

Stargazing for Satellites

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Throughout history, people have always been captivated by celestial objects like stars, planets, and the Moon. Now, man-made satellites have entered the picture. Did you know you can see many satellites with the naked eye? Try this activity and find out for yourself! You will even learn how to classify them! Read more

Static Science: How Well Do Different Materials Make Static Electricity?

STEM Activity

4 reviews

Have you ever noticed that some types of clothes are more susceptible to static cling than others? For example, a wooly sweater can have a lot of static cling, but clothing made out of cotton doesn’t get static cling nearly as much. How well do other materials around the house produce static electricity? In this science activity, you’ll explore this by making a simple, homemade electroscope and testing it out. The results may shock you! Read more

Statistical Science: M&M Math

STEM Activity

20 reviews

Have you ever wondered weather the outcome of a certain activity is predictable? For example, if you’re randomly picking a chocolate out of a box of mixed chocolates, can you predict how likely it is that you’d end up with a specific type of chocolate, such as a caramel-filled chocolate? To investigate this tasty topic, in this activity you’ll determine the frequency of different colored M&M’s in a package of M&M candies. M&M’s are… Read more

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