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55 Stem Activities for Elementary Students 

October 6, 2022 //  by Michelle Mandel

STEM helps to gain autonomy. STEM also teaches critical thinking and focuses on hands-on learning. It goes beyond teaching children science and math, it teaches them curiosity, leadership, and acceptance of failure. STEM learning opens doors for students to challenge standards and prepare them for future innovation.

1. Let's travel to South America with Passport STEM activities 

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This is such a cool unit that gives students the sensation of traveling without having to leave the classroom. We are traveling to South America with fun facts and projects that are all hands-on and engaging. Students earn one passport stamp for each project completed. Fun STEM Activities (Geography, General Science, and Engineering activities) for 3rd-5th graders.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

2. Generation Genius STEM activities K-8 

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Over 30,000 teachers use this website for STEM activities that are easy to set up. Using basic household goods it's fun and exciting to carry out. Videos, lesson plans, and DIY activities. Great teacher guides to make planning easier. Simple STEM activities that include cool science experiments to amaze your students.

Learn More: Generation Genius

3. Water is Gold

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Nowadays, with global warming, the next generation of kids need to know the value of water, the water cycle, and how we can improve our water cycle to have more drinking water. Through these favorite STEM  activities, we can guide students and teach them how precious water really is.

Learn More: Pinterest

4. STEM and Hockey play hand in hand

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Sponsored by the NHL. Free digital lessons for teachers and educators. Area, Angles, Radius, and Engineering all come into play. Helping teachers help students reach future goals through STEM learning on ice!

Learn More: Everfi

5. SuperMill Stem Science Videos

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These fun videos from the ScienceMill are just that. Videos geared from K-8 and their mission is to motivate and spark curiosity for future scientists. There are loads of science activities to choose from with extra classroom resources.

Learn More: Science Mill

6. Everyone loves a good fairy tale.

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Using recycled material children can create STEM activities with a fairy tale theme. Beauty and the beast, Robin hood, and more of your favorite tales can be explored through STEM projects and challenges. Teaching children Engineering and maths and at the same time the three R's Reuse, Recycle and Reduce = Success

Learn More: Momgineer

7. 10 ways to use pipe cleaners in STEM projects 

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There are so many STEM projects you can do with pipe cleaners. From building cars or sailboats to using them in making treasure chests and much more. My favorite is the Geodesic dome challenge.

Learn More: Teachers Are Terrific

8. The Mad Scientist Laboratory

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In the past children were taught not to get dirty and just to learn passively. Thank goodness the times have changed and we have lots of hands-on activities with STEM challenges. Kicking it up a notch with STEM and chemical reactions. Using simple ingredients, you can make some amazing experiments. Don't forget your safety goggles.

Learn More: Science Buddies

9. Building blocks are Brilliant 

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When your toddler gets their first set of building blocks you just think it's cute. Little do you know that they are developing fine motor skills and developing their first structural engineering skills. There are so many STEM activities you can do with building blocks, the ideas are endless!

Learn More: Kids Academy

10. Scohlastic brings us STEM smart Storybooks.

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For little ones, the STEM concepts might be difficult but with these wonderful story books by Scholastic, they have incorporated a way to make a great Storybook STEM series using kid-friendly tales.

Learn More: Amazon

11. Stem activities with paper

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Science buddies bring us everything from paper pinwheels to paper rollercoasters. It is out of this world all the cool things that can be created with recycled paper and following STEM guidelines. Let your students' imagination run wild and explore some of these favorite STEM activities!

Learn More: Science Buddies

12. The Red Cup Challenge

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On social media, we have seen over and over again silly challenges with red plastic cups. We can take the red cups into the classroom and incorporate them into our STEM units and you will be surprised about the response and how attentive students will be. Challenging kids to calculate time distance and height.

Learn More: Kids Activities Blog

13. IXL 4 U

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IXL is all about STEM activities and making your job a little bit easier as a teacher. It is packed with activity worksheets in the sciences, maths, engineering, and Literacy. Scientific method worksheets and a great reinforcement activity for students.

Learn More: IXL

14. Make Crystals from Salt!

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Whether you are homeschooling or in the classroom, elementary students will love making crystals with salt. It's an easy chemistry project using Epson salt and water. In just a day your students will have beautiful crystals and they can even make colored ones too.

Learn More: Study

15. Learn about your DNA with an edible DNA model

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Children can first learn about what is our DNA and what does it. The main focus is to describe the main structure of the DNA molecule and the base rules of pairing. This all sounds a bit complicated for elementary students but if we teach them about ladders and how everything is all connected using candies and sweets they will be keen on learning.

Learn More: Teach Genetics Utah Edu

16. Being Frugal is Being Smart

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STEM activities on a dime. Here are some fantastic science experiments for kids that you can do easily if you are on a budget. They are really low-budget projects and most of the stuff you can find lying around the house or school. Using craft sticks, and basic supplies you can explore lots of classic stem activities.

Learn More: Frugal Fun 4 Boys

17. The great turkey race - STEM Style 

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With Thanksgiving around the corner, it's always nice to have things for busy hands. This is a combination between a STEM activity and a STEM story book about the great turkey race! You actually get to build a turkey obstacle race! Gobble Gobble Fun.

Learn More: Pinterest

18. Get your ticket - STEM is going to Hollywood!

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Lights, camera, action! Who is the big star of the film? You are the director in helping STEM merge with kids' movies like Big Hero, Harry Potter, The Lego Movie, Frozen, and many more.  Science experiments, magic, engineering, and math are what it's all about. Get your popcorn and your goggles and get started.

Learn More: KC Edventures

19. STEM and my STOMACH 

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We teach kids about digesting they hear what we are telling them and if they watch videos it's a bit easier but the little ones still have difficulty understanding the process. So in this STEM project, we are going to simulate the digestion of our food! This is a real hands-on project.

Learn More: Simple Living Creative Learning

20. Electric Playdough!

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Now I have seen it all, Playdough is a great STEM activity, and this one is electrifying!

This hands-on Youtube video shows you a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the classic dough to light up.

Learn More: Babble Dabble Do

21. STEM with Mr. N

Mr. N. Brings us some very cool tutorial videos that really teach hands-on. It is a way to connect kids with science and engineering projects in a fun way. Today Mr. N. is going to show us how powerful air is - air can actually crush a bottle!

Learn More: STEM with Mr. N

22. Who needs dirt? 

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Soil, dirt mud, and the ground where we stand are pretty important for the Bio and Ecosystem. But do we value this precious brown stuff that is under our feet??  These science experiments are cheap, easy to do, and inspiring.

Learn More: How Stuff Works

23. First Lego League 

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Let your kids have superpowers and dive into this world of critical thinking, coding, and design skills at a young age. The Lego League teaches kids to be inspired and motivated about the world around them and what their role could be in it. Global Robotics and much more!

Learn More: First Inspires

24. Paper Circuits 

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How much fun are paper circuits and learning about STEM projects?  These are such cute and easy ideas you can do in a flash. Kids today need to move away from textbooks and into the hands-on world of learning. Let your imagination run wild with your paper circuit.

Learn More: Pinterest

25. Science STEM Snacks 

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Making muffins or scones doesn't really sound like science or STEM projects but they are, Have kids discover which one rises more and why. Transforming liquids into solids, Making mini solar-powered s'mores machines, and much more!

Learn More: Let Grow

26. DANCING GRAPES

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You won't believe it til you see it. Turn up the music and watch these grapes go! With three ingredients that you can find at your local supermarket, this is a "grape Stem" project no pun intended! Soon your grapes will be rocking out to I heard it through the grapevine.

Learn More: Lil Tigers

27. STEM meets Physics 

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An educational background in physics will take you far. and Fizzics has brought us some really cool experiments that mix math and science together. From hot air balloons to Lemon Juice Christmas cards. There is something for everyone!

Learn More: Fizzics Education

28. Igloo Building 

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Build a DIY igloo with marshmallows or sugar cubes. Great Stem project and engineering for little ones. In this  Stem activity, you can teach them how to build walls and a roof but kids have to see if it will all hold or cave in!

Learn More: Teachers Are Terrific

29. Nanogirl and Icecream.

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Nanogirl on Youtube is bringing us a great tutorial on how to make a STEM version of ice cream There are step-by-step instructions and using only a few ingredients and a little bit of patience, in a flash you can have some delicious.

Learn More: Dreamstime

30. STEM with Lewis Howard Latimer 

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A lot of people do not know about Lewis Howard Latimer. He was an  African- American inventor who paved the way for STEM activities that we have today. His engineering degree and skills lead to the invention of the light bulb, the telephone, and many more. Here are some STEM activities for kids from the Latimer site.

Learn More: Biography

31. STEM+ART= STEAM

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Do you love arts and crafts and science?  This is the site for you. It is a fusion between art and science and watching things come to life. Making your own art materials and paints, being able to explore the abstract and unknown. Building toys and creating masterpieces for the future.

Learn More: Pink Stripey Socks

32. Bobby Dropper, Wind Tunnel Testing and Paper Airplanes!

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Are you into aviation? Do you think that you might want to be a pilot someday, Let's get started in the classroom with some really cool activities that will literally blow you away! Aerodynamics, engineering, and flight exploration are the future so we need to teach our kids about drones, wind energy, and sustainability.

Learn More: Inventors Of Tomorrow

33. Strike!

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This activity is perfect for kindergarteners and it can be adapted to higher levels using some other recycled materials such as water bottles that have sand in them. If you can get your hands on some old bowling pins that would be great too. Remember, here we are teaching about velocity, distance, weight, and probability.

Learn More: Engineering Emily

34. Jack and the fantasy car 

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Cars are fascinating, they move fast and zip around. Some of them are pretty fancy and have the latest technology inside. Now let's let out first and second graders have story time about Jack and his fantasy car. As teachers, we need to inspire them and guide them to be their best and learn as much about STEM as possible.

Learn More: Teaching Expertise

35. Time to head for the Big top 

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The STEM circus is in town and everyone loves the circus. These are hands.-on activities that incorporate the students about how they are connected. Can you get your kids to build a structure like a circus tent? This is challenging. There are stories and lots of resources here!

Learn More: Pinterest

36. Get your groove on and get Jammin!

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A bottle flute, a mini boom box, a PVC Saxophone, and more. Music is in our daily lives and kids are always humming or singing to some tune. Tapping their pencils in class and excited about the subject of music because it is hands-on. Here are some music ideas STEM Style for your classroom.

Learn More: Instructables

37. WWF has merged with STEM 

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The World Wildlife Foundation has merged with the STEM System by providing some amazing lesson plans for your class. Animal habitats and seas, oceans, and climate change. All l of these things will affect our future scientists, engineers, and citizens in the future. So why not start in the jungle and learn about animals and animal conservation the STEM way before it's too late

Learn More: World Wild Life

38. The Science of Shoes

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The secret behind making shoes. The weight of the show, the material that it was made out of, and the ground that you will be on. if the show allows water or air to pass, and more. Are you ready to take on the Stem mission of designing your own shoes for a Superhero then click away!

Learn More: STEM Camp

39. First Home Curriculum 

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It does matter if you are in the classroom, a motivated parent or family member, or a home school mom or dad. First Home Curriculum is great to help show you the way and guide you through some amazing STEM projects. Helping to build life skills in teams or individually.

Learn More: First Inspires

40. There is no excuse not to teach coding.

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Lessons in coding are readily available and there are so many good and free apps. to use with elementary kids you don't need a lot of fancy tablets or computers. Coding can easily be taught in 4th or 5th grade. There are lots of resources and information on this site to check out and pass on.

Learn More: STEM Activities For Kids

41. Wanna play at the STEM playground today?

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30-minute activities with your students, challenge them to participate in a contest or do loads of free projects all using everyday materials you find at home. Geared for 3rd-5th so perfect for elementary school-aged kids.

Learn More: STEM Playground

42. Marshmallows, Cups, Clay, and Sticks!

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It's time to experience the basics of a 3D model with things you can find in your house. People think that STEM 3D models are very intricate and that you need a lot of practice and skill but the main idea of  3D modeling is just exploring.

Learn More: STEM Education Guide

43. EDUTOPIA

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10-year-old Rhys can do STEM projects through his gaming hobby and participate in online competitions. The video explains how is school really enough and why and how we need to incorporate coding and gaming into our daily lesson plans.

Learn More: Edutopia

44. Designing Building and Testing a Gingerbread House- Can you make a good one?

This project looks simple but it is quite challenging and you will probably end up eating a lot of cookies and sugar. It is complicated and interesting who will be able to come up with a design that will hold its own weight.

Learn More: Science Buddies

45. Catapult Stem Style 

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This is actually such a fun idea and both middle school and elementary will love to be able to shoot things in the classroom using their handmade Popsicle catapult Students can hone in on their engineering skills and use marshmallows or small pom poms as weapons, watch out for things will be flying.

Learn More: McSTEM Academy

46. Make Milk Plastic

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People will be shocked to hear that you with your own hands make plastic made out of milk. You heard me right, no chemicals and no strange machines Make this plastic using only 2 ingredients Milk and vinegar. Get your instructions now!

Learn More: Carnegie STEM Girls

47. Creative minds 

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For teachers and educators, on this website, you will find out about what is creative thinking, and lots of resources about brainstorming, lateral thinking, and mind mapping. All children are like sponges when it comes to learning, and if they have the right guidance and approach, and know how they will all go far and succeed.

Learn More: Rock Content

48. Popcorn Time!

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The last time you ate popcorn it probably did not dawn on you that you were eating a science experiment. Popcorn is an amazing food item to explore all the different ways it can be scientifically cooked!

Learn More: Creative Family Fun

49. Flying Car STEM video

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Have you ever wondered how daredevils or professional stunt drivers fly through the air in action movies and everything is calculated so that there are no major injuries?  It is all about momentum, gravity, and engineering!

Learn More: Lakeshore Learning

50. jason.org is creating our future role models.

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Role models, citizens that make a difference. Youth that is inspired to learn and grow. Passing on skills to younger generations. No one gets left behind mentality. Full of good values and resources. STEM learning with jason.org.

Learn More: Jason

51. Carbon Sugar Snake!

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This wows them all. The young or the old, they love it. A 30-minute messy project, so I would recommend an outside area. Mixing household ingredients to make a fiery creature.

Learn More: Kiwi Co.

52. Power a boat with baking soda

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A classic stem project where kids can learn that you can create power from things in your kitchen pantry. Easy to set up and carry out and watch those boats go!

Learn More: Science Sparks

53. Can you really grow your own Polar  Bears?

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Teaching hands-on STEM science - is really cool. Using just a few things in your kitchen your colorful Gummy Bears will become white polar bears! It is a Gummy bear transformation!

Learn More: The Sprinkle Topped Teacher

54. Wiggle Bot

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This is the first and cutest Robotic project ever. The young and old can do it and they will have so much fun with this easy STEM project.

Learn More: Test Discovere

55. Rudolph the RED nose reindeer

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With a simple circuit stem project, kids can make Christmas Cards light up and shine for the holidays. Stem holiday time!

Learn More: Teaching Expertise

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