Discover good science projects, crafty technology challenges, educational engineering activities, and marvelous math tasks with the help of our team! We’ve compiled 28 of the best 6th grade STEM challenges for you to test out in your next class. STEM develops creative thinking and critical thinking abilities so what are you waiting for? Browse through our quality collection of tasks and remember to note down your favorites along the way!
1. You’ll love this ghost egg challenge that requires the use of simple household and grocery store items.
- Eggs
- A jar or container
- Tonic water
- Vinegar
- A blacklight
2. Newton’s law of Inertia takes the stage in this excellent egg drop challenge that uses eggs, empty toilet paper rolls, a plastic container, a glass, and a tray.
- Eggs or plastic Easter eggs
- Empty toilet paper roll
- A shallow plastic container
- A glass big enough for the egg
- A tray to catch the eggs
3. Learn about the phases of the moon by using Oreos, balls, a flashlight, and black construction paper.
- A baseball-sized ball
- 1 Globe sized ball
- Flashlight
- A bag of Oreos
- Black construction paper
4. Discover the properties of water by using water, food coloring, glasses, string, and scotch tape.
- Water
- Food coloring (optional)
- 2 glasses
- A long string
- Scotch tape
5. Learn about chemical weathering with the help of a fun demonstration that requires the use of plastic cups, sugar cubes, graham crackers, and vinegar.
6. Make a cloud in a jar using hairspray, hot water, ice, and a jar with a lid.
- A jar with a lid
- +- 1/3 cup hot water
- Ice
- Hairspray
7. Learn about red blood cells and osmosis with assistance from simple kitchen items and staple ingredients.
- 1 Raw egg
- Red food coloring
- Vinegar
- Large glass container
8. Build an ancient irrigation system called a Rahat using plastic cups, string, glue, and craft sticks.
9. Build a robot with the help of this cool robotics kit!
10. Build a simple pneumatic machine using craft sticks, straws, pipe cleaners, syringes, tubing, adapters, and masking tape.
- 9 craft sticks
- 5 jumbo craft stick
- 6 quarter-straw pieces
- 2 eighth-straw pieces
- 1 pipe cleaner
- Plastic syringes, tubing, and adapters
- masking tape
11. Craft a paper helicopter that is powered by rubber bands and other simple materials listed below.
- Plastic propellers(smaller pack)
- Craft sticks
- Paperclips
- Rubber bands
- Card stock
- Masking tape
- Scissors
12. Why not create a crystal using this simple DIY crystal kit?
13. Get stuck into this volcanic kit and create a lava explosion using its elements.
14. Discover Archimedes’ principle of density as you craft aluminum boats using heavy-duty aluminum foil and 9 other materials.
- Paper towel
- Large clear bowl or container
- Tap water
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Ruler, metric
- Pen
- Scissors
- Permanent marker
- Hammer
- Lab notebook
15. Engineer a pulley system with the following materials: a large box or sheet of cardboard, two different sized tin cans, yarn, a bottle of water, and a small bucket as well as hot glue and weighted objects from around the house.
- A large cardboard box
- Two different sized tin cans
- Yarn
- A bottle of water
- A small bucket
- Hot glue
- Weighted objects from around the house
16. Engineer a rotating Ferris wheel using craft sticks.
17. Craft a candy-delivering machine that calls for the use of the following materials: small sweets, straws, toothpicks, tape, scissors, and play dough.
- M and M’s (or other similarly sized candy)
- Straws
- Toothpicks
- Tape
- Scissors
- Playdough
18. Design a lava lamp that lights up using honey, corn syrup, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, a tall jar, and a medicine dropper as well as food coloring of your choice.
- Honey
- Corn syrup
- Dish soap
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Rubbing alcohol
- Tall jar
- Medicine dropper
- Food coloring
19. Create a levitating ping pong ball using a ping pong ball and a straw.
20. Engineer a looped- rollercoaster made from foam pipe insulation.
- 2, 6 foot sections of 1-1/2 in diameter foam pipe insulation
- Glass marbles
- Utility knife
- Masking tape
- Tape measure
- A bookshelf, table, or other support for roller coaster starting point
21. Create a tower of paper cups that supports your body weight by reinforcing the cups with corrugated cardboard.
22. Engineer a mist sprayer to cool off in the summer months, by using straws, insulation tape, an eraser, scissors, and a glass of water!
- 2 Plastic straws (4 inches each)
- Insulation Tape
- Eraser
- Scissors
- A glass of water
23. Play Nerf gun math during which you use a Nerf gun to shoot at the answer to a mathematical question.
24. Use a fidget spinner to highlight concepts of inertia, mass, and torque.
25. Learn how plants disperse their seeds with the help of this hands-on engineering challenge that requires the use of a balloon, parakeet birdseed, a small paper cup, a funnel, and a sharp pencil as well as butcher paper.
- A balloon
- Parakeet bird seed
- A small paper cup
- A funnel
- A sharp pencil
- Butcher paper or plastic tablecloth
26. Checking your understanding of various mathematical concepts using these cool mathematical quiz cards.
27. Use a math exercise book to practice an assortment of skills such as ordering operations, working with ratios, and determining proportions.
28. Combine spheres of art and mathematics as you engage with spirographs and create various patterns using a spirograph set.
Critical thinking is fostered as learners engage with STEM projects and challenge themselves in new ways. Don’t forget to jot down a few of the fun STEM activities, listed above, to test out in your next class. Let us know what your learners think of these genius STEM activities and other cool ideas for inventing innovative design solutions and fostering inquiry-based learning.
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