Teachers and parents talk a lot about STEM challenges and STEM projects, but that doesn't mean that kids always know what it means. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Most adults think that people will need to know a lot about these subjects to get good jobs in the future. Lots of kids might think that they're not very good at these subjects, but you might know more than you think. STEM stuff is all around us! When you play with Lego bricks, you're using engineering skills, and when you play Minecraft, you can learn a bit about computer programming. There are lots of fun ways to learn about STEM, from playing games online to doing experiments at home.
Science STEM Projects For students interested in learning science for their STEM studies, there are tons of free reading materials on a variety of topics. From nature to physics, introduce your students to all the many different worlds that science can offer and guide them into the areas that excite them the most.
- Coral Reefs and Climate Change: Learn what coral is, how groups can grow into a reef, and what threats they face with climate change and changing ocean temperatures with Smithsonian experts.
- Clickety-Clackety Coin Experiment: All you need is a quarter, a soda bottle, and a little water to do this science experiment.
- Crystal Cave: Play this game to learn about the structure of crystals and how they grow.
- Extract DNA: DNA is usually too small to see, but with this experiment, you can extract it from spinach and see it with your own eyes.
- Fun Science Experiment: Crystal Suncatchers: This craft can help you explore the structure of crystals and understand how they are created.
- How to Make Magnetic Slime: Slime is fun to play with, but when you make this slime, you can also learn about magnetism.
- Life of a Can: Explore the life cycle of a soda can, from raw aluminum to a store shelf to your recycle bin and back into raw metal again.
- Make Your Own Volcano: This is a popular science experiment because it's fun to watch! You can also play around with different variables, like changing the temperature of the vinegar or the amount of baking soda, to see what results you get.
- Monarch Waystations: Learn how you can help monarch butterflies by planting food for them.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Can you spot all of the different things on this list in one trip outside?
- Pages of Inertia: Bill Nye the Science Guy created this experiment that only requires a big book and a table.
- Photosynthesis Mystery: Watch Mosa Mack, Science Detective, solve the mystery of why one fern is growing and the other is dying.
- Soil Quest: Understanding why soil is important to every living creature on Earth and what we need to do to keep soil healthy is the basis of this activity.
- Static Electricity: Electricity can be dangerous, but if you follow the instructions in this video, you can play around with static electricity safely and learn about how it works.
- Weather Science: How to Make a Cloud in a Jar: See for yourself how clouds form by making a miniature cloud in a jar.
Technology and Coding STEM Activities Get your students inspired to build their Minecraft-type games and inspire young minds to embrace technology with these STEM projects. The STEM activities also include an introduction to animation, which blends technology, art, and storytelling for a WIN WIN WIN.
- Girls Who Code: At-home guides and free STEM education games
- Code With Anna and Elsa: Start learning about coding and help Elsa to create shapes and patterns in the ice.
- Code Combat: Use your coding skills to get through the dungeon!
- Coding a Lego Maze: You don't even need a computer to learn about coding. In this activity, you only need printed instructions and some Lego bricks.
- Getting Started With Scratch: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology created this free platform where you can learn how to code and create fun animations and games.
- Robot Islands Plus: Give the robot commands to help it get through each level.
- Mars Perseverance Parachute Coding Activity: The parachute of the Mars rover Perseverance contained a secret code. Can you use the same code to create your own secret messages?
- Google Earth Studio: Earth Studio uses keyframes, just like other industry-standard animation tools.
Engineering STEM Projects In addition to free online games, you may be surprised to learn that free STEM education games can be found or created from the objects in your home or kitchen pantry. These budget-saving STEM projects, like the “marshmallow challenges” (where you have students construct solid structures using marshmallows and toothpicks), are a fun way to introduce basic concepts of engineering and creative and critical thinking. Even Legos from the toy bin can create a foundation for or introduction to understanding engineering. These STEM challenges could inspire your students to try or pursue their own real-world applications someday.
- Marshmallow Challenges: See steps for several different STEM projects with images
- Balloon Car Activity: Make your own balloon-powered car, then challenge your friends to make their own and have a race!
- Paper Airplane Designs: Different paper airplane designs fly in different ways. Try out a few to see which ones fly the farthest, stay in the air the longest, or even do interesting stunts when you throw them.
- Egg Drop Project: Can you build something that will protect a raw egg if you drop it on the ground?
- Seismic Shake-Up: People who live in places that get a lot of earthquakes must build buildings that will stay standing when the ground shakes. Try to do the same and put your engineering skills to the test.
- Build a Mini-Catapult: Create your own catapult and see if you can hit a target that's 4 feet away.
- Wright Flight: The Smithsonian has lots of online STEM activity resources, including activities to help you learn how airplanes fly.
Math in STEM Education Games Make math fun by introducing students to STEM education games that focus on using math. Match your student's skills with the best mathematics for their grade level and knowledge.
Free Stem Activities For Elementary School Students It’s never too early to introduce students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts. These free STEM activities are simple enough for even the youngest students.
Free Stem Activities For Middle School Students Our list includes the best STEM projects selected just for middle school students from our longest list, plus additional STEM games ideal for kids in middle school.
- Bill Nye’s Home Experiments: Home demos and experiments that students can do at home/
- Fun Science Experiment: Crystal Suncatchers: This craft can help you explore the structure of crystals and understand how they are created.
- Moving Coin Experiment: All you need is a quarter, a soda bottle, and a little water to do this science experiment.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Can you spot all of the different things on this list in one trip outside?
- Life of a Can: Explore the life cycle of a soda can, from raw aluminum to a store shelf to your recycle bin and back into raw metal again.
- Monarch Waystations: Learn how you can help monarch butterflies by planting food for them.
- Make Your Own Volcano: This is a popular science experiment because it's fun to watch! You can also play around with different variables, like changing the temperature of the vinegar or the amount of baking soda, to see what results you get.
- Build a Mentos Soda Rocket- This classic STEM project offers step-by-step instructions.
- Code Combat: Use your coding skills to get through the dungeon!
Free Stem Activities For High School Students High-school students can open up an entirely new world of future career possibilities once they start learning STEM-related topics. This list has several free STEM activities to challenge older students, from coding to learning DNA.
- Extract DNA: DNA is usually too small to see, but with this experiment, you can extract it from spinach and see it with your own eyes.
- Google Earth Studio: Earth Studio uses keyframes, just like other industry-standard animation tools.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Can you spot all of the different things on this list in one trip outside?
- Soil Quest: The basis of this activity is understanding why soil is important to every living creature on Earth and what we need to do to keep soil healthy.
- Statistical Science Using M&M’s: Older students can practice Statistics, probability, and prediction to use these skills in real-life applications and situations as they grow older.
