Discover the Magic of STEM Activities
As a strong advocate for STEM education and community involvement, 4C STEM Club is excited to share fun and educational STEM activities for all ages.
Curated by our members Adhya Garlapati and Adit Varma, this collection of resources promotes creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning—encouraging youth to explore, experiment, and enjoy the world of STEM!
STEM Activities
Engineer a drinking straw roller coaster
Engineer a drinking straw roller coaster
This is such a fun way to encourage engineering skills! All you need are basic supplies like drinking straws, tape, and scissors.
Engineer a craft stick bridge
Engineer a drinking straw roller coaster
Here’s another one of those classic STEM activities that really challenge kids to use their skills. Build a bridge with popsicle sticks and push pins, and find out which design can bear the most weight.
Find the best soap bubble solution
It’s easy to mix your own soap bubble solution with just a few ingredients. Let kids experiment to find the best proportion of ingredients to blow the longest-lasting bubbles with this fun outside science activity.
Design a balloon-powered car
Design a balloon-powered car
Explore the laws of motion and encourage creativity when you challenge students to design, build, and test their own balloon-powered cars. Bonus: Use only recycled materials to make this project green!
Brew up your own slime
Design a balloon-powered car
Play catch with a catapult
Chances are good your students already love making and playing with slime. Turn the fun into an experiment by changing the ingredients to create slime with a variety of properties—from magnetic to glow-in-the-dark!
Play catch with a catapult
Design a balloon-powered car
Play catch with a catapult
This take on a classic science project challenges young engineers to build a catapult from basic materials. The twist? They also must create a “receiver” to catch the soaring object on the other end.
Devise an amazing marble maze
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
Devise an amazing marble maze
Marble mazes are one of students’ favorite STEM activities! You can provide supplies like straws and paper plates for their project. Or let them use their imaginations and create marble mazes from any materials they can think of.
Simulate an earthquake
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
Devise an amazing marble maze
The ground under our feet may feel solid, but an earthquake changes that pretty quickly. Use Jello to simulate the earth’s crust, then see if you can build an earthquake-proof structure.
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
Plastic bags are one of the most ubiquitous items on the planet these days, and they’re difficult to recycle. Give each student a plastic bag and ask them to create something new and useful.
Link up the longest paper chain
Find out what you can make from a plastic bag
This incredibly simple STEM activity really gets kids thinking. The challenge? Create the longest possible paper chain using a single piece of paper. So simple and so effective.
Build a straw house
Grab a box of straws and a package of pipe cleaners. Then task kids with designing and building their dream house, using only those two items.
Don’t melt the ice
We spend a lot of time in winter trying to get rid of ice, but what about when you don’t want the ice to melt? Experiment with different forms of insulation to see which keeps ice frozen the longest.
Determine the best way to melt ice
Determine the best way to melt ice
Determine the best way to melt ice
Conventional wisdom says we sprinkle salt on ice to melt it faster. But why? Is that really the best method? Try this science experiment and find out.
Baked potato science
Determine the best way to melt ice
Determine the best way to melt ice
This edible science project is a nutritious way to explore the scientific method in action. Experiment with a variety of methods for baking potatoes—microwaving, using a traditional oven, wrapping them in foil, using baking pins, etc.—testing hypotheses to discover which works best.
Test your local water quality
Determine the best way to melt ice
Test your local water quality
Once you’ve 'cleaned up' your water, try testing it to see how clean it really is! Then head out to test other types of water. Kids will be fascinated to discover what’s in the water in their local streams, ponds, and puddles. Student water testing kits are readily available online.
See water pollution in action
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
Test your local water quality
Learn about the challenges of cleaning up polluted water sources like rivers and lakes with this interesting outdoor science activity. Pair it with a visit to a local water treatment plant to expand the lesson.
Blow the biggest bubbles you can
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
Find out which liquid is best for growing seeds
As you learn about the life cycle of plants, explore how water supports plants’ growth. Plant seeds and water them with a variety of liquids to see which sprout first and grow best.
Go green with recycled paper
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
We talk a lot about recycling and sustainability these days, so show kids how it’s done! Recycle old worksheets or other papers using screen and picture frames. Then, ask kids to brainstorm ways to use the recycled paper.
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Use the scientific method to test different types of material and see which makes the most effective parachute. Your students also learn more about the physics behind air resistance.
Forage and build a bird nest
Drop parachutes to test air resistance
Forage and build a bird nest
Birds build incredibly intricate nests from materials they find in the wild. Take a nature walk to gather materials, then see if you can build a sturdy, comfy nest of your own!
Craft a cell phone stand
See the effects of an oil spill
Forage and build a bird nest
Your science students will be thrilled when you let them use their phones in class! Challenge them to use their engineering skills and a small selection of items to design and build a cell phone stand.
See the effects of an oil spill
See the effects of an oil spill
See the effects of an oil spill
Learn why an oil spill is so devastating for wildlife and the ecosystem with this hands-on activity. Kids experiment to find the best way to clean up oil floating on water and rescue the animals affected by the spill.
Design a biosphere
See the effects of an oil spill
See the effects of an oil spill
This project really brings out kids’ creativity and helps them understand that everything in a biosphere is really part of one big whole. You’ll be overwhelmed by what they come up with!
Stand up to a hurricane
Create a new plant or animal
Stand up to a hurricane
In a hurricane zone, houses must be able to stand up to strong winds and possible flooding. Can your students design houses that make it safer to live in these dangerous areas?
Conduct an egg drop
Create a new plant or animal
Stand up to a hurricane
This is one of those classic STEM activities every kid should try at least once. Kids can do it at any age, with different materials and heights to mix it up.
Create a new plant or animal
Create a new plant or animal
Create a new plant or animal
Kids will really get into this project, indulging their creativity as they invent a plant or animal that’s never been seen before. They’ll need to be able to explain the biology behind it all, though, making this an in-depth project you can tailor to any class.
Design a helping hand
Fly clothespin airplanes
Create a new plant or animal
This is a great group science project. Students hone their design and engineering skills to make a working model of a hand.
Fly clothespin airplanes
Fly clothespin airplanes
Fly clothespin airplanes
Ask students what they think the airplane of the future might look like. Then, provide them with clothespins and wood craft sticks, and challenge them to build a new kind of airplane. Bonus points if it can actually fly!
Bounce on a trampoline
Fly clothespin airplanes
Fly clothespin airplanes
Kids love bouncing on trampolines, but can they build one themselves? Find out with this totally fun STEM challenge.