22 of the Best Projects STEM for Kids

Projects STEM for kids, or science, technology, engineering, and math, is recognized as one of the best ways to prepare kids for the real world. That said, not all toys and projects qualify as STEM projects for kids. This article looks at 22 Projects STEM for kids to facilitate learning and development and have fun.

Why Do Projects STEM for Kids?

There are a number of reasons why you might want your children to do projects STEM for kids. One reason is that STEM careers are growing rapidly and are in high demand. By getting your kids interested in STEM at an early age, you may be giving them a head start on a future career.

Another reason to do projects STEM for kids is that they can help your child develop important life skills. STEM activities often require problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. These are all skills that will be valuable to your child both now and in the future.

Finally, STEM activities can simply be a lot of fun! If your kids are interested in science, technology, engineering, or math, they will love doing projects STEM for kids.

Here is a list of highly-reviewed LEGO kits, which are great projects STEM for kids.

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What Kids Learn Doing Quick STEM Activities

There are a number of different things that kids can learn while doing STEM activities. Here are some of the most important things about projects STEM for kids:

• Science projects STEM for kids – Kids learn about the world around them by doing science experiments. They also learn about the scientific process, which is important for future scientists.

• Technology projects STEM for kids – Kids learn how to use technology to solve problems and complete projects. They also learn about how different technologies work.

• Engineering projects STEM for kids – Kids learn how to design and build things. This can include everything from simple machines to complex structures.

• Math projects STEM for kids – STEM activities often require math skills. Kids will use math to solve problems, measure results, and more.

Projects STEM for Kids

1. The Oil Spill Experiment

This oil spill experiment is a STEM project for kids to stimulate curiosity and development. In this experiment, oil is mixed with water in a container. Then, feathers are added to the container.

Provide the children with various materials, such as spoons, paper towels, cloths, and sponges. The kids must remove the oil from the feathers and the water without removing the water.

It is one of the great projects STEM for kids because it will show kids how oil interacts with water and feathers. It will also help develop creativity and problem-solving skills. For example, kids have to plan and determine which materials are best for removing the oil from the feathers and the water.

Not only that, but it also introduces children to the issue of pollution, oil spills, and the climate in general. Moreover, kids have to work with their hands, so it helps develop hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity.

2. Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor Building Set

The Lego Mindstorms STEM project for kids is the ultimate opportunity for kids to engage in fun and entertaining learning.

The Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor STEM kit gives essential STEM skills because combine hardware and software to engage in well-rounded problem solving and critical thinking.

They use their brains in addition to using their hands. It is a cerebral and tactical experience like no other.

Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor STEM kit has over 500 reviews on Amazon and averages 4.8 stars! It comes with remote-control model robots that shoot missiles, play ball, drive around and more.

One review says the following.

This is what my 8 year old grandson wanted for his birthday. He still can’t stop talking about it. He loves it!!

Here is another review.

This MINDSTORM Robot kit really brings the fun of building a LEGO kit together with learning basic programming structure. After building one of the designs, my daughter will then go through the process of programming it. The included programs are a great introduction to coding and there is enough left to the imagination for her to see what else she can program. Anyone who is a fan of LEGO should give this one a try.

Another reviewer says the following.

My son gives it a five-star rating. It keeps him engaged and provides opportunities to experience coding in a playful atmosphere. He’ll be nine years old in October, and he completes EVERYTHING independently. However, he has had some experience coding via the app CodeSpark. Lego Mindstorms is pricy, but he enjoys the activities, and it’s where the future is headed.

Learn more about what makes Legos STEM toys.

3. Lego Maze Coding

This STEM project for kids can take many shapes and forms. Here, we are talking about coding a Lego maze. Children will use a variety of Lego blocks to create a maze or labyrinth.

You then have to print out a variety of command codes. These involve turning right, going straight, end, or else, if, and various other commands and prompts. Then, finally, the child has to line up the commands in the correct order to get their little Lego figurine through the maze in one piece.

It is one of the great projects STEM for kids for several reasons. First, it introduces children to basic computer coding.

Furthermore, it’s excellent for learning problem solving, deduction, and logical thought. It also allows kids to be very creative by creating their own mazes (although you can also use the provided ones).

Finally, it’s a great project for developing fine motor skills. Children need to build the maze first before they can navigate it.

4. Making a Cloud in a Jar

If you want to teach your children about the weather, making a cloud in a jar is one of the excellent projects STEM for kids. Your children will learn about states of matter, water cycles, and condensation.

You will be using items from around the house to create a cloud inside a jar. It’s one of the simplest projects STEM for kids on our list, and it’s a great science experiment that will teach them how water reacts to the elements in nature.

First, take hot water and put it in a jar. Next, swirl that warm water around the jar. Now, take the lid, turn it upside down, and place it on top of the jar. Next, place ice cubes on the lid and wait for about half a minute. Finally, spray a bit of hairspray into the jar, put the lid back on top with the ice still on it, and watch as the cloud forms.

At the very least, children will learn about the order of operations. They have to do this process in the correct order to create that cloud. In addition, it introduces them to basic weather sciences.

5. Claymation

Yet another cool STEM project for kids is Claymation. Claymation involves making a short animation with clay figures. The child has to create their own little clay figurines and anything else they want to star in their animation.

This in itself is very creative. First, the child has to decide if they want to make a movie about an animal, a little character, or whatever else. They then have to be creative to make their little clay sculpture or figurine. This also requires a good deal of logical thought, manual dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.

Then comes the fun part – the animation. First, your child will create a short story and use their clay figures to act it out. Next, they have to move the figurine around and take pictures, thus creating stills or frames to form the final animation. After each picture, the clay figure has to be moved or adjusted, which will be the next frame in the scene.

This can be scaled up or down depending on the child’s age. You can have your child make just a couple dozen frames or a few hundred. The longer the movie, the more planning, and work is involved, the more difficult it is.

This is one of the great projects STEM for kids for creating a plan, writing a short story, being manually dexterous, and more. Furthermore, it’s also a great way to introduce kids to the world of moviemaking, animation, and media; it will also teach them how to use a camera.

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6. A Paper Mâché Volcano

Sometimes the old and time-tested projects are the best, such as this baking soda and vinegar volcano. Creating this baking soda and vinegar reaction is very entertaining for kids. They love when it bubbles up and explodes.

At the very least, this will teach kids introductory chemistry – in this case, they’ll learn how bases react with acids. But moreover, they also have to be quite creative and organized when building the volcano.

The child will mix glue with water and then use newspaper to make a paper mâché volcano. It takes some planning and logical thought to get the shape of the volcano right. It also takes hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity to build it properly. It’s not an overly difficult STEM project, but it is a fantastic introduction to chemistry for young children.

7. The Water Tornado

The water bottle tornado is always a fantastic STEM project for kids that can be done at home with minimal resources. There are two versions – one uses a single bottle, and one uses two.

Go with the simpler version for younger kids, which is as follows. Fill a water bottle three quarters with water; add some dish soap and add a bit of glitter. Then seal the container and move it in a circular motion very quickly. The result is a water tornado.

You can take this one step further. Take two water bottles and attach them at their openings to face each other. Before you attach them (using either waterproof glue or a whole lot of duct/electrical tape), fill one bottle with water.

Flip the bottles so that the full bottle is on top; swirl the bottle really fast, which will create a water tornado in the top bottle. As the tornado swirls, it will slowly drain into the bottle below.

Among the projects STEM for kids, this one will introduce the child to how water moves and the concepts of gravity, centrifugal force, and weather basics. It is an entertaining and visually appealing hands-on experiment for kids.

8. Marshmallow and Jelly Bean Building

The next project in our list of projects STEM for kids is also very hands-on. Give your child some jelly beans, toothpicks, and large and miniature marshmallows. The aim is for your child to make their own building blocks and construction.

Kids can use the toothpicks as the boards and the jelly beans and marshmallows as connecters. They can then create their own blocks and various other shapes used to build towers, houses, bridges, and whatever else your child can imagine.

It is one of the great projects STEM for kids as it will introduce your kids to building, design, construction, and architecture. Your child will also learn about shapes, especially which ones are ideal for building. Finally, your child will exhibit spatial awareness to create the final projects.

Moreover, the child also has to create a plan to build a tower that won’t topple over. This building project also helps develop manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Then, when the project has been completed, the building materials can be s tasty snack.

9. Anything Lego

Lego must be considered as far as projects STEM for kids go. We don’t have a specific project for your child to do, as there are so many. For instance, you can get Lego blocks and a flat base and give your child instructions.

For instance, you can tell them they must build a house or tower that meets certain parameters. Lego is so versatile – it can be used to build virtually anything. With instructions, you can challenge your child’s command-following and problem-solving skills.

There are so many options. You can also tell them to simply build anything they want. They can picture something, create their own parameters, and then get to building. It’ll undoubtedly help them use their creativity.

Moreover, there are also STEM Lego sets that can be found in the Lego store. These often involve some kind of technological aspect, such as building a car with batteries that works.

Some STEM Legos focus on space exploration and much more; the possibilities are endless. Lego is one of the best projects STEM for kids in creativity, building skills, manual dexterity, problem-solving, spatial recognition, and more.

10. The Potato Lamp

Another excellent STEM project for kids is making a lamp powered by nothing more than a potato. This is a great educational project for various reasons.

First, it teaches kids about conductivity and electricity; the potato is used as a battery to create an electric current to light the bulb.

Cut a potato in half, wrap some copper wire around two pennies, and stick the pennies in the potato.

Next, take some zinc-plated nails; connect them to copper wire, and stick them in the potato. You can then connect the loose ends of the wires on the nails to a lightbulb, at which point it should light up.

This teaches kids the principles of electricity and problem solving as well. They must follow various instructions and steps to create a potato light that works. Furthermore, it involves building, construction, and assembly skills and develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

11. Creating Magnetic Slime

The next STEM project for kids is making magnetic slime. Slime is always a fan favorite among kids because it’s fun to get their hands in that slime.

In this project in our list of projects STEM for kids, kids will learn chemistry basics, why slime behaves the way it does, and why slime is created when water and corn starch are mixed.

You can then up the difficulty level or learning experience by adding iron oxide powder to make the slime magnetic.

Then, use magnets to manipulate the slime. It’s a lot of fun for kids to push and pull that magnetic slime using magnets. Moreover, it will also introduce the basics of magnets.

12. Creating a Hand Crank Winch

If you have a budding engineer on your hands, making homemade hand crank winches is always fun and one of the great projects STEM for kids.

Give your child two long paper towel rolls (just the tubes) and stand them side by side. First, they have to make cutouts in the top of the tubes to rest a straw across them. Then, that straw is put through a roll of string or ribbon. The end of the straw serves as the hand crank, and the roll of ribbon is the winch that can lift and lower various items.

Of course, this small project won’t lift any significant weight, but it is a great learning experience. Finally, your child can build something which helps develop hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and more.

Furthermore, this STEM project will introduce your child to the topics of gravity, inertia, and leverage. It might look simple, but it is a great learning experience and makes our list of projects STEM for kids.

13. Electric Circuit Toys

A STEM circuit toy comes with various components. For example, there will be a battery, multiple connectors, and items that the battery can power, such as a small light.

The child must connect the appropriate pieces in the correct sequence to create a complete circuit that will power the item. Circuit toys usually come with many different paths that can be taken and options for children to choose from. It’s a great introduction to the world of electricity, and it helps develop problem-solving and fine motor skills.

14. Build a catapult

This is makes our list of projects STEM for kids because it involves physics.

You can use various household items to create a working catapult. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the catapult. Once it’s built, they can use it to launch various objects.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including force, motion, and energy. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

15. Balance Bots

This is makes our list of projects STEM for kids because it involves physics and engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working balance bot. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the balance bot. Once it’s built, they can use it to balance various objects on its head or nose.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including balance and center of gravity. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

16. Build a marble run

This is makes our list of projects STEM for kids because it involves physics.

You can use various household items to create a working marble run. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the marble run. Once it’s built, they can use it to launch marbles down the track.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including force, motion, and energy. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

17. Make a sundial

This is makes our list of projects STEM for kids because it involves physics and engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working sundial. For example, you can use a paper plate, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the sundial. Once it’s built, they can use it to tell time using the sun.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including time, space, and direction. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

18. Create a basic computer

This is another one of the great projects STEM for kids that involves engineering and programming.

You can use various household items to create a working computer. For example, you can use a paper towel roll, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the computer. Once it’s built, they can use it to play simple games or programs.

This project teaches the basics of engineering and programming. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

19. Design a roller coaster

This is another one of the great projects STEM for kids that involves physics and engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working roller coaster. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the roller coaster. Once it’s built, they can use it to launch marbles down the track.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including force, motion, and energy. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

20. Make a simple machine

This is another STEM project on our list of projects STEM for kids that involves engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working machine. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the machine. Once it’s built, they can use it to perform various tasks.

This project teaches the basics of engineering. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

21. Create a pulley system

This is another one of the great projects STEM for kids that involves physics and engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working pulley system. For example, you can use K’Nex pieces, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the pulley system. Once it’s built, they can use it to lift various objects.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including force, motion, and energy. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

22. Design a windmill

This is another gThis is another one of the great projects STEM for kids that involves physics and engineering.

You can use various household items to create a working windmill.

The child must then follow instructions or create their design to build the windmill. Once it’s built, they can use it to power various objects.

This project teaches the basics of physics, including force, motion, and energy. It also helps develop problem-solving, fine motor, and spatial reasoning skills.

Best Projects STEM for Kids – Final Thoughts

Now you should have some exciting and challenging projects STEM for kids to keep both you and your child busy. Try as many as you like, because they are all beneficial in their own ways.

This is just our list of fun projects STEM for kids. Countless other toys, activities, and projects STEM for kids are out there. Just because something did not make our list of projects STEM for kids does not mean that is it not an excellent projects STEM for kids.

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