Looking to add a little more STEM fun to your day? Check out these fun STEM activities for Kindergarten
STEM activities have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years. And for good reason!
Encouraging children to learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math can help to prepare them for the future. And Kindergarten is the perfect age to introduce these topics.
At this age, children are extra curious and eager to learn new things. They also love hands-on activities and projects that let them really explore a topic through all their senses.
Which is why I've put together this list of STEM activities for Kindergarten. You'll find activities that you can easily do at home that will introduce STEM topics in a fun and engaging way.
Let's dive in!
What are STEM Activities?
First things first, let's go over what a STEM activity is. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
STEM activities are designed to help your child develop skills and knowledge in these fields through hands-on learning experiences. They can come in the form of experiments, projects, challenges, games, and simulations.
Another perk of STEM activities is that they're a fun way to cover a variety of subjects. While the focus is on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, you can also hit on other areas, such as language arts, social studies, and art.
Benefits of STEM Activities for Kindergarten
As I mentioned, STEM activities have become increasingly popular in education. They're a great way to help prepare students for the growing number of careers in STEM fields.
They also offer important logic and critical thinking skills that children don't get through worksheets and
Also, they're just plain fun! And as I'm you know, the more fun your kids have fun while learning, the more likely they are to remember and retain the information.
Supplies Needed for STEM Activities for Kindergarten
The last thing I want to go over before we get into the list of STEM activities for Kindergarten are supplies that you'll want to have on hand. The activities listed are all fairly simple and won't require a crazy list of complex ingredients. (Because, really, who has time for that??)
But there are some things you'll want to make sure you have on hand:
- Construction paper
- Tape
- Scissors
- Glue
- Toothpicks
- LEGOs
- Food coloring
- Plastic cups
- Straws
- Markers
You might need one or two extra supplies for specific activities, but if you generally keep a supply of these on hand, you'll be good to go.
STEM Activities for Kindergarten
Alright, time to dive into this list of STEM activities for Kindergarten.
Below I've included a brief description of the activity so you can get a quick idea of what it is. If you want to see the full instructions, just click the link in the title.
And just so you know, these activities are geared toward kindergarteners, but most of them can be done with kids younger and older. I did quite a few activities with all 3 of my kids (ages 12, 9, and 5) and they had a blast!
1.) Paper Structure Building Challenge
Our first STEM activity is a Paper Structure Building Challenge from Hands On Teaching Ideas. To do this one all you'll need is a collection of paper plates and empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls.
See who can build the tallest tower for a small toy. The tallest tower built in a set amount of time wins!
2.) Roller Coaster Challenge
Another fun STEM activity for kindergarteners is this Roller Coaster Challenge, also from Hands On Teaching Ideas. All you'll need is some construction paper, glue/tape, scissors, and some markers.
This one can be done in teams or as an individual challenge. See who can build the best roller coaster for their car!
3.) Apple Boat Experiment
If you have some apples lying around, this Apple Boat Experiment from Hands On Teaching Ideas is another fun one to try. All you need are some apples, toothpicks, and a large bowl full of water.
Then you can experiment with making different types of boats with the apples and toothpicks. As a bonus, see if your kids can make a boat that a little toy figure could sail on.
4.) Snow Home Challenge
This Snow Home Challenge from Hands On Teaching Ideas is a fun STEM activity you can do during the winter. Using mini marshmallows and toothpicks see who can build the best winter home.
The activity suggests making one for a polar bear, but I think you could use any winter animal or even a person and build an igloo.
5.) 100 Cup Tower Challenge
If you're looking for a STEM activity that requires zero prep, definitely try this 100 Cup Tower Challenge from Little Bins Little Hands. All you need are a bunch of plastic cups and you're good to go.
See who can build the tallest tower out of cups in a certain amount of time.
6.) Nest Building
I tried out this Nest Building STEM activity from Kids Craft Room with all 3 of my kids and they loved it! If you're looking to get some time outside, have the kids round up a bunch of sticks, leaves, etc, and see who can build the best bird nest.
Or if the weather isn't cooperating, you could also bring the supplies inside and have them build their nest on a paper plate.
7.) Marshmallow Snowman
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten is the Marshmallow Snowman challenge from Mombrite. All you need are some marshmallows (regular and mini), some toothpicks, and some markers.
Then have your kids see who can build the tallest marshmallow snowman. This activity looks fun and delicious! 😋
8.) Build a Functioning Heart Model
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten is this functioning heart model from STEAM Powered Family. With just some plastic bottles, straws, and some playdough, you can build a hands-on demonstration of how the heart works.
This activity could easily lead off into lots of discussions of the human body, circulation, and other science topics.
9.) Build a Lego Bridge
This next activity is another one I've done with my kids that was a total hit. Take a piece of blue construction paper to make a river and then challenge your kids to build a bridge across it.
You could have them see who can build the longest bridge, who can build the strongest bridge, what's the smallest amount of LEGOs you can use, etc. The options are pretty endless with this activity.
10.) Sorting and Graphing
A fun STEM activity to help build those early math skills is this sorting and graphing activity from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls. All you need is a posterboard and a group of toys. (You could use animals, cars, blocks, etc.)
You can have your kids sort them by color, size, shape, or whatever you come up with. Then have them graph the animals on the poster board.
From there you can count them, see which group has more, and so on. After that, you can sort them another way, or try another group of toys.
11.) Valentine's Sorting Activity
If you need an activity for February, definitely try out this Valentine's Sorting Activity from The Kindergarten Connection. You'll need to do a little prep ahead of time to create the mailboxes and valentines.
But if you laminate them as the instructions suggest, you can reuse them over and over again.
Something else that's great about this activity is that you can use it to practice whatever skill you're working on. You can do numbers, letters, words, shapes, etc.
12.) 5 Minute Fizzy Fun Jar
This 5 Minute Fizzy Fun Jar from A Mothership Down looks so fun and is next on my list of activities to do with my own kids. All you need is a small jar, food coloring, clear carbonated soda, and some salt.
Then sit back and watch the fizzy action! To dive a little deeper into this activity, you can talk to your kids about what they think will happen when they combine the ingredients.
Or maybe even see if you get a reaction from mixing in other types of ingredients.
13.) Walking Water
Another really fun STEM activity for Kindergarten is this Walking Water activity from Your Local Families Magazine. All you need to do this one is some paper towels, cups, food coloring, and water.
Then sit back and watch the magic happen. This activity can take a few hours, so it's a good one to check back in on throughout the day.
If you do it with older kids, you could also have them keep notes and write down their observations every 30 minutes or so.
14.) DIY Invisible Ink
Another great experiment is writing with the DIY Invisible Ink from Team Cartwright. To do this activity, all you need is a few lemons, q-tips, paper, and an oven.
This will definitely be an activity that requires some supervision since you'll be using the oven, but it looks like lots of fun.
15.) Easter Egg Stacking Challenge
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten is the Easter Egg Stacking Challenge from Team Cartwright. This activity is a great way to use up all those plastic eggs lying around your house from Easter.
For the first activity, all you need are plastic eggs. Then see who can stack them the tallest. For a greater challenge, add in some playdough or modeling clay and see what kind of designs your kids can come up with.
16.) Shape Build Up
If you're working on learning shapes with your Kindergartener, then this Shape Build Up activity from Days With Grey is a fun one. All you need are some shapes, jumbo craft sticks, and some fresh playdough.
Then have your child pull out a shape, identify it, and then try to recreate it with the playdough and craft sticks. The activity used magnet shapes as their starter shape, but I think you could easily use any shapes you have on hand or even cut them out with paper.
17.) Create a Rock Maze
If you're looking for a STEM activity to help you get outside, try building this Rock Maze from Pink Stripey Socks. All you need are a bunch of rocks and maybe a car or animal to navigate your maze.
Have your child pick a start point and end point and see what kind of path they can create in between. If you don't have many rocks nearby, you could kick this activity off with a nature walk to find enough rocks.
18.) Coloring Carnations Science Experiment
Our next STEM activity for Kindergarten is one I've thought about doing with my kids for years. This Coloring Carnations Science Experiment from Kitchen Counter Chronicles looks so fun.
All you need are white carnations, some empty cups or jars, and food coloring. You can start off with some predictions about which colors will work the fastest and how long it will take.
This activity can take up to 24 hours, so it's a good one to set up and check back in on throughout the day.
19.) Static Electricity Butterfly Experiment
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten is this Static Electricity Butterfly Experiment from iHeart Crafty Things. To get started you'll need cardboard, tissue paper, cardstock, a balloon, scissors, and a glue stick.
You could also add in some fun googly eyes if you have them on hand. You'll need to do a little prep to create the butterfly first, but that could be fun if your kids are into crafts.
Then you can start exploring how the butterfly's wings react with the electrically charged balloon.
20.) Borax Crystal Flowers
This Borax Crystal Flowers activity from Pink Stripey Socks is another great STEM activity for Kindergarten. You'll need borax, water, fake flowers, a container, and a few other simple supplies.
They take a few hours to make, but the results are so pretty and will last for a long time.
21.) Coding a LEGO Maze
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten are the coding LEGO mazes from Research Parent. Using their free printable, you can create a maze for your LEGO character and then use the instructions to help walk your character through the maze.
This activity is great because your child gets to build the maze first and then practice using coding basics to walk their character through. I also love that this activity has different levels of difficulty, so you can use it with your younger kids as well as older ones.
22.) Pumpkin Clock STEM Project
If you're really looking to blow your kids' minds, you'll want to try this Pumpkin Clock STEM Project from Little Bins for Little Hands. For this one, you'll need a Green Science Potato Clock Kit and 2 small pumpkins.
The clock kit also recommends trying different types of fruits and vegetables, so you can explore this activity plenty of times.
23.) Edible Plate Tectonics
Another fun (and delicious!) STEM activity to try is this Edible Plate Tectonics Demonstration from STEAMsational. Using a chocolate cake and green icing, you can demonstrate how tectonic plates work on the Earth.
And bonus, you get to eat your plates when you're done!
24.) Paper Chain STEM Challenge
Next on our list of STEM activities for Kindergarten is this Paper Chain STEM Challenge from STEAM Powered Family. For this activity, all you'll need is one piece of paper for each participant.
Then hand them some scissors and glue and see who can create the longest paper chain. This is a great activity to also help build up those fine motor skills as your child works on their scissor skills.
You also might want to have some extra paper on hand so your children can try out different methods of creating longer paper chains.
(If you click on the link for further instructions, it's the 2nd activity on this page.)
25.) Paper Stack Challenge
Another fun paper STEM activity from STEAM Powered Family is the Paper Stack Challenge. This is a fun way to see which shape structure is the strongest.
For this activity, all you'll need is some paper, tape, and some
(If you click on the link for further instructions, it's the 3rd activity on this page.)
26.) Tensile Bubbles
Last on our list of amazing and fun STEM activities for Kindergarten is this Tensile Bubbles activity from Babble Dabble Do. In it, you'll use pipe cleaners and straws to create different types of bubble wands.
Use the bubble wands and some bubble solution to see what types of different bubble shapes you can create. This is a great activity to get your kids to explore materials, physics, and engineering.
FAQs About STEM Activities for Kindergarten
Still curious about STEM Activities for Kindergarten? Here are some frequently asked questions:
Why is STEM important?
STEM is important because it helps students develop skills that are beneficial for success in their careers and everyday life. STEM activities help kids learn how to problem solve, think critically, and utilize technology.
Plus, they encourage learning in subjects that are often tough to teach or that children struggle to excel at.
What age is most suitable for STEM activities?
STEM activities are great for any age! You can start as early as preschool and continue on through high school.
The STEM activities in this list are mostly geared toward ages 4-10.
What do you put in a Kindergarten STEM bin?
One of the great things about STEM bins is that you can customize them to your own needs and interests. Generally, though, a good STEM bin will contain items such as LEGOs, craft supplies, building materials, marbles, or other small objects for counting.
What's the difference between STEM and STEAM?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEAM adds Art to the mix—so it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
Conclusion to 25+ Amazing and Fun STEM Activities for Kindergarten
I hope this list of STEM activities for Kindergarten was helpful in your journey of incorporating more STEM into your homeschool! If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Happy STEM-ing! 😊
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