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Briefly speaking, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. They are concepts that are relevant in our everyday lives, from building houses to cooking!
Ranging from Chemistry and Biology to Engineering and Mathematics, here are 13 interesting STEM experiments kids can try out.
STEM experiments for kids are essentially activities that teach them how the world works. It could range from simple crafts made at home to complex experiments conducted at the lab.
The key to a good STEM experiment is that it teaches children real scientific principles in a fun, creative and hands-on approach.
Ref: USNews
Snatch a cloud from the sky! This experiment teaches your child to create a real cloud – in a jar! All you need is warm water, matches, a glass jar, a flashlight and a balloon.
Children can learn about evaporation and explore the water cycle in our environment.
Category: Environmental Science
Key Concepts: Water cycles, States of matter
Estimated Duration: 20 minutes
Age Level: 4-5
Ref: giftofcuriosity
Bring maths to life! This simple activity challenges children to match numbers on the wall with its equivalent on a sticky note. All you need is some paper and sticky notes!
This activity challenges children to understand the meaning of numeric values while making the subject fun!
Category: Maths
Key Concepts: Numeric values
Estimated Duration: 20 minutes
Age Level: 3-4
Ref: rasmussen
Make your child go “woah”! This experiment teaches children how to make crystals only with simple household items! All you need is salt, a glass jar, a piece of string and some hot water!
Your child also can observe the process of crystallisation with their very own “crystal sun catcher”!
Steps:
Category: Science (Chemistry)
Key Concepts: Crystallisation
Estimated Duration: 1-2 days
Age level: 7-8
Ref: rasmussen
A DIY winch! This STEM experiment is perfect for children who like to get crafty! All you need are recycled materials like long toilet rolls, string, a straw and a spool of any kind.
Experiments like this are great exposure for children to learn how simple machines (such as pulleys) influence our daily lives!
Read more: Top 3 Awesome TV Shows to Entertain Your Kids with STEAM
Category: Engineering
Key Concepts: Pulley
Estimated Duration: 45 minutes
Age level: 9-11
Ref: rasmussen
How cool is a liquid magnetic slime? This STEM experiment adds a scientific twist to the slime kids everywhere all know and love. You would need white glue, liquid starch, iron oxide powder and a strong magnet to make this slime.
Your child can learn of the properties of magnetism with this unique activity.
Category: Science (Physics)
Key Concepts: Magnetism, Fluid
Estimated Duration: 30 minutes
Age level: 9-11
Ref: rasmussen
Is your child fascinated by bridges? This STEM activity challenges children to use different weight-bearing materials to create a bridge. All you need is some household items such as spaghetti, marshmallows, toothpicks, chopsticks etc.
This activity challenges children to think like an engineer and solve problems with limited resources!
Category: Physics & Engineering
Key Concepts: Structure
Estimated Duration: 60-90 minutes
Age level: 10-11
Ref: USNews
Enough about electric cars, how about air-power cars? This STEM activity challenges children to use recycled materials and the power of air pressure to create a moving “balloon car”! All you need is some used plastic bottles, some skewers, a plastic straw and a balloon!
Your child can learn about the properties of air pressure while racing others and their cars!
Read more: Authoritative and popular science magazines for kids & adults
6. Use a rubber band and secure it onto the short end of the straw.
7. Cut a hole at the roof of the bottle, and insert the straw as shown below.
8. Cut a hole at the roof of the bottle, and insert the straw as shown below.
9. Inflate the balloon through the straw and pinch the straw afterwards to make sure no air escapes. When you let go, the car will travel — this is a result of Newton’s law of action and reaction
Category: Science (Physics) & Engineering
Key Concepts: Newton’s laws of motion, kinetic energy, potential energy
Activity time: 20-30 minutes
Age Level: 5-8
Ref: Science Buddies
3! 2! 1! Blastoff!
This STEM activity introduces concepts of aerodynamics to children through craft. The main things you’ll need is card paper, straws and an open area to give the rocket a try.
Children could even race and compare whose rocket flew the farthest with different materials!
Category: Science(Physics) & Engineering
Key concepts: Physics, Aerodynamics, Flight, Stability
Activity time: 30 minutes
Age level: 5-8
Ref: Science Buddies
A postcard you won’t forget! This STEM activity combines arts and circuits to create a one-of-a-kind light-up postcard. You would mainly need some LEDs, a coin battery, copper tape, card paper and anything else to decorate!
Children can express their creativity while learning about electricity and circuits!
3. With copper tape and a coin battery, create the circuit below on the back of the card.
4. Fold the copper tape onto the coin battery to complete the circuit. This is the postcard’s switch.
Category: Engineering (Electricity)
Key concepts: Circuit, Electricity, Conductor, Insulator, Battery, LED
Activity Duration: 35 minutes
Age level: 6-9
Ref: Science Buddies
What’s sweeter than candy and science? Adds a tasty twist to DNA – the genetic blueprints of all lifeforms with this STEM activity. All you need is your child’s favorite candies and some toothpicks.
This activity teaches a valuable lesson about biology while also satisfying your child’s sweet tooth.
Category: Science (Biology)
Key concepts: Genetics
Activity Duration: 30 minutes
Age Level: 6-9
Ref: Science Buddies
You’ve heard of “cloud in a jar” – get ready for “rainbow in a jar”! This STEM experiment challenges children to use concepts of density and viscosity to create the perfect rainbow. All you need is liquids with different viscosities (e.g water, oil, glycerin), food colouring and a glass jar!
Children will have the opportunity to experiment with different liquids until they perfect their own “rainbow in a jar”
Read more: How to choose STEM toys for kids? Top 10 toys we recommend to parents
Category: Science (Chemistry)
Key Concepts: Solubility, Density
Activity duration: 20 minutes
Age level: 3-5
Ref: 3M
There’s more than one way to blow a balloon! Have your child test out an acid-base reaction with this STEM experiment! All you need is some baking soda, citric acid (from vitamin C tablets), a bottle and a balloon.
Let your child hypothesise the results and learn the principle behind the chemical reaction!
Category: Science (Chemistry & Physics)
Key Concepts: Gases, Acid & Bases
Activity duration: 25 minutes
Age level: 4-6
Ref: 3M
Science can be colourful! This STEM experiment explains the concept of surface tension to children with pops of colour! All you need is a few plastic cups, food colouring and tissues.
Your child can observe the water travelling between cups while watching the colours mix into a rainbow!
Category: Science (Physics)
Key Concepts: Gravity, Surface tension, Molecules
Activity duration: 30 minutes
Age level: 3-5
Ref: 3M
Big Bang STEAM is a hybrid-learning platform that turns abstract science concepts into interactive bite-sized and adventure-based lessons for children. Based on Big Bang Academy’s widely accredited curriculum, you and your child can explore a wide range of science topics from the comfort of your home.
We value hands-on learning, that is why every lesson on comes with an experiment kit. Children will get a chance to directly interact with the concepts they’ve learnt through hands-on experiments (e.g electricity and conductivity is paired with a circuitry experiment).
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Try it out at 55% off! Sign up and discover the joys of learning STEAM now!
Related articles:
1. Top 3 Awesome TV Shows to Entertain Your Kids with STEAM
2. Authoritative and popular science magazines for kids & adults
3. How to choose STEM toys for kids? Top 10 toys we recommend to parents
Written By
Maison Li
Maison is a content writer at Big Bang Academy. An avid proponent of educational innovations, Maison strives to showcase the latest science learning solutions to the world.