9 Quick STEM Activities & Projects

The school year is in full swing and you might be interested in adding a STEM component to your curriculum. But not every parent nor teacher is ready to commit to experiments and projects that take up a lot of planning, space, and time.

Does this sound like you?

• You have a smaller work space and projects can’t take up what little table or floor space you have available.
• You have a tight schedule with not a lot of time for long, involved projects. There won’t be time to make multiple observations of an experiment or take many required steps to complete.
• You aren’t crafty by nature and don’t have a lot of materials on hand to make or build something.
• But…You love the idea of STEM in your class.

What you really need are some quick STEM activities!

Just because you have a smaller space, a tighter schedule, and limited materials doesn’t mean that you have to scrap STEM activities from your curriculum.

Read below to learn more about STEM, why it’s beneficial for your classroom, and some easy ideas for quick STEM activities and projects to check out.

Why Include These Quick STEM Activities in Your Lessons?

When combining two or more of the subjects Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics within one project, the activity is officially a STEM project. STEM projects are real life applications of critical thinking skills and exploration of the world through the lens of these subjects.

What makes STEM so popular with educators around the globe? Through STEM projects, children will follow the steps of the scientific method by approaching real world scenarios with real life applications. Students will also engage in mathematical and engineering concepts by following processes and formulas with their own hands.

In other words, children love this hands-on approach to learning because they get to figure out the HOW and the WHY instead of simply reading an answer or being told a solution.

Want even more reason to incorporate STEM classes into your curriculum? There are lucrative and successful career opportunities for those students who thrive in STEM. The technologically focused world today includes jobs in the STEM field such as:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Rocket and Launchpad Construction
• Software Programming
• Web Development
• Systems Analysis
• Database Administration
• Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Environmental Science
• Accounting
• Geology
• Meteorology
• Coding
• Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics

With STEM, students lean into their natural curiosity and wonder of the world around them.

By incorporating some hands-on activities and projects into your curriculum, you’ll be unleashing the benefits of STEM education and giving child opportunities for success and lifelong learning!

9 Quick STEM Activities

So do you love the idea of using STEM but need the projects to be a quick set up and easy to manage? It’s obvious that parents want the fun and hands on approach to learning for their children. But finding quick and easy options seems impossible.

It isn’t!  

Check out these 9 quick STEM activities that don’t require a lot of time, space, or materials.

1. Soda Mentos Rocket

Looking for a quick, fun, and slightly messy STEM activity? The Mentos and Coke project is always a hit with kids!

Seriously, it’s like the express lane of science experiments. All you need is a bottle of soda and some Mentos, and bam – you’ve got yourself a soda fountain show.

It’s perfect for when you’re in the mood for some science magic but don’t want to turn your whole classroom into a lab. Plus, besides the cool factor, it gets everyone chatting about the science behind the fizz. Quick to set up, fun to watch, and a breeze to clean up. What’s not to love about this exploding STEM project?

Get the full project: Soda Mentos Rocket

2. Homemade Butter

Here’s an edible and quick prep STEM activity that can be used in the kitchen for multiple recipes. You need only two materials and a strong set of arms to make your own butter at home. And it doesn’t take that long to do.

This is a great way to teach the science, art, and math behind making homemade butter and how people lived in pioneering times.

Get the full project: Homemade Butter

3. Bug Identification Journal

Send kids outside to explore what’s already there. Children can learn how to observe nature using a log, taking notes, and making drawings to understand their ecosystem. This might be their first step towards zoology and entomology, sparked by personal observation and curiosity.

Get the full project: Bug Identification Journal

4. Cookie Experiments

Are you planning on baking some cookies for a party or event? Try these STEM experiments on your baking time and see how different ingredients affect the outcome of the cookies.

Cooking allows for many measurement and math conversion applications, and baking makes the reward so much more fun!

Do the cookies come out flatter? Bumpier? Browner? Mushier? No matter what, kids will enjoy using their tastebuds for science. There’s nothing more fun than edible science experiments!

Get the full project: Cookie Experiments

5. Dragon Paper Airplanes

If you have a classroom, odds are you have paper already available. An easy STEM project using paper is designing different types of paper airplanes to test flying ability.

Allow students to be creative, and then narrow down what attributes of the design are helping or harming the flight capability. Does changing the wingspan matter? Does the size of paper affect the weight limit? Does the amount of folding change the torque? Aviation study is always a hit with kids.   

Get the full project: Dragon Paper Airplanes

6. Lego Perimeter & Area

Practice math concepts using toys your child already has. Do you want to teach adding, multiplication, perimeter, and area with concrete objects? But are you unsure of where to find specific math manipulatives to do so?

Luckily, Legos are an excellent math manipulative that are already in many children’s toy boxes! They are the perfect math toy because they have set number of rows in ones, twos, threes, fours, and more.  

Get the full project: Lego Perimeter & Area

7. QTip Tower

There are many engineering activities that require popsicle sticks or toothpicks, but sometimes those materials aren’t on hand. However, for most home bathrooms, q-tips are a family staple and perfect substitution for structure building!

Make a tower, bridge, building, castle, or car. Any structure will require a study of geometry, measurement, and physics to stand with integrity. All you need is some hot glue or craft glue, and you’ve got a project for any age.

Get the full project: QTip Tower

8. Spaghetti Project

Do you have any dried, long noodles in your kitchen cabinet? Then you’ve got a STEM project in the making! This STEM activity can be as simple as laying several long, dried noodles (like uncooked spaghetti or fettuccine) and using them as bridge structures. See what weight limits different numbers of noodles can handle by testing out a variety of small household items.

Get the full project: Spaghetti Project

9. Flashlight Constellations

Grab a flashlight out of the drawer and make some constellations. All you need are a marker, heavy construction paper, and something to poke a hole through a blueprint of specific stars constellations. What a cool way to learn about astronomy, even indoors!

Get the full project: Flashlight Constellations

How to Use STEM in Your Classroom

If you’re looking for a quick STEM activity, you may be wondering how to successfully incorporate STEM projects into your classroom. From gathering supplies to figuring out what STEM project to attempt, it can be overwhelming to jump in.

Try these tips to help you use quick, easy STEM in your classroom:

• Use materials you already have on hand. A lot of these STEM activities utilize stuff you’ve probably got lying around your home, especially in the kitchen. Got some baking soda? How about tissue paper, food coloring, or even Elmer’s glue? The best part is there are heaps of resources out there to help you swap out materials if needed. So, diving into a STEM project doesn’t always mean a trip to the store. Cool, right?

• Use your child’s interests. It can be overwhelming to come up with fantastic projects each week. Lean into your child’s current curiosities. Does your child love gardens? Perfect; your child will enjoy a STEM project on composting. Maybe your child loves space or seeing things go “boom!”. A mentos and soda rocket activity would be a fun project for them.

• Use your strengths. Are you a math whiz, but aren’t crafty? That’s already perfect for exactly what your child needs. Share your curiosities and learning styles with your child and go from there to explore the world of STEM. 

• Resource your weaknesses. Is seeking out STEM projects an overwhelming part of the problem for your classroom? There are a ton of STEM options on our blog. Just head to our website and search “STEM.” You’ll find hundreds of ideas there. Plus, we’ve got you covered with a STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription where you get new project guides sent to your inbox every single month!

STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription

Maybe you love the idea of using STEM but want something already planned for you, from inquiry to reflection.

Here at Hess UnAcademy, we’ve got you covered with STEM activities for easy access and entire projects mapped out for you. Check out our STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription. For just $9.99 a month, you’ll have access to:

• 5 curated STEM activities each month
• Supplemental learning resources
• Supply Lists
• Step-by-step instructions
• Reading passages and worksheets
• Famous People in STEM insert

This is an incredible value for consistently new and relevant STEM activities being delivered straight to your email inbox. Get a subscription today!

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Inspire, Create, Discover: Expertly Curated STEM Projects!

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STEM Can Be Quick & Easy

It’s no surprise that STEM is popular with children, adults, and educators alike.

Teachers want their students to learn about the growing industries of science, technology, engineering, and math. Adults want their children to have every opportunity to succeed in a tech-focused world. Kids just want to have fun.

STEM accomplishes everyone’s academic goals in one big, hands-on project that is bound to be a lesson remembered for years to come.

Now, with these quick STEM projects and the STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription, you can incorporate STEM into your curriculum seamlessly and with ease. Have fun exploring and happy learning!

More STEM Resources to Check Out

STEM Project Ideas by Grade Level:

• STEM Activities for Kindergarteners
• STEM Activities for 1st Graders
• STEM Activities for 2nd Graders
• STEM Activities for 3rd Graders
• STEM Activities for 4th Graders
• STEM Activities for 5th Graders
• STEM Projects for Middle Schoolers
• STEM Activities for High School Students
• STEM Activities for Teens

Holiday STEM Activity Guides:

• Valentine’s Day STEM Activities 
• St. Patrick’s Day STEM Activities
• Independence Day STEM Activities
• Halloween STEM Activities
• Thanksgiving Themed STEM Activities
• Christmas STEM Activities

General STEM Activity Guides:

• Fast, easy, and simple STEM activities
• STEAM Art projects 
• Summer STEAM activities
• STEM activities using paper
• Team building STEM activities
• STEM activities using household Items 
• Free STEM activities 
• Camping-themed STEM activities
• Fall STEM Activities
• STEAM Activities for Elementary Kids