The Ultimate Collection of Fall STEM Activities For Kids

Fall is upon us, and whether you’re a homeschool parent or classroom teacher, incorporating seasonal activities into your lesson plans is always a great idea. With these fall STEM activities and projects, you can engage your students with all of the exciting changes taking place this time of year.

The fall season offers an exciting canvas for engaging seasonal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities, offering a number of opportunities for hands-on learning.

During this season, natural phenomena take center stage, making it an ideal time to explore scientific concepts such as photosynthesis, animal migrations, and changing weather patterns. The vibrant tapestry of fall foliage and the harvest season provide an excellent backdrop for studying plant growth, agriculture, and the science behind the ripening of fruits and vegetables.

The season invites exploration of the natural world’s adaptations. Fall’s rich array of materials provides abundant resources for hands-on STEM projects, sparking curiosity and innovation.

Get ready to dive into a fascinating collection of STEM activities for fall.

This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.

What Is A STEM Activity?

Have you ever wondered what is a STEM activity? Or maybe, what makes a good STEM project?

A STEM activity is any activity that focuses on the areas of science, technology, engineering, or math. Oftentimes art (STEAM) is thrown in as well).

Typically STEM activities are open-ended and require kids to come up with the solution to a challenge or question on their own.

This type of hands-on learning is beneficial for children as it helps them to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Additionally, STEM activities often incorporate teamwork and collaboration, teaching kids the importance of working together to achieve a common goal.

With the ever-changing landscape of the world, it is more important than ever for kids to be equipped with the skills they need to succeed.

STEM activities provide an excellent opportunity for children to learn and grow in an engaging and exciting way.

How Can Students Benefit From Fall STEM Projects?

These fall STEM projects are perfect for students of all ages as they provide an opportunity to explore and discover new things on their own.

Additionally, as students begin to develop interests in specific areas of science or math, STEM projects are a great way to foster and encourage these interests.

Not only will STEM projects help kids to develop important skills, but they can also be a lot of fun!

Here are some of the top benefits that come from sharing STEM with your kids:

• Engineering skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Creative thinking skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team building skills and cooperative skills
• Love of science and the scientific process
• An understanding of how the world works
• Greater understanding of mathematical concepts
• Greater understanding of the engineering design process
• Fun and memorable experiences!

How Many Subjects Do I Need To Include In My Fall STEM Activities?

While it is certainly ideal to include all STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, math, and art) in each of your fall STEM projects, this is not a hard-fast requirement.

Feel free to share STEM ideas and projects with your kids that only incorporate one or two of the subjects. The important thing is that your children are actively engaged in learning opportunities that will help them grow into independent and successful adults.

Just keep the subjects you do include rotating and you’ll be good to go!

The Best Fall STEM Activities For Kids

Your kids are going to love these amazing Fall STEM activities!

Pumpkin STEM Challenge

This fun fall STEM activity can be done with either real pumpkins or small plastic pumpkins. It is similar to the toothpick bridge STEM challenge we enjoyed earlier this year.

 

Materials Needed:

• A pumpkin for each student – either a real one or a plastic one.
• Optional – knife and big metal spoon
• Construction medium – EG: toothpicks, straws, empty toilet paper rolls, or popsicle sticks
• Attaching medium – EG: marshmallows, gumdrops, string, or masking tape.
• Building surface – EG: construction paper or paper plates

Instructions:

If using real pumpkins, have students cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and use a spoon to hollow out the inside of the pumpkin. Next, have students design and build a structure that will hold a pumpkin in place using only the materials provided (pumpkin, toothpicks, and straws).

The structure can be any shape or size, but must be able to hold the pumpkin securely in place. Give prizes for who can build the tallest tower.

This fun pumpkin STEM challenge focuses on engineering skills and encourages kids to master engineering concepts. It’s a great classroom activity or could be enjoyed outside.

Pumpkin Volcano

Have you ever made a pumpkin volcano? This science activity is a fun and easy way for students to experiment with chemical reactions.

Materials Needed:

• Hollowed-out pumpkin or jack-o-lantern
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Surface (such as baking sheet) to keep things clean and contained

Instructions:

1. Place the pumpkin on the surface you’ve chosen.
2. Add some baking soda to the bottom interior.
3. Pour in some vinegar
4. Step back and get ready for some fun!

For some extra fun, experiment with dish soap and hydrogen peroxide (like in the elephant toothpaste experiment). You could even have your student perform both experiments and compare and contrast each one using these scientific method worksheets.

This activity is a great opportunity for kids to learn about chemical reactions and other scientific concepts. Plus, it’s just plain fun to watch!

Candy Corn Catapult

Have you ever met a student who did not enjoy launching things across the room? This Candy Corn Catapult activity is both fun and educational.

Materials Needed:

• Candy corn or mini marshmallows
• Popsicle sticks or toothpicks
• Rubber bands
• Plastic spoons

Instructions:

Your students will be building catapults out of toothpicks or popsicle sticks. These catapults will be able to shoot candy corn or mini marshmallows off of plastic spoons.

For an extra challenge, have your kids come with their own design and see if they can successfully create a candy corn catapult from scratch. Or for an easier Fall STEM activity, use the instructions found inside this candy corn catapult tutorial.

Remember to set some rules for your catapults. For example, the structure can be any size or shape, but must be able to shoot the candy corn a certain distance. This activity is great for encouraging creativity and problem solving skills.

Compressed Pumpkins

This experiment requires safety glasses but I promise your students will love it.

Materials Needed:

• Whole pumpkin
• Rubberbands (you’ll need a few hundred)

Instructions:

For this experiment, you will be discovering how many rubberbands you can wrap around a pumpkin before it gives into the pressure and caves! You’ll have a pretty messy explosion so be sure everybody is standing back and/or wearing safety glasses.

One at a time wrap a rubberband around the middle of a pumpkin. Repeat again and again, being sure to count and keep track of each rubber band you add.

Optional – try this experiment again with other fruits and veggies!

Apple Science

There are endless possibilities when it comes to apple science experiments. Some fun experiments include testing how different types of apples float in water, making apple cider vinegar, and seeing how long it takes for different apples to rot.

You could also have a taste test to compare different types of apples or see how sugar affects the taste of apples.

This is a great STEAM activity for encouraging kids to ask questions and think like scientists. Because it’s open-ended, it helps kids apply science and STEM to their real life in a real world way. It’s also a delicious way to enjoy Fall!

The secret to STEM projects, or any hands on activity or science activities really, is making sure kids are having fun! The capacity for learning grows exponentially when fun is involved. Even if the experiment is a huge fail and nothing goes right, if students are having fun, they’re still going to learn something. I hope you enjoy these fall STEM activities with your kids!

Get More STEM Project Ideas Delivered to Your Inbox

Explore a treasure trove of exciting STEM activities, projects, and ideas with us! Our STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription is your ticket to a world of captivating ways to keep your children or students thoroughly engaged in the realm of STEM. Each month, you’ll receive a thoughtfully curated selection of STEM project plans delivered right to your email inbox. These blueprints come complete with a wealth of resources and accompanying worksheets, designed to not only reinforce but also expand your child or students’ knowledge. Ready to embark on this STEM adventure? Click the button below to discover more…

---

Inspire, Create, Discover: Expertly Curated STEM Projects!

---

More STEM Projects, Activities, and Ideas

In addition to the fall STEM activities for kids I’ve got listed above, here are even more STEM projects, activities, and ideas that are great for students.

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

Holiday/Seasonal STEM Activity Guides:

• Valentine’s Day STEM Activities 
• St. Patrick’s Day STEM Activities
• Independence Day STEM Activities
• Halloween STEM Activities
• Halloween Science Experiments
• Thanksgiving Themed STEM Activities
• Christmas STEM Activities
• Summer STEAM activities
• Fall STEM Activities
• September STEM Activities
• October STEM Activities
• Winter STEM Activities for Middle School Students

General STEM Activity Guides:

• Fast, easy, and simple STEM activities
• STEAM Art projects 
• STEM activities using paper
• Team building STEM activities
• STEM activities using household Items 
• Free STEM activities 
• Camping-themed STEM activities
• STEAM Activities for Elementary Kids
• Easy STEM Challenges for Middle Schoolers
• STEM Games for High Schoolers
• LEGO STEM Activities