10 Engaging STEM Activities for Kids in 2023
Looking for STEM activities that can teach modern skills and subjects to kids in an interactive and engaging way? We have made your search easier by gathering the top 10 engaging STEM activities you can try in 2023. All these project STEM activities focus on different skill sets and core subjects that are in huge demand. They help kids in learning without marking them bored. Kids can learn while having fun with their peers, parents, and friends and develop soft and social skills. Let’s discover some cool projects and STEM activities that kids would love to perform.
1. Makeblock mBot2
mBot2 is an advanced robot toy for kids 8-12 years old. It is a three-wheeler car that kids can easily assemble and play with.
The robot is designed to help in understanding the concepts of coding. Kids can easily code whatever they like and then interact with the results. It helps them think critically and solve problems with their existing code.
mBot2 is a complete package for teaching modern and high-demand subjects and skills. It can help in learning robotics, electronics, coding, math, AI, IoT, data science, and tons of other things. Kids can get started with simple block-based coding. Once they master it, they can work on the Python code to gain more exposure to advanced coding. It offers project STEM Python coding that takes coding skills to the next level.
The robot is very interactive and interesting, so kids would love to try new things and unleash their creativity. They will never get bored. The best part is that by using the add-ons, the robot can be upgraded with some new features, parts, and controllers. Therefore, the kids can enjoy new projects and develop new skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
2. Makeblock mTiny
Makeblock mTiny is a blessing for parents as it can teach coding, math, music, languages, and a lot of other things to preschoolers (4-6 years old kids). This tiny toy robot is specifically designed to engage kids and spark their interest in studies. They will learn a lot of things while having fun. The kits of the robot can introduce various subjects to kids before they join the school. It develops miscellaneous soft skills and the foundation of core subjects. It is one of the best STEM activities for preschoolers to get started.
A straw roller coaster is an engaging activity that compels kids to think outside the box. It is quite simple, and you need plastic or paper straws and a few balls. Kids will enjoy making different designs of roller coasters and see how they work. They might need to rectify the mistakes in their design and think critically before choosing the final one. This activity can also be done in groups.
3. Straw Roller Coaster
A straw roller coaster is an engaging activity that compels kids to think outside the box. It is quite simple, and you need plastic or paper straws and a few balls. Kids will enjoy making different designs of roller coasters and see how they work. They might need to rectify the mistakes in their design and think critically before choosing the final one. This activity can also be done in groups.
4. Solar Oven
People who care about the environment love to have solar ovens in their homes. It is also quite helpful for camping. It uses sunlight to cook meals without using electricity or any other source of heat energy. Kids would love to understand the science behind it, and they can make a simple solar oven using cardboard, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc. They will be able to learn to harvest the energy of the sun and utilize it practically. The small solar oven made of aluminum foil won’t cook complete meals, but it is enough for marshmallows.
5. Makeblock NextMaker
NextMakers includes various project STEM activities and DIY projects to teach craft, electronics, coding, and soft skills. It comes in various levels that have different hardware and coding projects. The best part is that kids also get free online classes to do all project STEM activities without any hassle. They can start their coding journey with the simplest block-based coding and enjoy it while gaining modern skills and knowledge. The cool project in NextMaker compels kids to invest their time in STEM activities and build new things.
6. Paper Cup Anemometer
An anemometer is a device used to measure the speed and direction of the wind. Kids can make a simple anemometer using paper cups and straws. It will help them understand the idea behind the real anemometer and how wind behaves.
Create a + sign using two straws and bind them with tape. Attach four paper cups on each end of the straw. Make sure the cups are in the same direction. Finally, attach the straw to a wooden stick. The anemometer is ready. Take it in an open place and hold it upwards. You can get an idea of the speed by counting rotations per minute. Make sure to use a different colored paper cup to make the calculation easier.
7. Bottle Rocket Competition
A bottle rocket is made of a simple plastic bottle. You need to tweak its shape using Styrofoam or cardboard to improve the aerodynamics. Once the bottle is ready, it is placed on the rocket launcher, which exerts a certain pressure. The trajectory of the rocket is observed, and the distance that the rocket covers is noted. The bottle with the longest distance covered will win the competition.
8. Makeblock Codey Rocky
Codey Rocky is an interactive toy robot for kids (6-8 years old) to learn and play with. The robot contains some incredible features, such as face recognition, age recognition, and hundreds of emotions, to interact with kids and spark their interest.
It offers coding programs for middle schoolers. They can do block-based coding and enjoy the results on the robot. They can get started with IoT, AI, and Data Science with the help of this robot. It makes all these demanding subjects easy to understand for kids.
9. The Concept of Density
The best way to explain the concept of density to kids is to experiment. You can try a few fluids, such as water, honey, cooking oil, etc.
Take some samples of fluids and small objects. Let kids mix different fluids and see what happens. Help them create different layers of fluids by arranging them according to their density. They can also try throwing some small objects to see what sinks and what floats. It is an interesting and simple STEM activity for kids.
10. Candle and Rising Water
Kids would love to see the magic of rising water inside a drinking glass. They would also like to show it to others. It can easily be done at home or school. Take a piece plate and place a small tea light candle over it. Now, fill the pie place with water, and make sure it does not touch the top of the candle. Light the candle and place a drinking glass over it. The candle will go out in a few seconds, and the water will rise inside the glass. It happens because of the difference in pressure. Explain the science behind it, and the kids would love to experiment with this to shock others.