STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education provides students with opportunities to learn through creative, hands-on projects. These activities build critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Best of all, most can be done with common household items, making STEAM education budget-friendly. This article includes supply lists, step-by-step instructions, and discussion ideas for fun and educational STEAM activities suitable for elementary students.
Introduction
STEAM activities enable students to apply concepts they learn in science, math, and other subjects through student-directed learning. The hands-on projects promote collaboration, inquiry, and engagement. While many schools have dedicated STEAM classes and labs, these activities can also be done in the regular classroom with basic supplies.
Homemade Lava Lamps
Supplies: plastic bottle, vegetable oil, food coloring, fizzy water, duct tape
Instructions:
1. Add water to a plastic bottle until it is about 1/4 full.
2. Fill bottle almost to the top with vegetable oil.
3. Add several drops of food coloring to the bottle.
4. Top off with fizzy water, leaving a couple inches at the top.
5. Tape lid securely.
The oil and water will separate, with the colored water bubbles moving up and down through the oil. Have students observe the lamp over time and record their observations. Discuss density, solubility, chemical reactions and more.
Egg Drop Challenge
Supplies: eggs, straws, tape, balloons, paper, boxes, other building materials
Instructions:
1. Separate students into teams and provide each with supplies.
2. Explain that teams will build a structure to protect an egg when dropped. Set drop height.
3. Give teams time to brainstorm and build.
4. Have teams test their structure by placing egg inside and dropping from set height.
5. Discuss results and ways to improve the design.
Talk about gravity, force, acceleration, engineering design, and improving prototypes after failures. Have them redesign and test again.
Solar Ovens
Supplies: jar or plastic container, aluminum foil, cardboard box, black paper, food items
Instructions:
1. Have students wrap jars in foil, creating a reflective oven interior.
2. Cut openings in cardboard box to create a snug fit for the foil-wrapped jar.
3. Angle box toward sun. Place black construction paper on top to absorb heat.
4. Put food items in jar and set in box to cook using solar heat.
Discuss solar energy as a renewable resource. Talk about conduction, convection, and radiation. Test cooking different foods.
Nature Sculptures
Supply: leaves, flowers, rocks, sticks, mud/soil, water
Instructions:
1. Take students outside to collect natural materials.
2. Have them create sculptures using natural adhesives like mud or water.
3. Encourage them to build creative structures, shapes, and forms.
4. Place sculptures outside and observe over time.
Talk about how art and nature intersect. Observe how weather and time impact the sculptures. Discuss benefits of outside play and art.
By providing both structure through engaging lesson plans and opportunity for creativity, these hands-on STEAM activities offer rewarding educational experiences for elementary students. The simple, budget-friendly projects foster curiosity, critical thinking, and exploration.
1. Take students outside to collect natural materials.
2. Have them create sculptures using natural adhesives like mud or water.
3. Encourage them to build creative structures, shapes, and forms.
4. Place sculptures outside and observe over time.
Talk about how art and nature intersect. Observe how weather and time impact the sculptures. Discuss benefits of outside play and art.
By providing both structure through engaging lesson plans and opportunity for creativity, these hands-on STEAM activities offer rewarding educational experiences for elementary students. The simple, budget-friendly projects foster curiosity, critical thinking, and exploration.
Here are three more STEAM activity ideas to add to the article:
Building Bridges
Supplies: Craft sticks, wooden blocks, popsicle sticks, glue, tape
Instructions: Provide teams with supplies and challenge them to build a bridge that spans a set distance (e.g. two chairs) and can support a set weight (e.g. textbook). Bridges that meet the criteria without collapsing win.
Discuss principles of engineering, material strength, and improving design through prototypes and testing.
Squishy Circuits
Supplies: playdough or modeling clay, battery pack, LED lights
Instructions: Students use the dough to create circuits by inserting lights and battery packs into it. The dough conducts electricity, lighting up the LEDs.
Talk about conductors, insulators, electrons, and how electricity powers devices. Let them sculpt creative light-up shapes.
Marble Run
Supplies: cardboard tubes, cardboard, plastic cups, straws, tape, marbles
Instructions: Use supplies to construct a long, winding course for marbles to travel down. Incorporate tubes, ramps, drops, obstacles, and more.
Discuss potential and kinetic energy, gravity, speed, velocity, and engineering prototypes. Have them rebuild sections to improve performance.
The open-ended nature of these activities allows students to engage in hands-on collaborative problem solving, developing critical STEAM skills in an engaging way. They promote teamwork, creativity, and learning through trial and error.
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