STEM challenges

Low Prep STEM Challenges for Kids

I'm very excited about finally finishing up a second set of 10 STEM activities you can do today! These are wonderful for team-building and can be used with a wide grade range. Since they are cross curricular, I hope you can use them in your regular school day. Otherwise, they also work for after school enrichment, summer camp, or homeschool co-ops.

The challenges are all self contained so you do not have to do the previous STEM challenges to try these. In the resource there are photographs of finished challenge samples for each STEM challenge, as well as relevant vocabulary terms so you and your students can "talk like an engineer". If you haven't tried STEM challenges before, head on over to Minds in Bloom, where I guest blogged and shared 3 free challenges. You can also learn about the ins and outs of doing STEM challenges with your students.

Explore Engineering with Kids

The challenges cover a wide range of engineering disciplines: materials engineering (bubble challenge), industrial engineering (fidget fix), acoustical engineering (musical instrument), mechanical engineering (elevator, windshield wipers), code creator (software engineering), aeronautical engineering (windmill).

Probably my favorite is the windshield wipers, as it serves as a fun introduction to the 4-bar linkage. Mechanisms like this have a special place in my heart because I met my husband in our graduate school Kinematic Synthesis class, where we learned how to design linkages to move through specified points.

Here's a short stop motion animation video of what it looks like when it's finished (with "wiper" blades attached).

Bubble Maker STEM Challenge!

Another fun challenge is the bubble maker! 

Here is a list of all of the challenges in this pack:
→ Design a Zip Line
→ Design a Windmill
→ Fidget Fix
→ Code Creator (create simple code with conditional statement IF ELSE, no computer necessary!) → Design a Musical Instrument
→ Bubble Maker
→ Elevator Challenge
→ Design a Hammock
→ Printing Press
→ Windshield Wipers (synthesize a 4-bar linkage)

I hope you check out the resource! You can find it here: