STEM In a Bag
Don't need a whole week's worth of activities? Our STEM in a Bag curriculum offers shorter projects to infuse any time with students with a little STEMspiration! All curriculum is available in both English and Spanish!
Print our activity guides below and purchase materials to make your own kits.
We have organized our STEM in a Bag activities based on the following themes:
STEMspire to Space!
Alka-Seltzer Rocket
Learn about space flight and Newton's Third Law of Motion while building a rocket!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Astronaut Egg Drop
Follow the Engineer Design Process to build a device that will protect an "astronaut" egg!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Lunar Buggy Design
Learn about the Apollo 15 Lunar Rover while using the Engineer Design Process to build a model buggy to transport materials!
Recommended Age: 6th-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Design a Lunar Lander
Follow the Engineer Design Process to build a device that will land two "astronauts" safely on the moon.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Straw Rocket Challenge
Test and modify the design of a paper rocket in order to maximize its trajectory and flight distance.
Recommended Age: 3rd-12th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
STEMspire to Code!
Binary Bracelets
Discover how computers communicate and create a bracelet with your name in binary code!
Recommended Age: 3rd-5th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Coding with Cards
Write an algorithm to create and play your very own card game!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Cryptography
Learn how important information is encrypted and decrypted by using a cipher to encode a secret message!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 45 min
STEMspire to Fly!
Flying High
Explore two of the basic forces of flight, then use your new knowledge to design a paper airplane!
Recommended Age: 3rd-5th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Hoop Glider
Learn about aerodynamics by constructing and flying a hoop glider!
Recommended Age: 3rd-5th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Propeller Power
Create and utilize a propeller to lift a payload!
Recommended Age: 6th-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Dermer Sled Kite
Explore the science of flight by constructing a kite.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Design a Parachute
Use the Engineering Design Process to create the most effective parachute that will safely and gently land a payload.
Recommended Age: 3rd-12th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
STEMspire to Make a Difference!
Storm Shelter
Use the Engineer Design Process to build a model storm shelter!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Water Filter
Use the Engineer Design Process to build a water filter!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Recycled Bird Feeder
Repurpose a used juice or milk container to create a bird feeder!
Recommended Age: K-5th
Estimated Time: 30 min
STEMspire to Build!
Bridge Challenge
Use the Engineer Design Process to build a bridge that suspends a toy over a 1-foot gap!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
DIY Marble Run
Use the Engineer Design Process to build a model slide or roller coaster for a marble to ride on!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Tallest Tower Challenge
Use the Engineer Design Process to build the tallest tower as you compete with your friends!
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Build a Clock Tower
Use the Engineer Design Process to build a device that accurately keeps time.
Recommended Age: 1st-5th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Penny Boat Challenge
Build a boat our of aluminum foil that can hold as many pennies as possible without sinking.
Recommended Age: K-5th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Build a Mini AC Unit
Use a chemical reaction to create a miniature air conditioner.
Recommended Age: 6th-8th
Estimated Time: 45 min
STEMspire to Love Math!
Make 100
Play a card game that reinforces place value.
Recommended Age: 1st-3rd
Estimated Time: 30 min
Fraction Flip
Play a card game that reinforces fractions.
Recommended Age: 3rd-5th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Factor Bingo
Practice multiplying factors as you play bingo.
Recommended Age: 3rd-4th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Designing Tessellations
Create a piece of art using a tessellation patter.
Recommended Age: K-6th
Estimated Time: 30 min
STEMspire to Heal!
DIY Stethoscope
Create your own stethoscope and practice calculating heart rate.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Build a Bionic Hand
Create a prototype of a bionic hand using household materials.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
STEMspire to Get Outside!
Agriculture in Action: George Washington Carver
Identify the different layers of a soil sample and determine the most appropriate crop to plant.
Recommended Age: K-5th
Estimated Time: 30 min
Leaf Sort
Get outside and practice identifying the leaves you find.
Recommended Age: PreK-2nd
Estimated Time: 30 min
Seeds: A Celebration of Society & Science
Identify unknown seeds by observing their characteristics and creating your own way to classify them.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Backyard Biodiversity
Analyze the biodiversity of an area using a sampling technique called a quadrat.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Design a Hand Pollinator
Use the Engineer Design Process to create and test a device to transfer "pollen" from one "flower" to another.
Recommended Age: K-2nd
Estimated Time: 30 min
STEMspire to Make Waves!
Solar Art
Learn how sunscreen protects your skin from UV rays while creating your own piece of solar art.
Recommended Age: K-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
DIY Harmonica
Experiment with sound and pitch by creating your own harmonica.
Recommended Age: K-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
STEMspire to Magnetize!
Fishing with Magnets
Make predictions about which objects will be attracted to magnets, then test those predictions.
Recommended Age: K-2nd
Estimated Time: 30 min
Build an Electromagnet
Create an electromagnet that can hold at least 3 paperclips.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 30 min
STEMspire to Dig Deep!
Aquifer in a Cup
Create an aquifer model and discover where groundwater comes from.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Fabricated Fossils
Create trace fossils that represent 3 different types of organisms.
Recommended Age: K-5th
Estimated Time: 45 min
Pipeline Challenge
Develop a pipeline system to transport a "oil and natural gas" from one point to another, incorporating several restraints.
Recommended Age: 3rd-8th
Estimated Time: 1 hour