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 your own materials or request activity kits with the button below.
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