5 Easy STEAM Project Ideas Kids Will Love

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Science,Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics also known as STEAM has sparked a new way to energize STEM subject. Here are 5 easy STEAM Project ideas kids will love to get you started on this new teaching adventure.

Create a Playground

Who hasn’t dreamed of having their very own playground? This STEAM project idea makes every kid’s dream come true. Create your own blueprints and then build a model from materials you have at hand. Can it get any more fun than this?

Build Bridges

Help! The counting bears are trapped on desk islands. Can your class come to the rescue and build bridges from popsicle sticks, string, and tape? Your class will love planning the bridges, building them, and then writing about the bears’ adventures. The STEAM bridge making challenge is a blast.

Plant a Butterfly Garden

Monarch butterflies can smell milkweed from miles away. If you plant it they will come! It only takes a few plants and some flowers and you can have your very own monarch butterfly habitat. Your class will love observing the monarch butterfly metamorphosis. Even better, the garden will attract monarchs for years to come.

Build Boats

A boat building STEAM challenge is a great way to justify some water play on a hot day. We use several plastic tubs and use leftover materials to build flotation devices. You can make it a competition by inviting the kids to see how many counting bears or other materials the devices can carry before sinking.

Build a Fort

Who doesn’t have amazing memories building forts as a kid? Even better than building a fort is building one with your friends. This project lends itself to the end of the year when plenty of boxes and building materials are available and many regular classroom items have been stored already. Some teachers even ask students to bring blankets, pillows, and flashlights. We have used boxes, chairs, blankets, tables, and butcher paper. Whatever your materials are, this activity is a sure crowd pleaser and who doesn’t want to be the coolest teacher ever?

We would love to hear your STEAM project ideas! What easy STEAM projects do your students love?

March 28, 2017July 2, 2017

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6 St. Patrick’s Day Lesson Plan Ideas

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Luck is believing you’re lucky.”

~Tennessee Williams

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by exploring Ireland through art, music, and engineering. Here are some of our favorite activities to make this celebration a meaningful learning experience. We have added links to most of the resources you need, so prep will be a breeze.

Music & Dance

It is fun just to hop around and enjoy Irish music.

If you would like to take this lesson a little deeper, dancing the jig is great exercise and very easy to learn.

Art

This is one of our (Almost) No Prep Art Lessons. You probably have all the materials you need in you classroom. Students draw the shamrock and create the lines with a ruler. You can learn more about this lesson right here.

St Patrick's Day Shamrock

Food

Taste the Rainbow

We use every opportunity to promote healthy eating. Most kids will at least try a food offered in the classroom. We assemble a fruit rainbow in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. The cut fruit and berries are offered buffet style. The kids help themselves to the different fruits. They later chart their fruit platter in their journals. We have more healthy party snack ideas right here.

Engineering

The day before St. Patrick’s Day out students design and create leprechaun traps in class. This is one of the our favorite activities of the whole year. Many teachers have kids create traps at home. They often look more polished than our crazy classroom creations.

Social Studies

If you or your students are interested in learning more about St. Patrick you can watch some of these videos.

February 25, 2017February 28, 2017

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Boat Making STEAM Challenge

Boat making is one of our favorite STEAM challenges. Not only do you get to engineer and design a boat, you also get to test it out in water. What could be better, right?

Materials

Corks
Rubber bands
Toothpicks
Colored construction paper
Small inflatable pool or water table

We show the kids how to wrap the corks with rubber bands. Three work nicely to make a boat. The kids then decorate it with sails made from construction paper and toothpicks. Students are allowed to experiment with the supplies and built a boat however they want. The activity can easily take an hour, depending on how much time you have.

Having fund with STEAM challenges? Here are more ideas:

July 23, 2016July 24, 2016

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5 STEAM Tinker Space Ideas

Students often tell us that their favorite part of STEAM education is the tinkering aspect. They enjoy experimenting with new materials and using things in new ways. In the beginning this meant that we took out a giant box of random materials and soon the classroom descended into chaos. The kids loved it but the clean up required was stifling our enthusiasm for such activities. Here are some great ideas for tinker spaces, but remember, a box full of random materials is still a child’s greatest treasure.

1. Materials Wall

A place for everything and everything in its place. Peg boards are a great way to organize supplies. Students can easily see what is available. Labels help to keep things neat.

2. Supply Storage

Some of our favorite supplies are popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and tin foil. Kids can get creative with pretty much about anything. If you have absolutely no use for an item, you can be sure students will find a way to create something amazing with it.

3. Display Space

A shelf to display tinker creations and curiosities is a great way to set the mood. We like to rotate the artifacts frequently and the kids love the recognition. A big part of STEAM education is the art aspect of it. Artistic touches and displays are a teaching tool in itself.

4. Lego Mindstorms

To have a robotics center takes a tinker space to a whole new level. LEGO Mindstorm is one of the easiest to use systems available on the educational market. Students can work in groups, so a few sets can go a long way. This is definitely a “in a perfect world” kind of addition to a tinker space.

6. Research Area

Tinker enthusiasts love to read! We like to have a collection of science and engineering books available. The key is not to clutter the area but to present a select collection of books and rotate them throughout the year.

We would love to hear from you. How does your tinker space look like? What are your experiences with STEAM education?

June 14, 2016June 20, 2016

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Bridge Making STEAM Challenge

Where science ends, art begins.”

~Charles Nègre

How many bears can cross your bridge? Are you looking to implement Science, technology, engineering, art, and math, also known as STEAM, in your classroom? This activity might be just the ticket. You probably already have all the supplies necessary.

Our counting bears were stranded on islands separated by a deep ocean trench populated by kraken, sharks, and mermaids. They needed help to connect their islands and make peace with their ocean neighbors. The bears could only find popsicle sticks, clothespins, masking tape, and string. Would they be able to bridge the islands without falling into the dangerous waters? Would their bridge be functional as well as beautiful? The mysterious creatures of the deep agreed to let the bears safely cross the bridges if they showed innovative and aesthetically pleasing design. Would the bears be able to make peace and connect their islands?

We divided the class in small groups of about five students and they went to work. The kids came up with many different bridge designs and safety features for bears. Some bears were wearing safety harnesses in case they fell. They considered how the sea creatures would feel about the bridges and what designs would be most appreciated.

We are glad to report that all bridges held and the bears are now able to visit each other without danger! The bears and the magical creatures of the deep have learned to live in harmony and peace. Team STEAM has come to the rescue again!

May 2, 2016May 22, 2016

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