With back to school season just around the corner, it’s time to get kids excited about school and learning once again with these back to school STEM activities!
I love using STEM activities to get kids back in a learning mood for fall STEM activities, and what’s even more fun about these particular STEM projects is they are all back to school themed!
Kids will love trying out these back-to-school STEM activities in the classroom as a bridge between summer break and fall learning and are the perfect first week of school STEM activities!
Amazingly Fun STEM Activities for Back to School
It is tons of fun to renew students’ interests in learning as they go back to school! These back to school STEM activities are easy and fun, and will foster an interest in STEM topics right from the beginning of school.
You can use these ideas in the classroom or at home to inspire scientific inquiry and critical thinking in kids of all ages.
Most of these projects are designed for elementary kids, but you can modify many of themes to also work in a kindergarten or preschool classroom.
Why Should I Teach Back to School STEM Activities?
First week of school STEM activities are a fun way to re-introduce hands-on learning to kids. In the classroom, you can use these activities to help remind kids of the proper behavior for STEM labs.
These can also be used to remind kids of the scientific process and how STEM education is run in your school.
At home, you can use these fun STEM activities for back to school to supplement your child’s science education.
Particularly while more kids are engaging in online learning, it falls to parents to provide some of the missing hands-on STEM pieces.
Most of these activities can be done easily at home and don’t require any special supplies.
Back to School STEM Supplies
The Mason Jar Scientist: 30 Jarring STEAM-Based Projects
Creative Kids Flakes – 600 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set for Fun, Creative Building – Educational STEM Construction Toy for Boys & Girls – Non Toxic, Ages 3+Straw Constructor STEM Building Toys 300 pcs-Colorful Interlocking Plastic Enginnering Toys- Fun- Educational- Safe for Kids- Develops Motor Skills-Construction Blocks- Best Gift for Boys and Girls …CoolToys Monkey Balance Cool Math Game for Girls & Boys | Fun, Educational Children’s Gift & Kids Toy STEM Learning Ages 3+ (65-Piece Set)Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse, Coding STEM Toy, 31 Piece Coding Set, Ages 4+DK Workbooks: Science, Kindergarten: Learn and ExploreTinkerActive Workbooks: Kindergarten ScienceScientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kids Science Experiment KitLearn & Climb Science Kit for Kids – 21 Experiments Science Set, Hours of Fun.UNGLINGA Kids Science Experiment Kit with Lab Coat Scientist Costume Dress Up and Role Play Toys Gift for Boys Girls Kids Age 5 – 11 Christmas Birthday PartyLearn & Climb Kids Science Kit – Over 60 Experiments, Fun with Science!4M 5557 Crystal Growing Science Experimental Kit – Easy DIY STEM Toys Lab Experiment Specimens, A Great Educational Gift for Kids & Teens, Boys & GirlsDiscovery Extreme Chemistry Stem Science Kit by Horizon Group Usa, 40 Fun Experiments, Make Your Own Crystals, DIY Glowing Slime, Fizzy Eruptions, Gooey Worms & MoreCrayola Color Chemistry Set For Kids, Gift for Age 7+
Print a lot of papers? Get $10 your HP Instant Ink order when you use this link.
More Low-Prep STEM Activities to Try
If you need even more ideas for easy STEM activities, check these out!
No Prep STEM Challenges Perfect for the Classroom!
21 Quick STEM Activities that Will Bring Out the Genius in Every Child
20+ Amazingly Easy LEGO Tower Ideas for Kids
20+ Back to School STEM Activities for Elementary
These STEM activities for back to school will delight kids and help them see that learning can be fun and is certainly nothing to dread doing again!
Kids will love trying to repeat these activities over and over again.
Science, technology, engineering, and math can be fun when approached in a hands-on way!
20+ Back to School STEM Activities for the Classroom
Back to school is an exciting time for most kids. New supplies, new teachers, and new things to learn. However, a lot of kids also come back to the classroom dreading the "hard" subjects, like math and science.
But with these fun back to school STEM activities, children will get excited about learning more with science, technology, engineering, and math!
In this simple STEM activity, kids can see visually how convection heat works and how temperature travels and spreads in the water.
Play any of these quick STEM minute-to-win-it challenges when there is a gap in your school schedule.
All you need to teach kids about static electricity is a comb and some tissue paper.
Learn how hot and cold water have different densities with this hands-on, colorful, and fun water science experiment! It's the perfect "wow" science experiment that gets strong reactions every time!
Is it possible to stack apples and make a tower out of just apples? In this STEM challenge, kids will soon find out.
Spaghetti isn't strong at all... or is it? Kids will find out in this structural engineering activity!
Why paint when you can get a robot to do it for you? The painting brush bot is a fun STEM activity where kids learn how to make the most basic of robots!
Learn about the flexibility of molecules when kids do this leakproof bag science experiment.
Watch in awe as the pencil placed in the water breaks! It's not magic, it's light refraction! The bending pencil experiment is a favorite among kids of all ages.
Apples are a theme for back to school. Learn about crystals and molecular bonds when you make these crystals!
Slime is a fun thing to make with kids, and this apple version is a lot less messy than other slime recipes.
Teach kids about the life cycle of an apple tree in this free apple life cycle worksheet.
This number matching game is apple-themed and easy to print out and make for younger elementary students.