All everyone seems to talk about right now are STEM activities. STEM activities can be quite complicated, but they don’t have to be. These easy STEM activities for 5th grade are perfect for kids in fifth grade and teach the basics of science, technology, engineering, and math.
STEM activities are so much fun, and fifth graders will have a blast with these in the classroom or at home.

50+ STEM Projects for 5th Grade
Kids will love these fun STEM activities for 5th grade and they are the perfect STEM activities to try in the classroom or at home if you’re just getting started with STEM projects.
How to do STEM Activities for Fifth Grade
A STEM activity is an activity that contains elements of science, technology, engineering, or math, and sometimes two or more of those disciplines. When we do STEM activities, we like to include three of the letters if possible.
In a STEM activity, children are learning how to use several types of knowledge together to solve a specific problem.
We like to make our STEM activities fun for fifth graders because if STEM activities aren’t fun, kids will start to hate science.

You’ll also like: THE COMPLETE LIST OF STEM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Why Should Teachers Try Fifth Grade STEM Activities?
There are a lot of reasons to do STEM activities in 5th grade, not the least of which is that it’s required by many schools today.
Schools have recognized the importance of STEM education and it’s a large part of most elementary schools.
When doing fun STEM activities, elementary kids learn a lot more than just science, technology, engineering, and math. They can also learn:
- Teamwork
- Logic
- Problem-solving
- Creative thinking
My daughter is currently in fifth grade, and thanks to our focus on STEM at home, she consistently comes home with 100s on all her science projects and STEM challenges.

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What Do Kids Learn Doing STEM Lessons in 5th Grade?

My favorite thing about fifth grade STEM activities is how it teaches kids that what they learn in school can be applied to life. There aren’t many other subjects in school that use several subjects at once, although once you’re out of school you constantly use things together.
What I love about STEM activities is that it provides a more holistic approach to education, and there isn’t really a “right” answer. This makes it easier for kids to learn the actual concepts, and they aren’t afraid of getting things wrong.
You can often tell which kids are involved in STEM activities based on how they answer questions.
10 years ago, kids were paralyzed to get the “wrong” answer and would often not engage in lessons.
Most kids today are ready to jump in and explore a concept, and I attribute much of that to the newer way children are taught in school, which includes a lot of STEM-based learning and integrative learning in other areas.
Check out: THE BEST SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS
Tips for Doing STEM Activities in the 5th Grade Classroom

If you’re doing STEM activities with a group of kids, you’ll have to keep a few things in mind. Here are my best tips for completing STEM activities in a group:
- Set up in advance
- Show a demonstration
- Make sure kids know how to use equipment
- Have a dedicated time for experimenting
- Have a dedicated time for recording results
- Have a dedicated time for analyzing the experiment
- Make a part of the lesson clean-up time
If you follow these tips, it’s easier to do hands on projects with kids and you’ll have less of a hard time getting the class to focus. In a hands-on learning environment, elementary kids can easily get off track and lose the lesson, so organization is a must.
You may also want to try: SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS FOR ACTIVE KIDS
Supplies for 5th Grade STEM Activities
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Kids First Intro to Engineering Kit
Hands-On Math!: Ready-to-Use Games & Activities for Grades 4-8 (J-B Ed: Hands On)
ThinkFun Code Master Programming Logic Game and STEM Toy
Kids Science Set – Over 60 Experiments Kit, How-to DVD and Instruction Manual. 55 Pieces, Year-Round Fun Educational Science Activities
STEAM Kids: 50+ Science / Technology / Engineering / Art / Math Hands-On Projects for Kids
The Complete List of 5th Grade STEM Activities
Kids will love these 5th grade STEM projects. If you like these STEM activities, you’ll also want to try: The Best STEM Activities for Elementary, Classic Science Fair Projects for Kids in Elementary, and Candy Science Fair Projects.

Easy 5th Grade STEM Activities
These STEM activities are fun and easy!
STEM Projects for 5th Grade Science
These easy STEM activities for fifth grade are science-based.

Fluffy Slime Science Experiment
Walking Rainbow Science Experiment
Ocean Slime Science Experiment
Salt Crystal Feather Science Experiment
Baking Soda Slime Science Experiment
Borax Slime Science Experiment
Fizzing Pokeball Science Experiment
Diving Fish Science Experiment
Seed Growing Science Experiment
Hand Washing Science Experiment
Egg Shell Garden Science Experiment
Removing Salt from Water Science Experiment
Liquid Density Science Experiment
3D Carbon Atom Science Activity
Tornado in a Jar Science Experiment
Erupting Volcano Science Experiment
Hot and Cold Water Density Science Experiment
5th Grade Technology Projects
Try these easy STEM activities for elementary that use technology.

Words of Affirmation Coding Bracelets
Energy Efficient Windows STEM Challenge
Build a Chessboard in Minecraft
Design a Skatepark with a 3D Pen
Flashlight Constellations Activity
Easy Engineering Activities for 5th Grade
Kids will love these easy STEM activities for elementary with an engineering twist.

Paper Airplane Engineering Challenge
Clothespin Airplane Engineering Challenge
Egg Crate Airplane Engineering Challenge
Egg Drop Engineering Challenge
Testing the Strength of Aluminum Foil
Build a Boat from Marshmallows
STEM Math Activities for 5th Grade
You’ll love these math-based easy STEM activities for elementary.

Multiplication Arrays Printable
Learning Math with a Play Store
Soup Can PEMDAS Money Worksheet
Seasonal STEM Activities for 5th Grade
Find a list of seasonal STEM activities for 5th grade below!
Thanksgiving STEM Activities for 5th Grade
Check out this list of fun Classroom-Friendly Thanksgiving STEM Activities for 5th Grade!
Christmas STEM Activities for 5th Grade
5th graders will love these Christmas STEM activities for 5th grade!