If you’re stuck at home this year, you don’t need to panic try out these June STEM activities and keep kids learning this summer!
There are tons of ways to keep your kids engaged over the summer (we’re, of course, partial to summer STEM activities).
I always love doing more STEAM activities in the summer to let the kids do more science exploration and leave the heavy scientific inquiry and training for the school-year.
For June, I’ve collected some of my kid’s favorite summer science experiments that have a STEAM twist.
June STEM Challenges that Will Spark a Love of Science in Your Kiddos
Even though these are mostly aimed at an elementary age group (2nd through fifth grade), my middle schooler (8th grade!) still loves doing these in the summer.
I also love doing these with her because otherwise, she just likes to curl up in her room using TikTok all day (find us there at STEAMsational).
Even if the science is slightly below her learning level, it still helps with creating a love of science, which is particularly important during middle school, when it starts to get boring in school.
If you need help getting started with STEM at home, make sure you download our guide to getting started with STEM at home.
June STEM Activities Perfect for Summer Learning
This collection of STEAM activities are some of our favorites for multiple reasons.
Some of the activities are easy to set up (which parents and teachers love), most of the experiments have quick results (which kids love), and almost all of them have a “wow” factor that is just so fun during summer.
There’s a link to the instructions for most of these activities below, and you can download the June STEM challenges prompt cards, or the full challenge set which comes with printable instructions!
Turn Pennies Green
Turning pennies green is a super fun science experiment that kids love. This version turns the pennies green within a couple of hours, and the set-up is a breeze.
Pepper Surface Tension
If you have pepper and some dish soap, you can do the pepper surface tension experiment.
You can also try this version with milk and food coloring!
Remove Salt from Water
We first tried this experiment when my 8th grader was in 5th grade, and she was so shocked at how she could remove salt from water just by using evaporation! Learn how to remove salt from water here.
Make a Walking Rainbow
The walking rainbow experiment is a favorite activity with my kiddos and we usually repeat it about once a quarter.
Even years in, it hasn’t gotten old.
Make a Leakproof Bag
If you have some extra plastic baggies lying around along with some pencils, this is a fun summer science experiment to try outside.
It’s a bit wet, which is exciting for kids, and it’s super fun, too! Learn how to make a leakproof bag.
Create a Cloud in a Jar
Do your kids know how to make clouds? This version of a cloud in a jar makes a real cloud inside of a jar, which almost every kid finds super fun.
Learn about Saltwater Density
Saltwater is interesting because it looks like regular water, but it has a different density entirely. Using salt and some food coloring you can test this density easily.
Saltwater is denser than fresh, which means that the freshwater will be suspended on top of the saltwater if you do it right!
Make a Slime Volcano
The slime volcano is one of our favorite slime twists.
You can make this slime volcano version, where the slime surrounds a classic baking soda and vinegar volcano, or the instructions in the June STEM pack tell you how to make slime that erupts.
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