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Engineering Resources Padlet by Paul Tyler

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Engineering Resources Padlet by Paul Tyler

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Makerspace or STEM projects for kids don't have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, some of the best projects use recycled or repurposed items like cardboard or soda bottles which means nothing to buy.

Below, we've compiled some of our favorite projects that are great for makerspaces.

Learn how to make a boat out of a soda bottle, create a car from cardboard and many more.

Get the FREE Makerspace Info Bundle

Build a simple circuit using a pizza box (no soldering required)

Create circuit tiles which are interchangeable blocks used to form different circuits.

Using a simple hobby motor and cardboard, you can make a frog robot that is very entertaining.

Learn how to make this simple foam boat with dc motor and homemade propeller.

These battery powered cars are super fun and can be made with a few basic parts.

Paper circuits are a really great way to learn the basics of circuits and electricity. Make light-up greeting card and more.

These bristlebots are a smaller version of the brushbot and use toothbrush heads and vibrating motors.

Make a flying airplane using cardboard, a coke bottle and a DC hobby motor. Really cool !

Create a vibrating and moving junkbot using everyday "junk" or items in your recycle bin.

Vibrobots are tiny robots powered by a vibrating motor. Design your own using scrap materials and spare parts.

Create this wobblebot and you will always have a best friend.

Make this super fast mini electric car using a 9v battery as the chassis. Experiment with designs to make it go faster.

Learn the basics of how a DC motor works by creating your own simple motor.

Make your own simple LED flashlight using popsicle sticks and copper tape. Learn how circuits and switches work.

Create this electric bottle car by reusing bottles and other recyclable materials.

This rubber band helicopter is simple and easy to create. Once you build one, you can experiment with other designs.

Marble runs are like an amusement park for marbles. Here are 10 marble runs you can create at your makerspace.

Create this simple hydraulic machine using a plastic syringe for the lift mechanism. Learn about a hydraulic system.

Using conductive and insulating dough, you can create squishy circuits that light-up, move and make noise.

This cardboard chair project is a great way to recycle and re-purpose cardboard into functional furniture.

These scribble bots are also known as scribble machines and are great for STEAM /Art activities.

Brushbots are a simple, fun type of robot that you can build out of arts and crafts materials.

Here are 3 simple STEM boats that don't need a DC motor. Learn how to make a putt-putt, paddle and balloon-powered boat.

Make your own cardboard hydraulic arm that focuses on the principles of hydraulic movements.

If you made one of these projects or are working on something else, tweet us at @Makerspaces_com

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25 Makerspace (STEM / STEAM) Projects For Kids | Makerspaces.com

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These STEM projects & activities for kids are perfect for the makerspace. Simple, easy and very cost effective. Make a car from cardboard or a boat from a soda bottle. Maker education is fun for all ages.

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Crazy! How to Make Safe With Combination Lock For Kids

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How To Make Working Model Of Wind Turbine To Power Cardboard House | DIY Project

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Magnetic Door Security Alarm | Science Projects

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Young Engineers: Pyramid Catapult - Easy and Powerful DIY STEM Project for Kids

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Science Max|FULL EPISODE|Trebuchet | SCIENCE PROJECT

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How to make Marble Climber Machine at home from Cardboard - Marble Game at Home

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How to Make a Automata Toy From Cardboard

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How to Make Marble Maze Game from Cardboard

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Obviously way too complicated for primary, but an awesome project for secondary/adults in my opinion.

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How to make amazing stairs marble treadmill with cardboard

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Step-by-step tutorial

Learn more

Paper airplanes work just like regular passenger planes and fighter jets: by redirecting air to keep themselves airborne. As long as a plane is moving quickly, its wings will redirect a lot of air downwards, which generates an equal upwards force (lift). This lift is enough to bear the weight of the plane against the pull of gravity. Your paper airplane launcher is effective because it gives the paper airplanes a lot of speed, and therefore a lot of lift - plenty to keep the planes aloft for lengthy trips around a room (or until they hit something!)

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Paper Airplane Launcher | DIY for Beginners | KiwiCo

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Step-by-step tutorial Paper airplanes work just like regular passenger planes and fighter jets: by redirecting air to keep themselves airborne. As long as a plane is moving quickly, its wings will redirect a lot of air downwards, which generates an equal upwards force (lift).

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We're surrounded by waves! Sound and light travel as waves to our ears and eyes. Ocean waves crash onto the beach. Radio waves broadcast music to our cars. We even use waves to cook our food - in microwaves! Try making this wave machine to see how all different kinds of waves move!

Step-by-step tutorial

Learn more

A wave is a moving disturbance that travels through something. For example, an ocean wave is a disturbance in the water near the surface of the ocean that rolls along with an up-down round-and-round motion.

Learn more

Carefully observe what happens when the wave reaches the end of the skewers. Did you notice that it bounces back and comes back to you? This is because when waves hit something fixed and solid that they can't move through, they reflect in the opposite direction!
Experiment further by adding more gummies to the ends of the skewers, or removing them entirely. Does the wave move through the skewers faster or slower than before?

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Wave Machine | DIY for Beginners | KiwiCo

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We're surrounded by waves! Sound and light travel as waves to our ears and eyes. Ocean waves crash onto the beach. Radio waves broadcast music to our cars. We even use waves to cook our food - in microwaves! Try making this wave machine to see how all different kinds of waves move!

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Conveyor Belt Cinema | DIY for Beginners | KiwiCo

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Get hands-on with this Conveyor Belt Cinema DIY project for beginners! Learn everything you need to know with step-by-step instructions and create something awesome!

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Now We're Talking - Simple (ish) Daredevil Home Made Real Hovercraft. 

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Now We're Talking - Simple (ish) Daredevil Home Made Real Hovercraft. 

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20 Cool Science Projects For School Students

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STEM Challenge: Design & Build a Paddleboat

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Pringles Physics STEM Challenge (Pringles Physics Circle Challenge)

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Cotton Ball Launcher - Fun STEM Activity

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Rocket Mission - Design and Build Your Own Rockets

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Rocket Mission - Design and Build Your Own Rockets

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In Rocket Mission UK students will learn how to build and launch four types of model rockets including CO 2 , air, water and solid-fuel rockets. Students will also find out about exciting UK rocket launch sites and involvement in space exploration. The UK has world-leading and fast growing expertise in satellite and space technology. Find out what UK careers could be part of your future with Rocket Mission UK.

Information on space launch developments in the UK

Video demonstrations of film-canister, air, water and solid fuel model rockets.

How to build your own film-canister mini-rockets

How to build and launch a water rocket

UK Space Career routes and opportunities

The UK has a globally respected space and satellite industry that is rapidly growing. In the next two years we will start to see rocket launches taking place in different parts of the UK. Find out about the new spaceport developments across the UK by clicking on the images below.

Watch the video below to see four different model rockets being launched. Below are instructions for building and launching your own model rockets. Have fun and stay safe when experimenting with your rockets. Always ask a parent/carer or trusted adult before building and launching model rockets. At the bottom of this page find out about careers and study opportunities in the UK. Could this be your first steps to space?

The UK space industry is world-leading and fast growing. 30,000 new jobs will be created in the UK space sector by 2030. That means real career opportunities for you to find study and work relating to UK space projects. Find out more about the amazing opportunities that await you at the excellent SpaceCareers.uk website.

You can also visit the UK Space Sector Landscape Map to find space sector involvement near you and across the UK. There are currently 808 organisations listed.

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In Rocket Mission UK students will learn how to build and launch four types of model rockets including CO 2 , air, water and solid-fuel rockets. Students will also find out about exciting UK rocket launch sites and involvement in space exploration. The UK has world-leading and fast growing expertise in satellite and space technology.

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To The Moon - a transitions project fully made and tested based around space.

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RTC North STEM's fantastic Video Playlist 

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RTC North STEM's fantastic Video Playlist 

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stem science technology engineering maths education schools

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Make a No Screws Self Supporting Da Vinci Bridge

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Make a No Screws Self Supporting Da Vinci Bridge

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How to Make an Elastic Band Paddle Boat 

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How to Make an Elastic Band Paddle Boat 

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How to Fold the 'Tube' Paper Airplane | WIRED

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Young Engineers: How to Make Rubber Band Helicopters - Engineering projects for kids

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STEM/STEAM activities you can do with items found around your home. Fun for kids of all ages!

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Check out these brilliant party tricks, courtesy of Professor Richard Wiseman.

Or view directly on YouTube

Created by Professor Richard Wiseman - psychologist, magician and author. See more of his quirky science shenanigans here: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com

You can see the original Top 10 Party Science Stunts HERE or watch the video below...

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Check out these brilliant party tricks, courtesy of Professor Richard Wiseman. Or view directly on YouTube Created by Professor Richard Wiseman - psychologist, magician and author. See more of his quirky science shenanigans here: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com You can see the original Top 10 Party Science Stunts HERE or watch the video below...

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So far the summer has been pretty warm, so let's find out how you can use the sun to cook some delicious food!
What you need:

Cardboard pizza box

Scissors

Tin foil

Sellotape

Clingfilm or zip-lock bag

Black paper or paint

Newspapers or shredded paper

Ruler

Glass dish or plate

Tasty food to cook. Try marshmallows, toast or cheesy nachos.

Oven gloves

How to:
Ask an adult for help using scissors and handling hot food.

Use the scissors to cut a flap in the lid of the pizza box. Cut along three sides, leaving around two centimetres between the sides of the flap and the edges of the lid. Fold the flap back so it stands up when the box lid is closed.

Cover the inner side of the flap with tin foil.

Sellotape cling film or a zip-lock bag over the hole in the lid of the pizza box. This will create a clear, airtight seal.

Paint the bottom of the box black, or line it with black paper.

To insulate your oven so it keeps in heat, put shredded paper or rolled up sheets of newspaper around the sides of the pizza box. Make sure you leave enough space for your food! You should still be able to close the box lid.

Set up your solar oven outside on a sunny day, between 11am-3pm. Make sure you choose a sunny spot. Adjust the flap so that it reflects the most sunlight possible onto the cling film covered hole in the box lid. Use a ruler to prop open the flap at the right angle. This will pre-heat the solar oven and make sure the inside is hot when you put your food in.

After you have pre-heated the oven, put the food you want to cook on a clear glass dish or plate and put it inside your solar oven. Remember to make sure as much sunlight as possible is reflected onto the cling film covered hole in the box. You can grill cheesy nachos, make hot, buttered toast or melt marshmallows. It will take longer to cook food than in a normal oven, but it will be tasty!

When the food is done, open the lid of your solar oven and use oven gloves to lift the glass plate out of the oven.

Have a look at this picture of a solar oven. Instead of black paper, the inside is covered in tin foil. You could experiment and see which one works best!
Bread cooking in a solar oven (c) Abri_Beluga
If it doesn't work, perhaps you need to try again on a sunnier day, or move the solar oven to a sunnier spot. Throughout the cooking you can move the solar oven or readjust the flap to make sure as much sunlight as possible is getting inside the box. Remember that it will take longer to cook food in a solar oven, so be patient!
What's happening?
The tin foil on your solar oven reflects sunlight and the sun's heat into the box. The cling film seal creates a seal so that air can't escape. The sun's energy heats up the air inside the box and cooks the food. The black paper absorbs heat to make sure that as little as possible escapes. Newspaper insulates the box, preventing heat escaping.

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So far the summer has been pretty warm, so let's find out how you can use the sun to cook some delicious food! What you need: Cardboard pizza box Scissors Tin foil Sellotape Clingfilm or zip-lock bag Black paper or paint Newspapers or shredded paper Ruler Glass dish or plate Tasty food to cook.

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In 2015, we sent two Raspberry Pi computers to the International Space Station. Now it's your chance to run your very own experiment in space.

The European Astro Pi Challenge is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It offers young people the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space, by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers on board the International Space Station.

There are two ways to take part in the Astro Pi Challenge.

Mission Zero is open to students and young people up to 14 years of age and can be completed in an hour or two by writing a few simple lines of code in our online simulator (called trinket). No special equipment or coding skills are needed and all entries that follow program rules are guaranteed to have their program run in space. In addition, you will receive a certificate showing you the orbit path of the ISS at the time your program was run.

Mission Space Lab is a scientific mission for students and young people up to 19 years old. Once you're registered to take part and submit an idea, we'll send your school a free Astro Pi Kit and, working as a team, you will write an experiment using the Python programming language. The very best will be sent to the ISS to run for three hours and will be overseen by a European Space Agency Astronaut. When your data comes back to Earth, you'll complete your experiment and write a report. The very best reports will be named the winners of Mission Space Lab! .

Both Missions are open to ESA Member States, Canada, Slovenia and Malta.

So get your team together and get involved because space is waiting.

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What is the European Astro Pi Challenge?

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In 2015, we sent two Raspberry Pi computers to the International Space Station. Now it's your chance to run your very own experiment in space.The European Astro Pi Challenge is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

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Technology Videos

Check out these awesome technology videos which show a range of tech video clips.

Learn about the future of computer interfaces, where the science of mind control is heading and how solar energy can be used effectively to generate power. See the latest in cool gadgets and computers as well as some amazing inventions.

What is Google Glass?

Google Glass is new eyewear technology that allows a user to take photos, record videos, make phone calls, check weather reports, get directions and much more.

Apple iPhone

Learn more about the Apple iPhone 3G. The updated iPhone features faster speeds, better GPS support and access to a huge library of downloadable software at the Apps Store.

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Technology Videos - Tech Video Clips, Cool Gadgets, Inventions, Computers

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Technology Videos Check out these awesome technology videos which show a range of tech video clips. Learn about the future of computer interfaces, where the science of mind control is heading and how solar energy can be used effectively to generate power. See the latest in cool gadgets and computers as well as some amazing inventions.

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Wind Speed Challenge

Harness the power of wind with some weather based projects that will help you understand wind speed and how it changes from place to place and day to day.

Put your problem solving skills to the test with these fun challenges.

Take the Wind Speed Challenge
Anemometer
An anemometer will help show you how fast the wind is going by spinning cups around. The faster the wind is moving the faster the cups will spin.
What you'll need:

Paper cups

A skewer (or something similar to poke holes)

Straws

Scissors

A marker (felt pen)

Tape or glue

The Challenge:
Your challenge is to design something that can measure the wind speed. Create an anemometer that features free spinning cups that spin faster as the wind increases. The wind should blow into the cups pushing them away. The faster the wind the more force it has to push the cups and the faster they spin. You can measure the wind strength by comparing how many times the anemometer spins around every 10 seconds. Does it vary from place to place and day to day?

Wind Speed Box
Make a wind speed box to measure how fast the wind is blowing. Similar in use to the anemometer, your wind box will be able to measure the strength of the wind in different places.
What you'll need:

An old shoe box

A marker (felt pen)

String

Tape or glue

A piece of card

The Challenge:
The challenge is to make a wind box that can compare different wind speeds. Marking a scale inside the box is a good place to start and you can use the piece of card as a guide, with it swinging further along the scale as the wind increases. The rest is up to you and your problem solving skills. A stronger wind has more force to push the piece of card along the scale, while it might struggle to move it at all on a very calm day.
What's next?
Combine your wind speed results with wind direction, air pressure and rain fall for a full weather report.

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Wind Speed Challenge - Fun Science Fair Projects for Kids

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Wind Speed Challenge Harness the power of wind with some weather based projects that will help you understand wind speed and how it changes from place to place and day to day. Put your problem solving skills to the test with these fun challenges.

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Create invisible ink with lemon juice - Fun Science Experiments for Kids

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Testing for bacteria (germs) can be a great idea for a science fair experiment since there are so many possibilities for science questions, and because because carrying out the experiment is pretty easy using bacteria growing kits, (and yes, we have them at the Science Bob Store.) Besides, who doesn't like checking out bacteria and fungus?

All good science experiments start with a question - this is what you want to find out by experimenting. Here are a few example questions to get you started using the scientific method for growing bacteria:

Is a dogs mouth cleaner than a humans mouth?

Who has the cleanest mouth in the class?

Do antibacterial soaps really kill bacteria?

Which door handle in the school has the most bacteria?

Does toothpaste kill bacteria in your mouth?

Do dark socks create more bacteria in a shoe than white socks.

Do hand sanitizers work to kill bacteria?

What location in the school contains the most bacteria?

Is there more bacteria in tap water, bottled spring water, rain water, or pond water?

Step 1 - Ask A Question: Let's imaging that you want to answer the question, "Which door handle in the school has the most germs?"

Step 2 - Research: You can't just jump in and start experimenting. It's important to do a little research. Ask the school nurse which door handle he or she thinks the most germs (bacteria) are. Observe and chart which door handles get the most use, survey friends and family to get opinions and write down the results. All this information will help you narrow down which door handles are the most likely to contain germs - and which ones you should choose to use in your experiment.

Step 3 - Make a Hypothesis: This is when you make a prediction based on your research. This is not an "I think..." prediction, it is a statement that will either be proven true or false based on experimenting. An example would be, "The handle to the nurse's room contains the most bacteria."

Step 4 - Experiment: This particular science experiment requires a simple bacteria testing kit. You would choose several door handles that you think might contain the most bacteria. These door handles are considered the Independent Variable in your experiment because each handle is independent and you control which ones are chosen. In a typical kit you would touch a separate cotton swab to each door handle, and then touch it to the bacteria growing Petri dish so that you would have one dish for each handle. Take good notes that would include when you collected each sample and where you collected the sample, and be sure to label everything well in any experiment.

Step 5- Collect Data: In this experiment, bacteria will start to grow in the Petri dish over the next few days, and you may be surprised by just how much gross bacteria is lurking in your school. Take good notes each day and determine which dish has the most bacteria growing in it.

Step 6 - Make Your Conclusion: This is when you decide if your hypothesis is correct. If your hypothesis was, "The handle to the nurse's room contains the most bacteria," your experiment will show if your hypothesis was right. It is not bad at all if your hypothesis is incorrect, what is important is that you answered your question from step 1. Now pat yourself on the back for your fine scientific discovery using the Scientific Method.

CLICK HERE for information about Bacteria Growing Kits.

CLICK HERE to download and print this Science Fair idea.

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Growing Bacteria For Science Fairs - ScienceBob.com

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Testing for bacteria (germs) can be a great idea for a science fair experiment since there are so many possibilities for science questions, and because because carrying out the experiment is pretty easy using bacteria growing kits, (and yes, we have them at the Science Bob Store.)

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YOU WILL NEED

Sometimes it's hard to tell SCIENCE from MAGIC - and this little demonstration is a great example of that. In this experiment you will watch an almost clear liquid suddenly turn dark blue in a flash. It takes a bit of preparation, and probably a trip to the pharmacy for materials, but we think it's worth it.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: This experiment should only be done with the help of an adult. Iodine will stain just about anything it touches and it can be hazardous. Hydrogen peroxide can cause eye and skin irritation - safety goggles are needed throughout the experiment. Be sure your helpful adult reads the caution labels on each container.

3 clear plastic cups 4 ounces or larger
A 1000 mg Vitamin C tablet from the pharmacy (you can also use two 500mg)
Tincture of iodine (2%) also from the pharmacy
Hydrogen peroxide (3%) yep, also from the pharmacy
Liquid laundry starch (see below for alternatives)
Safety goggles
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
An adult helper

What to do

Put on those safety goggles and mash the 1000 mg Vitamin C tablet by placing it into a plastic bag and crushing it with a rolling pin or the back of a large spoon. Get it into as much of a fine powder as possible. Then put all the powder in the first cup and add 2 ounces (60 ml) of warm water. Stir for at least 30 seconds. (The water may be a little cloudy) Let's call this "LIQUID A"
Now put 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of your LIQUID A into a new cup and add to it: 2 oz (60 ml) of warm water and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the iodine. Notice the brown iodine turned clear! Let's call this "LIQUID B." By the way, you're done with LIQUID A - you can put it aside.
In the last cup, mix 2 oz of warm water, 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of the hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of the liquid starch. This is, you guessed it, "LIQUID C"
Okay, that was a lot of preparation, on to the fun part. Gather the friends and family and pour all of LIQUID B into LIQUID C. Then pour them back and fourth between the 2 cups a few times. Place the cup down and observe....be patient....somewhere between a few seconds and a few minutes, the liquid will suddenly turn dark blue!

How does it work?

This is an example of the chemical reaction know as the IODINECLOCK REACTION. It is called a clock reaction because you can change the amount if time it takes for the liquids to turn blue. (see experiments below) The chemistry of the demonstration gets a bit complicated, but basically it is a battle of chemistry between the starch which is trying to turn the iodine blue, and the Vitamin C which is keeping it from turning blue. Eventually the Vitamin C loses and, bam! - you get instant blueness.

Note: If you do not have liquid starch, you can also use 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch or potato starch. The liquids will be more cloudy and the reaction will happen a bit more slowly, but it's still impressive.

Clean up: Carefully pour all liquids down the drain with plenty of water and wash your hands. Recycle the cups or dispose of them in the trash.

MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Does the temperature of the water affect how quickly the liquids turn blue?
2. Does the amount of Vitamin C added (Liquid A) affect how fast the liquid turns blue?
3. Does stirring the liquids more affect how fast the liquids turn blue?

Science Bob

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Rapid Color Changing Chemistry! - ScienceBob.com

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YOU WILL NEED Sometimes it's hard to tell SCIENCE from MAGIC - and this little demonstration is a great example of that. In this experiment you will watch an almost clear liquid suddenly turn dark blue in a flash. It takes a bit of preparation, and probably a trip to the pharmacy for materials, but ...

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I know, it's not exactly an experiment, but illusions are still cool.
Illusions are images that use your EYES to confuse your BRAIN

Take a look at this grid:

Did you notice the small grayish dots between the black boxes. They are not part of the drawing - they were put there by your brain! Scientists call this "visual vibration." Basically it means that when you see patterns of black and white, your eye sometimes confuses the two and blends them into patterns of gray that you see here. You are seeing something that is not really there!

Whoa! Is that image spinning? Nope, not even a little bit. In fact, if you look away, it will seem to stop spinning. It's all in your brain.... The repeated patterns and lines trick your brain into thinking that there is movement as it tries to make sense of the image. Pretty cool, huh?

This elephant is missing a leg...or is it? The artist confuses his
viewer by changing they way our brain is used to seeing things.
It seems the more you look at the elephant, the more confusing it gets.

Want to see the gears move?
Look at the dot and then move your head towards the screen and away from it.

This uses visual vibrations to create a cool effect. Try moving your head close to, and then away from the screen. The fuzzy dots appear to move.

This simple line drawing is titled, "Mother, Father, and daughter" (Fisher, 1968) because it contains the faces of all three people in the title.How many faces can you find?

Look at the dots in the center. Which one is bigger? Like many similar illusions, the dots are the same size...really! It can be hard to tell because your eye uses the other dots to make a comparison.

Check out the spiral...except it is not a spiral, just circles.
Don't believe me? Use your finger to follow the fake spiral.
The tilt of the boxes fools your brain into believing it is a spiral.

Hey, this is weird. Click on the image to make it bigger. It looks as though it's moving, but it's not. The shapes confuse the eye (really the brain) into believing that they are moving.

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SEE SOME OPTICAL ILLUSIONS - ScienceBob.com

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I know, it's not exactly an experiment, but illusions are still cool. Illusions are images that use your EYES to confuse your BRAIN Take a look at this grid: Did you notice the small grayish dots between the black boxes. They are not part of the drawing - they were put there by your brain!

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more in Experiments

You will need:

A foam tray (like the kind meat comes in) or a piece of non-currogated cardboard

A tray, bowl, or cookie sheet full of water

Liquid dish soap

A toothpick

What to do:

Cut the foam tray or cardboard into a boat shape as shown below:

A good size seems to be about 2 inches long.

Dip the toothpick into the liquid soap and use the toothpick to put soap onto the sides of the notch at the back of the boat.

That’s it! Now carefully place the boat onto the surface of the water and watch it scoot across the water for several seconds – you’ve made a soap-powered boat! To demonstrate the boat again, you will need to rinse out the tray to remove any soap from the previous demonstration.

How does it work?

Soap is a surfactant – that means that it breaks down the surface tension of water.  As the surface tension is broken up, it creates enough of a force to push the lightweight boat across the surface.

MAKE IT AN EXPERIMENT

The project above is a DEMONSTRATION. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

1. Does liquid soap last longer than a solid piece of soap?

2. Does warm water work better than cold water?

3. What materials make the best floating boat?

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Build A Soap Powered Model Boat - ScienceBob.com

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You can make a boat powered by soap! Follow these instructions to find out how.

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4 oz of milk

4 oz of cream

1/4 tsp of vanilla (or use other flavors usually found near the vanilla in a grocery store - you can use chocolate syrup for chocolate ice cream)

4 tsp of sugar

A few drops of food coloring (optional - if you want colorful ice cream)

Lots of ice

Lots (half cup) of salt. Rock salt (sold at hardware stores) works best.

Small (quart size) zip-lock freezer bag

Large (gallon size) zip-lock freezer bag

What to do:

1. Put the milk, cream, flavoring, coloring, and sugar into the SMALL zip-bag and zip it shut (be sure it is zipped up and closed completely)

2. Put about a cup of ice into the large bag and the cover the ice with a small handful of salt. Put the small bag with your ingredients into the larger bag.

3. Add some more ice and then some more salt. Keep adding salt and ice until the bag is almost full.

4. Zip it shut (be sure it is zipped) and then carefully hold opposite sides of the bag and shake the bag back and forth (like your steering a car) for about 5-8 minutes.

5. Open the larger bag and take out the smaller bag - it should be full of ice cream! Rinse off the bag under running water to remove any salt that may be near the opening of the bag.

6. Open and enjoy!

The Science of Ice Cream
When you added salt to the ice, the chemistry between the two forced the ice to melt. Before the ice could melt though, it needed to borrow heat from objects that surround it. This is called an ENDOTHERMIC process. Since your ingredients are not as cold as the ice, it borrowed heat from your ingredients making them colder! When they get colder, they freeze up into ice cream. Yum!

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Make Ice Cream in a Plastic Bag! - ScienceBob.com

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4 oz of milk 4 oz of cream 1/4 tsp of vanilla (or use other flavors usually found near the vanilla in a grocery store - you can use chocolate syrup for chocolate ice cream) 4 tsp of sugar A few drops of food coloring (optional - if you want colorful ice cream) Lots of ice Lots (half cup) of salt.

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WATCH THE VIDEO! TRY THE EGG DROP CHALLENGE AND POST IT ONLINE!
#eggdropchallenge

You will need:

1 plastic cup of water with a mouth wide enough to fit the egg.

1 10" (25 cm) piece of cardboard or a small tray with a SMOOTH bottom

1 cardboard tube (paper towel or toilet paper tubes work well)

1 Egg (uncooked for more drama)

What to do:

1. Place the tray centered over the cup

2. Place the tube on its end in the center of the tray

3. Place the egg horizontally on the tube

4. When ready, strike the tray hard enough with your palm to send the tray flying, but not so hard you hit the glass of water. If all goes well, the tray and paper tube will go flying, but the egg will safely drop into the water.

How does it work?

INERTIA describes an object in terms of how much energy is needed to move it or stop it from moving. Since the tray and tube are very low mass (lightweight,) they have very little inertia, and will easily move out of the way.
The egg, however is heavier (has more inertia) and so it is not easily moved, leaving it in place for gravity to bring it down into the cup.

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The Egg Drop Challenge! - ScienceBob.com

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WATCH THE VIDEO! TRY THE EGG DROP CHALLENGE AND POST IT ONLINE! #eggdropchallenge 1 plastic cup of water with a mouth wide enough to fit the egg.

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PSTT Chain Reactions - Y5 Forces linked planning 

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PSTT Chain Reactions - Y5 Forces linked planning 

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If you're looking for some real hands on challenges and are fans of 80's games like Mousetrap and Domino Rally, then these challenges are for you.

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STEM Learning - Polar Explorer Resources

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STEM Learning - Polar Explorer Resources

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Polar Explorer educational resources | STEM

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This collection of resources are linked to the Polar Explorer Programme, and are freely available to anyone who wishes to use them for STEM teaching using the context of the design, construction, and subsequent research activities of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, and its auto long range submersible, Boaty McBoatface.

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Masterclasses are ideal for picking up interesting ideas for topics or activities to include in your own lessons.

Check out our new ready-to-go 'off-the-shelf' Primary Mathematics Masterclasses to use in your classroom or as topics within your own Masterclass series.

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Masterclasses are ideal for picking up interesting ideas for topics or activities to include in your own lessons. Check out our new ready-to-go 'off-the-shelf' Primary Mathematics Masterclasses to use in your classroom or as topics within your own Masterclass series.

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PSTT Chain Reaction Matrix - Deeper Learning

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PSTT Chain Reaction Matrix - Deeper Learning

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The diagram above, from Lucas' 2014 report ' Thinking like an engineer. Implications for the education system' presents the 6 Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoMs) set within a broader set of learning habits of mind. Brief descriptions of each of the EHoMs appears below adapted from the report. The resources and progression frameworks found on this website further illustrate the EHoMs as applied to learning in the primary classroom.

Systems Thinking: Identifying whole systems, decomposing these into parts and identifying how they connect. Spotting patterns and recognising interdependencies.

Problem Finding: Clarifying needs and evaluating solutions, investigating contexts and defining constraints.

Visulising: Moving from abstract to concrete, mental rehearsal of physical space and practical design solutions.

Improving: Making things better by experimenting, designing, sketching, conjecturing, thought experiments and prototyping.

Creative Problem Solving: Generating ideas and solution with others, critiquing and collaborating

Adapting: Testing and evaluating, rejecting and rethinking, reapplying.

&copy The University of Manchester

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The diagram above, from Lucas' 2014 report ' Thinking like an engineer. Implications for the education system' presents the 6 Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoMs) set within a broader set of learning habits of mind. Brief descriptions of each of the EHoMs appears below adapted from the report.

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To access information about each of the engineering education principles hover over the images. Click to find out more from teachers who have explored this in their classroom.

&copy The University of Manchester

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To access information about each of the engineering education principles hover over the images. Click to find out more from teachers who have explored this in their classroom. &copy The University of Manchester

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Rube Goldberg - Mechanical Chain Reactions

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Rube Goldberg - Mechanical Chain Reactions

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Gustave Eiffel - Building Structures Challenge

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Gustave Eiffel - Building Structures Challenge

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Emily Roebling - Bridge Building Challenge

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Emily Roebling - Bridge Building Challenge

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The story of the Titanic is an exciting context for practical science investigation. PSTT's Titanic resource, written by PSTT Fellow Jim McDaid, provides a step by step guide for teachers to carry out engaging cross-curricular science enquiry. For more information about the Titanic resource or to order a copy please view the Titanic homepage: click here.

The primary science team at SSERC has created a series of short videos to illustrate some of the practical science activities based on the story of the Titanic. Please click on the links to watch these videos.

With grateful thanks to colleagues at SSERC.

Safety Notice and Disclaimer

PSTT advises teachers to refer to either the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.

PSTT is not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in these resource pages or the associated classroom materials. PSTT assumes no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these resources. PSTT recommends that a full risk assessment is carried out before undertaking in the classroom any of the practical investigations contained in the resources.

All materials are ©Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) and are freely available to download and share for educational purposes. Whilst educators are free to adapt the resources to suit their own needs, acknowledgement of copyright on all original materials must be included. Rights to images included in the resource have been purchased for PSTT use only - as such, these images may only be used as part of this resource and may not copied into or used in other materials.

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Titanic Investigations | Primary Science Teaching Trust

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The story of the Titanic is an exciting context for practical science investigation. PSTT's Titanic resource, written by PSTT Fellow Jim McDaid, provides a step by step guide for teachers to carry out engaging cross-curricular science enquiry. For more information about the Titanic resource or to order a copy please view the Titanic homepage: click here.

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Pupils look at flooding around the world then design and build a model of a flood-proof house

Flooding due to climate change can have a devastating effect on people's lives. Set on the fictitious island of Watu, pupils explore how STEM skills can be used to help communities be better prepared for flooding.

The challenge: Working as a team pupils design and make a model of a home able to withstand the effects of flooding...then test it by standing it in water and blasting it with a hose pipe!.

The challenge is perfect for STEM clubs and integrating into your D&T and science lessons. It can reinforce a lesson on testing properties of materials, as a transition or British Science Week activity. It is accredited for the CREST award scheme and can be used as a project for the Big Bang Competition

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Practical Action

The Robbins Building
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Rugby, CV21 2SD
United Kingdom

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Pupils look at flooding around the world then design and build a model of a flood-proof house Flooding due to climate change can have a devastating effect

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Literally hundreds of STEM projects here

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Please ensure you have JavaScript enabled in your browser. If you leave JavaScript disabled, you will only access a portion of the content we are providing. Here's how.

Anytime can be the right time to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Explore our favorite experiments, engineering challenges and demonstrations with these fun hands-on STEM activities! Materials are easy to find, most activities take an hour or less, and the STEM learning is limitless.

Explore Our Science Videos

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Please ensure you have JavaScript enabled in your browser. If you leave JavaScript disabled, you will only access a portion of the content we are providing. Here's how. Anytime can be the right time to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Explore our favorite experiments, engineering challenges and demonstrations with these fun hands-on STEM activities!

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STEM Learning - Starters for STEM activities

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STEM Learning - Starters for STEM activities

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Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

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Starters for STEM consists of lots of easy to run activities suitable for children from 4-11. Designed for parents to use at home they help children develop their science, technology, engineering and maths skills. These activities are easy-to-resource and provide children with the stimulus to talk about the world around them.

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Rolling Objects  Investigation /// Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany

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Fold 'N Fly " Paper Airplane Folding Instructions

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A database of paper airplanes with easy to follow folding instructions, video tutorials and printable folding plans. Find the best paper airplanes that fly the furthest and stay aloft the longest.

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We are delighted to announce that 10 years of asking school pupils the question "If you were an engineer, what would you do?" we are releasing a book with a selection of entries from the last decade.

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Primary Engineer: Engineering in the classroom

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Primary Engineer bringing engineering into the classroom inspiring children, pupils, teachers, parents and engineers since 2005.

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Wallace and Gromit - Cracking Ideas KS2 

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Wallace and Gromit - Cracking Ideas KS2 

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The Brief

Nancy & the Meerkats present a range of themed activities, together with lesson plans to support and develop your pupils understanding of copyright, trade marks and importance of respecting intellectual property.

Click below to view contents and download

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The Brief Nancy & the Meerkats present a range of themed activities, together with lesson plans to support and develop your pupils understanding of copyright, trade marks and importance of respecting intellectual property. Click below to view contents and download

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Big Bang Digital 2020 - science, engineering & Covid-19

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The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK.

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The Brief

Nancy & the Meerkats present a range of themed activities, together with lesson plans to support and develop your pupils understanding of copyright, trade marks and importance of respecting intellectual property.

Click below to view contents and download

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The Brief Nancy & the Meerkats present a range of themed activities, together with lesson plans to support and develop your pupils understanding of copyright, trade marks and importance of respecting intellectual property. Click below to view contents and download

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STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics related jobs across the UK. They offer their time and enthusiasm to help bring STEM subjects to life.

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How It Works - the ultimate science and technology magazine

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Feed your mind with fascinating facts about the world around us

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James Dyson Foundation STEM Challenges - loads of fantastic challenges here to try

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James Dyson Foundation STEM Challenges - loads of fantastic challenges here to try

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Discover recipes, home ideas, style inspiration and other ideas to try.

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TTS STEM Kits - really recommend the motorised vehicles one

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TTS STEM Kits - really recommend the motorised vehicles one

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Gives pupils an opportunity to use their knowledge of electric circuits and switches to produce a motorised vehicle.

Allows for correct measuring and cutting of main frame material

Product testing, is it fit for purpose?

Product evaluation - what worked well, what didn't and how do I improve it?

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Make Your Own Motorised Vehicles D&T Class Kit

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Gives pupils an opportunity to use their knowledge of electric circuits and switches to produce a motorised vehicle. Allows for correct measuring and cutting of main frame material Product testing, is it fit for purpose? Product evaluation - what worked well, what didn't and how do I improve it?

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I've scoured the 300+ posts on Share it! Science to find over 40 hands-on science, STEM or STEAM activities that do not require special materials and can be completed with things you most likely already have at home. In a few cases I have made suggestions of possible substitutions for materials as well. With a little flexibility and creativity we can work together to give your family a fun experience at home (as well as sneaking in some learning...but don't tell the kids!)

Whether you are stuck close to home due to school closures, or just stumped on what to do with your kids over a vacation you are sure to find something here that will keep you busy! So, raid the recycling bin, check out the craft drawer and start learning and having fun.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission from purchases made from these links at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Making, Building and Experimenting Activities

Kids love things that move! You canbuild a zany Rube Goldberg machine out of recyclables or just about anything else you have in the house. What task will your machine accomplish? Feeding the dog? Cooling you off on a hot day? Squeezing toothpaste out of a tube? The possibilities are endless with this one!

Encourage the kids to be spies and CSI's with this (ink-free) fingerprinting and (heat-free) invisible ink activity! Explore loops, whorls and arches and other unique patterns in your fingerprints and create and distribute some secret messages. You probably have everything you need right in the kitchen!

Have a flashlight, white paper, water, an old cd? Just a few of the things you can use to make a real rainbow indoors! Learn how to make 5 different rainbows from just a few common household items.

Save your toilet paper rolls and try this challenge! How much weight can a toilet paper tube hold? How about an egg?

Science in the kitchen! This outlines a decomposition experiment with apples, but you could substitute any food you've got on hand.

Build a marble roller coaster! This is so much fun for kids and adults alike. You might not have the tubes I've used in this post on hand, but you can use just about any recycled container to create a little roller coaster.

This leaf pigment experiment can be pretty magical, and it can be done with markers if you don't have access to fresh leaves- you'll find the directions for the marker experiment at the bottom of this post.

Do you have flowers outside? Learn how to build a butterfly feeder and see who comes to visit! If you don't have the exact type of jar or sponge at home, experiment to see how you can create a feeder that will deliver a slow feed of nectar!

Love bird watching? Here are some ideas for easy-to-make bird feeders.

Challenge the kids to build a solar oven and make some nachos or s'mores! This is wonderful for open-ended design and engineering.

Investigate reflections with mirrors and drawings. You can also challenge the kids to code some secret messages that only a mirror will help them read!

Did you know that your kids can participate in professional science projects in a hands-on way, or online? Here are some starting points for getting kids involved in citizen science projects.

Do your kids know where the trash goes? Build a landfill model and learn what happens in it over time. Great conversation starter for Earth Day!

ARRRGH! Do your kiddos love pirates? Try these pirate optical illusion activities.

Nature, Wildlife and Outdoor Activities

Go on an indooranimal adaptations scavenger hunt! Free printable included at the end of the post.

Go on a math-themed scavenger hunt for the Golden ratio in the flower garden or the park.

Did you know you cangrow a houseplant from kitchen scraps? Try growing a grapefruit plant or an avocado plant!

Learn the parts of a flower through dissection! Ideas included for adapting for all age levels.

Got dirt, mud, sand or snow? Learn some animal tracks and go on a scavenger hunt.

Dream up and design a themed garden! Fun themes for kids are:taco or pizza garden, rainbow garden, and alphabet garden.

Build your own indoor worm composting bin and start composting your food scraps.

Challenge the kids to design and engineer a plant seed from craft materials and see how well it sinks, flies or floats!

Build a creature and learn about animal adaptations with this easy activity.

Did you know bees communicate through dance? Challenge the kids to code directions in a dance just like a bee!

Kids love building? Here are some nature sculpture engineering challenges. Get outside and build!

For bug-loving kids, here are ideas for designing an insect investigation, includes a free printable science journal.

Observe birds at the feeder and keep a tally with this free bird counting printable.

Go on a nature walk and hunt for cool lichen, see what types of fungus you can find, or find an empty bird's nest.

STEAM: Activities that include Art

You'll find several STEAM activities in this post outlining afamily STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) event at my school. These are all fun for the whole family.

Grab a container from the recycling bin and build a zoetrope, then have the kids make some simple animation. This is always a hit with older kids. **Depending on the size of your container you may need to adapt the measurements. (We have faith in you!)

Hone the kid's observation skills and practice sketching in this "magnify without a magnifier" art project. All you need is a writing implement, an interesting object to draw and some paper.

Find some fractal patterns outdoors or online and create a beautiful fractal sun catcher. If you don't have tracing paper try substituting with parchment paper or very carefully with tissue paper.

Activities that Make Use of Technology

Kids on the computer? They can be citizen scientists and participate in projects likePenguin Watch!

Wildlife cameras are a great way to experience animals that you might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. Learn more about the Decorah Eagle wildlife cam here.

These are some videos I have used to teach science. They are all entertaining enough to watch for fun (and learn something too!)

Who doesn't like some fun music? Here are some of my favorite kid's science songs.

Did you know you can listen to an astronaut read you a picture book? Check out Story Time from Space.

Kids can learn coding for free through a variety of programs online (and off-screen as well!).

Looking for more science activities with household items?

Here is a list of companies offering free subscriptions during school closings!

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I've scoured the 300+ posts on Share it! Science to find over 40 hands-on science, STEM or STEAM activities that do not require special materials and can be completed with things you most likely already have at home. In a few cases I have made suggestions of possible substitutions for materials as well.

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Key Stage 2

Farming STEMterprise projects take children through each stage of setting up a farm shop business: considering seasonality when deciding which crop to grow, growing their own ingredients, considering nutrition when designing their recipes, using market research to test their ideas out with potential consumers, working within a budget when buying additional ingredients, learning knife skills when making their products, calculating expected profit, designing responsible packaging and much more.

Practical Science and Design & Technology lessons, closely tailored to each year group's programme of study, are incorporated throughout the projects and opportunities for applying Maths skills to engaging, real life problems are embedded at each stage. The projects have been designed to be easy to use and enable you to deliver key content from the national curriculum whilst embedding important messages about financial literacy and food provenance.

Farming STEMterprise has received Green Tick accreditation from the Association for Science Education and the Year 5 project is accredited for the CREST Discovery Award.

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Farming STEMterprise projects take children through each stage of setting up a farm shop business: considering seasonality when deciding which crop to grow, growing their own ingredients, considering nutrition when designing their recipes, using market research to test their ideas out with potential consumers, working within a budget when buying additional ingredients, learning knife skills when making their products, calculating expected profit, designing responsible packaging and much more.

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Wow! Amazing DIY Cardboard Caterpillar Automata Toy