Summer is here! Looking for easy summer STEM activities that actually keep kids interested? These hands-on science experiments are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged kids. Most use inexpensive supplies you already have at home and are great for backyard play, summer camp, classrooms, or rainy afternoons.
Why We Love Summer STEM Activities
After creating and testing hundreds of hands-on activities with children over the years, I’ve found that summer is one of the best times to introduce STEM learning. Kids are naturally curious outdoors, and simple science experiments feel more like play than a lesson. Whether they’re building, mixing, testing, or exploring nature, they’re developing important problem-solving and critical thinking skills without even realizing it.
One of the things I love most about summer STEM activities is how easy they are to set up. Many use inexpensive materials you already have at home and are perfect for the backyard, driveway, park, or even a picnic table. Plus, taking the mess outside means kids have the freedom to experiment, get creative, and explore without worrying about making a mess indoors.
If you’re looking for fun ways to keep kids learning over summer break, these hands-on STEM activities are an easy way to combine science, engineering, creativity, and active outdoor play. They’re engaging enough to keep kids interested while building skills they’ll use long after summer is over.
Summer STEM Activities
Water STEM Activities
Pool Noodle Water Wall: This easy pool noodle water wall turns an ordinary fence into an exciting outdoor STEM activity. Kids will love exploring gravity, engineering, and cause and effect as they pour water through twisting tunnels they can rearrange again and again.
Aluminum Foil River: Create a winding river using aluminum foil and let kids explore how water flows through different channels. They can experiment with slopes, obstacles, and speed while learning about engineering and erosion.
Funnel Sensory Bin: Funnels transform an ordinary water table into a fascinating STEM investigation. Kids explore gravity, water flow, and measurement while pouring water through funnels of different sizes. This simple invitation to play encourages experimentation and keeps children engaged for surprisingly long periods.
Aluminum Foil Boats: Challenge kids to design a boat that floats while holding as many pennies or small stones as possible. This fun engineering activity introduces buoyancy, balance, and problem-solving while encouraging children to redesign and improve their creations after each test.
Stick Rafts: Head outside to gather sticks before building simple floating rafts. Children will use engineering skills to figure out how to secure their sticks together and test whether their raft floats. It’s a wonderful nature-based STEM activity that combines creativity with scientific thinking.
DIY Water Wall: Designing a DIY water wall encourages children to think like engineers as they test different pathways for water to travel. Kids can predict what will happen, make adjustments, and solve problems while having fun. Every build is unique, making this an activity children will return to again and again throughout the summer.
Lemon Oobleck: This refreshing twist on classic oobleck adds a bright citrus scent to an already fascinating sensory science activity. Kids will love squeezing, stretching, and pouring this unusual mixture while learning about non-Newtonian fluids. It’s messy, hands-on, and packed with opportunities for scientific exploration.
Ice STEM Activities
Fizzy Science Experiments
Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment
Summer STEM Crafts
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a STEM activity?
A STEM activity is a hands-on learning experience that encourages children to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through play. Instead of memorizing facts, kids learn by asking questions, testing ideas, solving problems, and discovering how things work. STEM activities can be as simple as building with blocks, making a baking soda volcano, or experimenting with water and ice. The best STEM activities are fun, engaging, and use everyday materials you probably already have at home.
2. What is the difference between STEM and STEAM?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, while STEAM adds Art to the mix. The art component encourages creativity, imagination, and design thinking alongside problem-solving and critical thinking. Both STEM and STEAM activities help children develop important skills for school and everyday life. Whether your child is building a bridge from craft sticks or creating colorful fizzy art, they’re learning through hands-on exploration.
3. What age are STEM activities good for?
STEM activities can be enjoyed by children of all ages, including toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged kids. The key is choosing activities that match your child’s developmental stage. Toddlers benefit from simple sensory-based science activities like pouring water or melting ice, while older children can tackle engineering challenges and more detailed science experiments. Most of the summer STEM activities in this collection can easily be adapted for different ages.
4. What supplies do I need for summer science experiments?
You don’t need expensive science kits to have fun with STEM. Many of the best summer science experiments use inexpensive household supplies like baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, ice, water, cups, straws, balloons, dish soap, pool noodles, plastic bottles, and recycled containers. A few basic craft supplies like paper, tape, markers, and scissors are also helpful. With a small collection of everyday materials, you’ll be able to try dozens of easy STEM activities all summer long.
5. Can toddlers do STEM activities?
Absolutely! STEM activities for toddlers focus on exploring, experimenting, and playing rather than learning complicated scientific concepts. Simple activities like pouring water, floating and sinking objects, building with blocks, or watching ice melt introduce important early STEM skills while keeping learning fun. Adult supervision is always recommended, but many STEM activities can be adapted so even the youngest learners can safely participate and build confidence through hands-on play.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
