Fun STEAM Programs and Activities for Kids
STE(A)M Truck
There are so many ways to learn about STEAM! These programs, online resources and at-home activities will help kids get engaged and excited about STEAM.
STEAM Programs For Kids
The EAA Young Eagles Program gives kids ages 8-17 their first ride in an airplane, helping to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation.
The Ron Alexander Youth Aviation Program at Peach State Aerodrome provides kids ages 14-18 guidance and mentorship in exchange for flight time towards a sport pilot or private pilot’s certificate.
The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program for ages 12-20 helps build skills in leadership, aerospace, fitness and character.
This free monthly event for families has hands-on activities to challenge and inspire kids. March 14, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Yards.
Emory Math Circle is a free enrichment program taught by PhD students and faculty from Emory and Georgia Tech. Kids in middle and high school learn how to think logically and creatively while developing a passion for mathematics. Classes are held in the spring and fall.
Morehouse School of Medicine STEAM Academy
This program immerses kids in grades 4-8 in the world of STEAM and explores its interrelation to health and medical professions.
Saturday STEAM programs at Georgia Tech include K.I.D.S. Club for grades 2-5 and STEAM Workshops for grades 6-12. Both encourage kids to study and pursue careers in STEAM with hands-on activities, problem-solving and teamwork.
Saturday STEM Workshops take place in an informal setting where kids can learn, explore and collaborate. Robotics, 3D printing, drones, makerspace projects and more help introduce STEM concepts.
SuperHero Science, a STEM enrichment program from Club SciKidz, is an after-school program available at participating schools and other locations in the metro area. Kids in grades K-6 learn science concepts through observation, measurement and experimentation. See the website for locations and summer camp information.
During after-school programs, kids team up to solve challenges using everyday items in their treasure chest. Groups meet over a 12-14 week period at a variety of Atlanta-area schools; see the website for locations and dates, as well as summer camp information.
STEAM Saturdays are for kids ages 8-16. Monthly topics include artificial intelligence, engineering, cybersecurity, programming and game design. Each 2-hour session is $25 and spring registration is now open. Sessions are held in Austell; summer camp and after-school programs are also available.
Programs are available through some metro Atlanta schools and at open-to-the-public locations with a focus on engineering, coding, robotics and more.
After-school enrichment programs from STEM Velocity include engaging topics, and the programs are held at various Atlanta area schools; check the schedule for availability and information on their summer camp program.
STEAM at Home
STEAM learning is about nurturing curiosity, creativity and confidence, and it can start at home with these ideas.
Apps
Join Cookie, Doc, Victor, Helix and Issy in their treehouse to explore the concepts of STEM with STEM Buddies.
Build, test and collect robots with this imaginative exploration of technology, Robot Factory.
Create and build crazy and fun inventions with Inventioneers. Learn how different things work and solve puzzles to acquire parts for your own inventions.
Nuture creativity with tutorials, design challenges, games and more with Project Aqua. Build your own art museum featuring original artworks, custom galleries and decorated rooms.
For ages 5-10, progress through math lessons to earn monsters, complete missions and build unique worlds while learning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with MathTango.
Crafts
Spring means spring blooms! Combine science, florals and colors with Engineering Emily’s Color Changing Plants project. Use white carnations to watch color-changing science via capillary action. Find instructions at engineeringemily.com.
NASA has crafting ideas, science experiments, videos, coloring pages, podcasts, virtual tours, e-books and more for an in-depth look at space exploration, aeronautics and earth science.
Help Hoseli the robot solve tricky problems with The Tester Taster project, and practice programming and logical thinking skills. Find instructions at kidescience.com.
Make your own roller coaster out of paper, tape and other household items with Science Buddies’ Build a Paper Roller Coaster. Find full instructions at sciencebuddies.org.
Light up your artwork in a cool way by creating simple circuits with LED lights. Find instructions at theartofeducation.edu.
Make math bloom with Miss Kindergarten’s Math Flowers craft. Create, decorate and fill in each petal to show a number in six different ways. Find instructions at misskindergarten.com.
Games
Explore earth and space with NASA Space Place. Games include building a spacecraft, exploring Mars, creating nuclear fusion and more.
Use smart digital skills to help Ruff, Lupine and Chet build a successful sushi business. Use technology to create ads, research new recipes, design social media posts and more.
Kids ages 5-18 can take STEM courses like coding, game design, engineering and robotics, and website creation with Kids Next Code.
Design bridges, build systems, fly paper airplanes and more with different games exploring engineering concepts on engineering.com.
From Tate, four art galleries in London, Liverpool and Cornwall, this website explores famous artists and artworks, creative activities, crafts and more, along with fun games and quizzes for artistic adventures.
Mimic the style of different artists, use different colors, switch through brush strokes and more to explore art with National Gallery of Art’s Paint ‘n’ Play.
Crayola offers a collection of fun, creative activities, games, videos, free coloring pages and more.
Math Playground’s games for grades kindergarten to middle school will help students practice math skills and concepts, such as algebra, fractions, division and more.
For students in grades Pre-K through 7th, Math Game Time teaches addition, algebra, geometry, problem-solving and more with games, videos and worksheets.
In the Math Zone, play games to improve math skills, including geometry, operations and more.
Activities
Spring weather can mean rain showers, warmer weather and sunny skies — sometimes, all in the same day! Watch a weather forecast one morning to discuss meteorology. The next time it storms, use a stopwatch to check the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder; for every five seconds, the storm is about a mile away.
Play his favorite video game together and talk about the technology possible to make this game fun. Encourage him to explore coding and make his very own game with Scratch, Tynker or GameMaker.
The six simple machines — wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw and pulley — make work easier. On your next drive, point out and discuss all the simple machines you see and use. What makes traveling by car possible? Why are ramps needed on the highway? What simple machines are in bridges?
Art is often used to depict a message in a more eye-catching way. Go for a walk along the 22-mile Beltline. What murals, sculptures or public art installations do you spot?
Before heading to the grocery store together, create a budget. Walk the aisles to find the best deals, and ask her questions: Which brand of cereal is the cheapest? Should we buy the $3 jar of 5-oz. pickles or the $5 jar of 10-oz. pickles? Depending on your child’s age, you can also discuss sales tax.
Bitsbox
STEAM in a Box
With complete supplies and instructions for projects mailed monthly, subscription boxes offer variety and keep kids interested in learning.
These hands-on science and art kits feature themes such as electricity, ocean science or music and contain instructions and materials for 4-8 STEAM projects. Also included is a 12-page booklet with more hands-on activities, parent resources and puzzles. Ages 3-10+; $28.95+/month.
Bitsbox teaches coding and computer science through app building. Kids choose an app, then build, customize and use it on any mobile device. Activities like Bug Blaster, Cookiesnitch and 333 Little Pigs make it entertaining. Each box has enough materials for siblings to share. Ages 6-12; $16.95/month.
Kids ages 7 and older can learn about concepts in electronics, chemistry, physics, astronomy and more with this program. Each box contains complete materials and instructions to build three projects, plus activity cards and educational information. Ages 7-12; $29.95/month.
STEAM in the Backyard
Combine learning and fun with these at-home STEAM experiments and activities using materials you probably already have around the house.
Launch a Balloon Rocket: Tie one end of a piece of string to a tree or post. Thread a drinking straw onto the string; tie the other end to another tree at the same height. Put two pieces of tape on the top of the straw. Blow up a balloon, hold the end to keep the air in, and use the tape to adhere it to the straw. Let the balloon go and witness the action and reaction of force.
Paint a Clothesline Masterpiece: Inspire kids to explore, experiment and create with paint. Hang an old sheet over a clothesline or fence; secure each corner with stakes or weights. Use large and small paintbrushes, kitchen sponges, fingers, or even natural objects, like a bundle of evergreen needles, to apply tempera paint.
Make a Sandbox Volcano: Fill a 16 ounce bottle about three-quarters full of water; add a few squirts of dishwashing liquid and 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda. Pack sand around the bottle in a volcano shape, leaving the top open. Pour in a cup of vinegar and experience the chemical reaction!
Shadow Tracking: Study the way shadows change throughout the day. Have your child stand on a sidewalk or driveway on a sunny day. Outline their shadow with chalk. Do this multiple times during the day to see how their shadow changes. Discuss why shadows get taller or shorter in relation to the earth’s movement.
Mix up Elephant Toothpaste: Make a foaming mix big enough for an elephant – but be sure to wear safety goggles and work in an area that can get messy. Pour ½ cup hydrogen peroxide in an empty plastic bottle. Add a squirt of liquid dish soap and a few drops of food coloring and swirl gently to mix. In a separate cup, mix one tablespoon of yeast and three tablespoons of warm water. Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and step back!
–Emily Webb and Mary Williams
