End of Year STEM Activities for Kids
The weather is getting warmer and the students are bouncing off the walls. What are some end of the year STEM activities to help capture that energy? Check out these ideas that can be implemented in the elementary classroom. With minimal materials, many of these can even be taken outside. Enjoy the end of the school year with these hands-on activities that will also build memories.
End of Year STEM Activities for Kids | Not a Box Marble Maze
After reading the book, ‘Not a Box', students design a marble maze using Makerspace supplies. Dive in deeper by creating game rules, modify using a checklist and receive peer feedback.
This lesson can be worked on throughout the day as a long-term project. Or, only choose to plan and design. There are many different options with this lesson which makes it perfect for the end of year.
Materials needed: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, cardboard boxes, plastic straws, masking tape and marbles
Click here to grab this lesson for your class!
End of Year STEM Activities for Kids | Build a Shelter Challenge
How can you build a shelter that will withstand the elements? This STEM lesson follows the Engineering Design Process and can even be done outside! Students can use a combination of materials found outside, along with items found in the Makerspace to build a structure that can withstand rain, snow and wind.
Learning how to reiterate their designs is powerful for students in their growth mindset journey. This lesson tests those components. Read more in detail about how I taught this lesson HERE
Materials needed: items collected from outside, masking tape, plastic grocery bags, string, paper bags
Click here to grab this lesson for your class!
End of Year STEM Activities for Kids | STEM Get to Know You
Have students reflect on their favorite STEM activities and topics from throughout the year. This digital activity can also show off their design skills built from during the year. Even if this was completed at the beginning of the school year, it would be interesting to see how students' thoughts changed.
Materials needed: can be printed, but any student device compatible with Google Slides, PowerPoint or Seesaw.
Click here to grab this lesson for your class!
End of Year STEM Activities for Kids | Insect Makerspace
After researching about their favorite insect, students can build it using various Makerspace supplies. Students can even invent their own insect and make sure they have all body parts that make and insect, well, an insect!
Materials needed: various Makerspace materials
Click here to grab this lesson for your class!
End of Year STEM Activities for Kids | Kid-Safe Slime
Even if students have made slime many times before, add a twist to this lesson. By exploring this non-Newtonian fluid, students have many tests to determine which slime recipe is best. All three recipes are written in smaller proportions to keep material cost low and accessible for many classrooms.
Materials needed:
- Unicorn Slime {glue, water, food coloring, glitter, saline solution}
- Smoothie Slime {glue, water, food coloring, Tide laundry detergent}
- Fluffy Slime {Crayola model magic air dry clay, lotion}
Click here to grab this lesson for your class! 
I hope these ideas help to have a successful end of the school year!
Resources Mentioned in this post:
- Build a Shelter STEM Project | STEM Survival Camp
- Cardboard Game Ideas | Not a Box Lesson Plan
-
Insect Model Project | Parts of an Insect STEM | Digital & Printable
- Engineering Design & Kid-Safe Slime STEM Station
Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:
- Ignite Creativity with this Build a Shelter STEM Challenge by Naomi Meredith
- How to Start a Makerspace by Naomi Meredith
- List of STEM Books for Elementary by Naomi Meredith
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What questions do you have about STEM Survival Camp? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!
