Note from the Editor: As the year winds down for so many educators (and for some of you it’s already over), we thought it would be great to leave you with some easy-to-do STEM activities that are sure to help make your final days just fly by! The one and only Sarah Dlouhy is our guest contributor this week, and she’s got six quick and simple STEM activities sure to be a hit in your classroom! Also: don’t miss a free download at the bottom!

Beach Ball Catapult

Suggested Grade-Levels: 2nd-5th (K-1st with scaffolds)

Materials Needed: small ball, container, water, bear manipulatives (people), catapults {rubber bands, popsicle sticks, plastic spoons}, misc. supplies that students could use in the “water” to serve as a “safety net”

Objective: Get the beach ball into the pool without knocking down the people.

This activity can be utilized with all grade levels, but may need to be modified for Kindergarten and 1st grades where dexterity can be an issue in building the catapult using the rubber bands. You could pre-build the catapults for them, or ensure you have some extra adult hands on-deck to support them in making it themselves.

For all other grade levels, provide them a visual model of a catapult and the supplies and give them approximately 5-10 minutes of “engineering” time to figure out how to use the supplies they have to create a rudimentary catapult. Facilitate a discussion among students about what works and what doesn’t. Once students have had an opportunity to try making a catapult themselves, show them how to make one.

Students can then use the catapult and other materials to launch the “beach ball” (small ball) into the water without knocking down the “people” (bear manipulatives). Encourage students to conduct repeated trials and improve upon their design.

Sticky STEM Challenge

Suggested Grade-Levels: K-3rd

Materials Needed: thin popsicle sticks (1 per student), pipe cleaners (1 per student) and hex nuts (2 per student)

Objective: Try to get a popsicle stick to balance on their finger.

Begin this activity by showing students this Canva presentation. Distribute the materials to students and encourage them to plan their design, test it, and improve upon it. It should take students about 10-15 minutes to successfully design a support that has “Sticky” balancing on his own.

Water Balloon Relay

Suggested Grade-Levels: K-5th

Materials Needed: any (yes, really - any!) supplies you have on hand + filled water balloons

Objective: Complete a relay without touching the water balloon.

Divide students into groups. Provide each group with a set of (or access to) whatever supplies you have on-hand as well as a filled water balloon. Give each group 5-10 minutes to create a carrier for the water balloon that will allow them to pass it from one person to the next, safely, and without the water balloon being touched.

After each group has finished creating their carriers, conduct a relay race to test the strength and ease-of-use of their projects. You can do a timed or untimed relay; if you choose a timed relay, you can have students attempt to improve upon their time by improving the ease-of-use of their carrier device.

Beach Ball Paper Tower

Suggested Grade-Levels: K-5th

Materials Needed: paper, glue or tape, beach balls

Objective: Build a paper tower that can hold a beach ball.

Students could complete this activity in groups or individually. Using paper and a way to secure it, students will build a tower that can hold a beach ball. You can add additional constraints to this challenge, such as limiting the number of pieces of paper used, or setting a minimum or maximum height.

Beach Ball Toss

Suggested Grade-Levels: K-5th

Materials Needed: whatever you’ve got (no, really!) and a beach ball

Objective: Design a device to hit a beach ball to a friend without touching it.

Students should complete this activity individually and pair up to test their design. Using whatever materials you’ve made available, students will build a device that will allow them to toss a beach ball back and forth with their partner without physically touching the beach ball themselves. You can add additional constraints to this challenge, such as limiting the number of materials used, or setting distance requirements - such as how far you must be able to hit the beach ball.

Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill

Suggested Grade-Levels: 2nd-5th

Materials Needed: whatever you’ve got (I used my STEM/math manipulatives, pipe cleaners, yarn, paper towels, cotton balls, paper, aluminum foil, recycled cardboard, and recycled lunch bags), buckets of water, and plastic beakers

Objective: Design and create a bucket that can hold the most water.

Using “Jack and Jill” for inspiration, set the stage for students to “go up the hill and fetch a pail of water.” Students should be divided into groups so that you can utilize a relay method to test their “pails” once they’ve designed and created them. Students will use whatever materials you’ve got available to design and create a pail that will hold the most amount of water. Encourage students to test out their design frequently before trying to fill it to the brim with liquid. Once students are ready, you’ll test the “pails” - all at once - by conducting a relay. Students will start with an empty beaker at the starting line, and run to a filled bucket of water and back. They’ll then pour what water remains into the beaker and pass the “pail” to their teammate. They’ll complete the relay and then measure the amount of water in their beaker. Please note: This activity should really be completed outdoors because it’s likely there will be some spillage!

BONUS DOWNLOAD: Use this free Summer STEM recording sheet with ANY of the STEM challenges above - or create your own!

Sarah Dlouhy is a K-5 STEM teacher, graphic designer, and member of Team GYTO. You can follow her on Instagram at @creativeschooldaze.