15 Cool At-Home STEAM Activities for Kids

Look no further for fun educational activities for kids that they will actually love doing.

By Whitney C. Harris April 8, 2020

Whether you’re sticking to a pre-planned homeschool schedule or letting the days unfold as they may, there’s plenty of time for some fun science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities at home right now. STEAM education is popular in many schools, after all, and these activities are great ways to infuse a little education in an afternoon of fun! Ranging from super straightforward to more complex (and a little messy), here are 15 fun STEAM activities to do at home with kids of all ages. DO try these at home!

Challenge your kiddos to build a bridge using toys and everyday objects! They can even test their bridges by placing their favorite figures (plastic animals, action figures, small dolls) and seeing if the bridge stands or falls.

Remember tin can telephones from childhood? Help your kiddos build a classic toy using recycled materials. Spoiler alert: It's only three steps and most if not all of the supplies can be found in your house.

Unfortunately, we can't visit the aquarium in person these days. Luckily, kids will have a blast building their own “jellyfish” in a bottle, then play with it for days (maybe weeks?) to come!

It's best to save trips to the grocery store for emergencies these days, so why not create some of your kids' favorite snacks at home using science and some ingredients you have around the house? For a tasty STEM activity, try making DIY microwavable popcorn, 5-minute ice cream, English muffins, or marshmallows!

This easy, low cost experiment using a common, household laundry product allows you to grow crystals and then create crystal names with your children. They can also play the waiting game as they watch the glittery letters take shape.

Here’s another crystal-making activity: Create a string of stalactites with this easy, low-mess STEAM project.

All you need is pipe cleaners and some colorful beads to do some screen-free coding. Print out these free, earthworm activity sheets and your little ones will learn simple sequencing, creativity, problem solving, and math.

A DIY marble run will keep your kids busy for at least an afternoon, right?! All you need for this is marbles, Play Dough, and some paper cups!

Get older kids in on the action. Make your own bath bombs—they’ll learn what causes them to fizz!—then everyone can take relaxing baths before bed.

This project is not only a fun way for kids to learn physics, but it's also eco-friendly. Master a basic physics concept while making a simple upcycled catapult.

Experimenting with shadow drawings is a fun way to encourage observation, physics, creativity, and to get the kids outside.

For something more advanced, try a wind-powered LEGO rescue mission.

Rainbows are all the rage right now, and this walking water experiment makes a beautiful one.

Let the kids ransack the house and then blow bubbles like never before, all in the name of learning!

And no homebound STEM fun roundup would be complete without a make-your-own baking soda volcano experiment.