The 5 BEST Summer STEAM Activities for kids
How can you make summer learning fun? What are some great summer STEAM activities kids will love?
These are the questions I started asking when I launched my popular DIY outdoor summer STEM Club last year. A group of families met outside in our backyard and each week we'd do a fun science or engineering activity, then let the kids loose to explore and play.
It was a huge hit! Since then, I've taken our top fun and easy STEM activities for elementary students and started turning them into curriculum guides YOU can use too. Whether you are looking to DIY a summer STEM camp at home or seeking activities for running a group program, we’ve got the BEST ideas to entertain and engage some budding scientists and engineers this summer!
1) Rockets
Hands down, the most popular STEM activity of the summer is rockets! Bottle rockets put on a great show. The kids were so engaged, worked collaboratively, and used excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills to build their rockets.
2) Slime
Slime has to be one of the most universally-loved science activities for kids. Because it can be a bit messy, slime is a great thing to do outdoors where clean-up is a breeze. There are so many different recipes and ways to experiment with slime, it’s an activity you can return to over and over again.
3) Dirt
A lot of kids relish the opportunity to get dirty. My kids love playing in the mud so much that I turned it into a several-month-long unit study! One of the best parts of the study? It’s hard to pick, but making real mud pies was pretty high on the list. We tried to “bake” our own recipe for soil and then found ways to test our recipes.
4) Water
Water is a great topic for STEAM exploration. Constructing small rivers and streams is particularly fun and easy if you have access to a sandbox or beach or even just a patch of dirt. A few rocks or sticks can act as damns or reinforce the sides of the “river” - then pour water and see what happens. There are so many directions to take this simple challenge!
5) Worms
Finding an earthworm in the garden and looking at it is one of those rights of passage for young scientists. There’s something about the humble worm that makes it an approachable wonder for kids. Building a habitat for an earthworm is a fun and simple STEM activity that allows kids a little more time to observe a tiny life.
Bonus: Simple STEM building challenges
Sometimes a quick prompt and some loose parts are all kids need to start building. I love these simple challenge decks because it's such an easy low-prep STEM activity. Simple STEM building challenges keep kids entertained and engaged with creative problem-solving.
Ultimate Summer STEM Activities Bundle
DIY STEM summer camp curriculum has never been easier - grab my Ultimate Summer STEM Bundle! I've got several of these STEM activities completely prepped so you and your kids can get straight to some awesome summer learning fun. Plus, you get a 30% off each unit for buying the whole bundle! Check it out!
