Science & STEM Ideas for the Entire Year

I love incorporating science experiments and STEM challenges into my lessons! They are so engaging and meaningful for my students and thus create a love and excitement for learning. In addition, my students’ are applying problem-solving and critical thinking skills as well as math and literacy skills as they observe, record, reflect, and write about their observations.

Because of these many benefits, I have found many times throughout the year to add science & STEM to my curriculum.

Here are some favorite ideas that you can easily add to your existing lesson plans throughout the school year or if you would like ready-made science lessons for the year click here.

Table of Contents

Apple Science & STEM
Pumpkin Science & STEM
Candy Science & STEM
Water Cycle Experiments
Solid, Liquid, & Gas Experiment
Christmas Science & STEM
Snow Science & STEM
Valentine Science & STEM
Easter Science & STEM
Earth Day Science Experiments
Plants & Flowers Science
Sun Science & STEM
100+ Science Experiments in a Money Saving Bundle

Apple Science Experiments & STEM Challenges

One of my favorite themes during the fall season is apples because we can do a lot of fun, engaging hands-on activities with them. CLICK HERE to find engaging ideas for exploring the insides of apples, learning the parts of an apple, building apple boats and apple towers, making apple seeds jump, creating an apple volcano, and more.

Pumpkin Science & STEM Ideas

Of course it is pumpkin palooza in the classroom during October and November, and I wanted to find fun activities to do with all of the pumpkins we bring back from our field trip to the pumpkin patch. CLICK HERE to see hands-on ideas for learning the parts of a pumpkin, pumpkin sink or float, pumpkin investigations, the pumpkin tower STEM challenge, pumpkin density jar, dissolving candy pumpkins experiment, pumpkin catapults & pumpkin boats STEM activities, and more.

pumpkin science experiments & STEM activities

Candy Science Experiments & STEM

Put your leftover Halloween candy to good use by using it for learning (or take advantage of the post-Halloween candy sales)! CLICK HERE to see a number of fun ideas for using candy for science & STEM such as a Skittles density rainbow experiment, candy sink or float, dissolving candy corn experiment, candy corn stacking STEM challenge plus grab some free coordinating science pages.

3 Different Water Cycle Experiments & a Craftivity

CLICK HERE to see my 3 favorite ways to teach young students about the water cycle and what makes rain plus a great culminating craft idea.

Easy Solid, Liquid, Gas Experiment with Free Printable Page

This is a really simple and engaging experiment I found for helping students recognize a solid, liquid, and gas. CLICK HERE to get the step-by-step directions as well as a free coordinating science page.

Christmas Science Experiments & STEM Ideas

Young students get so excited around the holidays which is why I like to incorporate engaging, hands-on science activities that grab students’ interest and keep them focused on learning. CLICK HERE to find my favorite Christmas science activities such as the Christmas cookie cutter experiment, dancing cranberries & jingle bells activity, magic milk color mixing experiment, pine cone science, Christmas sink or float, gum drop STEM challenge, dissolving candy canes & peppermints experiments, holiday static electricity activity, jingle bell STEM challenge, and magnets & jingle bells fun.

Snow Science Experiments & STEM Challenges

If you live in area that gets snow you know how excited students get about it! I decided to harness that enthusiasm and have some fun in the snow while incorporating science, math, and language arts. CLICK HERE for snow science ideas including catching snowflakes, snow sink or float, snowman & igloo building STEM, color mixing & painting with snow, measuring the liquid in snow, snow melting experiment, mixing oil and snow, Alka-Seltzer snow experiment, and a snow volcano.

Valentine Science & STEM Ideas

CLICK HERE for Valentine themed science ideas that can be used during your class party or the days/weeks preceding the party. You’ll find science ideas for fizzing hearts, magic milk marbled hearts, sweet heart candy melting, dissolving candy hearts, candy hearts STEM, candy hearts stacking challenge, dancing hearts, and hearts sink or float.

Easter Science Experiments & STEM Challenge Ideas

CLICK HERE to find creative ways to use Easter eggs, jelly beans, & Peeps for science and STEM. You’ll find ideas such as an egg stacking challenge, an Easter Peeps boats STEM challenge, egg rocket races, an Easter egg sink or float experiment, an egg weight / mass activity, Easter egg roll races, explosive egg dyeing fun, jelly bean rainbows & dissolving jelly beans experiments, a magnetic egg activity, and an egg breaking challenge.

Earth Day Science Experiments

Earth Day gives us a great opportunity to introduce young children to the importance of taking care of our world and the harmful effects humans have and can have on the environment. CLICK HERE to see hands-on experiments that give young students great visuals about the effects of water and air pollution as well as step-by-step directions for creating a solar oven.

Plants & Flowers Science Activities

CLICK HERE to find some fresh, new plants/flowers science activities that teach young students what liquid is best for growing seeds, how plants drink, if plants need light, how to grow grass & beans, and what plants need to grow.

Sun Science Experiments

The end of the school year signals summer for many students. CLICK HERE for ideas for having fun science in the sun such as a sun vs. shade experiment, how to make a solar oven to cook s’mores, a heat absorption activity, a sun dries up water activity, a sun prints activity, a sunscreen experiment, a light box experiment, a shadows activity, and sundial craftivities.

If you would like more detailed step-by-step directions with photos, printable recording pages, as well as ideas for technology integration for all of the above science & STEM experiments, CLICK HERE to download them in a money-saving bundle pack.

What other educators have said about this science bundle:

“This is a must have for every classroom! Love this resource!” – Morgan C.

“This was the best resource I have bought on tpt. My second graders are loving the stem inside and it’s so easy for me to follow. I love that it will last the whole year. Worth the buy!” – Danielle M.

“This is an outstanding unit! Everything is clearly laid out. The recording sheets are wonderful! I especially like the “Apple Science and Stem” theme and can’t wait to use it next year! Thanks so much!” – Sandra B.

“I have loved these activities but my students have loved them even more. We completed the Christmas experiments the whole week before winter break. My students looked forward to each activity and walked into the classroom each morning wondering what the day’s experiment would be. I have used experiments from some of the other files throughout our curriculum and those have gone just as well. What a great addition to my science resources!” – Lindsay L.