10 Exciting Engineering Projects for Kids

In a world filled with gadgets and technology, nurturing the young engineers of the future with STEM activities for kids is both exciting and essential. Encouraging kids to explore the fascinating world of engineering not only sparks their curiosity but also helps them develop critical problem-solving skills and creativity. Whether your child dreams of designing a skyscraper, constructing a robot, or launching a rocket, these 10 hands-on engineering projects are sure to ignite their passion for all things STEM.

From catapulting marshmallows to designing paper bridges, these science activities are not only fun and educational STEM resources but also easily achievable with everyday materials. So, grab your safety goggles, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for some engineering science experiments with your young engineers. Read more below about STEM activities for kids to help them enter into a world of imaginative creation and exploration!

1. Marshmallow Catapult

Goal: Understand the STEM skills of force, mechanics, and simple machines while designing and testing a miniature catapult with critical thinking.

Child's Goal: This fun STEM activity allows little hands to design and build a catapult that can launch a mini marshmallow the farthest distance.

Engineering Concepts: Understanding force, simple machines, and mechanics.

Materials:

• Craft sticks (popsicle sticks)

• Rubber bands

• Plastic spoon

• Mini marshmallows

Procedure:

1. Create a frame using craft sticks and rubber bands.

2. Attach a plastic spoon to the frame.

3. Load a mini marshmallow into the spoon and launch it using your catapult.

2. Paper Bridge Challenge

Goal: Learn about structural engineering and load-bearing capacity by designing and building a paper bridge that can support heavy objects.

Child's Goal: Ideal for middle schoolers, this science activity challenges them to construct a paper bridge that can support the heaviest load (such as books).

Engineering Concepts: Structural engineering, load-bearing capacity.

Materials:

• Sheets of paper

• Books or other heavy objects

Procedure:

1. Design and build a paper bridge using sheets of paper.

2. Test the bridge's strength by placing books or other heavy objects on top of it.

3. Balloon-Powered Car

Goal: Explore energy transfer, propulsion, and aerodynamics while creating a car powered by the inflation and deflation of a balloon.

Child's Goal: This STEM project challenges kids to create a balloon-powered car that can travel the longest distance.

Engineering Concepts: Energy transfer, propulsion, and aerodynamics.

Materials:

• Plastic bottles

• Drinking straws

• Balloons

• Wheels (e.g., bottle caps or toy wheels)

• Tape

Procedure:

1. Attach the wheels to the bottom of the plastic bottle.

2. Insert a drinking straw through the bottle's opening.

3. Attach a balloon to the end of the straw.

4. Inflate the balloon and release the air to make the car move.

4. Straw Tower Challenge

Goal: Enhance understanding of structural engineering and design by constructing the tallest, most stable tower using plastic straws.

Child's Goal: From toddlers to older kids, anyone can try to build the tallest and most stable tower using plastic straws.

Engineering Concepts: Structural engineering, stability, and design.

Materials:

• Plastic drinking straws

• Tape or rubber bands

Procedure:

1. Build the tallest free-standing tower you can using only plastic straws and tape/rubber bands.

2. Test the stability and height of your tower.

5. Egg Drop Challenge

Goal: Investigate impact resistance and material science by designing a protective enclosure to prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height.

Child's Goal: This popular STEM challenge asks the student to develop a protective enclosure that ensures a raw egg survives a drop from a height.

Engineering Concepts: Impact resistance, material science.

Materials:

• Raw eggs

• Various materials for building protective enclosures (e.g., paper, bubble wrap, string, tape)

Procedure:

1. Design and build a protective enclosure for a raw egg.

2. Drop the egg from a height to test if it survives the fall.

6. Straw Roller Coaster

Goal: Explore gravity, momentum, and design while building a miniature roller coaster for marbles to travel through.

Child's Goal: This fun activity urges little hands to construct a roller coaster for marbles that allows them to travel through loops and turns.

Engineering Concepts: Gravity, momentum, and design.

Materials:

• Drinking straws

• Tape

• Marbles or small balls

Procedure:

1. Build a miniature roller coaster using drinking straws and tape.

2. Test the roller coaster by releasing marbles and observing their journey.

7. Wind-Powered Car

Goal: Gain insights into wind energy, propulsion, and aerodynamics by building a car that moves forward when blown upon.

Child's Goal: Perfect for middle school play, kids will build a wind-powered car that moves the farthest distance when blown upon.

Engineering Concepts: Wind energy, propulsion, and aerodynamics.

Materials:

• Cardboard

• Drinking straws

• Tissue paper

• Tape

• An empty plastic bottle

Procedure:

1. Create a car using cardboard as the base.

2. Attach a straw to the bottle and secure it to the car.

3. Attach tissue paper "sails" to the straw.

4. Blow through the straw to propel the car forward.

8. Spaghetti Tower Challenge

Goal: Test structural engineering principles, stability, and load distribution by constructing the tallest tower possible using spaghetti and marshmallows.

Child's Goal: This exciting STEM challenge asks for kids to create the tallest and most stable tower using spaghetti and marshmallows.

Engineering Concepts: Structural engineering, design, and load distribution.

Materials:

• Dry spaghetti noodles

• Mini marshmallows

• Tape

Procedure:

1. Build the tallest tower you can using dry spaghetti noodles and mini marshmallows.

2. Test the stability and height of your tower.

9. Rubber Band-Powered Boat

Goal: Understand energy transfer, propulsion, and buoyancy by creating a boat powered by a wound-up rubber band.

Child's Goal: One of the most fun spring STEM activities, this project wants children to design a boat that can travel the farthest distance using a wound-up rubber band as a power source.

Engineering Concepts: Energy transfer, propulsion, buoyancy.

Materials:

• Small plastic container or boat hull

• Rubber bands

• Wooden sticks or plastic straws

• Tape

Procedure:

1. Create a boat by attaching sticks or straws to the container.

2. Wind up a rubber band and attach it to the boat's propeller.

3. Release the rubber band to power the boat through water.

10. Straw Bridge Challenge

Goal: Learn about structural engineering, load-bearing capacity, and design by constructing a bridge that can support heavy objects.

Child's Goal: This critical thinking task challenges students to construct a bridge that can support the heaviest load, such as books.

Engineering Concepts: Structural engineering, load-bearing capacity, and design.

Materials:

• Plastic drinking straws

• Tape or rubber bands

• Books or other heavy objects

Procedure:

1. Design and build a bridge using plastic straws and tape/rubber bands.

2. Test the bridge's strength by placing books or other heavy objects on top of it.

By setting specific goals for each project, children can focus their efforts on achieving tangible outcomes, while simultaneously learning about fundamental engineering concepts and honing their problem-solving skills. These projects provide a hands-on approach to education, making the learning process exciting and engaging for young engineers.

 Have fun exploring the world of engineering with these exciting activities!