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Blast Off!
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Students design and create their own air-powered rockets, in this hands-on activity.
Caution! Wildlife Crossing
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In this design challenge, learners use their creativity and imagination to design and test a wildlife crossing for their favorite animal.
Matraca
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In this activity, learners create a traditional Mexican noisemaker (a matraca) using cardboard, craft sticks, and a wooden dowel.
Pinball Wizard
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In this hands-on engineering project, kids use two simple machines, levers and inclined planes, to construct their own pinball machines.
What Gives?
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In this activity, learners design, build and test a model suspension bridge for sturdiness and strength.
Make a Totem Pole
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In this activity (on page 2 of PDF), learners make their own totem poles out of recycled materials.
Pop Bottle Whirligig
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Learn about friction and kinetic energy with this cool spinning toy.
Diaper Dissection
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This is written as a display, but can easily be adapted to a hands-on activity. Learners discover how all the parts of a diaper work together to keep babies dry and comfortable.
Eye Spy
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This fun activity uses simple materials such as milk cartons and mirrors to introduce the ideas of optics and visual perception.
Designing a Wall
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In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.
Rubber Band Racer
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In this activity, learners construct speedy vehicles made out of paper plates and powered by twisted rubber bands.
Straws and Pins
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In this activity, learners build bridges and cantilevers in a series of "building out" challenges with straws and pins.
Diving Submarine
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Learners use a commercially available toy to experiment with density. They fill a chamber in the toy submarine with baking powder and release it into a tank of water.
Chain Reaction II
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In this hands-on activity, learners use an assortment of (mainly household) items to complete Rube Goldberg-type challenges.
Finger Knitting
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In this activity, learners will learn how to knit using only their hands. Learners will explore patterns and fabrication as well as develop fine motor skills and patience through this activity.
Opti-Top
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In this activity, learners will create an optical illusion top. Learners will explore color mixing, physics and design through this activity.
Clay Bridges
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In this activity, learners make bridges using an oil-based modeling clay (plasticene). The instructions include discussion questions for both before and after bridge building.
Make Pooter
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In this activity, learners will explore engineering to construct an insect collecting tool (insect aspirator). The pooter uses suction to safely collect smaller insects that nets miss or may injure.
Atoms and Matter (K-2)
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In this activity, learners explore atoms as the smallest building blocks of matter. With adult help, learners start by dividing play dough in half, over and over again.
Thrill Ride
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In this activity, learners will build a roller coaster for a marble to run on using everyday household materials such as paper towel or toilet paper rolls, cups, boxes, books, buckets, chairs, etc.