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25 4th Grade Engineering Projects to Get Students Engaged
May 10, 2022 // by Sean Kivi
1. Wicked Fast Water Slide
Build a water slide under different demands, such as time, and safety.
Learn more: Kerry Tracy: Feel-Good Teaching
2. Sunset Science Experiment
A fun science experiment to help explain why sunsets are the color that they are.
Learn more: Boundless Brilliance
3. Build a Coral Polyp
A simple earth science project becomes an edible science experiment by involving building an edible coral polyp!
Learn more: California Academy for Sciences
4. DIY Unpoppable Bubbles
This 4th grade science project doesn't take a lot of time and will produce some amazing results - everyone likes to play with bubbles!
Learn more: Learning Resources
5. STEM Quick Challenge Ski Lift Chairs
Although it may require some resources, students really enjoy creating a ski lift chair with a skier and trying to take them to the top.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
6. DIY Robot Steam Hand
This engineering project also works well as a 4th grade science activity to explore robotics and design a robot.
Learn more: SimTim TV
7. Right on Target
This fun design involves students thinking about the laws of science as they design catapults to help it different targets with ping-pong balls.
Learn more: Teach Engineering
8. Compact Cardboard machines
A great use of a non-renewable resource to create different simple machines.
Learn more: Instructables Project Channel
9. Slingshot cars
Send a car across the classroom to help students to understand different types of energy transformation, including potential energy .
Learn more: STEM Inventions
10. Hydraulic Arm
In this activity, students create a container of water to understand physics and engineering.
Learn more: Exploratorium
11. Build a Skyglider
Create a glider as part of STEM standards.
Learn more: PBS Kids
12. Egg Drop Challenge
A genius stem activity about protecting a raw egg dropped from a high distance. Definitely a classic!
Learn more: Quad Squad
13. Build a Biome
Using engineering and mineral resources, create a scaled biome of an environment.
14. Make a Wigglebot
This project for kids is a good idea for the science fair, as 4th grade students love seeing a simple robot that can design things itself.
Learn more: Lilly's Scientific Experience
15. Bottle Rocket
Here's another engineering science project that involves understanding chemical reactions and chemical energy.
Learn more: Steam Powered Family
16. Build a Bridge
This activity can really help to generate some STEM excitement and students begin to think about how to build a load-bearing bridge.
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
17. Feel the Heat
Understand how the water cycle works on the moon in this 4th grade science activity.
Learn more: Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA
18. Clean an oil spill
This STEM project has real-world applications as students learn to clean up wasted oil.
Learn more: Science After School
19. Build a Simple Circuit
Science videos can be interesting, but this activity helps students to understand the science behind batteries in an interactive way.
Learn more: Geek Guy MJ
20. Electric Dough
Electricity and cooking?! Yes! Students will learn to create their own electric creations when learning about electric dough.
Learn more: Try Engineering
21. Solar Oven
Another potentially edible science project, this lesson will lead to the creation of an oven using common materials and resources.
Learn more: Share It Science
22. Build a dam
With this engineering project, you can allow your students to help to fix the global issue of flooding.
Learn more: Darwin and Newts
23. Safe Landing
This activity is, quite literally, a breeze for teachers as it involves understanding airplanes!
Learn more: Discover Engineering
24. Rubber band Helicopter
Create a flying machine and take it to the skies in this ingenious activity.
25. Bottle Cartesian Diver
Understand the laws of science underwater in this exciting experiment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an engineering science fair project.
Any of the experiments and activities we have mentioned above would be suitable!
What are the best topics for investigatory projects?
You should try to ensure that your projects have a purpose or goal in mind for the student, in terms of what exactly they will be investigating. You should also choose a project that engages your student and makes them interested in the topic at hand.
What is taught in 4th grade science?
Topics will vary depending on where you live, so make sure to check the common core or state standards.
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Fourth Grade STEM Activities for Kids (236 results)
Science Buddies' fourth grade science projects are the perfect way for fourth grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our fourth grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the fourth grade. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.
For a personalized list of science projects, fourth graders can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard . The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.
Explore Our Science Videos
100 Engineering Projects For Kids
100 Engineering Projects for Kids
Actually we have assembled over 105 engineering projects for kids and are adding more as we complete or find more resources.
Why list so many engineering projects for kids?
Recent information from the Department of Labor Statistics forecasts that the largest job and demand growth will be in the technology fields between now and 2030.
Did you know the interest in engineering and STEM decreases for girls as they move into the upper grade levels in school?
A study conducted by Microsoft in partnership with KRC Research , related to engineering activities and STEM education, indicated that even with increased exposure for females to STEM education, interest in engineering and STEM related jobs did not increase as expected.
The reasons why the interest in STEM dropped off as girls got older:
- Lack of role models
- Peer pressure (Perhaps it wasn’t “cool” to be interested in STEM?)
- Support from parents
- Support from teachers
One solution even the study students pointed to was providing more hands-on engineering activities and STEM projects!
Below we have 105 engineering projects for kids. Whether you need a group or individual project, there is a variety of engineering projects listed below from which to choose.
Listed first are a few STEM and engineering activities specifically for preschoolers. We encourage you to involve your preschoolers with activities that may seem above grade level, as they will still learn by watching or participating in a small way, i.e. handing an older sibling supplies as needed, letting them take photos of the project along the way, or having them work on their own version of the project.
First, Download the STEM Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers – It’s FREE
The sponsor for our guide is The STEMKids. TheSTEMKids is about empowering young learners to blossom into curious and adventurous learners. Our science toys for kids is a product line that is specifically engineered to maximize hands-on learning, the best type of learning there is!
Fill out the form below to subscribe to The Homeschool Scientist’s emails and a download link will be sent directly to your inbox. ===Please make sure you have pop-up’s allowed when you open the email and click the link to the PDF!===
Preschool STEM & Engineering Projects for Kids
Straw Structures – So easy with only two items needed–Play dough and straws!
Walking Water
Fireworks in a Jar
Aeornautics for PreK from NASA – this is a PDF with lots of lesson ideas
Bridge Building Challenges
STEM & Engineering Projects for Students
Make a model of the snare design end-effector on the Space Station Canadaarm2 – using a few household materials.
Paper Building Blocks
Build A Truss Bridge
Build a Plow (snow or dirt!)
What’s Causing Seas Levels to Rise? From NASA, grades 2-8
Build With Straws and Paper Towel Rolls
The Air Up There. Making Space Breathable. This is for grades 10-12, from the Jet Propulsion Lab
Building With Paper Engineering Challenge
Homemade Cardboard Construction Kit
Gumdrop Engineering Challenge
K’nex Building Set
Keva Structures Set
Using Light to Study Planets . This is for grades 6-12
Snap Circuits
Magnetics Building Set
Siege Engines For Kids
Build an Airboat – from the Cornell Center for Materials Research. This is a Google doc that opens. This is a great family or class group activity!
Build An Aircraft Engineering Challenge
Simple Machines For Kids: The Pulley
K’nex Intro To Simple Machines: Gears
K’nex Intro To Simple Machines: Levers and Pulleys
Simple Pneumatic Machine
Make A Moveable Pully
K’nex Education Exploring Machines
Keva Contraptions
Paper Structure Engineering Challenge
Cork Launcher
Slingshot Rocket
Keva Catapult
Rubberband Helicopter
Intro To Engineering Set
The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab
Romote Control Machine Kit
K’nex Education Bridges
Foil Boat Engineering Challenge
Create A Marble Slide
Make Silly Putty This is from Cornell’s EYES Program – Encouraging Young Engineer and Scientists
Reverse Engineering w/ Printable Worksheets
Doodling Robot
DIY Marble Run
K’nex Education – Roller Coaster Physics
Gears! Gears! Gears!
Straw and Playdough Web
DIY Suspension Bridge
Elastic Band Powered Tugboat
Straw Rockets Engineering Challenge
Build A Crane
Build A Bridge With Straws And Straight Pins
Build A Catapult
Straw Geodesic Dome and Sphere
Build A Paper Airplane Launcher
Make A Hovercraft
Make A Bottle Rocket
How Strong Is An Eggshell?
Make A Bristlebot
Create A Rube Goldberg Machine
Experiment With Ramps
Electricity And Magnetism
A Propeller Car
Make a Mechanical Hand
Make A Waterwheel
Build An Airfoil
World’s Tallest Building Unit Study
Study The Engineering Of Bird Flight
Audio Engineering
Hydroelectric Dam Unit Study
Biodomes Engineering
Experiment With Columns
Choose A Pyramid Building Site
Learn About And Build A Simple Machine
Make An Electroscope
Make Paper Airplanes
Build A Model Rocket
Build A Mouse Trap Car
Design A Zip Line
Build A Dam
Build A Mechanical Grabber
Make A Flashlight
Make A Bubble-Blowing Machine
Create A Solar Oven
Create A Seismometer
Make A Pine Cone
Design A Mechanical Pegboard
Fluid Power Car
Build A Strong Honeycomb Structure
Design A Skyscraper For The Wind
Engineer A Redwood Tree
Build A Wind Powered Sailboat
Online Materials Testing
Online Engineering Games
Construct Hoop And Launcher Game
Roller Coaster Science
Paper Rockets
Interactive Physics Simulations
Indoor Slingshot
Build A Solar Hot Water Heater
Critical Load
Acoustic Engineering and Sound Control
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50+ Awesome Engineering Projects for Kids
Wow! I’m a huge fan of the best engineering projects for kids and want to be sure you have some great STEAM ideas on hand. This list is sure to get those creative juices flowing! Use this set of 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids posts to excite the kids all year long. Learn using STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) concepts while you explore forces of motion, chemistry, sound, and so much more! Plus, we keep updating it with all the fun projects we build and find!
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Do your kids love engineering projects as much as my kid does? The great thing about this set of fun engineering projects is that there are so many great activities for preschoolers! Start them young with a STEM project or science experiment on their developmental level.
Building Activities for Kids
What kid doesn’t love to build? This list of activities for kids is sure to entertain your creative kids! Start with a super-fun one like these:
- How to Build a Balloon Car || Left Brain Craft Brain – This project is a classic and we’ve made it easy for you with a helpful video!
- How to Build DIY Stomp Rockets || Left Brain Craft Brain – Kids LOVE stomp rockets. They’re really fun and have tons of hidden learning inside.
- Goldfish crackers STEAM Activity Snacks || Left Brain Craft Brain – Who doesn’t love goldfish? Make a snack pulley for them!
- STEAM Engineering for Kids: Making a Bubble Blower Machine || Teach Beside Me – Oh wow! This is an awesome idea for summer!
- Make a Box Lid Maze for Awesome STEAM Fun || One Time Through – You materials from your recycle bin for a DIY maze building activity.
- Hexbug Habitat Engineering Challenge || Inspiration Laboratories – This is perfect for your kids that LOVE hexbugs.
- Rubber Band Car DIY || Figment Creative Labs – Your creative kids are going to LOVE building their own moving car.
- DIY Recycled Suspension Bridge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Dig into your recycle bin for this DIY bridge.
- Awesome DIY Stethoscope for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – The kids are going to love making their own doctor toys!
- Build a DaVinci Bridge with Pencils || iGameMom – DaVinci bridges are amazing structures! You have to try this one.
- Make Your Own Dollhouse Building Block Set || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Boys and girls will love the building rooms and living spaces for their dolls!
- DIY PVC Tape Dispenser || Left Brain Craft Brain – You’re going to need one of these tape dispensers for all your Camp STEAM projects!
Engineering Projects for Kids That Move
There’s nothing more exciting than action-packed projects with things that fly, roll, and twirl. Check out this list!
- Paper Bird Flyer || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore what helps both birds and airplanes take flight with this fun and budget-friendly project.
- Chemical Reaction Car || Left Brain Craft Brain – Try out both mechanical and chemical engineering with this fun build!
- TP Roll Catapult || Left Brain Craft Brain – Even little builders can explore cause and effect with this project.
- Pom Pom Shooters || Left Brain Craft Brain – FUN! Enough said.
- Whirly Twirly Flying Birds || Left Brain Craft Brain – More ways to explore how birds get some serious air.
- Weather Science: Paper Cup Anemometer || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore wind and weather through this build that uses easy to get supplies.
Why Building for Kids?
Kids are natural, born architects! They love to explore the world around them and the cool forces of nature like gravity.
- Invitation to Build: Elsa’s Ice Palace || Left Brain Craft Brain – Elsa needs your help building her ice palace!
- 100 Invitations to Build || Left Brain Craft Brain – Need a little creative help for after school? Grab this printable!
- Bridge Building STEM Challenge with Craft Sticks and Wooden Cubes || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – You have everything you need for this simple building challenge in your playroom!
- Buildable Rock Slime || Left Brain Craft Brain – You’re going to LOVE this fun slime recipe!
- How to Make a Windmill Model with a Printable Pattern || Adventure in a Box – Print your own windmill!
Engineering Challenges, STEM Challenges, and STEAM Challenges
What are engineering challenges? They’re projects that give kids a specific goal, but not the process to get there, so there’s lots of creativity thrown in the midst.
- How to Teach Preschoolers to Think Like an Engineer in 3 Easy Steps || Preschool STEAM – Not sure where to start with your preschoolers?
- STEAM Challenge: Building a structure you can balance on your finger (or your nose) || Gift of Curiosity – Try this STEAM challenge with your preschoolers!
- Storytime LEGO Building Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Make your own storytime challenge with this great STEAM activity!
- LEGO Math Printable Challenge Cards || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – If you have LEGO lovers at home, grab these printable challenge cards for your next STEM activity.
- Gears Building Challenge Cards || Left Brain Craft Brain – This is a really awesome fun activity to add to your after-school entertainment!
- Summer STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Summer is right around the corner! Don’t run out of engineering projects for kids!
- Mechanical Engineering and Math STEM Challenge || STEAM Powered Family – Math practice has never been so fun!
- Star Wars STEAM Challenges || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your superfans will love these creative challenges like building a Mos Eisley cityscape.
- Build a Snack Mix Machine || Left Brain Craft Brain – This is a great incentive for an after-school snack!
- Build a Cardboard Box Ball Track || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Such a creative idea!
Challenging Engineering for Kids
Spark their brains with these fun activities!
- Superhero STEM Activities for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Do you have a little superhero at home? They need this!
- Paper Building Blocks || Babble Dabble Do – Behold the power of paper as an engaging (and cheap!) building activity.
- Ice STEM Engineering Challenge || STEAM Powered Family – An inviting and colorful way to build any time of the year.
- Star Wars STEM Learning Activities for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Can you build a droid or an x-wing fighter? Find out how in this awesome list of Star Wars projects.
Need even more STEM challenges? Try these 15 STEM Challenges for Kids!
Electrical Engineering Projects for Kids
Kids are going to LOVE exploring old computers and creating their own bots with this awesome list of engineering projects for kids!
- Paper Circuit Cards || Left Brain Craft Brain – Start off their electrical engineering journey with one of these paper circuit cards.
- Build a Circuit Flower || STEAM Powered Family – This is perfect for Mother’s Day!
- Minion Brush Bot || Left Brain Craft Brain – Have a little Minion fan at home? Make your own Minion bot in just a couple of minutes!
- Code a City || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Make your bot travel around a DIY city map!
- Upcycled Toy Car Marker Bots || Left Brain Craft Brain – Save those old toy cards for your next marker bot.
Want a helpful worksheet that teaches kids about circuits? Grab our free Introduction to Simple Circuits by entering your email address below.
FREE! INTRODUCTION TO CIRCUITS PRINTABLE ACTIVITY
- Binary Code Bracelet that is Out of This World || JDaniel4’s Mom – Who knew the binary code could be so fashionable!
- Tiny Dancers (A Homopolar Motor) || Babble Dabble Do – This is one of my all-time favorite engineering projects.
- Computer Destruction || Left Brain Craft Brain – Don’t throw out that old computer. Instead, us it to explore!
- Simple Circuit Science Project || What Do We Do All Day? – It can’t get much easier! You probably have all the materials you need already.
- Solar-Powered Paper House Project || Left Brain Craft Brain – Explore alternative energy with this model of a real-life build.
- Coding and Electrical Circuits for Kids || STEAM Powered Family – This is a great one to add to your engineering projects for kids!
- 8 Ways to Play with an Old Keyboard || Left Brain Craft Brain – Let your preschooler explore and learn with your old keyboard.
- How to Build a Simple Electromagnetic Train || Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls – Your kids are going to love making their own simple train move!
- Fruit Stand Circuits || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your favorite fruit has an electrical charge!
Holiday Engineering for Kids
Plan to add these to your holiday celebration fun! There’s something for Christmas and Halloween and Valentine’s Day. And stay tuned, I’ll be making some more lists of holiday engineering projects!
Christmas Engineering Projects
- Giant Paper Stars || Babble Dabble Do – Do a little paper engineering with these gorgeous, and huge!, paper stars.
- LEGO Santa Sleigh STEM Building Challenge || Left Brain Craft Brain – Your kids are going to love helping Santa with his sleigh this year!
- Gumdrop Trees || Left Brain Craft Brain – This classic project is always a winner!
- Invitation to Build: Tinkering Trees || Left Brain Craft Brain – Christmas is more fun with a simple invitation to build.
Valentine Engineering Projects
- Geometric Art – Valentine STEM || Teach Beside Me – Can you build a heart out of straws?
- Valentine’s Day STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – Lots of love went into the making of these fun Valentine’s Day challenge cards!
- The Love Boat STEAM Engineering Challenge for Kids || The Preschool Toolbox – Such a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your STEAM kids!
Halloween Engineering Projects
- 31 Days of Halloween STEAM Challenges for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – It’s never too early to have a plan for Halloween!
- Halloween Engineering Projects for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain – There are so many fun ways to keep kids learning this Fall!
- Pumpkin Brush Bots || Left Brain Craft Brain – These silly pumpkin bots are a great classroom project for Halloween!
Even More! Fun Engineering Projects for Kids
For those days when a big project is just a little too much, pull out this 100 Invitations to Build list , grab a basket of unique building supplies like curlers or ice cubes, and let the kids drive the creation! Fill out the form below to have the list emailed to you!
FREE! 100 INVITATIONS TO BUILD IDEA LIST
Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that you can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out STEAM Explorers!! The coolest creative experience for kids is here! It's a digital book of the month club filled with tons of fun stuff for the kids to do and learn. All engineer, teacher, and mom-approved. And most definitely KID APPROVED!
What’s included?
- A monthly digital magazine with cool themes that are fun to read
- Hands-on, exciting projects the kids will love.
- Science, tech, engineering, art, and math learning YOU’LL love.
- Delicious recipes the kids can make.
- Fun printables and games
This month we're getting inspired by the world around us with the Spring Ebook!
Join us as we explore all the amazing springtime things in the month of March from flowers to life cycles to sports, too!! You’ll love the helpful standards-based learning, printables, and tools that make STEAM exploration easy! The kids will love constructing a butterfly life cycle pop-up book, making their writing bloom with cherry blossom haiku, playing a basketball lab for March Madness, & more!
All packed up in an easy-to-do package, ready for kids ages 6-12 to have fun.
28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids
These projects are part of an amazing, month-long series of hands-on STEM and STEAM projects for kids. Click on over to 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids for 60+ FREE science, tech, engineering, art, and math projects from 30+ education writers. All ready to get your kids excited to learn.
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Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers
We Are Teachers
25 Fun and Easy Fourth Grade STEM Challenges (Free Printable!)
Hands-on fun that also helps them grow.
Teachers and kids both love STEM challenges. They encourage problem-solving skills and let kids prove just how much they already know. They’re hands on learning at its best! These fourth grade STEM challenges require only simple supplies and are terrific for partners or groups.
All you need to do is post one of these challenges on your whiteboard or projector screen. Then hand out the supplies and let kids take it from there!
Want this entire set in one easy document? Get your free PowerPoint bundle of these fourth grade STEM challenges by submitting your email here, so you’ll always have the challenges available.
Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!
25 Fourth Grade STEM Challenges
Create the longest possible paper chain from a single sheet of construction paper..
Build a domino chain reaction that incorporates at least two non-domino items.
- Lewo 1000 Pcs Wood Dominoes Set
Using only 10 index cards, construct the tallest possible free-standing tower.
- AmazonBasics 1000-pack 3″ x 5″ Index Cards
Engineer a catapult from wood craft sticks and rubber bands that can launch a marshmallow the furthest distance.
- Pepperell 1000 Natural Wood Craft Sticks
- BAZIC Multicolor Assorted Sizes Rubber Bands
Use newspapers and masking tape to build a chair that a member of your team can sit on.
Design a bubble wand that makes the largest bubbles using pipe cleaners and string.
- Zees 1000 Pipe Cleaners in Assorted Colors
- 10 Assorted Color 100-ft Twine Rolls, 1000 total feet
Create a model of a new piece of playground equipment using construction paper, cardboard tubes, plastic straws, scissors, and tape.
Stack 20 plastic cups into the tallest tower you can.
- Clear Disposable Plastic Cups, 500 Pack
Use paper plates, plastic straws, and masking tape to construct a new kind of vehicle.
- TOMNK 500 Multicolored Plastic Drinking Straws
- Stock Your Home 9″ Paper Plates, 500 Count
Build a bridge from wood craft sticks and binder clips that can support the weight of at least one book.
Put together a working windmill from a cardboard tube, construction paper, and plastic straws.
Design a marble maze on a paper plate using plastic straws.
Build a paper airplane that can fly through a hula hoop from 8 feet away.
Engineer the tallest possible tower from toothpicks and mini-marshmallows.
- 1000 Count Natural Bamboo Toothpicks
Build a sailboat raft from wood craft sticks, construction paper, and glue.
Use scissors to cut a paper plate in a way that makes it stretch out as long as possible.
Make a parachute for a small toy from a drinking straw, a plastic bag, and Scotch tape.
- Greyparrot Clear Tape, 8 Pack
Construct a building using only wood craft sticks.
Use balloons and masking tape to construct the tallest tower you can.
- Lichamp 10-Pack of Masking Tape 55 Yard Rolls
- 120 Assorted Color 12 Inch Latex Balloons
Build a boat from aluminum foil that holds 100 pennies.
Engineer a 3-foot-tall structure that can hold a basketball from newspapers and masking tape.
Come up with a creative new use for an empty plastic bottle. You can use other supplies to alter it however you like.
Use items from around the classroom to figure out a way to pick up and carry a beach ball from one side of the room to the other, without touching it with your hands.
- 12″ Rainbow Inflatable Beach Balls, 12 Pack
Construct a building from paper and masking tape that won’t blow over in the breeze from a fan.
Use pipe cleaners and drinking straws to build as many 3-D shapes as you can in 10 minutes.
Enjoying these fourth grade STEM challenges? Try these 30 Impressive 4th Grade Science Experiments and Activities .
Plus, 50 easy science experiments kids can do with stuff you already have ..
Get a PPT Version of These STEM Challenges
Jill Staake is a Contributing Editor with WeAreTeachers. She has a degree in Secondary English Education and has taught in middle and high school classrooms. She's also done training and curriculum design for a financial institution and been a science museum educator. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida where she often works on her back porch while taking frequent breaks for bird-watching and gardening.
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25 Kid-Tested STEM Projects Made With Simple Materials
Easy and fun collection of STEM projects and lessons for elementary and middle school. Made for teachers, science fairs, and weekend activities. Find more ideas on our website STEM Inventions ! You can also find lesson plans, project sheets, and more resources as well. These project-based lessons focus on basic principles of physics, structural, and mechanical engineering. All projects in the collection use the same set of materials, so it's easy and cheap to buy in bulk and create many of these activities (links are provided in-lesson).
DIY Scribbling Doodle Bot Project - STEM Classic Made Better
by LanceMakes in Education
Rubber Band Helicopters - Engineering Project for Kids
Slingshot Straw Rockets - Engineering Projects for Kids
Easy Hydraulic Machines - Engineering Projects for Kids
Propeller-Powered Car - Engineering Project for Kids
Simple Pneumatic Machine
Bow and Arrow
Hydraulic Judo Robots - Exciting STEM Project for Kids
by LanceMakes in Toys & Games
100-Yard Paper Rocket Launcher
by LanceMakes in Rockets
Propeller-Powered Zipline Racers
Pyramid Catapult
Cork Launcher
Mini Catapult Projects for Kids
by LanceMakes in Siege Engines
Slingshot Cars
Quick & Fun Engineering Projects
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4th Grade NGSS STEM Challenges Any Time 4th Grade NGSS STEM Challenges 4th Grade NGSS STEM Challenges
I got a fantastic question from a 4th grade teacher in my inbox the other day. it read:.
“I am hoping to teach a STEM lab starting in October for 4th grade and will need to focus on activities that support and teach 4th grade science standards. Do you have activities that specifically support the NGSS for 4th grade? I have discovered many bundled ideas that claim they support 4th curriculum but then there are only 1-2 activities that actually deal with the specific 4th grade standards making the resource not fully usable. The “engineering” standards are generally always included, but the activity itself has nothing to do with the specific energy standards for 4th grade. Thank you for your time!”
So thank you, Joyce, for reaching out! It can be annoying to figure out which Next-Generation Science Standards STEM Challenges are aligned with, I know. And for me, I’ve always been a hard-liner with the way I tag my resources for alignment. I only tag the engineering standards because that’s what the challenge itself thoroughly addresses.
I recently went live on my Facebook page to talk through all of this. I’ve embedded that video here, and everything discussed is linked below. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Even though my STEM challenges come with content-connection suggestions and often also include related video links, activities, and handouts, it’s up to the teacher to decide to use those — or not. So, I’ve tended to err on the side of being overly cautious with standards tags; I never want to mislead or confuse anyone.
That said, there are a LOT of standards connections across many grade levels with the suggestions included in my resources, and I always include thorough previews of my resources, plus video walk-throughs to take the guess work out for you.
So with that, let’s check out the 4th Grade NGSS Topics and which STEM Challenges are aligned — beyond the engineering strand.
Note: This list addresses only 4th grade NGSS connections. Many of the challenges not on this particular list align well with other 4th grade standards in math and ELA.
4th Grade NGSS: Energy
Best connections:, apple annihilator (wrecking ball), wicked-fast water slide (potential/kinetic energy), keep it cool / make it melt (heat transfer), planetopia plants (energy from sun), sled & slope / sleigh & slope (potential/kinetic energy), carrot carriage (potential/kinetic energy), looser connections:, wings wanted (paper airplane), treat toss (catapult: potential/kinetic energy), cupid’s quiver (bow & arrow: potential/kinetic energy), build a boat / mini mayflower (wind energy, if using the sailing speed test).
4th Grade NGSS: Waves
4th Grade NGSS: Structure, Function, and Information Processing
Create-ure (creating an animal with features that support survival, growth, behavior, reproduction)
Planetopia plants (creating plants with features that support survival needs), amphibious phones (post-challenge extension: designing cases for different classes of animals and relate those features to their survival needs), wings wanted (if after you perform the paper airplane test, you extend with research or lessons on bats and how their anatomy helps support their survival), creature catcher (spider web challenge: extend with a study of spiders’ anatomy, functions, and behaviors that support survival), bone bridge (skeletal system or vertebrates vs. invertebrates, comparing structure and function), groundhog graffiti (light reflected from objects enters the eye — looser connection), 4th grade ngss: earth’s systems: processes that shape the earth, best connections, planetopia parcels (landforms), wild weather shelter or protect-a-pilgrim (i prefer wild weather shelter for 4th as it relates more throughly to reducing impacts of earth’s processes on humans), looser connections, card towers , apples aloft , or cards in the clouds (building towers resistant to earthquakes), new earth city (students build a “perfect” city on a fictional planet), create-ure (if you extend with fossil record activity).
The Verdict?
The best-aligned bundle for 4th grade teachers is the planetopia project . each challenge in that bundle addresses multiple 4th grade science standards., the others each challenge mentioned is included in a bundle 5-pack. the halloween bundle included 4 challenges on the list, so it’s another contender..
But remember, all the challenges on this list align with the engineering strand.
And just because a challenge didn’t make this science connections list, doesn’t mean it won’t align beautifully with 4th grade standards in math and ELA!
If you want to learn more about any of these challenges, you can click through on the links above to see the product descriptions and previews or scroll to the bottom of this page. You’ll see links to hub pages for every set of STEM Challenges. Those hub pages include more details, links to video walk-throughs, blog posts, testimonials, photos and more.
And let me know in the comments if you have any questions!
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It read: “I am hoping to teach a STEM lab starting in October for 4th grade and will need to focus on activities that support and teach 4th