Do you ever have an “Ah-ha” moment? They are super exciting! You can make those moments happen for your kids with a STEM challenge! About two years ago I started teaching an integrated science course.
Read about our other challenges: Building with Straws & Cargo Flying
The Integrated Science Class is a large class of 39 kids, with mixed grades (3rd to 8th graders) and we strive to mix science, technology, engineering and math skills each week, learning by solving challenges.
Every week we break the kids up into teams randomly and give them a set of rules and challenges.
Red Cup STEM Challenge for Kids
At the beginning of the class we broke the kids into teams. We typically run 35-40 kids a class period, breaking into teams makes the class more manageable. The teams are completely random, and each week the kids are paired with a new group and new challenges.
Each team received a stack of plastic cups and we told them that they had to make a pyramid with the tools included. Then they had to put a Lego Character on the top of their tower. All without touching the cups or the figure with their hands. Those were the ONLY rules given at the beginning!
This post includes affiliate links.
STEM Learning Activity Idea
Tools the kids received:
- 10 Red Plastic Cups
- 2 Straws per person in the team
- 1 – 2ft length of string per person in the team
- 1 cotton ball per person in the team
- A rubber band per kiddo
- And 1 Lego Figure per team
- (optional: Crepe Papertape)
Directions for our STEM challenge:
The kids need to work together to come up with a way to move the cups. Some kids might lift the cups with the straws, others tied the string to the cups and then liften the string ends to lift the cups. Another team stretched the rubber bands to place them around the cups, then lifted the cups as a team.
Make it harder!
After a team “won” the challenge, I would ask them to tell me to show me how they did it… and then we would remove a tool or add a handicap and they had to re-think the challenge and re-do it.
So for the team that lifted the cups with the straws we took the straws away, for a team that had struggles communicating we made everyone silent except for the child who was the quietest, for a team who was super, super fast, we had them put their left hands into their back pockets.
Do you have an especially gifted kiddo? Blind them with crepe paper! This kiddo left to tell his mom that he LOVED STEM class!
More STEM Activities
- Building with Straws: a STEM Activity
- STEM Paper Airplane Challenge
- Lego Balance Scale Stem Project
Did your kiddos enjoy this STEM activity? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear! Also, be sure to join us over on our Facebook page.
Looking For More Science Fun?
- You don’t always need fancy items to do experiments. You can use a lot of items you have around the house which is great to do these kitchen science for kids!
- Learn about physics with these inertia experiments for kids.
- Science fair coming up? Check out our list of elementary schools science fair projects.
- While candy corn’s taste may be controversial, it is great for this candy corn science experiment.
- Make pretty colors with this color changing milk experiment.
- Learn about acid and bases with this tie dye experiment.
- This science fair project on how easy germs spreads is perfect to show why people need to be mindful about hygiene.
- These hand washing science fair projects are perfect this year to show people why they need to wash their hands regularly.
- The science fair doesn’t have to be stressful. We have plenty of science fair poster ideas!
- Need more awesome science fair projects ideas? We have them!
- Make learning fun with these science games.
- Be creative while learning with these playdough science experiments.
- Make science festive with these Halloween science experiments!
- Who knew science could be delicious with these cool edible science experiments.
- Get hands on with these air pressure experiments for kids.
- Need a break from science? Then check out our free printable zentangle coloring pages!
