Every time a preschooler builds a tower with blocks, watches water swirl down a drain, or asks, “Why is the sky blue?” they’re already participating in STEM thinking. Your kids are always looking for ways to feed their curiosity rather than remembering complex formulas or solving equations.
Customizing your child's STEM education can prepare them for a future career in the field. Besides getting more confident to experiment, their creative personality begins to take form.
The best part is all this can be done through play! Below are five fun STEM activities for preschoolers. It’s time to turn ordinary study sessions into hands-on learning adventures.
1. Magic Milk Explosion (Chemistry Basics)
You’re going to need a shallow dish, whole milk, red, yellow, and blue food coloring, dish soap, and cotton swabs for this exciting experiment.
Start by pouring milk into the dish, but just enough to cover the bottom. Add 3-5 drops of food coloring near the center. Then, dip a cotton swab in the dish soap before lightly touching the milk’s surface. Get ready to watch your child get mesmerized by the colors bursting and swirling, turning into mesmerizing patterns.
Kidd Tip: Use different types of milk (2%, skimmed, or whole) and see if the reaction changes.
2. DIY Catapult Challenge (Engineering and Problem-Solving)
Begin by gathering craft (ideally popsicle) sticks, rubber bands, a couple of plastic spoons, and either small pom-poms, marshmallows, or cotton balls.
Now, stack five craft sticks together by securing both ends with rubber bands. Take two extra sticks and secure them at one end with another rubber band. Next up is the fun part, wherein you wedge the larger stack between the two sticks like an open alligator mouth.
Now, ask your child to attach a plastic spoon to the top stick using a rubber band. Finally, place a small object in the spoon and press it downwards—release it and watch it launch.
Kidd Tip: Have your kids predict which object will fly the farthest, and then test it and record the results.
3. Walking Water Rainbow (Color Mixing and Capillary Action)
You’ll need six clear cups, some paper towels, water, and red, yellow, and blue food coloring for this fun STEM activity.
Simply begin by filling three cups with water and adding different food coloring to each cup. Now, ask your child to arrange the cups in a circle with an empty cup between each colored one.
Now comes the WOW moment! Fold paper towels into strips and place them such that one end is in a colored cup and the other in an empty cup. Wait for the action to unfold over the next few hours as the colors start walking and mixing to create new shades.
Kidd Tip: Ask your kid to guess what colors form with specific mixtures, and let them check their predictions.
4. Float or Sink? (Physics and Critical Thinking)
This STEM experiment for preschoolers is a bubbly favorite and uses items you probably already have in the kitchen. If not, get hold of a lemon, some baking soda, and a spoon.
Cut the lemon in half and place it on a plate. Let your child use a fork to gently poke holes in the lemon’s surface to release the juice.
Lastly, sprinkle baking soda over the lemon and watch it fizz like a mini volcano. It’s the lemon’s citric acid that reacts with the baking soda and creates a fizzy eruption.
Kidd Tip: Try it with other citrus fruits—find out if an orange volcano fizzes more or less.
5. Seed Sprouting in a Bag (Biology Basics)
Keep a zip-lock bag, a damp paper towel, and some beans ready.
Start by wetting a paper towel and placing it inside the zip-lock bag. Next, drop a few bean seeds between the towel and the side of the bag so they’re visible. It’s time to now seal the bag and tape it to a sunny window.
Watch the magic as roots and shoots start to appear in a few days. Your kids are going to be mesmerized by watching nature bloom in slow motion.
Kidd Tip: Once the sprouts grow tall, transfer them into soil and continue the plant’s life cycle.
Why Does Early STEM Education Matter?
Giving your child the gift of a tailor-made STEM education could help them become better critical thinkers and problem solvers. Moreover, you’re creating space in your child’s mind to develop a lifelong appreciation for discovery and problem-solving.
The bottom line is that fun STEM activities don’t require fancy materials or complicated setups. Simply turn everyday moments into learning opportunities by highlighting the science, technology, engineering, and math all around. Your child’s inquisitive nature will take it from there.
