Get your makerspace ready! These maker activities for kids will challenge children to tinker, build, tackle tough problems, and learn by doing!
You are going to love these maker activities for kids! Kids are the most natural makers, which is why is makes sense to take their natural inclination to create things and pair it with activities to learn by doing.
The key to making is using tools to create meaningful projects. These challenges allow students to use their ideas to create real things and solve problems with their inventions.
Below you’ll find a whole range of activities to get you started on your path to making.
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What are some Maker supplies?
At our house, we love to make projects our of things we find in our junk drawer or our recycling bin. From cans and toilet paper tubes to nuts and bolts, you can use a whole range of things to be a maker!
Some great ideas to find Maker supplies include:
- broken toys
- appliance parts
- cardboard tubes
- Arduino boards
- microcontrollers
- duct tape
- PVC
- pieces of wood
- plastic mixing cups
- toothpicks
- textiles
- plastic beads
- binder clips
- sandpaper
- batteries
- switches
- buzzers
- safety glasses
- popsicle sticks
And so many more!
Summer of STEAM
Tinker Tuesdays are part of our Summer of STEAM Series. I love activities that are super low-prep! That makes it even easier to get things set up quickly!
We are big on routines at our house, so we’ve sorted our activities into different “themed” days to keep the learning going all summer long!
Find 100+ Exciting Summer STEAM Activities for Kids filled with Math Mondays, Tinker Tuesdays, Wonder Wednesdays, Techie Thursdays, and Foodie Fridays!
STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Like STEM, STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that encourages learners to make connections between the concepts they are learning and how they apply them to real-world problems.
STEAM helps students ask questions, problem solve, think creatively, and produce innovative solutions.
Many schools have adopted STEAM learning activities into their curriculum, but it’s never too early to start building critical thinking skills.
We love low-prep STEAM activities at our house and have a blast doing activities designed for toddlers all the way to tweens!
K-8 Maker Activities for Maker Monday!
The maker activities below are designed for kids ages 6 and up. Keep scrolling to find Preschool and Early Learning Maker Activities for kids in the following section!
Turn your junk into anything you like using your creative maker skills with these Junk Model Ideas for Children from NurtureStore
Learn how to make a homemade balance scale to weigh chickens from JDaniel4’s Mom
Construct a digestive system maze from cardboard from Little Ladoo.
This DIY Magnetic Marble Run for the Fridge Door from Go Science Kids is a fantastic and easy way to start thinking about engineering!
J’adore this Eiffel Tower engineering project from KC EDventures!
You’ve got to check out these creative maker prompts from The Craft Train! They are sure to inspire some creative builds!
Can You Build a Working Drawbridge? Castle STEAM Challenge from Our Family Code
Can you build 30 structures with this Build a 3D Structure STEM Challenge from Go Science Kids?
Build with pasta with this engineering activity from Fun Littles!
Test your skills and Build the Tallest Tower using only cups and popsicle sticks from Our Family Code!
You can’t go wrong with STEM activities that don’t require too many supplies! This newspaper engineering challenge from The Educators’ Spin On It is fantastic!
Build a DIY Pulley for the Loungeroom Stairs from Go Science Kids
Mini-Marshmallow and Toothpick Building Challenge for Kids from Learn with Play at Home
Make your own tinker box and build some open-ended robots from KC EDventures!
Build an inventor’s box and have a STEM activity station for kids from The Educators’ Spin On It
There is no campfire needed for this engineering classic! Find out How to Make a Solar Oven from Little Bins for Little Hands!
Build a home for a hippo with this engineering STEM challenge from The Stem Mum
Explore reflections and learn about math, measurements and angles with by making a Pool Noodle Periscope from STEAM Powered Family
You only need a few supplies to make these awesome catapults from Go Science Kids!
Don’t let your cardboard tubes go to waste! Find out how to use your maker skills to turn them into a cardboard tube marble run from Learn with Play at Home.
Work on your survival skills by using your maker skills to build a shelter and build a solar still from There’s Just One Mommy.
Part crossbow, part slingshot, all fun with Craft Stick Launchers from STEAM Powered Family.
Use your maker skills to build a pool noodle marble run from There’s Just One Mommy!
Build a working water wheel STEM activity from There’s Just One Mommy!
Work through the Engineering Design Process and make a sprinkler and cool off in the heat with this water experiment with From Engineer to SAHM!
Gather up some cardboard and make some cardboard sculptures from Science Sparks.
Build recycled cardboard love shacks and find a year of STEAM 100 Little Homes building challenges from Barley & Birch
Use legos and hold a penny boat challenge or a LEGO zip line from Mombrite
Reverse engineer a recycled toy robot with this activity from Brain Power Boy!
Make your own log catapult with Lincoln Logs from Brain Power Boy.
Find out how to make an art bot from Science Sparks!
Use your engineering skills to make paper hold up books with this great maker activity from Teach Beside Me.
Build a squeezy bottle rocket with this STEAM experiment from Rainy Day Mum.
Stone Age Tools Engineering Challenge from Our Family Code
Learn how to build a catapult outside from Teach Beside Me
These egg parachutes are a great way to learn about drag! Find out how to build egg parachutes from JDaniel4’s Mom!
This storybook STEAM mashup pairs a favorite engineering book with a pretty neat hovercraft from Our Family Code.
Build a working bubble blower machine from Teach Beside Me
Is There Room on the Balance Broom? Storybook STEAM Challenge from Our Family Code
Build a raft from sticks with this STEM building challenge from Kids Craft Room.
Host a chain reaction challenge with this simple Rube Goldberg machine from Crafts On Sea.
Make a homemade wind-up toy spool racer from Teach Beside Me
Can you build a spider web on a hanger that can hold up a rock! Find out the details from JDaniels4’s Mom!
Find out how you can give junk drawer toys new life with this process art sculpture activity from School Time Snippets
Find out How to Make a Recycled Plastic Water Bottle Wind Sock and watch the way it blows in the wind from Our Family Code
Maker Activities for Preschoolers
These maker activities for kids are geared to preschool age kiddos. These are the perfect way to introduce young children to engineering challenges and explore their creativity through open-ended tinkering and play!
You’ll find a range of invitation to play activities, tinker trays, and preschool engineering builds!
This DIY Water Wall from Little Bins for Little Hands is AMAZING! Kids can explore how a water wall works and move water while practicing basic engineering, science, and math skills!
You can’t go wrong with Tinker Trays! Check out these great Tinker Tray ideas from Hands-on Teaching Ideas that create a great invitation to make and create! Our favorite is the Mechanic Tinker Tray!
Make a Kids Upcycled Mini Maker Kit for kids to organize loose parts and build open-ended projects from Happily Ever Mom!
Build a DIY Magnetic Ball Run from Taming Little Monsters
Practice your engineering skills with this construction themed invitation to play from The Stem Mum
Work on your design and construction skills with this open-ended pasta and playdough activity from Learn with Play at Home!
We love these Mystery Tinker Bags from Team Cartwright! These are sure to offer a ton of open-ended maker fun!
Build shapes with marshmallows by practicing your engineering skills from Homeschool Preschool
You can’t go wrong with these maker materials: building blocks and tape! Check out this construction building activity from Learn with Play at Home!
What’s better than a low-prep learning activity for toddlers?? Not much! Check out this engineering with trash learning activity from Happily Ever Mom!
Find a maker activity you love? Save this post to save all of these great maker activities for kids!
Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code
Hey there, I’m Toni! I’m a software engineer and Maker Mom that finds my joy in unleashing my children’s curiosity by exploring STEAM concepts with my fantastic five!
When I’m not chasing toddlers or raising tweens, you can find me tearing things up and putting them back together over here at Our Family Code.
I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!
You can also find out more about me by visiting ToniGardner.com!
