We are on a mission to do a ton of learning while we are home this summer! This Summer of STEAM activities for kids series includes hundreds of ideas for the perfect mix of fun and learning.
We are quickly approaching the end of the school year and the beginning of the dog days of Summer Vacation!
What’s a mom of five to do to make sure that all of my kids are continuing to learn through play all summer?? Well, I’ve started with rounding up the best of the best Summer STEAM activities for kids!
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Summer STEAM Activities Schedule
I love Summer STEAM 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!
Check out our Summer of STEAM activities for kids filled with Math Mondays, Tinker Tuesdays, Wonder Wednesdays, Techie Thursdays, and Foodie Fridays!
Get prepared by going on a supply run!
There are a ton of summer STEAM activities in this series, but many of them use a lot of the same materials or supplies! You might even have a bunch of these supplies already on hand.
To be prepared, check out the list of commonly used supplies below for our Summer of STEAM activities! You can click through the links to grab these supplies from Amazon!
- Straws
- Food Coloring
- Jar
- Acrylic or Tempura Paint
- Coffee Filters
- Plastic Cups
- Markers
- Paper Towel or Toilet Paper Tubes
- String
- Construction Paper
- Medicine Dropper or Eye Dropper
- White Glue
- Canvas
- Oil Pastel
- Crayons
- Index Card
- Card Stock
- Scissors
- 91% Rubbing Alcohol
- Ruler
- Balloons
- Colored Permanent Markers
- CD
- Washable Ink Pad
- Tape
- Paper Plates
- Popsicle Sticks
- Popcorn Kernels
- Salt
- Flour
- Aluminum Foil
- Empty Plastic Water Bottle
- Water
Math Monday
Make math fun by pairing it with other STEAM disciplines! This round-up of math activities for kids includes a ton of math + art activities, math + tech, and math + science for a whole summer of summer STEAM fun!
Simple math tools such as a ruler, paper, and pencils, are needed for these 50 math activities for kids. There are quite a few unique activities in the bunch, so there are some additional supplies needed. You’ll find a list of these unique supplies below!
Some unique supplies you’ll need for a few of our favorite math activities include:
Explore Engineering on Tinker Tuesday
Tinker Tuesday explores maker activities for kids and preschoolers. These maker activities for kids involve little supplies and use a lot of objects you can find around your house.
The point of maker activities is to allow kids to explore their creativity by offering them open-ended projects, tinker trays, and invitations to learn. You’ll find a ton of STEAM challenges in this round-up too!
Some great ideas of Maker supplies include (click through the links to buy these supplies on Amazon!):
- 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
Wonder Wednesday Science Exploration
You and your kids are going to love these science activities for kids! Kids are naturally curious about the world around them, which is why is makes sense to take their wonder and explore different scientific concepts, create things, and learn by doing hands-on activities.
On Wednesdays, we are going to explore the wonder of Science with our biggest list yet! These science activities are paired with other STEAM disciplines for some great hands-on learning opportunities!
Some unique supplies you’ll need for a few of our favorite science activities include:
- Straws
- Baking Soda
- Wax Paper
- Parchment Paper
- Sealable Plastic Sandwich Bag
- Sealable Plastic Freezer Bag – Gallon Size
- Watercolor Paints
- Vinegar
- Ketchup
- Lemon Juice
- Dish Soap
- Corn Syrup
- Honey
- Can of Soda
- Food Coloring
- Jar
- Acrylic or Tempura Paint
- Coffee Filters
- Plastic Cups
- Markers
- Paper Towel or Toilet Paper Tubes
- String
- Construction Paper
- Medicine Dropper or Eye Dropper
- White Glue
- Canvas
- Oil Pastel
- Crayons
- Index Card
- Card Stock
- Scissors
- 91% Rubbing Alcohol
- Cardboard box
- Ruler
- Balloons
- Colored Permanent Markers
- CD
- Washable Ink Pad
- Tape
- Paper Plates
- Popsicle Sticks
- Popcorn Kernels
- Carnation flowers
- Salt
- Flour
- Aluminum Foil
- Empty Plastic Water Bottle
- Water
- Soda Pop
- Mentos
- Apple
- Water beads
- Hex nut
- bird seed
- Ivory soap
- Milk jug
- Throwable Paintballs
- Watermelon
- rocks
- PVC pipe
- Strawberries
Techie Thursday
We definitely put the “T” in STEAM at our house. Tech is our jam! Find more than 35 computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids with a round-up of some of our favorite tech activities that are sure to teach computational thinking, basic coding skills, and more!
On Thursdays this summer, we are going to explore all things computer science, coding, and tech! These technology activities for kids are paired with other STEAM disciplines for some great hands-on learning opportunities!
Simple tools such as a paper, printer, and pencils, are needed for these computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids.
There are quite a few unique activities in the bunch, so there are some additional supplies needed. You’ll find a list of these unique supplies below!
Some unique supplies you’ll need for a few of our kid technology activities include:
- origami paper
- play dough
- Perler Fuse Beads & Pegboards
- building bricks
- paper mosaic squares
- battery pack
- LEDs (light emitting diodes)
- Lithium 3V coin cell batteries
- Copper tape
- Beebot, Botley, Dash, or other robot (Check out our robot gift guide!)
- Conductive thread
- paper tubes
- tape
- plastic cups
- needle
- sewable battery holder
- felt
- CR 2032 Coin Cell Battery
- multimeter
- 9V batteries
- AA batteries
- Alligator clips
- Copper wire
Foodie Friday
On Fridays, we are exploring math, science, and art with a collection of great activities that involve food! What better way to pass the day than creating with food and then eating your creation!
Simple cooking tools such as an oven, oven mitts, microwave, measuring spoons, and bowls are needed for these STEAM food activities for kids.
Some supplies you’ll need for our STEAM food activities include:
- lemons
- baking soda
- citric acid (you can find this by canning supplies in stores)
- icing sugar
- popcorn kernels
- tonic water
- Sour Candy (like Lemonheads, Nerds, or sour gummy worms)
- Skittles
- M&Ms
- Candy Corn or Candy Pumpkins
- 8 plastic cups
- Distilled Water
- Measuring cup
- watermelon
- cardboard box
- aluminum foil
Are you ready for a Summer of STEAM? Save this post!
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!
TechyKids Canada
Tuesday 6th of July 2021
Activities like these are perfect for making learning fun for kids. It can help them to cement their knowledge and develop life essential skills. Thanks for sharing!