Check in each week at Science Buddies this summer for our Awesome Summer Science Experiments series! Each week, we’ll highlight a few activities for awesome science and engineering kids can do at home. We’ve got a whole summer of fun STEM themes lined up for kids of all ages — for free. This week: Ready, Set, Go! STEM — awesome summer science experiments that take off, roll, fly, spin, and more!

From the Vault!: This post was part of our 2021 Awesome Summer Science series featuring ten free weeks of themed science projects and experiments.

Awesome Ready, Set, Go! STEM

We’ve reached the final week of our 10-weeks of Awesome Summer Science Experiments! It’s been an exciting summer of hands-on STEM learning, and the fun isn’t over! This week, we’ve highlighted a set of experiments with a Ready, Set, Go! theme.

The activities in Week 10 of our Awesome Summer Science Experiments series feature fun builds that hover, fly, spin, roll, and more!

Awesome Summer Science Experiments Week 10:
Experiment |
Watch |
Ask |
Kits |
Explore |
Read

EXPERIMENT: Ready, Set, Go! STEM

Building this mini propeller car involves a simple circuit but is a fun twist on other robots and vehicles. How does the propeller work to move the car forward?

How much of a wall can you cover with a marble run that works? Clear off a wall and put it to the test! As they build their run, kids will be putting potential and kinetic energy in action! Can they solve how to add twists and turns? Tip! To maximize the fun, have kids start as high as they can. (For more ideas using cardboard tubes, see 10 STEM Activities with Cardboard Tubes.)

With craft and recycled materials, kids can make all kinds of rolling vehicles. Add balloons to make this balloon car and see Newton’s laws of motion in action. What design choices might improve the car’s speed? (For more fun car experiments, see Rev Up STEM Learning with Car Science Projects.)

With a set of wooden craft sticks, kids can assemble an amazing popsicle stick chain reaction. Be careful to not let go until you are ready for the reaction to start! Tip! This one is fun for slow-motion (or regular speed) video capture to preserve the moment! (For other experiments with popsicle sticks, see Popsicle Stick STEM Projects.)

Kids can make a simple electric motor using a battery, a magnet, and a wire. This classic physics activity demonstrates electromagnetism and creates a fun spinning display. After testing the basic motor design, can you use a fancier shape of wire for your homopolar motor?

How does a hovercraft glide through the air without touching the ground? Kids can explore by making and testing hovercraft built from balloons, compact discs, a plastic bottle valve, and craft supplies. What controls how long they hover or how far they travel?

WATCH: Videos

ASK: Questions

Use these questions to prompt conversation and reflection about the science behind this week’s Awesome Summer Science Experiments activities:

  • What are Newton’s three laws of motion?
  • Which law of motion can you observe in how the propeller on the mini propeller car works?
  • What kinds of energy did you observe in the activity you tried?

(Educators! See the Teach About Newton’s Laws of Motion resource.)

SCIENCE KITS: Bristlebots and BlueBots

The following Science Buddies Kits fit in with this week’s Ready, Set, Go! STEM theme:

Learn more about Science Buddies Kits and see our 10 Science Kits for Summer Science Experiments and Discovery recommendations and Science Project Kits – Our top 10 list!.

EXPLORE: STEM Careers

After trying this week’s summer science experiments, kids can learn more about related science and engineering careers, like:

READ: Books

Pair picture and story books like these with this week’s Awesome Summer Science Experiments explorations.

For more suggestions for science-themed summer reading, see our Summer Reading List. Also, don’t miss this roundup of creative STEM activities for storytelling and imaginative play.

Bookmark Awesome Summer Science Experiments Week 10: Ready, Set, Go! STEM

10 Weeks of Awesome Summer Science Experiments

Follow the full summer series on the Awesome Summer Science Experiments page!

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