Looking for last-minute STEM ideas for completion of the year, for after screening, for a class warmup, or for a rainy day at home? Try these paper-based STEM activities!
By Amy Cowen
on May 25, 2023 8:00 AM
Science Activities that Use Paper!
Doing science and engineering activities doesnt have to require great deals of materials. If you are looking for something to do with trainees in the class or with kids in the house, an appealing STEM finding out experience might be just a stack of paper away!
13 Free STEM Activities Kids Can Do with Paper
1. Paper Pinwheels
Find the Best Pinwheel Design: Explore various designs of paper pinwheels to see how they each spin in wind. Which design works best?
2. Paper Roller Coasters
Develop a Paper Roller Coaster: Design and develop model roller rollercoasters from paper. Kids will find that potential energy, kinetic energy, and friction all contribute in designing a roller rollercoaster that a marble can successfully range from start to complete. Whats the secret to adding loops? A hassle-free science package (or class package) is offered for this activity. (Educators! Free NGSS-aligned lesson plan uses extra support.).
3. Paper Kites.
How Tails Help a Kite to Fly: Kites are exceptional for paper-based science. Kids can experiment to see what shapes, materials, and designs make kites fly best. (Kites for any ages! This household found making kites to be an appealing STEM learning experience for younger and older kids in your home.).
4. Paper Helicopters.
Make a Whirlybird from Paper: These easy paper gadgets let kids check out how helicopters work on Earth or how they might work on Mars. (More Mars science!
5. Phonebook (or Notepad!) Friction.
Phone Book Friction: If you interleave the pages of two phonebooks, it can be extremely difficult to pull them apart. With a number of sticky notepads, kids can do a scaled variation of this activity and test their strength against the force of friction.
6. Flipbook Animation.
Obvious Motion in Flipbooks: Use a stack of index cards (or durable paper) to highlight basic stories that look like they are in movement when you “flip” through them. How is the flipbook process associated to what happens in stop-motion motion picture making?).
7. Shadow Puppet Show.
Making Shadow Puppets: Make a set of shadow puppets from cardstock and use them with a flashlight to put on a shadow play and discover about the physics of light and shadow at the exact same time! An NGSS-aligned elementary school lesson strategy is likewise available.).
8. Stabilize an Art Mobile.
Stabilize the Forces Within a Mobile: Kids can utilize paper in a range of methods to make components to hang from an art mobile. Whether they paint, draw, something, or color else, theyll be discovering forces as they balance their cutouts on straws. (Be inspired! The photo shown below is from the mobile of fantastic animals this trainee made at home.).
9. Paper Fish.
Make a Paper Fish Swim with Surface Tension: Use simple paper fish and meal soap for a rapid presentation of the power of surface area tension!
10. Paper Rockets.
Construct a Paper Rocket: These easy rockets are easy to make with paper and tape and get released by blowing through a straw. The Paper Rockets to Learn the Scientific Method is a terrific method to present students to the scientific approach.).
11. Paper Towers.
Tallest Paper Tower Challenge: Use paper and tape to build tall paper towers. How tall can they be and still stand? What occurs if you add weight to the top? This was the 2021 Engineering Challenge task. Kids can still develop their own tall paper towers and see how tall they can go! You may select to disregard the limits on sheets of paper if doing this for fun. (Educators! Lesson plans are readily available for grades.
3-5,.
6-8,.
and.
9-12.).
12. Paper Ball Run.
Paper Ball Run Challenge: Use paper and tape to build a paper ball run for a ping pong ball. A cross in between a roller rollercoaster and a marble run, the paper ball run invites a large range of methods to the size, shape, and style. Can you find ways to “decrease” the path of the ball so that it takes as long as possible to obtain from start to finish? This was the 2022 Engineering Challenge project. The authorities obstacle is over, however kids can still develop and develop paper ball runs both to check out the construction and to try out utilizing science-based techniques to slow the roll. You may select to disregard the limitations on sheets of paper if doing this for fun. (Educators! Lesson strategies are offered for grades.
3-5,.
6-8, and.
9-12.
13. Ping Pong Pickup.
Ping Pong Pickup Challenge: Use paper and tape to design and develop a “paper grabber” tool that can pick something up from a range. This was the 2023 Engineering Challenge, and trainees were challenged to get and return a ping pong ball. For a casual STEM task, the things to be selected up might be altered. Grabbers, claws, and other kinds of extension devices are utilized by people every day for a variety of factors. With paper and tape, trainees can explore the process of creating a device that can assist with specific types of “getting” jobs. What shape will they use for the head of the gadget? How will it “grab” the object? How far can it reach? (Educators! Lesson strategies are offered for grades.
3-5,.
6-8, and.
9-12.).
The following experiment is paper-based but likewise utilizes specialty materials.
Paper STEM + Specialty Materials.
14. Paper Speaker.
Build a Paper Speaker: Use paper, a coil of wire, and neodymium magnets to check out the science of noise and produce a working speaker that can be used with an audio or mobile phone. Trainees can extend this expedition with the Measure the Frequency Response of a Paper Speaker independent science project. A practical science package is readily available.
You Might Also Enjoy These Related Posts:.
Make a Whirlybird from Paper: These basic paper devices let kids check out how helicopters work on Earth or how they may work on Mars. Tallest Paper Tower Challenge: Use paper and tape to build high paper towers. Paper Ball Run Challenge: Use paper and tape to develop a paper ball run for a ping pong ball. Ping Pong Pickup Challenge: Use paper and tape to style and build a “paper grabber” tool that can select something up from a range. Develop a Paper Speaker: Use paper, a coil of wire, and neodymium magnets to explore the science of noise and produce a working speaker that can be utilized with an audio or mobile gadget.
Related Resources.
For other STEM activities that utilize simple, everyday materials, see:.