Fun Halloween STEM Activities That Kids Will Love in 2021

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STEM fits perfectly with this Halloween season. Why? Because this is a splendid moment for kids to unleash their inner mad scientists and engage in Halloween STEM activities!

Children become more receptive to magical wonders and spooky projects during this time. So whether it's Halloween STEM classroom activity or simple arts & crafts at home, parents can use the season to teach kids important science lessons.

For this reason, we curated the list of fun Halloween-themed STEM activities to do with kids this spooktober. So grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, for this will be a fun Halloween learning experience for the kids.

Check them out below!

Best STEM Halloween Activities for the Children

BEST Pre-K to Elementary STEM Halloween Activities

The following Halloween STEM activities and challenges are fit for the young crowd. These are easy to perform for their age, supervise and provide assistance with the hazardous steps.

1. Spooky Slime Activity

Slimes and Halloween have been two pieces of a pod since God knows when. Whenever the season arrives, kids always look for this slimy, gooey thing. That's why it's the first on this list!

Slimes are a simple Halloween craft that even 3rd graders can make. It makes a cute decoration and a fun toy to keep kids occupied for hours. Make their Halloween celebration extra spooky with this cute activity!

Here's what you need:

• 5 oz white glue

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 Glitter glue green

• 1.5 Tbsp contact lens solution (with boric acid in ingredients)

• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. POUR 5 oz glue into a bowl.

2. ADD 1 Tbsp baking soda.

3. ADD glitter paint, little by little, until you achieve the desired color.

4. STIR, then MIX in 3 Tbsp of lens solution.

5. KNEAD slime in hands until it no longer sticks.

6. DROP a few more lens solutions if it's still sticky.

7. ADD googly eyes and you're ready to goo! (get it? 👀)

2. Dissolving Candy Corn Experiment

If you plan to teach kids about solubility using textbooks and manuals, expect yawns and heavy stares. But this Halloween STEM activity can fix that for you - using candies!

No kid in the world doesn't like candies. Do this science experiment this Halloween, and kids will be more invested. Feel free to bribe them with some candy corn if you must.

Here's what you need:

• Candy corn

• Various liquids (cold water, hot water, oil, vinegar, seltzer)

• Clear cups

• Timer

Steps:

1. MAKE kids hypothesize which liquid would dissolve the candy corn fastest and slowest

2. POUR each liquid in separate clear cups

3. PLACE one candy in each cup

4. OBSERVE what happens

5. WINNERS can get a reward of your choosing

6. ENCOURAGE questions and answer their queries

3. Flying Ghost Tea Bag Experiment

This Halloween STEM activity is best when taken outdoors. The concept is pretty simple but powerful to teach kids about heat. The Halloween science experiment shares the same concept with hot air balloons.

Making a tea bag fly might seem like a party trick, but in reality, it's simple science. Watch your 4th and 5th graders get amazed by this easy Halloween activity.

Here's what you need:

• Teabags

• Scissors

• Lighter

• Marker

Directions:

1. SNIP the tea bag tag using scissors

2. FOLD the tea bag and remove the contents

3. SMOOTHEN the tea bags out and draw some ghost faces

4. OPEN the bags carefully and make them stand where the open end is at the bottom

5. LIGHT the top up with a lighter

6. SEE the bags take flight as they burn

When you burn teabags, the heat generated from the flame gets pent up within the bag. As a result, the bag releases this air downwards which causes the tea bag to float.

4. Wingardium Leviosa Magic

Are there kids who have not seen Harry Potter yet? If your child hasn't yet, no worries because this remains a fantastic STEM activity to do this Halloween.

Wingardium Leviosa is the magic that lets you lift objects using a wand. It might sound unbelievable, but there is a scientific way to execute the same trick! Here's how you can do it.

Here's what you need:

• Feather

• Paperclip

• Fishing line

• Thick wand-like stick

• Electrical tape

Steps:

1. TAPE your magnet to the end of your stick, make sure the magnet is still exposed

2. TIE the fishing line to the paperclip

3. EXTEND the fishing line long enough until it reaches the floor, then secure it down by taping it

4. CLIP the paper clip to the feather. Now have a feather with a paper clip that's linked to the floor via a fishing line.

5. LIFT the feather by magnetizing the paper clip using the magnet in the stick

It would be a fun STEM activity if you could do it like Harry Potter did, with a "swish and flick." Surprise your kid by saying Wingardium Leviosa (pronounced Wing-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa) then magically lifting the feather with your wand.

Best Halloween STEM Activities for Middle Schoolers

This set of STEM activities for Halloween are more advanced and complex for kids. Middle schoolers can perform these Halloween STEM activities, provided you observe and guide them as they go.

1. Bubbling Wizard's Brew/Witches Cauldron

Nothing screams Halloween for kids than to see those witch cauldrons dripping with poison. But don't you know that you can replicate it with the power of STEM? This Halloween STEM activity is a fun trick for you middle schoolers.

This science experiment for Halloween uses simple household ingredients. So let your kid embrace their inner wizard or mad scientist!

Materials needed:

• Vinegar

• Baking soda

• Food color

• Glitter

• Dish soap

• Glass jar

• Tray

Directions:

1. PLACE the glass jar on top of a tray. You won't want to have a messy workplace after.

2. FILL the glass jar halfway with vinegar

3. DROP a few food coloring of choice and glitter

4. SQUEEZE some dish soap to the mixture, then STIR

5. ADD a teaspoon of baking soda

6. WATCH the foaming begin like a cunning wizard

Add a few witch's laughs as you do it to feel the Halloween ambiance with this fun STEM activity!

2. Creepy Shadow Puppets

This STEM activity is a perfect way to teach kids about shadows and transparency. What better method to learn this than using shadows and puppets? A perfect Halloween concoction!

The task is pretty simple, kids need to make paper puppets, and you'll observe them using shadows. This STEM Halloween activity can reasonably fit into elementary-aged kids, but it uses scissors, so pay extra caution for the kids!

Materials:

• Scissors

• Black and Orange colored paper

• Craft sticks

• Cellophane (transparent and any color)

• Tape/Glue

• Flashlight

Steps:

1. DRAW a figure for the puppet (it can be pumpkins, bats, spiders, etc.)

2. CUT the image out and also make eye cutouts for the figure

3. GLUE some colored cellophane to the eyes of the puppet

4. TAPE the figure by the end of a craft stick

5. SHED light to the puppet and see the shadow it creates

This Halloween STEM activity is simple, but it packs comprehensive lessons on transparency. For example, opaque objects like colored paper do not let light pass through, thus, creating a beautiful shadow. In contrast, translucent materials like cellophane allow some light through but are not as clear as transparent materials.

3. Ghost Balloon Halloween Activity

Ghost-themed balloons are fun. But what if you get balloons that expand on their own without blowing? Sounds more ghostly, huh? This is what this STEM Halloween activity is about!

It shares similar chemistry concepts with the Witches Cauldron, but it's a class of its own. It's an easy-to-do STEM experiment that teaches your middle schoolers about chemical reactions. See how the balloon expands on its own using simple household items.

Materials:

• White and orange balloons

• Marker

• Vinegar

• 500 ml water bottle

• Baking soda

Directions:

1. BLOW your balloon once to stretch the material

2. DRAW ghost  faces on the balloon using markers

3. ADD 2 teaspoons of baking soda inside the balloon

4. POUR around 250 ml vinegar inside the bottle

5. WRAP the mouth of the balloon to the opening of the bottle (hint: don't let the baking soda pour over the liquid)

6. LIFT the balloon head to pour the baking soda in the balloon to the vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar react when combined, releasing carbon dioxide, a type of gas. This gas is the one that fills up the balloon, causing it to expand! A simple yet fun Halloween STEM activity for middle schoolers.

Fun Halloween STEM challenges for the Kids!

STEM challenges have always been fun. They tap into the competitive natures of kids, which makes it a favorite Halloween classroom activity. If you want a little competition to spice the class or family up, then check out these two:

1. Bone Bridge

Bones and skeletons are familiar aesthetics during Halloween. So a bone bridge may be a helpful Halloween STEM challenge to teach about the skeletal system. But it can also simply be a fun activity for kids this Halloween season.

The concept is pretty straightforward, build a bridge of bones using the materials provided. These are the tools each team needs for the challenge.

• Q-tips "the bones" (30-pieces)

• Craft sticks or popsicles (10 pieces)

• Scissors

• Rulers

• String (around 2 meters)

The goal:

Each team should use all materials given to them. Then, it's up to them to decide what design architecture to follow. The bridge must be 12 inches long and sturdy enough to carry several objects. Whoever is the strongest wins and gets a prize. A simple STEM engineering lesson for them, while masked as a Halloween arts and crafts activity.

2. Tallest Gumdrop Tower

The first Halloween STEM challenge dealt with bridges. This time around, kids are building towers. This STEM activity is another exemplary example of imparting architectural and engineering skills to the young 'uns!

Here are the materials for each team:

• Gumdrops (1-2 bags)

• Toothpicks (1-2 packs)

The goal:

To build the highest standalone pillar that they can make using the materials provided. There are no rules; they can cut the gumdrops to several pieces if they want. What matters is that they build the tallest tower possible within the allotted time, and the tower must stand on its own.

Another engineering-inspired Halloween arts and crafts for the children!

Make Halloween Extra Fun!

Halloween is a perfect time to explore and be outrageously curious using STEM experiments. Science lessons masked under the hood of fun STEM challenges and activities help kids learn more. Plus, finishing an experiment is helpful to provide satisfaction to kids' curious minds!

Another terrific way to keep kids curious is through toys! The right kind of toys, that is. TheSTEMKids offer a toy that's excellent for kids' curious and imaginative minds. The STEMscope pocket microscope is a device that's perfect for this task.

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