STEM Mentoring Activities by Age Group

STEM mentoring activities work best when they hand children a question instead of an answer. A paper tower that collapses, a boat that sinks or a seed that won’t sprout is an invitation to ask why and try again. The activities below use simple, low-cost materials and are grouped by rough age band. Adjust them for the children in front of you, since abilities vary widely within any age.

This article is a set of activity ideas. For how to structure mentoring, keep children safe and work with families, see our pillar on mentoring kids through STEM.

Safety first, every time

These ideas avoid heat, chemicals, sharp tools and powered equipment. Even so:

• Follow your program’s and school’s safety rules, which take priority over anything here.
• Keep adults supervising throughout.
• Check materials against manufacturers’ age labels; small parts can be a choking hazard for young children.
• Ask families in advance about allergies, for example to latex balloons or food items.
• Clean up spills promptly, especially water on hard floors.

Activities by age band

STEM mentoring activities by age band

STEM mentoring activities by age band

Age band	Activity	Materials	Question to explore
About 5–7: explore and notice	Sink or float	A tub of water; safe household objects too big to swallow	Which things float? Can we guess before we test?
About 5–7	Shadow tracing	Paper, crayons, a toy and a flashlight	How does the shadow change when the light moves?
About 8–10: test and measure	Paper bridge challenge	Paper, tape, coins or washers as weights	Which bridge shape holds the most weight?
About 8–10	Paper helicopters	Paper, scissors suitable for the age group, paper clips	How does wing length change how long it takes to fall?
About 11–13: design and build	Egg-free drop protector	A small plastic toy as the "passenger", paper, straws, tape	Can you design packaging so the passenger survives a drop?
About 11–13	Simple data diary	Notebook, ruler, a plant or the daily weather	What pattern shows up after two weeks of measuring?
About 14+: investigate and present	Design a fair test	Depends on the question; low-risk materials only	Can you plan an experiment that changes only one thing at a time?
About 14+	Explain it to someone younger	Any earlier activity	Can you teach the idea so a younger child understands it?

Turning an activity into learning

The activity is only half of it. The questions you ask make the difference.

• Before: “What do you think will happen?” Making a prediction gives children something to check.
• During: “What are you noticing?” and “What could you change?” Resist fixing things for them.
• After: “What surprised you?” and “What would you try next time?”

A fictional example of a ten-minute closing conversation: after a paper bridge challenge, a mentor asks each group to hold up their strongest and weakest bridge. Children notice that folded paper held more weight than flat paper. The mentor asks why folding might help and where they’ve seen folded or corrugated shapes before. One child mentions cardboard boxes. The activity ends with a real connection, not just a winner.

For more on the cycle of practice, feedback and reflection, see hands-on learning and mentorship.

Adapting for different needs

• Offer different roles within a group, such as builder, tester and recorder.
• Provide physical alternatives, such as pre-cut pieces for children who find cutting difficult.
• Use visual instructions alongside spoken ones.
• Allow different ways to share results: drawing, talking or writing.

Planning a session

The STEM activity planner helps you set a goal, list materials, write safety notes and plan your reflection questions. If you’re choosing a program for a child rather than running activities yourself, see STEM mentoring programs for kids.

A practical next step

Choose one activity from your group’s age band. Fill in the activity planner with your goal, materials, safety notes and three questions to ask, and share the plan with your program lead before running it.