STEM activities – those that take in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – are essential for kids of all ages, as they help encourage cognitive skills such as critical thinking, creativity and logical reasoning. But for preschoolers, STEM activities are especially important, as they offer the first opportunities not only for hands-on exploration (developing their fine motor skills) but for allowing them to problem solve through experimentation, asking questions and making discoveries independently. 

“STEM activities are so important in early childhood education,” says Matt Charlton, a Sydney-based primary school teacher with early childhood experience who also has a Bachelor of Science degree. “They lay the foundation for future academic success while encouraging curiosity and collaboration. When kids engage with STEM, they’re learning the skills that will help them to make decisions and solve problems effectively in the future.” 

With that in mind, these fun STEM activities for preschoolers – all of which can easily be set up at home – are designed to help teach your little one about problem solving. Happy learning!

SEE ALSO: STEM 101: What Is STEM & Why Is It So Important?

A child and an older man playing with coloured building blocks on the floor.

Building Block Towers 

Suitable for: Ages 2+

This is a classic children’s activity that introduces key mathematical concepts like patterns, sorting, spatial awareness and numbers. It centres around a set of wooden blocks – a must-have in any toy cupboard or playroom. While they build, balance and topple blocks, children are learning by trial and error and finding out what they need to do to build the tower as high as it can be.

What You Need

Instructions

Gather blocks and find an open space to play – you’ll need a flat and stable surface. Encourage children to build towers by carefully stacking their blocks. For extra fun, you can offer mini challenges like “only use 10 blocks” or “build a blue tower”. See who can build the tallest tower, or set a timer and build as fast as possible. If you don’t mind a bit of noise, grab a tennis ball and take turns rolling it to knock over each tower. 

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • How many blocks did you use in your tower? Can you add three more blocks?
  • How can we make the tower stable and not wobbly?
  • What will happen if we make the base of the tower wider or narrower?
  • Can we make a pattern with the colours of the blocks?
A smiling adult woman helps two young children in the kitchen with baking equipment as part of a STEM activity.

Cooking With Kids

Suitable for: Ages 2+

Getting the kids in the kitchen from an early age is an excellent way to teach them real-world skills, and while it can get messy – that’s all part of the fun! Following a recipe or undertaking any kitchen task enhances children’s cognitive abilities, challenging them to make good decisions. For example, why does the milk keep spilling over when I pour it into the cup and how do I stop that? They are following the sequence of the recipe, workshopping the directions and very much engaging in the cause and effect of their cooking actions – problem-solving along the way.

For safety, it’s recommended to start kids off with tasks such as scooping out ingredients and mixing while you do any chopping or cooking jobs, but all that hands-on measuring and counting is a fun and tactile example of incidental maths learning. This one is such a fun and easy STEM activity to add to your repertoire! 

What You Need

  • A simple recipe (banana muffins are always a hit!), your ingredients and cooking utensils 

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • Can you identify this ingredient? What does it look/smell/taste like?
  • Can you help me measure and pour the ingredients?
  • What happens when we mix the wet and dry ingredients together?
  • What do you notice about the batter as it bakes and rises in the oven?

SEE ALSO: STEM 101: Fun Summer STEM Activities for Kids

A young preschooler holds up a large jigsaw piece in both hands over a table with a jigsaw puzzle on.

Playing With Puzzles

Suitable for: Ages 3+

Puzzles encourage critical thinking and help kids recognise shapes and patterns, as well as help them to work on dexterity and hand-eye coordination, which are key pre-writing skills. 

What You Need

Instructions

We don’t need to tell you how to do a jigsaw puzzle! But there are a few tips that will help little learners get the hang of the process. Make sure to choose an age-appropriate puzzle that won’t be overwhelming – something with bold, colourful images and large pieces is ideal. A comfy spot with good lighting and plenty of space is good, too. 

You may need to demonstrate to your child how to begin by selecting an edge piece. Explain the concept of matching similar colours and shapes, and using the image on the front of the puzzle box as a guide. Be patient and supportive, and offer plenty of encouragement, especially when they find a matching piece or complete a section. 

Continue the learning with other types of puzzles; most preschoolers will enjoy a book of ‘odd one out’ or ‘spot the difference’ puzzles, or investigate puzzle apps like Khan Academy Kids or Ravensburger Puzzle Junior. 

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • Which piece do you think should go next? Why do you think this piece fits here?
  • What patterns or shapes do you see in the puzzle? What colours do you see in this section?
  • What can we do to help each other when we get stuck?
A young girl squats down outside to pick daisies from the garden with an older female adult


Planning Scavenger Hunts

Suitable for: Ages 3.5+

A scavenger hunt blends play and learning seamlessly, making it a perfect STEM activity for preschoolers. As children learn to read maps and decipher clues, they’re engaging in critical thinking while also developing their observation and communication skills. Plan a team hunt and teach little ones to share and cooperate with others. 

What You Need

Instructions

Parents may need to do a little planning for this activity, starting with making a list of items (using words or pictures) to find on the scavenger hunt. You can stick to a theme, such as “Search for every colour in the rainbow” or “Find these 10 items at the beach”, or just pick random objects. Increase the challenge by creating clues instead of a simple checklist. 

Once you arrive at your location, hand each kid a clipboard and a pencil. Let them explore their surroundings, ticking things off the list as they find them. For a fun twist, use a smartphone or instant camera to capture evidence along the way.

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • What do you think the clue is trying to tell us?
  • Look around. What can you see? What do you notice?
  • Can you use your five senses and tell me what you're experiencing?
  • If you were planning a scavenger hunt, what would you put on the list? What clues would you make up?
In a living room, a child plays inside a large cardboard box that is being held by an adult and smiles at the camera

Designing Obstacle Courses

Suitable for: Ages 4+

Here’s an open-ended STEM activity that combines creativity and decision-making with physical skills like running and jumping. Just like when babies are learning to walk, obstacle courses force children to look at a piece of equipment and problem solve how they are going to manoeuvre over, under, through or around it to get to their destination using muscle strength, body mapping and brain power. Will they fit through a space? Is it too high to climb over? How will they get around the obstacle? The decision is theirs (with a little side help from you). 

Apart from making children really consider their options and hone their physical skills – balancing, climbing and crawling – as well as also encouraging independent play, boosting their resilience and inner-confidence, obstacle courses can be made inside or outside, making this the perfect at-home STEM activity. 

What You Need

Instructions

‍Find an open space in your home or backyard where your preschooler can set up an obstacle course, making sure there's enough room to move around. Gather household items that can be used to make the course, like cushions, pillows, chairs and boxes. Allow your kids to plan and design the course, setting up challenges like tunnels to crawl through or obstacles to jump over. Use packing tape to secure blankets, cushions and pieces of cardboard. 

When the obstacle course is ready, it's time to play! See how fast they can move through the course, or challenge friends or family members to join in the fun. Use a stopwatch or timer to see who can complete the course in the fastest time.

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • What kind of challenges do you want in your obstacle course? Do you want to jump over things, crawl under things or balance on things? 
  • How many times can you complete the course in 5 minutes? 
  • What did you learn from building and playing in our obstacle course today?
Close-up of a handmade marble maze comprising playdough and paper straw walls and a small marble made of red clay.

Making Mazes

Suitable for: Ages 4.5+

Mazes are a challenge that teach kids patience, perseverance and how to overcome obstacles, making them an excellent opportunity to develop early learning skills. Designing a DIY maze introduces kids to design through play, and engages with their creativity and imagination.

As kids make a maze, they will engage with the design process, learning how to test their work and make improvements. This type of marble maze involves physics and engineering, so it’s super scientific and a cool STEM activity for them to get immersed in. 

What You Need

Or you could try these marble games and toys:

Instructions

Get the kids to roll playdough into balls and snake-like shapes. Next, they can arrange the playdough pieces inside a box lid to create a maze. Press gently to stick the playdough to the cardboard. Continue to add more elements to the maze, testing the design along the way to ensure a marble can fit through. Cardboard straws can also be cut and stuck in place using playdough or a hot glue gun. When the maze is complete, pop in a marble and tilt the box back and forth to help it roll through the maze. 

Questions You Can Ask to Help Learning

  • Where should we start the marble, and where should it finish?
  • How can we create dead ends and alternate paths for the marble?

SEE ALSO: STEM Activities for Kids: Marble Maze