STEAM Experiments
- Colorful Chemistry
(Ages 3+)
Add a little color — and a whole lot of science — to your day! Learn about the scientific method, then put together a bubbly chemical reaction in your own fab chemistry lab.
- Milk Swirl Experiment
(Ages 4+)
Dip a drop of soap into milk to create a color explosion in your kitchen! Watch our video to see us make the colorful experiment from start to swirling color.
- Crystal Chemistry Garden
(Ages 5+)
Craft a colorful chemis-tree and garden using felt shapes and liquid watercolors. Then concoct a chemical solution that’ll make your garden grow fun and funky crystals over two days.
- Bouncy Egg Experiment
(Ages 5+)
This easy eggsperiment is great for children to do on their own! When you let an egg sit in vinegar, a (safe) chemical reaction takes place and creates new compounds. The result? A bouncy egg! If you want more activities like this with all the materials included, check out our Eggsperiment crate in the KiwiCo Store!
- Oil + Water Chemistry
(Ages 5+)
Oil and water may not mix, but kids and chemistry definitely do! Set up your very own fab chemistry lab, and conduct a series of hands-on oil-and-water experiments.
- Hot Ice Hand Warmers
(Ages 8+)
Keep your hands warm with this hot ice experiment you can do at home! OK, so it’s not really ice, but it really does keep your hands warm. And it’s an easy (and safe) experiment you can do in your own kitchen.
- Plant Light Maze
(Ages 8+)
Have you ever noticed how plants grow toward the light? Build this simple light maze, and watch the plant grow around the obstacles to reach the light! Try experimenting with different mazes and see how the plant reacts.
- Volcano Slime
(Ages 9+)
Get ready for some ooey-gooey, educational fun. Mix together chemical solutions to make your own fizzy, oozy slime that “erupts” like a volcano!
- Pumping Heart
(Ages 9+)
Is your kid curious about how the human heart works? Build this pumping heart model to learn about the right atrium and ventricle!
- Vortex Lab
(Ages 14+)
Build a magnetic mixing machine and spin up a chemical cyclone! Contains everything you need to try 4 chemistry experiments exploring the science of solubility, diffusion, and oxidation-reduction.
STEAM Craft Projects
- Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils
(Ages 3+)
Mix up a few simple ingredients and for some prehistoric play! If you like this activity, check out our Dinosaurs Koala Crate in the Kiwico Store for even more fun.
- Cardboard Castle
(Ages 4+)
Upcycle your holiday gift boxes or KiwiCo Crates into a castle with a drawbridge! Make the castle shown here, and then Invite your friends over to help make designs of your own.
- Animal Bath Bombs
(Ages 5+)
Dip your toes into bubbly bathtime chemistry with animal-shaped bath bombs you make yourself! Learn about acid-base reactions and the science of molecules while mixing up a colorful chemical concoction.
- Melted Crayon Art
(Ages 5+)
Melting is a natural process that we can see every day: the ice in a glass of water, the butter on bread right after it’s toasted, the candles on a birthday cake. Try to melt some crayons into a work of art!
- Crystal Ombre Soap Making
(Ages 7+)
Make a splash — with soapy science! Craft and customize two kinds of colorful, crystal-inspired soaps. Then take a deep dive into hands-on learning, and explore mineral science.
- Egg Geodes
(Ages 9+)
Have you ever grown your own crystal geodes? Try this egg experiment and grow your very own borax crystals in a shell! Experiment with different borax concentrations and see how big your crystals can grow.
- Marbled Paperweight
(Ages 9+)
These pretty rainbow rocks are perfect for brightening up your desk! With just some nail polish and water, you can transform an ordinary rock into your own marbled paperweight.
- Punch Needle Pillow
(Ages 14+)
Explore textile art, with a project that packs a serious punch! This fun and time-consuming project will teach kids how to design and create their very own punch needle pillow.
STEAM Challenges & Games
- Monster Mash Up
(Ages 3+)
This creative and collaborative activity is endlessly entertaining and a huge hit with both kids and grownups (honestly, I often play this without kids present). Challenge your family to think out of the box and see what kinds of creatures you can create together!
- Simple Scavenger Hunt
(Ages 3+)
Who says scavenger hunts need to be complicated? This activity can be done with items you already have lying around the house. To connect with family far away, Zoom them in and play together!
- Pinball Machine
(Ages 5+)
Design the board, launch, and play, all while discovering pinball game physics! Build this pinball machine kit, designed just for kids, and play with angles and momentum. Plus, try your hand at geometric artwork to decorate your game board.
- Box Toss
(Ages 5+)
Inspired by the game of Corn Hole, this simple tossing contest uses recycled cardboard boxes (or KiwiCo crates!) Set up in the backyard and see who gets the most points. For tossing objects, try whiffle balls, ping pong balls, or even walnuts!
- Balloon Cars
(Ages 5+)
Customize two balloon cars and get ready to roll with your own at-home race day! Build out your cars and then, experiment and tinker with the wheels and balloon to see how fast they can go.
- Basketball Catapult
(Ages 5+)
Aim, shoot, and score with this physics-friendly crate! Engineer an adjustable catapult and play a spirited game of basketball.
- Craft Stick Chain Reaction
(Ages 7+)
Chain reactions are amazing displays of energy. When everything is set up right, one little tap can cause a cascade of action, like a single domino knocking over a chain of thousands. Try this experiment with your family and see how long you can make the craft stick chain!
- Cannonball Launcher
(Ages 7+)
Build a launcher that uses elastic power to shoot foam cannonballs. Learn about the science of potential and kinetic energy — all while putting your cannon construction skills to the test.
- Baking Soda-Powered Boats
(Ages 7+)
This project is a KiwiCo community favorite. You can build a few boats with different kinds of containers and race them in your tub!
- Egg Drop Project
(Ages 9+)
This classic eggsperiment is sure to bring some eggcitement to your house! Challenge your kids to come up with a way to protect the egg! You can also make this activity into a competition and have each family member create their own egg drop contraption.
- Light-Chasing Robot
(Ages 14+)
Light up a love of electronics with this light-chasing robot! Wire up the motors, add the switch, and assemble your robot — all while exploring the science behind circuits and sensors.
30 Awesome Activities to do Over Winter Break
It can be tricky to keep kids busy during winter break — especially if you’re spending it in quarantine. To help, we pulled a mix of some of our favorite KiwiCo projects and DIYs. If you see a crate project you like, we recommend ordering right away so you get them before your kids go back to school!