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10 FREE Online Science, STEM, STEAM Classes for Kids- September and October 2024

If you are looking for a little something extra for your kids in the science, STEM, and STEAM department, then this post is for you! I've rounded up 10 different online classes that your child can try for FREE this fall.

Science inspired book clubs, princess and wizard STEM, dinosaurs, biology, current scientific research and more!

Use my code: MSSARAH2020 for a $20 credit you can use towards any class on Outschool. (New enrollments only.) Each of the classes I've listed in this post are $20 or under. Use your credit to try a class for FREE!

FREE online science STEM STEAM Class for kids

STEM, STEAM and Science Fantasy Fun!

Who says you can't mix in a little fiction with your science? Check out these magical classes:

Science is Magic: STEM Alchemy for Young Witches and Wizards

In this class for ages 7-10 kids will complete fun STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) projects through scientific spells, potions and alchemy! Learn more here.

Zoey & Sassafras: A Hands-On STEAM and Book Club Experience

This class/book club combines reading comprehension with STEM and STEAM projects for ages 6-9. Learn more here.

We love the Zoey and Sassafras books! A great combination of fantasy and science for young readers.

(Learn more about this book series in these blog posts: Design an Insect Investigation with Zoey and Sassafras: NGSS Linked Activity and this one, perfect for fall: Monsters and Mold: An Apple Experiment)

Princess STEM Club- A Magical Hands-On STEM/STEAM Club with a Princess

Hands-on STEM projects with a princess!! For ages 4-9. Learn more here.

STEM-ology (a Hands-On Exploration of Mythology and Fantasy + STEAM challenges)

Hands-on STEM and STEAM projects through storytelling for ages 7-11. Learn more here.

Classes for Kids Wild About Animals and Dinos

Junior Paleontologists: Dinosaur Collectors' Club (STEM Science for Dino Lovers)

Students travel back in time to learn about dinosaurs and fill in their dinosaur field guide along the way. For ages 4-8. Learn more here.

Ocean Animal Inspector Club: Show and Social

Investigate a new ocean animal each week in this science and art class for ages 4-9. Learn more here.

Free Online Science Classes

Maybe you're looking for a science curriculum. Check out these Hands-On Science courses.
Hands-On Science 4/5! for ages 8-11, or Hands-On Science 6/7! for ages 10-13.

In Biology for Beginners: Life Science for Curious Learners students learn the basics of life science, including classification and observation skills, etc. For ages 7-10. Learn more here.

Build the Human Body with Clay- Learn Anatomy, Biology and Life Science

Learn about the human body by building models with play dough for ages 6-11. Learn more here.

Science Journal Club: Let's Discuss Current Research Articles Like Scientists!

What an awesome opportunity to think like a scientist! In this class for ages 10-13 students discuss current scientific research in articles adapted for kids. Learn more here.

Funding for Online Science Classes

Be sure to use the code: MSSARAH2020 when you checkout on Outschool to redeem your $20 credit. This code is only valid for students who have not enrolled in an Outschool class before. If you did not see something you liked in this post, there are so many other courses available! The $20 credit will work towards any class, in any subject.

If you are in search of additional funding for Outschool online classes, and live in Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Indiana or New Hampshire you can use your ESA funds through Classwallet for Outschool Classes. You'll find more information here.

Solar Oven Recycled Crayons Activity

Recycling your bits of broken crayon into new crayons is always a fun activity. Have you ever built a solar oven to recycle your crayons in?

When the sun is hot and you're looking for something to do with your kids or students, this makes for an engaging STEAM project. Not only will you create something new that you can make art with, there are science and engineering concepts inherent in each step of the process. Plus, making crayons in the solar oven is adaptable across a wide range of ages.

Create an engineering challenge out of designing a solar oven, or build a simple one and focus on the science of heat transfer, phase changes and melting point. If the kids are really young it is a great opportunity to identify and sort colors.

solar oven recycled crayons STEAM activity

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission from purchase made through these links at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Build a Solar Oven

First, decide how you will go about building your solar oven. You can make this an engineering challenge in and of itself. I had kids build them annually for years and it is always a super engaging learning experience. You can see how I've given students a solar oven engineering design challenge here.

While I enjoy seeing kids create their own solar oven designs, this time around we were focused on the recycled crayon portion of this project. So we built a solar oven out of a pizza box with these directions from Science Buddies.

Preparing the Crayons for Recycling

First you'll need to gather up the bits and bobs of crayons from the crayon box. This crayon prep work is excellent for small hands.

We measured to determine which crayons were keepers and which would be recycled. Then we made sure all the crayons that we were using to recycle had been peeled.

Next we sorted the crayon bits by color. There is a lot of discussion surrounding this. Do they have to be the same shade of the color? Can you make a rainbow crayon? The sky is the limit here, so anything goes.

Then we put the sorted crayons into our silicone mold. You can use any shape silicone mold, or even a muffin tin. If you choose to use a muffin tin, spray with cooking spray ahead of time to assure your new crayons slip right out.

We like this set of molds that looks like building bricks and LEGO mini-figures. We got ours on Amazon, but you can find silicone molds in a variety of shapes anywhere they sell candy making and baking supplies.

As you can see the silicone molds are a bit stained. They have been used to make milk plastic (the directions for milk plastic can be found in the STEAM Kids activity book, which you can find digitally here or in print here) and many times for recycled crayons. The silicone molds work great for this, but I would suggest dedicating a set specifically for craft projects and science experiments and not for food.

Make Recycled Crayons with Solar Power

Find a spot that will remain sunny for several hours. Take note of the direction and angle of the sun and set up the oven where the sun is shining down. You may need to adjust the position of your oven throughout the day as the sun shifts. You can even build a sundial while you wait for your crayons to melt!

How long does it take before your crayons begin to melt? You may want to put a thermometer inside your oven, or use an infrared surface thermometer and periodically check the temperature.

Once the crayon bits have turned completely into a puddle, then very carefully move the solar oven into the shade, or bring it inside where it is cooler. We brought ours inside in the late afternoon. Just to be sure we didn't break any bits that hadn't solidified all the way we waited until the following morning to pull them out of the mold.

Once they are completely cooled, carefully pull them out of the mold.

Time to color!

Science Lessons with the Solar Oven

There are so many learning opportunities within this project. You could think about melting point and phase changes. With older children this may lead to further study. Check out this middle school lesson about melting point from the American Chemical Society. Or try this melting point experiment I like to do around Thanksgiving with pop-up poultry timers.

With younger children a discussion about melting point and phase change could include a simple experiment to see what materials melt in the heat of our hand. Does our hand make as much heat as the Sun? Does a crayon melt in our hand? How about a chocolate chip? Different materials have different properties.

We also took the opportunity to discuss why the construction paper had changed color after being exposed to the sun for hours. If this is something you observe, you could continue this study by making nature prints with construction paper and natural objects in the sun. Or you could extend this idea to help answer the question, "Why do we need sunscreen?" and experiment with sunscreen and construction paper.

STEAM Summer: Online Camps and DIY Activities for Summer Vacation

School is out! Do you have kids at home this summer? Maybe you will be teaching at a STEAM summer camp. I know that you will be eager for activities that minimize screen time and maximize creative thinking and some ingenuity. Even better if those activities are affordable, planned out and don't need a bunch of crazy materials. Good news, we have got you covered with tons of STEAM activities, online STEAM and science camps, and even a STEAM inspired summer survival freebie!

Get ready for a fun and engaging summer of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math!

This post contains affiliate links meaning I receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. See disclosures for more information.

Online STEAM Camps

I'm over the moon excited to be offering 2 online STEAM and science summer camps on Outschool this summer. They are designed to teach kids fun activities that they can do independently outside of brief, live online sessions. You can see all of my Outschool science and STEAM class listings in addition to coupon codes here.

Nature Art, Science and Engineering

In Nature Art Camp: Art, Science, and Engineering Fun! kids aged 8-12 will will tap into their love of nature and inner artist. In this three-day camp, students will be inspired to engineer and build rock sculptures, experiment to make their own nature watercolors and natural paintbrushes, explore well-known nature artists and create their own nature journals.

New students can try any course or camp on Outschool, not only mine, for $20 off by using my referral code: MSSARAH2020.

Any student can save $10 on either of my camps with coupon code SARAHCAMP10 until Aug 31, 2024. Get started here and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Spy Science for Kids!

In Spies and CSI's in Training: Science Camp kids aged 7-11 will discover 2 different kid-safe techniques for making and revealing invisible secret messages, as well as the science behind them. They will learn methods for creating codes and ciphers. Learners will find out all about fingerprints and learn an easy way to take a fingerprint (without ink!) to create their own fingerprint database.

New students can try any course or camp on Outschool, not only mine, for $20 off by using my referral code: MSSARAH2020

Any student can save $10 on either of my camps with coupon code SARAHCAMP10 until Aug 31, 2024. Get started here and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Fun STEAM Activities for Summer

Summer is the perfect time to engage your kids, campers or students in some Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. These STEM and STEAM activities will get them thinking, engage them for extended periods of time and can be extended beyond the original activity. Bonus, a lot of the materials can be found around the house!

Check out these favorites:

The Ultimate STEAM Summer Survival Guide Freebie

Check out this freebie from Green Kid Crafts: The Ultimate STEAM Summer Survival Guide. There are some super ideas for engaging summer fun in this 11-page guide.

If you are looking for fun STEAM activities sent right to your mailbox, check out a subscription to Green Kid Crafts this summer.

The first box of the summer is an awesome dive into electricity: What is electricity? What's a circuit? Ohm’s Law? Kids will find the answers as they build an electric propeller car, learn how motors work, engineer their own fiber optic lights, connect circuits and build their own food powered clock! Use code SUMMER15 at checkout to get 15% off any monthly plan.

DIY STEAM Camp Ideas for Home or Traditional Camp

If you want to create your own STEAM camp experience at home, or try some new ideas for a camp you are working with this summer, look no further.

We are big fans of the STEAM Kids books, and love this Camp STEAM digital resource for 5 days of STEAM activities for kids ages 4-10. It's all planned out for you, easy peasy!

These are also great free resources for summer STEM and STEAM activities!

Check out a great collection of summer STEM activities here.

Fun ideas for DIY STEM at this link.

Another plan for STEAM summer camp.

STEM activities from Backyard Summer Camp.

STEM activities for summer camps.

Two Thumbs Up for Generation Genius Home Science Kits!

I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty cool to get fun projects and activities in the mail. It beats junk mail and my kids certainly look forward to receiving them. We have used a few subscription boxes over the years and were very excited to be invited to review the new subscription home science kit from Generation Genius! The home kit is designed for kids aged 9 and up, and delivers three fun, safe and engaging science activities to your mailbox each month. With an option for a 3-month subscription, these are great activities to keep the kids busy over summer vacation. The children (and grown-ups!) in this house had a blast exploring the activities included in our sample, and we are sure you will too.

Please note: I was invited to honestly review this subscription box and become an affiliate of Generation Genius. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission from purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. Please see disclosures for more information.

Engaging Science Activities at Home

Generation Genius home science kits are the most recent product from Generation Genius, who has been successfully creating standards aligned science and math lessons in partnership with NSTA. Teachers rave about the science and math videos they have been successfully using in their classrooms. So, it is exciting that there is now an opportunity for taking part in similarly engaging science activities at home.

Short on time? Here's the quick review:

If you are in a hurry, we get it! Here is the bullet point version of our review. Read on below for a more detailed review.

Did we like the Generation Genius home science kit? YES!!

The projects were fun and interesting.
Everything necessary for completing the project was included in the box, no running around the house to find anything.
The cost of the subscription is reasonable considering what was included. You wouldn't be able to DIY your own project for the price right now.
The video directions were clear, easy to follow and well-paced.
There are enough materials to complete each experiment more than once or have more than one person participate.
The chemicals for the experiments were fairly common household materials that when used properly were safe but kids still got that real science lab feel.

Generation Genius Science Kit Subscription box

What is in the Home Science Kit Box?

Upon opening the box I was instantly impressed with how much was crammed into it. 2 pairs of safety goggles, three pairs of latex gloves in various sizes, a sticker, all the materials needed for three activities. I love that we didn't have to find any other supplies around the house before beginning the projects, it was all included and we could just begin.

We received Science Kit 4, which included the following experiments: "The Disappearing Beaker", "The Goldenrod Paper" and "Make Branching Colors". My kids decided to try the 2 colorful experiments first, so those are what I will share here.

I thought it was great that more than one person could participate. There were enough supplies to have two people complete the project more than once. It was really nice not to worry we were going to accidentally use something up before we were through.

The directions for the projects are given via video by Dr. Jeff, creator of Generation Genius. You can learn more about Dr. Jeff here. The directions are demonstrated in a clear and understandable way and you can turn on an auto-pause feature to pause the video at each step. The pacing of the instructions was perfect, it worked out great for us.

The Science Experiments

Here are some images from the two of the projects in our science kit. My kids gravitated immediately to the colorful experiments in the box: "The Goldenrod Paper" and "Make Branching Colors."

The Goldenrod paper experiment explored pH and using indicators to learn more about the properties of liquids. I have found that pH experiments are usually a hit as they tend to be interesting and fun as the color changes are instant and fascinating.

The first step was to see what happens when you add different liquids to a universal indicator. The kids were so excited to use the chemicals. Although these were all common household liquids, the little bottles and containers are so alluring!

pH universal indicator household liquids

After making a rainbow of different liquids with the universal indicator, they investigated how a baking soda mixture interacted with the goldenrod paper, which also works as an indicator.

It was cool to see the prints left behind after spraying hands with the baking soda mixture. They do look a little bloody, and it instantly made sense to me why people like Steve Spangler always use this as a Halloween demonstration. Will have to keep it in mind as a way to make some fun decorations next October.

Goldenrod Paper pH Experiment Generation Genius Science Kit

In the branching colors experiment the kids played around with what happens as food coloring spreads through liquids of different viscosities.

It was so interesting to watch the colors branch out. It reminded me of fractals and the similar branching we see inside out own bodies and elsewhere in the natural world.

It was great that there were enough supplies and the invitation in the instructional video to continue to explore and play around with the color branching. It kept my kids engaged for quite some time!

Branching colors science experiment wood glue

Generation Genius Home Science Kit Review

I would highly recommend the Generation Genius science kit. They are reasonably priced and you have the choice of three different subscription plans including a 3-month.

My kids enjoyed the projects. They were interesting and included enough supplies to do the experiment more than once. Each project was open-ended to keep kids engaged for a while, it wasn't just a quick one and done.

Try out Generation Genius! I think you'll be happy you did!

"Choose Your Own" Water Cycle or Rock Cycle Story Template

I love adding a creative twist to lessons about Earth's cycles. Storytelling, writing, illustrating and comic-making are great ways for children to learn the water cycle and rock cycle. Whether you teach science, STEM or STEAM at the elementary or middle school level, homeschool or are the parent to a budding author/ illustrator you will definitely want to try this "Choose Your Own Story" writing activity.

Participating in or organizing the "Imagine Your Story" summer 2020 reading program at your local library? You or your patrons will love imagining your own water cycle or rock cycle adventure! Read on to find out how you can teach about the water cycle or rock cycle and access the "Choose Your Own Story" writing template.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission from purchases made through these links. Please see disclosures for more information. As well as links from Amazon.com you will also find links to Bookshop.org, an online book store that works to support local independent book stores. Shopping through Bookshop links can help you support book stores in your area!

Choose Your Own Adventure

I enjoyed reading books in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series when I was a kid. After using games and comic strip drawing to teach the water and rock cycles for years I realized that a choose your own type story would also work well.

Although both are cycles and the events happen over and over, rarely do they happen in a neat and tidy way like on a diagram. That is not to say a diagram isn't an excellent tool to show some of how this happens, but it is more realistic to have students imagine and model the myriad of ways a water drop or rock transforms over time.

Teaching the Water Cycle

When I teach the water cycle to elementary students, I use several picture books and activities. If your kids or students are unfamiliar with the water cycle, I'd recommend trying one or all of these before you send them off to create a water cycle "Choose Your Own Story".

Read a picture book.

Read Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein. This is a really cute adventure of an ice cube who wants to get more out of life and escapes the freezer to go on an adventure. As he travels he experiences the phase changes of water as he moves along the water cycle.

Another good one is A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw McKinney. Beautiful illustrations depict a drop of water as it travels all over the place around the planet: underground, the ocean, in a plant, etc. I find this one to be a great way to illustrate that the water cycle is not just a stationary cycle, it is water moving all over the globe.

You'll find other water cycle picture books I recommend on my Earth Science book list on Bookshop.

Build a water cycle in a plastic baggy.

I don't have a blog post outlining this activity, but this water cycle in a bag activity is very similar. It is a simple and effective way to watch evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection happening on a small scale. You can also try this earth spheres in a bag activity that models the same process, yet adds soil and plants.

Examine a diagram to go over your water cycle vocabulary.

Play a water cycle game!

Project Wet's activity "The Incredible Journey" is awesome. You can find the Incredible Journey lesson for free here. It takes some prep work, but kids really grasp the water cycle after moving through it themselves. This is the perfect jumping off point to create a water cycle comic strip (you can find a comic strip template here) or a "Choose Your Own Story".

Use the "Choose Your Own Story" Template for the Water Cycle

Download the "Choose Your Own Story" Template (find out how below) and have your children or students create their own water cycle story. You can choose a starting point in the water cycle and have everyone begin there, or allow them to choose. Maybe the water drop begins its adventure in a puddle on the sidewalk, maybe in a whale's belly, perhaps in a cloud above Mount Everest...the possibilities are almost endless. The only rule is that at each opportunity for the reader to make a choice, the story must proceed in a way that would be possible on Earth. For example, the water droplet in the sidewalk puddle can't simply choose to become an icicle on a castle window if the water hasn't traveled there somehow (evaporation) and then cooled to ice. Challenge the kids to end the story in a way in which it cycles back to the starting point!

More Water Cycle Activities

Explore the different phases of water (ice, water, vapor) with these wonderful water cycle activities.

You will find additional digital and hands-on water cycle resources and activities from The Water Project here.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE "CHOOSE YOUR OWN STORY" TEMPLATE!

You can download a .pdf version of the "Choose Your Own Story" book template for FREE at my Teachers Pay Teachers store now through September 30th, 2020. After that the template will still be available for a nominal price. Follow this link for the download.

Teaching the Rock Cycle

I always enjoyed teaching the rock cycle as well. Here are some of the activities and lessons I've used and recommend for elementary science.

Use Picture Books to Teach the Rock Cycle

Some of my favorite science lessons to teach are those in the Picture Perfect Science series, which pair great children's books and authentic science and STEM lessons. I love the lesson, "If You Find a Rock" in More Picture Perfect Science Lessons.

In this lesson students learn and investigate the different properties of rocks and then apply their knowledge in a "Pet Rock" project. The stories that are the backbone of the activities are
If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian and Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth and Rough by Natalie Myra Rosinsky

You'll find other rock cycle picture books I recommend on my Earth Science book list on Bookshop.

Take a Ride on the Rock Cycle

NPS / Public domain

In this rock cycle activity students become a part of the rock cycle. I've used this one with younger students and adjusted vocabulary as necessary. You can also journey along the rock cycle with this NGSS linked rock cycle activity.

Investigate a rock collection or go on a rock hunt!

Go on a rock hunt and collect some rocks. Compare them to some rock collection specimens in the classroom. You'll find reasonably priced rock collections of Igneous Rocks, Sedimentary Rocks and Metamorphic Rocks from Educational Insights.

Use the "Choose Your Own Story" Template for the Rock Cycle

Download the "Choose Your Own Story" Template (more details above) and have your children or students create their own rock cycle story. You can choose a starting point in the rock cycle and have everyone begin there, or allow them to choose. Maybe the rock begins it's adventure being rolled around in a river, being eroded from a mountain top, or even as dust in a cloud...the possibilities are almost endless. The only rule is that at each opportunity for the reader to make a choice, the story must proceed in a way that would be possible on Earth. For example, the rock in the river can't choose to instantly become lava in a volcano. Challenge the kids to end the story in a way in which it cycles back to the starting point!