STEM Design Challenges for Kids: Six Engineering Projects That Teach Real Science

Design challenges are popular because they’re engaging. They can also be shallow: build something, see what happens, move on. The best ones teach science ideas through designing, testing and improving.

What makes a good challenge

A clear goal you can measure. “Keep the egg intact,” “melt the least ice.”
Constraints. A budget, a size limit or a time limit make decisions real.
A fair test. Every team tests the same way.
Iteration. Teams improve their design after the first test.
A science idea underneath, which students should explain at the end.

Six challenges

1. Egg drop (Grades 2 to 6). Idea: a slower stop means a smaller force. Can you drop an egg without breaking it?

2. Cool box (Grades 4 to 5). Idea: insulation slows heat flow. Can you build a cool box that beats the heat?

3. Ice cube keeper (Grade 6). Idea: heat transfer and trapped air. Can you keep an ice cube frozen the longest?

4. Paper airplane (Grades 3 to 5). Idea: lift, drag, thrust and gravity. Can we design the best paper airplane?

5. Wind machine (Grade 6). Idea: energy from moving air. Can the wind power our school?

6. Crumple zone (Grade 8). Idea: force, time and safety. Can you design a crumple zone?

A simple process

Ask: what’s the problem?
Imagine: sketch two or three ideas.
Plan: pick one and label materials.
Create: build.
Test: under the same conditions as everyone else.
Improve: change one thing and retest.

Keep the science in

Before building, ask for a prediction about which feature will matter most. After testing, ask for evidence: “Which design worked best, by how much, and why?” Without this, a challenge becomes crafts.

Fail forward

Let first designs fail. “What did the failure tell you?” is the best question in engineering.

Budget and materials

Use recycled materials and a pretend budget (each item costs points). It makes teams think and keeps costs low.

Start here

Try one challenge a term, and rotate between subjects. Read about the egg drop or crumple zones. Sign up for three lessons free.