Engaging STEM Activities for 7-Year-Olds: Sparking Curiosity and Creativity

September 12, 2024 / Heather Reyes

A young boy with short brown hair, wearing a white shirt and blue jean shorts, sits on a light wooden floor engaged in STEM activities ideal for a 7 year old. He is intently focused on the toy in his hands, which appears to be a catapult or launcher of some kind. A small basketball can be seen in mid-air, having just been launched from the toy, suggesting a moment of playful action.

Around the age of 7 marks a significant turning point in a child's cognitive development, making it an ideal time for engaging STEM activities for 7-year-olds. This period signifies the transition from the preoperational stage (ages 2-7) to the concrete operational stage (ages 7-11). At this time, children begin to develop logical thinking skills, understand the concept of conservation, and become less egocentric, better able to understand the perspectives of others.

This is why some people say that having a 7-year-old is the "sweet spot" of parenting. At age 7, many children are fun companions who are quite independent and can express themselves clearly, but they still love to spend time with their families. This makes it a great age to introduce exciting STEM activities that foster curiosity and collaboration.

When selecting STEM activities for 7-year-olds, choose projects that are relevant to their daily lives and provide hands-on opportunities, such as simple science experiments or making small devices with interactive mechanisms. Opt for projects that are appropriately challenging to further develop their logical thinking and problem-solving skills while keeping their interest engaged.

Here are some STEM activities for 7-year-olds that will spark their curiosity and thirst for exploration while fostering their hands-on skills, logical thinking, and growth mindset. Children will learn to use interdisciplinary knowledge to solve problems while promoting teamwork and expression.

STEM Activities for 7-Year-Olds

Two young boys are engrossed in a construction project at a table. The boy on the left, with curly hair and a patterned shirt, examines a circular wooden piece, while the boy on the right, wearing a blue checkered shirt, carefully handles a smaller wooden component. Scattered around them are instruction booklets and various other wooden parts, suggesting they are building a model or a STEM-related toy from a kit.

1. DIY Paper Airplanes, Whirlybirds, and Airplane Launchers

Is your child also fascinated by things that fly? Whether it's paper airplanes, helicopters, or something else. They may wonder why some planes fly far and some don't? Why do some planes spiral while others only fly straight? How can the same paper airplane be made to fly farther?

This is a STEM activity that seems big but is very easy to prepare, and you can use materials you have at home to get started.

Children can explore in several sessions. They can fold different paper airplanes and explore aerodynamics, force, drag, and physics by observing the effects of different designs and structures on paper airplane flight; explore weight, gravity, lift, and aerodynamics by making paper helicopters; and finally make an airplane launcher to explore potential energy, kinetic energy, and engineering design.

If you have a busy schedule and want an easy way out, you can also try this Plane Launcher STEAM Box. This box is packed with all the materials, ideas, experiments, and STEM knowledge about paper airplanes and airplane launchers, so you can do STEM activities at home without any preparation.

These activities will greatly satisfy your child's curiosity about airplanes and flying. Learn STEM through hands-on practice and scientific experiments. If they develop a stronger interest in airplanes, they can also be encouraged to explore more through reading, and 7-year-olds can read independently!

Here are a few books to help you get to know airplanes:

Who Were The Wright Brothers? You can read this book to learn about the Wright brothers' lives and how they invented the airplane.
The Big Book of AIRPLANES introduces all kinds of airplanes and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations, which is very suitable for parents and children to read together.
ME AND THE SKY tells the story of the first female pilot in history, Bessie Coleman, who created her own wonderful life with extraordinary perseverance in an era of discrimination against women.

2. Dinosaur-Related DIY and Experiments

Did you know? Being obsessed with dinosaurs makes kids smarter! If your child still has a strong interest in dinosaurs at age 7, congratulations, they tend to be smarter than kids who don't have obsessions or strong interests.

Dinosaur Chemistry

Make a hissing dinosaur egg hatching experiment with just baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, and your child's favorite dinosaur toys to explore the amazing science of acids and bases.

Dinosaur Math

You can collect the heights of some dinosaurs your child is interested in and draw those heights in a sufficiently empty and safe place. In the process of plotting dinosaur heights, the child will have to use some mathematical ingenuity, as the heights of some dinosaurs may already exceed the range of their measuring tools. Children can visually compare the sizes of various dinosaurs in this process, and 7-year-olds can also do mental math exercises, such as calculating how much taller a dinosaur is than themselves.

Paleontological Exploration

Simulate the experience of paleontologists excavating dinosaur fossils by making layered chocolate chip cupcakes, while learning about concepts such as sedimentary rock layers and dinosaur fossils.

Dinosaur Engineering

Make a dinosaur headgear with a mouth that opens and closes, start a Mesozoic fossil exploration board game, learn about dinosaurs and fossils in a fun game, and experience the joy of roarsome STEM.

A young child with long dark hair smiles brightly while wearing a playful dinosaur mask. The mask is green with white teeth and covers her entire head. She wears a pink tank top and denim overalls, adding to the cheerful and playful atmosphere.

Learn more about the Dinosaurs STEAM Box!

A strong interest in dinosaurs can greatly enhance children's interest in learning and self-confidence, and parents should do everything they can to support them, because it's not just about learning, it's a great joy for children who are immersed in it.

3. Some Colourful Science

Have you ever been mesmerized by something glowing in the dark? Have you ever wondered what colour sunlight really is? Why do different colours of light mix together to form white light, while different colours of paint mix together to form black?

Colourful objects always capture children's attention, and this is especially true for 7-year-olds. When you add a touch of magical science, it's hard to believe any child won't be completely immersed in the experience.

Make Fluorescent Flowers

Want to make some glowing things at home? It's not difficult at all. You can make glowing drinks with tonic water and a black light, or pick some white flowers in the garden, plus a highlighter, a glass of water, and a black light to make fluorescent flowers that glow in the dark. In this activity, children will learn about physics, chemistry, fluorescence, ultraviolet light, and other scientific knowledge.

A green flower from a STEM project with a black background

A green flower from a STEM project in a dark room

Polarization

Did you know? The sunlight we usually see is actually made up of all the colours combined in a rainbow. Many transparent materials in life can be "polarized", that is, to break down the white light in the sun into different colors of light. Unfortunately, our eyes can't see polarized light, but when you put some materials between two polarizers, this phenomenon of polarized light is detected by our eyes in different colors.

A STEM porthole and features an underwater scene with an octopus, seaweed, and a starfish.

In this STEM activity, kids will independently build an exciting polarimeter to break down sunlight and learn about the science of light. Through open-ended activities and experiments, children can also explore different polarizing materials and learn about materials science. They can also combine physics and art with polarizing filters to create colourful art installations.

Learn more about the Polarisation STEAM Box!

Coloured Science

In this STEM activity, kids will make their own pen-making machine and use it to make watercolour pens, and they'll also experience the fun of tie-dye art! In the process, kids will learn how to create new colours from the three primary colors, how to separate mixed inks using chromatography, and break down the colours in a leaf.

The activity will also allow children to understand how inkjet printers work by creating pixelated dot paintings and explore the science and art of colour.

Learn more about the Coloured Science STEAM Box!

In conclusion, when choosing STEM activities for 7-year-olds, you should start with their interests and choose projects that are age-appropriate and have the right amount of complexity and challenge. Activities are best provided with clear step-by-step instructions and visual aids to help children complete tasks independently, which is important for their sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. In addition, outside of structured learning, give children enough flexibility, personalization, and open-ended exploration opportunities to encourage them to take the initiative to identify and solve problems.

Tinkerer STEAM Box provides professional STEAM ideas, materials, and learning materials for children ages 3-12, encouraging them to use hands-on methods to inspire children's natural curiosity. We use an affordable subscription model to deliver boxes full of exciting science, art, and engineering projects to the doorsteps of children every month. Each box contains all the materials for hours of fun, building, and experimenting, as well as a science magazine to help young innovators understand the overall knowledge. Parents can embark on an exciting STEAM journey without any preparation, visit tinkererbox.com to learn more.

Sources:

Engaging STEM Activities for 7-Year-Olds: Sparking Curiosity and Creativity

STEM Activities for 7-Year-Olds

1. DIY Paper Airplanes, Whirlybirds, and Airplane Launchers

2. Dinosaur-Related DIY and Experiments

Dinosaur Chemistry

Dinosaur Math

Paleontological Exploration

Dinosaur Engineering

3. Some Colourful Science

Make Fluorescent Flowers

Polarization

Coloured Science

Sources:

Different types of paper airplanes

Make a whirlybird out of paper

Make an airplane launcher

Obsessed with dinosaurs makes kids smarter

Measuring dinosaur height

Cupcake Archaeology

Glowing drinks

Fluorescent flowers

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