Did you know that 75% of future jobs will require STEM skills? [Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2020 – https://www.education.gov.au] With families spending more time at home, finding ways to inspire learning outside the classroom is crucial. Whether you’re a parent working from home or a caregiver juggling screen-free time, at-home STEM activities can offer a fun and productive way to engage children creatively. This guide provides practical, safe and affordable STEM ideas using everyday materials—with a special focus on the Australian context.
STEM Fun at Home: 7 Brilliant Ways to Make Science & Tech Exciting for Your Kids
As a mum of three curious little nippers, I’ve spent my fair share of school holidays trying to pry iPads from tiny hands. Living in the suburbs of Melbourne has its perks, but when the weather turns or you’re just too exhausted for another trip to the park (we’ve all been there!), STEM activities have been my absolute saviour.
After volunteering at my kids’ primary school science fair for the past four years, I’ve collected some ripper activities that won’t break the bank or require a PhD to set up. Most importantly, they’ll keep the kids learning while they think they’re just having a blast!
So pop the kettle on, grab a biccie, and let’s dive into some deadly STEM activities you can do right at home.
1. What Is STEM and Why It Matters for Aussie Kids
Your child’s future career success gets a massive boost from early STEM exposure. STEM isn’t just a fancy buzzword—it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These aren’t just school subjects; they’re the building blocks for the careers our little ones will have in the future. The Australian Government’s National STEM School Education Strategy tells us that 75% of the fastest growing occupations require STEM skills, but only 16% of Aussie high schoolers are studying advanced maths. Bit of a worry, that.
When my eldest, Mia, started at kindy, I noticed the boys dominated the building blocks while girls stuck to the reading corner. That’s when I got serious about making STEM accessible at home for all three of my kids. Research shows that kids who engage with STEM concepts between ages 5-12 develop stronger problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and creativity—all skills they’ll need regardless of what career they choose.
The gender gap in STEM fields remains significant in Australia, with women making up just 27% of the STEM workforce. Early exposure is crucial—my youngest daughter loves our “Scientist Saturdays” and doesn’t think twice about whether science is “for girls.”
The beauty of home STEM activities is they teach resilience too. When my son’s paper tower collapsed for the fourth time, he was ready to chuck a wobbly. But that moment when he finally got it to stand? Pure gold. He learned more from those failures than any success.
Pro tip: Start simple and follow your child’s interests. My dinosaur-obsessed son got into STEM through fossil excavation activities, while my daughter loved activities about space. The National Science Week website (scienceweek.net.au) has great age-appropriate activity ideas sorted by interest.
Next step: Check out the Questacon website for free activity sheets that align with the Australian curriculum—perfect for complementing what they’re learning at school.
2. Everyday Materials for DIY STEM at Home
Transform ordinary household items into extraordinary learning tools without spending a fortune. One of the best things about STEM activities? You probably already have most of what you need lying around the house! My STEM kit basics include bicarb soda, vinegar, food coloring, straws, paper cups, rubber bands, string, sticky tape, and whatever LEGO® pieces haven’t disappeared into the mysterious void where all toys eventually go.
When I do need to top up supplies, Kmart and Woolies have become my go-to spots for affordable bits and bobs. Honestly, the craft section at Kmart is a STEM parent’s best mate—they’ve got pipe cleaners, pom poms, and craft sticks for under $3 a pack. For more specific items, Bunnings has a great range of materials for building projects, and they often run free weekend workshops for kids (which saved my sanity last winter holidays).
Safety first, though! With my 5-year-old, I’ve learned the hard way to always have safety scissors, non-toxic glue, and to supervise anything involving small objects (hello, emergency visit after a bead up the nose incident of 2021). For older primary schoolers like my 10-year-old, I set clear boundaries about which kitchen tools they can use independently.
We’ve also joined the local Reverse Garbage initiative where we can pick up clean industrial discards for craft and STEM projects. The kids love that they’re helping the planet while creating something new.
Pro tip: Create a dedicated “STEM box” using an old storage container. Chuck in clean recycling items like toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and bottle caps. Add some basic tools and you’ve got a STEM kit ready to go whenever inspiration (or rainy day boredom) strikes!
Next step: Do a quick audit of your recycling bin before chuck-out day. Those empty cereal boxes, plastic containers, and cardboard tubes are STEM gold!
3. 5 Easy Science Experiments with Real Aussie Relevance
Watch your child’s eyes light up when scientific concepts suddenly make perfect sense through hands-on discovery. Some of our most successful home experiments have been those with a distinctly Aussie twist. They connect kids to both science and our unique environment.
The walking water rainbow experiment has been a massive hit in our house. All you need is water, food coloring, paper towels, and clear cups. As the colored water “walks” up the paper towel and down into the next cup, my 6-year-old was gobsmacked to learn about capillary action—the same process that helps gum trees transport water from their roots all the way to their highest leaves.
The classic bicarb and vinegar volcano gets an Aussie makeover at our place by creating a miniature Uluru from clay or playdough before adding the eruption chamber. While making a mess (outside!), we chat about Australia’s volcanic history. My kids were surprised to learn Victoria has the youngest volcanoes in the country!
After the devastating bushfires a few years back, we created a simple DIY smoke filter using cotton balls, sand, and charcoal in a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. It demonstrated how different materials can help clean air—a sadly relevant experiment that led to great conversations about climate change and emergency preparedness.
Growing native seeds like wattle or bottlebrush in different conditions teaches patience and the scientific method. My kids measure growth weekly and record results in their “science journals” (just exercise books from the $2 shop, nothing fancy).
Our water purification project became especially meaningful during drought conditions. We made a simple water filter using gravel, sand, cotton, and activated charcoal in a cut plastic bottle, then poured muddy water through to see how it was cleaned. Connected this to conversations about water conservation and why the water restrictions were so important.
Pro tip: Take photos of each experiment stage on your phone and let kids create a digital presentation to share with grandparents or friends. My daughter’s slideshow about our seed growing experiment had more enthusiasm than any school project I’ve seen her do!
Next step: Challenge kids to come up with a scientific question about something uniquely Australian, then design a simple experiment to test it.
4. Technology Projects Without Screens
Develop crucial digital thinking skills without adding more screen time to your child’s day. As much as I love technology (couldn’t live without my phone!), I’m always looking for ways to teach tech concepts without plonking the kids in front of yet another screen.
Binary bracelets are a fantastic introduction to how computers “think.” We use black and white beads to represent 0s and 1s, then string them together according to a binary alphabet code to spell names or short messages. My 9-year-old was chuffed to bits wearing his “secret code” bracelet that actually spelled his name in computer language.
For simple robotics concepts, we build “Scribble Bots”—small robots made from recycled containers with a motor (pinched from old toys), batteries, and textas attached as legs. When switched on, they vibrate and “draw” patterns across paper. The first time we made one, my son spent hours adjusting the marker positions to create different patterns, unknowingly learning about cause and effect in mechanical systems.
Magnetic tile mazes teach algorithmic thinking (fancy way of saying step-by-step problem solving). We draw a grid on cardboard, place obstacles, then write instructions using arrows to navigate from start to finish—just like programming a robot! The kids then test each other’s “programs” to see if they work.
Paper circuit greeting cards were a hit for Grandma’s birthday. Using copper tape, a small battery, and LED lights, we created cards that light up. It’s a gentle introduction to electrical circuits, and the look on my mum’s face when she opened a homemade card with twinkling lights was priceless.
During our camping trips, we’ve turned map reading with compasses into a tech activity by talking about how GPS systems work compared to traditional navigation. We created a simple orienteering course around our local park, teaching coordinates and direction—all skills that underpin digital mapping technology.
Pro tip: Frame these activities as “secret spy training” or “inventor workshops” rather than “learning about technology.” My kids will do almost anything if there’s a bit of creative storytelling around it!
Next step: Challenge your child to design an “unplugged” coding game they can teach to a friend or sibling, reinforcing their own understanding while sharing knowledge.
5. Engineering Challenges Using Household Items
Transform everyday objects into engineering marvels that teach resilience and creative problem-solving. Engineering activities have taught my kids more about perseverance than any lecture from me ever could!
The straw bridge challenge is always a winner. Give kids a limited number of straws and some tape, then challenge them to build a bridge that can hold a small toy car. My son started out thinking it would be dead easy, then spent an entire afternoon refining his design when his first attempt collapsed immediately. We snapped a photo of him beaming next to his successful bridge and stuck it on the fridge—a reminder of what persistence can achieve.
Creating a marble roller coaster from recycled cardboard tubes became a week-long project during lockdown. We cut toilet paper and paper towel tubes lengthwise, then taped them to the wall in configurations that would let a marble travel from top to bottom. Each design flaw was a learning opportunity—too steep and the marble flew off track, too flat and it stopped rolling. By the end, my daughters understood concepts like potential energy, kinetic energy, and momentum without realizing they were studying physics!
The tallest paper tower challenge needs just printer paper and sticky tape. The goal is to build the tallest free-standing structure possible. This one always starts with grand ambitions and lots of tape, then gradually becomes more refined as kids discover the importance of a solid base and structural integrity.
Egg drop tests are messy but brilliant fun. The task: design a container using limited materials (we use straws, rubber bands, cotton balls, and small cardboard pieces) that will protect an egg when dropped from a height. We do this one in the backyard—learn from my mistake of doing it indoors the first time!
For younger kids, the aluminium foil boat challenge is perfect. Give them a small piece of foil and see how many coins their boat can hold before sinking. Mine turned it into a fierce competition, redesigning their boats multiple times to outdo each other.
Pro tip: For reluctant engineers, start with a challenge that has quick results. Success builds confidence! Once they’ve experienced that “I made this!” moment, they’ll be keen to tackle more complex projects.
Next step: Host a family engineering challenge night where everyone (parents included) competes to solve the same problem. Nothing motivates kids like the chance to beat their parents at something!
6. Maths in the Kitchen and Backyard
Discover the hidden mathematics in everyday activities, making numbers fun and relevant. Maths gets a bad rap as the boring STEM subject, but it’s actually dead easy to make it engaging through everyday activities.
Cooking has become our favorite way to practice mathematical concepts. My 8-year-old struggled with fractions at school until we started baking together regularly. Doubling a recipe or cutting it in half suddenly made those confusing fractions click. Measuring ingredients introduced volume and weight concepts, while timing bake times reinforced clock skills. Our pancake recipe has become a Saturday morning maths lesson without my kids ever suspecting they’re learning.
Our backyard bug count is both citizen science and graphing practice. Armed with magnifying glasses and notebooks, the kids count different insects they find, then create bar graphs showing which bugs are most common. We’ve done this seasonally and compared results, introducing data analysis concepts while also learning about local ecosystems.
Sidewalk geometry transformed our driveway during lockdown. With some colored chalk, we drew different shapes and discussed their properties. My daughter created a massive coordinate grid where we played “find the point” using x and y coordinates. For the little one, we drew number lines for hopscotch games that reinforced counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Measuring rainfall became particularly meaningful during our drought years. We created a simple rain gauge using a plastic bottle with the top cut off and measurements marked on the side. The kids recorded rainfall daily for a month and created a graph of the results, learning about data collection and weather patterns simultaneously.
We’ve participated in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count for three years running now. Beyond identifying birds, the kids count species and total numbers, then enter data into the official citizen science portal. They love seeing how their observations contribute to the bigger national picture—maths with real-world impact!
Pro tip: Keep a measuring tape in your pocket when out and about. Impromptu measuring challenges like “How tall do you think that tree is?” or “Let’s measure the perimeter of this playground” turn boring errands into mathematical investigations.
Next step: Create a family “data journal” where you track interesting patterns—how many kilometers driven each week, daily temperatures, or hours spent on different activities. Review monthly to spot trends and patterns.
7. Supporting Neurodiverse and Younger Learners
Make STEM accessible to every child by adapting activities to individual learning styles and needs. As my nephew on the autism spectrum became a regular visitor at our home, I learned to adapt our STEM activities to be more inclusive for all types of young minds.
For kids who may be non-verbal or have sensory sensitivities, visual instructions make all the difference. I create simple step-by-step picture cards for experiments that kids can follow at their own pace. When we did the vinegar and bicarb volcano, I noticed my nephew was overwhelmed by the sudden eruption, so we practiced counting down together and standing back, which helped him feel in control of the experience.
Breaking activities into smaller steps has benefited all my kids, not just those with additional needs. Our marble run challenge that once caused meltdowns became manageable when divided into “design your track,” “build the supports,” and “test and improve” phases with breaks in between.
For the under-6 crowd, I’ve found that shorter activities with immediate results keep frustration at bay. While my older kids might spend an hour on a complex experiment, my youngest and her kindy friends are happy with 10-minute activities like watching colored water and oil separate or creating static electricity with balloons.
The ASPECT Australia website has brilliant resources for adapting activities for children on the spectrum. One tip that worked brilliantly for us was creating a sensory-friendly STEM space with reduced background noise, consistent lighting, and comfortable seating options.
Inclusive group play has actually improved all my kids’ communication skills. When my daughter’s friend who uses simplified language joined our STEM afternoon, I watched my children naturally adapt their explanations to be more precise and clear—a valuable skill in scientific communication!
Pro tip: The “I do, we do, you do” approach works wonders with younger or neurodiverse learners. First demonstrate the activity yourself, then do it together with plenty of support, finally step back and let them try independently when they’re ready.
Next step: Ask your child to become the “teacher” and explain a simple STEM concept to you or a younger sibling. Teaching others reinforces learning and builds confidence.
Whether you’re a STEM enthusiast or someone who breaks out in a cold sweat at the mention of science, these activities are doable for any parent. The most important thing isn’t getting the experiment “right”—it’s fostering curiosity and resilience in our kids.
So give a few of these activities a burl this weekend. You might just find yourself having as much fun as the kids! And remember, every failed experiment is actually a successful learning opportunity (a mantra I repeat often while cleaning up various messes around the house).
What STEM activities have you tried at home? Would love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
Happy experimenting!
Final Thoughts
STEM education starts at home—and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With a bit of creativity and readily available materials, families across Australia can introduce their kids to science, technology, engineering, and maths in ways that are fun, hands-on and meaningful. Whether it’s solving problems, asking questions or simply exploring the world around them, STEM lets children build skills for the future—right from the living room floor.
Encourage your kids to try one new activity this week—and share the fun with friends.
Explore free Australian STEM teaching resources at [External Link: CSIRO’s STEM toolkit – https://www.csiro.au/en/education].
Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2020). https://www.education.gov.au
Australian STEM strategy – https://www.education.gov.au/stem-education
CSIRO. Sustainable STEM toolkit. https://www.csiro.au
ABC Education. Australian science activities. https://education.abc.net.au
Grok Academy. Unplugged coding ideas. https://grokacademy.org
Engineers Australia. Engineering for kids. https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au
BirdLife Australia. Bird count. https://aussiebirdcount.org.au
Autism Spectrum Australia. STEM and neurodiversity. https://www.autismspectrum.org.au
CSIRO. STEM toolkit. https://www.csiro.au/en/education
