Do your kids enjoy playing with water? Here are 16 exciting STEM activities based on fun water play ideas that kids will love, love, love! All of these water play STEM projects will get kids immersed and hands on with the important curriculum areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Kids learn most when they are having fun and won’t be able to resist these innovative water play ideas!
Water Play ideas are always lots of fun and can offer kids so many learning opportunities too. All 16 of these water play STEM challenges from my archives and blogging friends can be done easily using water play equipment you will most likely have in your supplies already.
Each of these exciting water play STEM projects will give kids plenty of opportunity to think creatively, test their ideas and problem solve and of course they’ll have lots of fun playing too!
Each image is numbered and the corresponding link is numbered below it; just click the capitalised text to take you straight to each exciting STEM project idea for the full instructions.
Water Play STEM Projects For Kids
1 This WATER XLYOPHONE is so colourful and a great way to explore music making. How many different notes can you make?
2 Get arty and explore COLOUR MIXING WITH ICE CUBES. What a great way to cool down on a hot Summer day.
3 BUBBLE SNAKE MAKERS are fun for kids of all ages. Babies will love to watch and touch and big kids will love to blow. Add food colouring or paint to make colourful bubble snakes. Whose will be the longest?
4 WALKING WATER EXPERIMENT never fails to amaze. Watch water travel as if by magic and see how those colours mix!
5 PAPER BOATS are a childhood classic we probably all remember. Experiment with different sizes and materials to see which can move the fastest, last the longest or hold the most weight.
6 STICK RAFT PROJECT is a great way to connect with natural materials. Can you build a raft that will balance and stay afloat?
7 SOAP BOATS are super clean fun!
8 LEGO BOATS are a great challenge for LEGO lovers. (Check out our LEGO Pendulum Painting Project too.) 
9 WATER WHEEL Making is a great challenge for older kids. This one uses mixed materials.
10 LEGO WATER WHEEL can be made on its own or as part of a whole Lego water network. What fun!
11 PVC WATER PIPE CHANNELS is a super fun way to introduce kids to water physics.
12 Have a blast with exciting WATER ROCKETS. How high will yours fly?
13 FLOATING FLOWERS are mesmerizing because these colourful beauties actually open up and “bloom” when they’re in the water!
14 Why not get kids thinking with a WATER ABSORPTION EXPERIMENT. Where does the water go? How much water can different materials hold and why?
15 Enjoy DESIGNING A BOAT that really floats. Grab a selection of things from your recycling and see what you can create.
16 BUILD A BRIDGE over a shallow stream or homemade puddle. Use stones, bricks, wooden blocks or anything you fancy. A great STEM project to get kids collaborating.
I’m sure you and the kids will have hours of fun, learning and splashing exploring all these Water Play STEM projects. Let us know how you get on.
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