STEM Engineering Lab for Ages 7-11: Build and Test Projects

This STEM Engineering Lab invites learners ages 7 to 11 to think and work like engineers through eight hands-on building challenges. Each session focuses on a single project—such as a straw siphon, balloon-powered car, paper bridge, catapult, cotton ball launcher, a straw-and-string robotic hand, or a cardboard roller coaster—and uses simple household materials to demonstrate real science and engineering ideas. Classes follow a consistent learning routine: introduce the engineering challenge, discuss the underlying science (forces, motion, energy, pressure, structures, or biomechanics), build the project step by step, test and troubleshoot, and then iterate to improve the design. Students make predictions, observe results, collect simple evidence, and reflect on what worked and why. The final meeting is devoted to finishing projects, reviewing core concepts, and sharing discoveries. Through guided experimentation and iterative design, learners gain hands-on experience with problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. Projects are chosen so students see immediate, visible results in class and can practice testing and refining their designs. A detailed supply list for each week is provided before class; most items are common household or inexpensive craft materials. The club supports curiosity, collaborative discussion, and confidence in using the engineering design process: plan, build, test, and improve.