When I was in school, I hated all the STEM areas. Science, please, no! It is sooo boring. Technology- well, that was slowly becoming more widely used when I was in high school, but not a huge deal. Engineering??? Umm, we didn’t do that. That’s too hard, right? Then, there was math. No way! But now, people have found some great ways to make the STEM field relevant and so much fun, like these fun toothpick STEM activities.
I believe that if you can make learning relevant and/or fun, kids will become hooked.
That’s why you’ll find SO many STEM activities and various projects on my site. I want kids to see the fun in learning AND that you can learn something from just about everything around you.
One thing that I love about STEM is it uses hands-on learning to teach concepts in a fun way and/or meaningful way. It also teaches problem-solving and creative thinking.
Plus, STEM activities add some fun during the day and can be a great time filler.
What’s even better is you can use common materials around the house, like toothpicks, as a learning tool. There are many different STEM toothpick activities kids can do. It’s pretty amazing.
I was surprised to see how versatile toothpicks really are. So, let me share some fun and engaging STEM toothpick activities you can use with the kiddos.
Table of Contents
- STEM Activities with Toothpicks
- #1 STEM Toothpick Towers:
- #2 STEM Activity with Toothpicks: Toothpick Bridges
- #3 STEM Toothpick Activities: Toothpick Pyramids STEM
- #4 Toothpick Sculptures
- #5 Toothpick Maze
- #6 Toothpick STEM Activity: Toothpick Toothbrush Holder
- #7 Toothpick Christmas Trees
- #8. Toothpick Geometry
- 9. Toothpick Star Experiment and Traveling Toothpicks
- 10. Toothpick STEM Activity Using Math
- Using Toothpicks for STEM Fun
STEM Activities with Toothpicks
#1 STEM Toothpick Towers:
STEM Toothpick towers are great for a test of strength and engineering. With this STEM toothpick activity, kids will see how tall of a toothpick tower they can build without it collapsing.
The great thing about toothpick towers is you can use SO many different items. You can use toothpicks and:
- Gumdrops
- Marshmallows
- Packing peanuts
- Styrofoam balls
- Play dough or clay.
Over at Teachers are Terrific, you can find some tips and tricks on building these towers.
For an extra challenge, you can have the kiddos see if their towers can hold weight. You can add weight with blocks, matchbox cars, hang small items (like a barrel of monkeys, paper clips, paper clips with little beads on them), etc., all depending on the tower’s shape.
Don’t forget to let the kids get creative. That is part of the fun!
#2 STEM Activity with Toothpicks: Toothpick Bridges
This toothpick bridge activity is a great way to teach kids about engineering and design. The toothpick bridges allow kids to see how strong of a bridge they can build using only toothpicks and glue (or tape).
If you want, you can build with a little more than toothpicks. You can use paper (index cards, construction paper, etc.) for a floor. The key is to have kiddos think about the style of the bridge.
It is helpful if kids can look at different types of bridges in books or online (adding in a little technology).
By doing so, they will get some ideas of different types of bridges and maybe even similarities in the types of bridges used in certain situations. For example, they may notice really long bridges are a particular design.
Once they have built their bridge, you can add weight to see how much it can hold. Choose small items (pennies, blocks, etc.) and slowly add them one at a time.
Another STEM activity with toothpick bridges is to test how LONG they can build a bridge without it collapsing.
#3 STEM Toothpick Activities: Toothpick Pyramids STEM
These toothpick pyramids are an interesting toothpick STEM activity. This is a great way to practice stacking and balancing.
Challenge kids to see how many toothpicks they can use to build a pyramid without it collapsing. The pyramid shape can make some pretty stable structures if designed properly and well thought out.
If you want to take learning a little further, you can have the kids research WHY the pyramid shape is used in some structures. The history of the pyramid shape is interesting.
{You might LOVE this STEM Journal to help with your STEM activities. Check it out!}
#4 Toothpick Sculptures
For this activity, kids will use some engineering and imagination. So, it is more of a STEAM project since it adds art.
In this toothpick STEM activity, kiddos will build sculptures out of toothpicks. Let them create whatever they want, but challenge them to build a creative structure just with toothpicks.
Of course, they need something to link the toothpicks together. You can have the kids use tape, marshmallows, play dough, gumdrops, candy corn, etc.
#5 Toothpick Maze
Toothpick mazes are a great activity to practice problem-solving and spatial reasoning. Kids use toothpicks to create a maze on the floor, table, or inside a box. Challenge kids to add in dead ends to trick people as they make their way through the maze.
The great thing is kids can easily move the toothpicks around to adjust their maze or make a new one.
#6 Toothpick STEM Activity: Toothpick Toothbrush Holder
Here is a fun toothpick STEM activity that kids can use. The challenge is for kids to design and build a toothpick toothbrush holder that can hold their toothbrush upright.
This activity teaches kids about engineering and problem-solving. When they are finished, they can decorate it!
#7 Toothpick Christmas Trees
Toothpick Christmas trees are easy to make and another great STEAM project. It is especially great for younger kiddos who need to work on symmetry.
The trees can be stacked into multiple layers; they can be textured if glued on paper or anything else they can think of.
Kids can use the Christmas tree design to make a multimedia art picture (drawing, painting, etc.).
Kids could also make toothpick Christmas trees into ornaments, decorative tags to put on presents, or anything else they can imagine.
This activity is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Build a toothpick Christmas tree that will impress your friends and family.
#8. Toothpick Geometry
Take a more hands-on approach to geometry with this toothpick STEM activity. Have kids practice making 3-D and 2-D geometric shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows.
If you want to buy some low-cost cards to help provide a visual, you can find plenty online. Just type toothpick geometry, and plenty of options come up.
9. Toothpick Star Experiment and Traveling Toothpicks
The Toothpick Star Experiment and Traveling Toothpicks are very similar. However, in one, you place the toothpicks in a star shape and the other one in a square.
It seems like you are doing magic with some water and toothpicks, but it is just force and motion at work. These two experiments are great for teaching force and motion in a fun way.
10. Toothpick STEM Activity Using Math
The last toothpick stem activity I wanted to share is a math and logic activity. In this fun printable PDF, kids use math shapes to work on problem-solving and logic puzzles. Kids need to manipulate the toothpicks to solve the problems. Don’t worry. An answer key is provided.
Using Toothpicks for STEM Fun
This list of STEM toothpick activities is just a few of the many STEM activities out there. I hope this sparks your kiddo’s interest and has you looking for more.
Before you go, I wanted to share some additional tips for doing STEM activities with toothpicks:
- Use different colored toothpicks to make your creations stand out.
- Encourage kids to experiment and try different things.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
- Celebrate their successes!
STEM activities with toothpicks are a great way to engage kids in learning and have fun at the same time. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!
If your kiddos are excited for more, check out my Popsicle Stick STEM activities and STEM activities with Straws. They are super fun, too!
Happy Homeschooling!
