Free Summer STEM Bellringers Activities

If you’re looking for quick Summer STEM activities that require no materials, you’re in the right place!

It’s time to get your summer STEM on with 5 weeks of FREE bellringers, sub plans, or centers!

Use this resource as STEM Bell Ringers, STEM sub plans, or STEM activity centers to engage your students in creativity and critical thinking!

What’s inside the Summer STEM Bellringers freebie?

✅ 5 weeks of summer-themed STEM bell ringers or 5 days of STEM centers / sub plans designed to flex students’ creativity & critical thinking muscles!

✅ Google Slides™ of each activity, including response pages (you can download & print if you don’t want to go paperless)

✅ Teacher notes with teaching tips for each activity, extensions & troubleshooting

✅ Editable Sub Note

✅ Choice Board

✅ Five unique activities included for each week:

1) STEM Improv
2) See-Notice-Think-Wonder
3) Would You Rather STEM Questions
4) Analyze This vs. That
5) 8 Ways to Use

Day 1 – STEM Improv Summer STEM Activity

Students spin three wheels to randomly select an object, material & function and use their creativity & problem-solving skills to plan a design.

There’s also a question page to work through the deep critical thinking behind creating & troubleshooting their design.

For example, design a:

– trampoline (object)
– made of goggles (material)
– that makes lemonade (function)

Learn more about STEM Improv on this post.

Day 2 – See-Notice / Think-Wonder Summer STEM Activity

See – Notice / Think – Wonder is a quick activity to help students practice observing, thinking & questioning. The purpose is to help students slow down, quiet, and focus the mind. This activity sets up an environment that gives students the time & mental space needed to develop curiosity & divergent thinking.

Day 3 – Would You Rather STEM Questions Summer STEM Activity

Would You Rather STEM helps students develop critical thinking in STEM and defend their positions.

There are three types of questions included.

“Make” questions focus on being the designer/engineer of as design
“Use” questions focus on the end-user experience for design ideas
“Give Up Forever” questions focus on the usefulness of various technologies and everyday objects.

Day 4 – Analyze This vs. That Summer STEM Activity

In Analyze This vs. That, students will view two designs that solve a similar problem. Students then identify the problem solved, identify strengths & weaknesses of both designs and list potential research questions.

Day 5 – 8 Ways to Use Summer STEM Activity

8 Ways to Use is a simple activity where students are shown an image and have to come up with 8 different creative ways to use it. We encourage them to “vary the verb” in order to stretch their minds for unexpected uses.