5 Simple, At-Home Spanish STEM Challenges

These 5 simple, at-home Spanish STEM challenges are fun, have minimal mess, and can be completed with everyday household items. They foster a love of science, technology, engineering, and math all while bringing these disciplines into the Spanish or bilingual classroom. 

I’ve chosen activities that have minimal prep and mess, and materials that are easy to find (most are probably lying around your house). These Spanish STEM challenges can even be completed virtually as students watch along with the teacher or assigned for students to complete at home (with some parent supervision). 

But first, what’s STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It’s become popular in education because it promotes problem-solving in fun, real-life ways by combining at least two or more disciplines (engineering and math, science and technology, etc.).

Why STEM and Spanish?

Because you need to communicate those newfound problem-solving skills. And as we are living in a global community, being able to communicate in more than one language is not only a benefit but a necessity. 

5 Simple, At-Home Spanish STEM Challenges

While I’ve chosen well-known (yet quick and easy) STEM challenges, I’ve adapted them for Spanish learners. You’ll find vocabulary, materials needed, and just how to tie them into your Spanish class, bilingual classroom, homeschool, or at-home learning.

#1 Make a Paper Chain/ Haz una Cadena de Papel

This first activity comes from Little Bins Little Hands. It’s an engineering and math challenge that’s as quick and easy as you can get. The goal is to make the longest paper chain using ONE piece of paper. This is genius because of its minimal setup. 

Materials: a piece of paper, scissors, tape, tape measure (optional)

Materiales: una hoja de papel, tijeras, cinta adhesiva, cinta de medir (opcional)

Tie this into your Spanish or bilingual class by:

• Describing length (largo/corto) and thickness (ancho/estrecho)
• Comparing – Mi cadena es más larga que la tuya. Mi cadena es más corta que la tuya.
• Counting – ¿Cuantos anillos tiene tu cadena? Mi cadena tiene ____ anillos.
• Number Forms – Students write the number in word form (uno) and standard form (1) as they count each ring.
• Measuring – Mi cadena mide ___ pulgadas/centímetros.
• Gender – Cadena de papel is feminine while anillo is masculine. Kids will have to take that into account when describing each word. La cadena es larga. El anillo es ancho.

Vocabulary:

• cadena de papel – paper chain
• anillo – ring
• largo – long
• corto – short
• ancho – wide
• estrecho – narrow
• más larga que – longer than
• más corta que – shorter than
• forma estándar – standard form (numeral)
• forma en palabras – word form
• medir – to measure

#2 Screen-Free Coding/ Coding Sin Pantalla

This next activity also comes from Little Bins for Little Hands, and is another fantastic STEM find. Kids learn the basics of coding by using a printable grid and small objects they have at home. Kids essentially create a maze. Then follow that up with directions on how to get from start to finish. In the coding world, those direction are technically an algorithm (or a series of steps). 

Coding is really popular right now, and rightfully so since code is what makes our technology function. But the real gem here, is that with all the screen time our kids are getting these days, this STEM challenge gives them a quick break. 

Tie this into your Spanish or bilingual class by:

• Practicing giving directions

Vocabulary:

• algoritmo – algorithm
• coding/ programación – coding
• Sigue recto – Go straight
• Gira a la derecha – Turn right
• Gira a la izquierda – Turn left
• Para – Stop
• Vuelve atrás – Go back

#3 Walking Water Experiment/ Agua Andando

This activity, thanks to Coffee Cups and Crayons, is a science experiment that shows capillary action (acción capilar) and color mixing (mezcla de colores).

Students place three cups in a row, filling the outer cups with water, but leaving the center cup empty. Next, add food coloring. You’ll want to use primary colors in the outer cups (blue and red, red and yellow, or blue and yellow). Then place a rolled paper towel from cup one to cup two, and another paper towel is placed from cup two to cup three. Finally, the magic happens! Watch as water walks up the paper towels from the outer cups to the center cup until all cups have an equal amount of water. As this happens you’ll see the colors combine to make a secondary color in the center cup (blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange, blue and yellow make green).

Note: Capillary action is when water moves upward against gravity. This is how trees and plants get water and nutrients from soil.

Materials: three glass cups, water, food coloring, paper towels

Materiales: tres vasos de vidrio, agua, colorante, toallitas de papel

Tie this into your Spanish or bilingual class by:

• Describing quantity/volume – Este vaso tiene más agua que el otro.
• Reviewing colors and color mixing

Vocabulary:

• más que – more than
• menos que – less than
• la misma cantidad – the same amount
• lleno – full
• vacío – empty
• colores primarios – primary colors
• colores secundarios – secondary colors

#4 Water Cycle Bag / La Bolsa del Ciclo del Agua

This next experiment from Playdough to Plato, is a great way to observe and discuss the water cycle and weather.

By drawing a sun and cloud on the bag, adding some water, and taping it to a window students will be able to observe the water cycle in action over a few hours/days. So while this activity is quick to set up, its best for long term observation or a class project. 

Materials: a plastic sandwich bag, black marker, water, tape, food coloring (optional) 

Materiales: una bolsa de plástico para sándwiches, marcador negro, agua, cinta adhesiva, colorante (opcional) 

Tie this into your Spanish or bilingual class by:

• Discussing the water cycle
• Talking about the weather

Vocabulary:

• el ciclo del agua – the water cycle
• el tiempo/ el clima – the weather
• precipitación – precipitation
• condensación – condensation
• evaporación – evaporation
• nubes – clouds
• vapor de agua – water vapor
• Está soleado – It’s sunny
• Está lloviendo – It’s raining
• Está nublado – It’s cloudy

#5 How Strong is Spaghetti?/ ¿Qué tan fuerte es el espagueti?

Finally, Frugal Fun 4 Boys, has a fun spaghetti strength test. They test how much weight spaghetti can hold both vertically (you’ll need styrofoam for this and not every family has that on hand) and horizontally (I recommend this way as you don’t need styrofoam). This challenge is a great introduction to engineering.

Materials: spaghetti, books, small toys, styrofoam (optional)

Materiales: espagueti, libros, juegetes pequeños, poliestireno (opcional)

Tie this into your Spanish or bilingual class by:

• Describing strength; or
• Counting the number of objects spaghetti holds

Vocabulary:

• fuerte – strong
• débil – weak
• El espagueti sostenga ____ juguetes/libros – Spaghetti holds ___ toys/books.

I know we are all racking our brains for activities that can be done at home. These 5 simple, at-home Spanish STEM challenges check that box, plus they give kids the opportunity to have fun, learn STEM skills, and practice their Spanish. Win-Win.

For more at-home activities try 10 Simple First Week of School Activities for Online Learning (in Spanish!) or 8 No Hassle, No Prep, At Home Spanish Activities for Kids.