Lake STEAM for Kids

Explore physical science and fine motor skills with your preschoolers using this Lake STEAM activity. Don’t forget to add this quick and easy idea to your list of STEAM activities for your next spring preschool theme. You’re definitely not going to want to miss it!

collage of Lake STEAM images with text: Lake STEAM Sensory Activity for PreschoolersThis week, our topic is On the River and we’ve been learning all about swimming, fishing, and more. For today’s Investigation Station, we answered the question, “What is at the bottom of a lake?”

child adding sand and small stones to clear plastic containerThis post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links.  For more information, please see my full disclosures.

A huge thanks to Experience Early Learning (formerly Mother Goose Time) for providing us with their Experience Preschool curriculum for free in exchange for sharing our honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. It’s been such a huge blessing to us! As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own.

child adding rocks to Lake STEAM in clear plastic containerThis was such a wonderful activity and perfect for a wide range of ages. Both the little guy and baby girl had a great time experimenting with this engaging and hands-on STEAM activity and of course, learning all about lakes in the process.

child adding rocks to clear plastic containerLake STEAM

Set Up

  • Set out clear containers with lids and a variety of nature items (sand, rocks, leaves). Encourage children to put the nature items into the containers. Fill containers with water and close tightly with a lid. Shake the containers then watch what happens.

child picking up rocks from plastic trayBig Questions

  • What do you think is at the bottom of a lake?
  • What happens when you shake the container?
  • Where do the nature items go?
  • What happens when there is a storm on a lake?

child adding grass to clear plastic container to make pretend lakeNot only was this lake activity perfect for encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving but it was also such a fun way to work on practicing important fine motor skills.

child adding nature items to clear plastic container for Lake STEAMEach kiddo was given a tray with a variety of nature items, a small dish of water, and an eyedropper to design their own lake. When they were finished, they filled their containers with water using an eyedropper.

child shaking clear plastic container filled with nature itemsAfter that, they closed the containers tightly and experimented with what happened when they shook them. Today’s Lake STEAM was a great real-life demonstration of what is at the bottom of a lake as well as what happens when there is a storm on a lake.

child's Lake STEAM in clear plastic containerDon’t forget to check back if you’re interested in seeing what we’re up to next week with our Bubbles, Boats, and Floats preschool theme from Experience Preschool!

collage of Lake STEAM images with text: Lake STEAM Science Activity for Preschoolers