*This resource is also available on TPT HERE.
Kick off the school year with hands-on Back-to-School Quick STEM Challenges designed to engage your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from Day 1! This no-prep resource includes 12 low-material Quick STEM Challenge Task Cards, each paired with a student planning and reflection worksheet to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
 
Perfect for STEM enrichment, icebreakers, and team-building activities, these quick-build challenges are a classroom favorite for upper elementary teachers looking to promote problem-solving and communication in a fun and structured way.
 
What's Included:
✅ 12 Engaging Quick STEM Challenge Task Cards
✅ Challenge Criteria & Materials List for each task
✅ 12 Coordinating Student Planning & Reflection Worksheets
✅ Quick STEM Team Roles & Title Cards for structured collaboration
✅ Completed Example to model expectations
✅ Quick STEM Organization Labels for easy storage
✅ Extra Notes Pages for teacher planning or student brainstorming
 
Why Teachers Love It:
Easy to prep and implement—just print and go!
Flexible for whole-class, small group, or fast-finisher stations
Supports 21st-century skills: critical thinking, communication, and creativity
Encourages classroom community from the start of the year
Use These STEM Challenges For:
Back-to-school community building
First-week icebreakers
STEM centers or rotations
Gifted and early-finisher enrichment
Sub plans and open-ended challenges
 
*This resource is also available on TPT HERE.