Here are some of our favorite practical (and fun!) online resources to inspire, educate and motivate elementary and middle school girls. We hope this collection of at-home activities, virtual tours and step-by-step STEM offerings will spark girls’ curiosity and unlock their limitless potential.

Are we missing one of your favorites? Let us know!

At-Home Projects and Activities

Experiment and push boundaries with these fun, family-friendly projects

  • The Past Foundation | Check out these great downloadable challenge sheets designed for K-12
  • NASA | K-4 activities, games and building projects
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame Blog | Projects and outside activities for K-6
  • PBS Kids | Free design challenges ideal for PreK-5
  • Science Buddies | STEM activities and engineering challenges for kids designed to last an hour or less
  • STEAM at Home | Resources for kids and parents along with downloadable projects
  • Ziploc | At-home STEM activities in collaboration with KiwiCo

Factory Tours

Inside the coolest manufacturing centers and state-of-the-art research facilities

  • 3M | Inside 3M’s Young Scientist Lab multi-chapter video series
  • HaaS Automation | A behind-the-scenes look at the 1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility
  • Ken Smith Basses | A start-to-finish look at manufacturing bass guitars
  • Tootsie Roll Industries | A look at how delicious Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops are made
  • Toyota | A peek inside multiple Toyota automotive manufacturing plants and research centers with a focus on engineering, automation and robotics

Must-See STEM Videos

A standout collection of online series and unbelievable virtual experiences

  • 3M | Inside 3M’s Young Scientist Lab multi-chapter video series
  • Access Mars | A virtual reality experience that takes you to the surface of Mars
  • Aurora Borealis Livestream | A livestream video of the Northern Lights!
  • Explainer TV | A fun YouTube channel where makers perform exciting experiments at the New York Hall of Science
  • Generation Health | The science behind medication research and development in the healthcare industry
  • Good Thinking! | A web series that explores common student ideas and misconceptions about a range of science topics
  • Hubblesite | Features a video library of extraordinary scenes captured by or about the Hubble Telescope
  • NBA | A behind-the-scenes look at mathematics in the NBA
  • Smithsonian Science Education Center | Dozens of videos across a number of scientific disciplines and interests
  • STEM Careers Coalition | Meet standout women in STEM careers changing the world as we know it
  • STEM Careers in the NBA | A look at the science fueling the National Basketball Association
  • Story Time From Space | Astronauts aboard the International Space Station read books aloud
  • STEM Virtual Home Lab | A series of workshops that share practical tips and experiments
  • Tech for Tomorrow | A video series featuring virtual access to high-tech innovation and education centers

Tough Conversations

Tools to broach hard topics like race, gender equality and social justice

  • Code Switch | A podcast from NPR that reports on race in the media and timely multicultural issues from across the nation
  • Imagine Neighborhood | A podcast designed to help children and grown-ups grow their social-emotional skills
  • Pod Save the People | A podcast tackling current events, social justice and overlooked stories and topics that often impact people of color
  • Therapy for Black Girls | A podcast targeted to young black women to discuss mental health issues

Virtual Field Trips

Incredible virtual tours of museums, science centers and historic sites from all over the world!

  • Adler Planetarium | A virtual tour of the Chicago site with exclusive access to 20 online exhibits
  • American Archive of Public Broadcasting | Explore the archives of historic programs available through the Library of Congress
  • American Battlefield Trust | Incredible virtual tours and resources about historic battlefields from the American Revolution and Civil War
  • The China Guide | A virtual tour of the Great Wall of China
  • Conservancy of Southwest Florida | Includes lesson plans and environmental education guides
  • Future U | A collaborative video series for STEM educators from Boeing and Discovery Education
  • Girls Get STEM | A collaborative series from the Girl Scouts and Discovery Education that includes student activities and a companion guide
  • The Louvre | An exclusive look inside the world famous art museum in Paris, France
  • Luray Caverns | 360-degree tours with lesson plans and quizzes for teachers
  • Museum of Flight | Put yourself in the pilot’s seat (literally!) with the virtual reality simulators
  • Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago | Explore exhibits designed to spark creativity and scientific inquiry
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame | A look inside the museum’s vast collections and exhibits
  • NASA | Explore the “From Hidden to Modern Figures” exhibit about the amazing role of women like Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson
  • The Nature Conservancy | Teachers’ guides with dynamic resources on environmental science, climate change and food sustainability
  • Pixar in a Box | Learn about the computer science and math involved in creating movies at Pixar Animation Studios
  • Science Museum | Virtual exhibits from the Science Museum in London, England
  • Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Explore past and permanent exhibits, including some narrated virtual tours
  • Stanley Black & Decker Makerspace | A perfect video series for makers and STEM stars