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
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
- Idaho National Laboratory | A video series exploring nuclear energy with accompanying educator 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
- National Women’s History Museum | Exclusive exhibits about extraordinary women activists, athletes and scientists throughout American history
- 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
- New England Aquarium | Virtual animal encounters and academy programs
- Orlando Science Center | Offers an “Educator’s Guide” and tours appropriate for each grade level
- 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