Build STEM Confidence During Indoor Recess

From classic games to innovative challenges, indoor recess often challenges educators to think “outside of the box” and create high-energy educational experiences. While not every school incorporates structured indoor recess activities, finding a balance between free play and active learning creates lasting benefits throughout the day. Whether you have access to a large space like the gymnasium or need to be creative within the available space in your classroom, there’s plenty of ways to keep the creativity flowing and help kids build confidence as they connect with STEM.

With just a few everyday materials, you can bridge the organized chaos of indoor recess into moments of meaningful learning and STEM-inspired fun. Read on to find unique ideas and plan ahead to build STEM confidence during indoor recess.

Math Bingo

Turn fun-filled games into active learning opportunities! Math Bingo is the perfect educational game to challenge young learners to solve math problems. Instead of drawing random numbers in traditional bingo, you can call out math problems that correspond to the numbers on students’ bingo cards. Once you read the equation, students solve it and look to mark the answer on their bingo card.

To incorporate fun-filled movement, consider creating a number line with painter’s tape and a marker. When students solve the problem, direct students to stand behind the number on a number line. Then when they get "Bingo" they have to race to a special "Bingo" spot.

Helpful Tip: Be sure to keep record of the math problem to double-check the answers once a student yells, “BINGO!”

Indoor STEM stations

By setting up a few interactive STEM stations, you can create a fresh opportunity for hands-on exploration and spark collaboration among classmates. Consider setting a timer for kids to rotate between stations, so they can engage with different STEM challenges at 10-minute increments. If in a gym setting, challenge kids to race to the next station. If your STEM stations are set up in the classroom, encourage students to either hop in place or do jumping jacks between stations – their pick!

Worried that you won’t have enough time to set up? We recommend planning ahead by putting together a few STEM bins that once popped into place will function as themed stations that you can design each station to highlight a different subject of STEM! Take a look at a few ideas below to get you started.

Station 1 – Imagination Station

From balloons to craft sticks and rubber bands, create an opened-ended STEM station with an array of miscellaneous items where students can build what they imagine. Encouraging problem solving, teamwork and creativity, challenge students to select from recycled cardboard pieces to build a unique creation. Whether they build a cardboard camera or DIY puppet theater, what students construct will help them uncover the potential of their ideas.

For younger learners, consider assigning prompts for their builds. From designing a new piece of playground equipment to creating a high-tech homework robot or building a new type of instrument, prompt cards with visual examples and pre-torn strips of tape will be helpful as they prototype! Once students finish their initial creation, ask them to modify it by adding or removing a component and observe whether it still works as intended.

Station 2 – MAGNA-TILES Community Build

Encourage students to explore engineering and develop spatial skills by building the ultimate structure using MAGNA-TILES^®. They can build a replica of your school, their home or even a building they would like to see built in their community!

Station 3 – Marble Run

With cardboard tubes, plastic bottles, tape and cups, students experiment with hands-on physics as they create the ultimate marble run with ramps, tunnels and tracks. Consider marking a start and finish line to help establish perimeters.

As you prep your station bins, consider which stations might help support an easy transition back to class time. For example, students can spotlight their designs during a class presentation or write an extended assignment about what they created, who they worked with and what they learned from the STEM stations.

Shadow Puppets

Sparking joy doesn’t always require the sunshine outside! One way to connect kids with STEM during indoor recess is to create shadow puppets. Just grab some flashlights and check out this awe-inspiring STEM activity.

Build a Class Story

Collaborative storytelling can help students boost their creativity and language skills! Whether you challenge students to incorporate vocabulary from lesson plans or use literary skills like foreshadowing, gather your students in a circle to tell a story one sentence or one word at a time! Consider letting students to pass a ball to nominate the next speaker to keep their hand and eye coordination sharp and the narrative flowing. Your class will erupt in giggles and make instant connections with sequence, imagination and the power of a compelling story.

Paper Origami

By giving your students the opportunity to bring their ideas to life through paper origami, they can put their engineering skills into action with hands-on exploration of origami techniques. This paper-folding activity helps students explore facets of STEAM as they build persistence and empower their inner artist. At the end of their artful adventure, encourage students to test their skills with a paper airplane contest or origami frog race!

Find More STEM

Looking for more ways to incorporate STEM into everyday lessons? Explore our website for more educational activities that can be used in the classroom to spark STEM confidence.