It’s 7:15 AM on day two, the coffee is already tepid, and you’re about to read a 12-page syllabus out loud to children who haven’t sat in a chair for three months. Stop right there and put down the seating charts.

Start Here: The Misconception That Ruins Everything

What is science? Find out more with these ready-to-go first week of school science lessons and DIY activities for grades K-8.

Ask your students what a scientist looks like. Write down what they say.

90% of them will tell you it’s a person in a white coat holding a smoking beaker in a dark laboratory. 

Here’s the fact that makes them pay attention: If you’ve ever dropped a phone, guessed why the screen cracked, and tried to fix it, you’re already doing engineering. You’re already a scientist. 

Show them that science isn’t memorizing facts from a textbook older than they are. In fact, it’s just noticing cool stuff and trying to figure out why the world isn’t falling apart.

First Week of School Science Resources by Grade

Engineers solve problems (and so much more!) discover ready-to-go science lessons and DIY activities for grades K-8, perfect for your first week of school.
ResourceBest ForPrep Level
What is Science? (K-2 version) K-2Zero prep
What is Engineering? K-2Zero prep 
What is Science? (3-5 version) 3-5Zero prep
Engineering Design Process 6-8Zero prep 
What is Science? (6-8 version)6-8Zero prep 
How to be a Scientist (College & Careers) K-8Zero prep 
What is Science (K-2) Dancing Raisins DIY Activity K-2Low prep 
What is Engineering (K-2) Engineering Candy DIY Activity K-2Low prep 
What is Science (3-5) Egg Drop Challenge DIY Activity 3-5Low prep 

Grades K-2: Stop reading rules and start observing things

Scientists help us understand the world around us (and anyone can be one!) find out more in these zero-to-low prep first week of school science lessons & DIY activities for grades K-8.

K-2 learners don’t care about your pencil sharpener routine yet. They care about why bugs move and why ice melts. Give them something to look at before you give them something to sit quietly for.

What is Science Video for Kids 

Grades 3-5: Show them breaking things is part of the job

Observation and experimentation is essential to being a scientist. Find out more in these first week of school science lessons & DIY activities for grades K-8.

By 3rd grade, kids are terrified of getting the wrong answer on day one. Observation, evidence, and experimentation fixes that by making failure the whole point of the assignment.

What is Science Video for Kids (3-5) 

Grades 6-8: High engagement that won’t get called cringe

The engineering design process is an essential part of being an engineer. Discover more with these fun and zero prep first week of school science lessons & DIY activities for grades K-8.

Middle schoolers can smell artificial enthusiasm from the hallway. Skip the awkward icebreakers and give them a genuine design flaw to solve with their hands.

Engineering Design Process Video for Kids 

The “I Have 20 Minutes Before Lunchtime Starts” K-2 Version

Need a 20 minute activity? Try these first week of school science lessons & DIY activities, perfect whether you have a kindergartner, or a middle-schooler.

No time to prep? Here’s exactly what to do:

Minutes 1-5: Ask your class, “Who here thinks scientists are just people in lab coats?” Let them argue for 120 seconds while you catch your breath.

Minutes 6-15: Hit play on What is Science? or What is Engineering? This activity works in regular classrooms with zero cleanup.

Minutes 16-20: Hand them three index cards and tell them to build the tallest structure that can hold an eraser. Walk around and watch your learners take flight. 

The first week of school is more than just reading the student handbook until your voice gives out. It’s setting the tone that science in your room is hands-on and actually interesting.

For more Back-to-School content, check out Sidewalk Chalk Paint DIY Activity