Spiders may be a little creepy to some, but in kindergarten they make the perfect theme for hands-on learning! Pairing nonfiction texts with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) centers gives students the chance to explore, create, and think like scientists and engineers—all while building literacy skills.
We kicked off our Spider STEAM Day with an interactive read aloud of Spiders by Laura Marsh. The lesson plans include comprehension and vocabulary activities that help students dive into the amazing world of spiders before heading into our centers.
🧪 Science – How Do Spiders Eat?
Spiders can’t chew their food—they liquefy it first! To help students understand this, we set up an experiment with sugar cubes, a tiny straw, and water droplets. Students place drops of water (the venom) on the sugar cube and use the straw to pretend they are a spider “sucking up” their meal. This hands-on model makes it so much easier for little learners to visualize how spiders eat their prey.
💻 Technology – Counting Sets to 20
In the technology center, students practice math skills with a Boom™️ Card game. This digital activity focuses on counting sets to 20, and since Boom™️ Cards are self-checking, students got immediate feedback while having fun with interactive spider-themed slides.
🕸️ Engineering – Building a Spider Web
For engineering, students become web designers! Using paper plates and yarn, they design and build their own spider webs. The challenge is to make the web strong enough to hold a plastic or rubber spider. This center encourages problem solving, fine motor skills, and creativity as students experiment with weaving their webs in different patterns.
🎨 Art – Spider Life Cycle Hat & Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft
We have two art activities!
- Spider Life Cycle Hat – Students sequence the stages of a spider’s life cycle and create a hat to wear home, reinforcing science content through art.
- Itsy Bitsy Spider Craft – Students make a craft that goes along with the classic poem Itsy Bitsy Spider. With this project, they practice sequencing, retelling, and connecting their artwork to literacy, making it a keepsake to share with families.
🔢 Math – Spin It Number Sense & Addition Game
At the math center, students play a Spin It game where they spin a number and use it to practice number sense and addition skills. This hands-on activity provides both math practice and fun learning as students work with partners to solve problems.
Spider STEAM Day was such a hit in our class! The centers give students the chance to explore science concepts, practice math skills, and create art while staying engaged in meaningful, hands-on learning. Check on any of the images below to check them out!
Good afternoon.
Your sight is just awesome. But as I am newly signed in, I’m afraid that I’m confused. I requested the free Spider Steam Centers in Kindergarten – Kinderbrations. However, when I received the free resources they were Draw and Write, Let’s Play and Boom Cards Letter Matching . Although these are probably wonderful, what I really need is the Spider Steam Center.
Please help me with this.
Hello! Thank you so much for letting us know. We fixed the link and the free spider-themed mystery picture puzzle has been updated. All of the STEAM centers are available for purchase in our TPT store if you click on the STEAM link. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. Thanks again!