The Science of Everyday Life: STEM Hidden in Things We Do Every Day
You don't need a laboratory, a computer science degree, or expensive equipment to experience STEM. In fact, you probably use science, technology, engineering, and math every single day without even realizing it.
From cooking breakfast to listening to music, STEM is involved in many of the activities we already enjoy. Learning to recognize these connections can help students see STEM as something familiar rather than something that only happens in a classroom.
Here are a few surprising places where STEM shows up in everyday life.
The Science Behind Cooking
Have you ever wondered why bread rises in the oven or why cookies change from soft dough into something completely different?
Cooking is full of chemistry.
When ingredients are mixed, heated, or cooled, physical and chemical changes can occur. Baking soda, for example, can react with acidic ingredients to produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps certain baked goods rise.
Cooking also involves math. Measuring ingredients, adjusting recipes, and calculating cooking times all require mathematical thinking.
Try it yourself: The next time you bake, pay attention to how the ingredients change throughout the process. What happens to the texture, color, or size of the food? What might be causing those changes?
The Engineering Behind Sports
Whether you're playing soccer, riding a bike, or shooting a basketball, you're experiencing physics in action.
Sports involve forces, motion, energy, and gravity.
Think about shooting a basketball. The angle, speed, and force of your throw all influence where the ball travels. Engineers and scientists study these same principles when designing vehicles, equipment, and even spacecraft.
Sports equipment is also carefully engineered. Running shoes, helmets, bicycles, and tennis rackets are designed using knowledge of materials, forces, and human movement.
Try it yourself: Take a ball outside and experiment with throwing it at different angles. How does the angle affect the distance it travels?
The Technology Behind Your Favorite Music
Listening to music might not seem like a STEM activity, but there's a lot of science happening behind the scenes.
Sound travels through vibrations. When you play a guitar string or hit a drum, the object vibrates and creates sound waves that travel through the air.
Technology allows us to record, edit, and play those sounds through speakers and headphones.
Digital music also relies on computer science. Software processes audio information, while algorithms help music platforms organize songs and make recommendations.
Try it yourself: Fill several glasses with different amounts of water and gently tap them with a spoon. Listen to how the pitch changes. Why might different amounts of water produce different sounds?
The Math Behind Shopping
Shopping provides an opportunity to practice math in the real world.
Comparing prices, calculating discounts, estimating totals, and managing a budget all involve mathematical reasoning.
Imagine you're shopping for school supplies and see two packages of pencils. One contains six pencils for $3, while another contains ten for $4.
Which package is the better deal?
By calculating the cost per pencil, you can compare the options and make an informed decision.
These skills become increasingly important as students begin managing their own money and making financial decisions.
Try it yourself: During your next shopping trip, compare the unit prices of two similar products. See if you can determine which offers the better value.
The Science Happening Outside Your Window
Nature offers countless opportunities to explore STEM.
Plants use sunlight to produce sugars through photosynthesis. Weather patterns are influenced by temperature, air pressure, and moisture. Even the changing seasons involve Earth's movement around the Sun and the tilt of its axis.
You don't need to travel far to observe these processes.
A backyard, neighborhood park, or even a small plant on a windowsill can become a place for scientific exploration.
Scientists regularly collect observations, look for patterns, and use evidence to better understand the natural world. Students can practice these same skills through simple activities.
Try it yourself: Choose a plant or tree near your home and observe it over several weeks. Record changes in its leaves, growth, or appearance. What patterns do you notice?
Turning Everyday Curiosity Into STEM Learning
One of the easiest ways to encourage an interest in STEM is to ask questions about things we already experience.
Why does ice melt faster in some places than others? How does a bicycle stay balanced? Why do shadows change throughout the day?
Questions like these can lead to experiments, research, and new discoveries.
Organizations such as NASA and the Smithsonian offer educational activities that help students explore scientific concepts through hands-on experiences. Many of these projects use simple materials and encourage students to observe, test, and improve their ideas.
The goal isn't always to find the correct answer immediately. Sometimes, the most valuable part of learning is figuring out how to investigate a question.
STEM Is Closer Than You Think
STEM isn't limited to textbooks, classrooms, or future careers. It's part of the world around us.
Every time you solve a problem, experiment with an idea, recognize a pattern, or ask how something works, you're practicing skills that connect to STEM.
At Girls Code the World, we believe that encouraging curiosity is an important part of helping young girls explore science and technology. By recognizing STEM in everyday experiences, students can begin to see themselves as capable problem-solvers, creators, and innovators.
You never know when a simple question about the world around you might inspire your next big idea.
Sources
1. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory — STEM Activities for Families
A collection of family-friendly science, engineering, technology, and mathematics activities, including experiments involving forces, motion, measurement, and design.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/lesson-plan/stem-activities-for-families/
2. Smithsonian Science Education Center — STEM, Manufacturing and Design Activities
Hands-on activities designed to introduce students ages 5–18 to STEM concepts through real-world challenges, experiments, and engineering projects.
3. NASA — Lessons and Activities
Educational resources that connect scientific concepts with everyday observations, problem-solving, and hands-on exploration.
https://science.nasa.gov/learn/lessons-and-activities/
4. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory — Engineering in the Classroom
Resources explaining how engineering principles can be explored through design challenges, testing, and real-world applications.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/collection/engineering-in-the-classroom/
5. Smithsonian Institution — Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens
Science games, experiments, and educational activities that encourage students to explore STEM through their own interests.