10 Imaginative Science Videos for Your Curious STEM Learners

If you're looking for some science videos to flip your STEM classroom with, there's a whole world of them on the Web. You don't want just any old average science videos, though; you're looking for ones that learners will actually want to watch.

Science videos should do more than just inform; they should inspire. We're looking for vids that get us wanting to explore, create, and try things. They should open our eyes and free us to think about interesting experiments and projects. They should make us want to explore and discover and make a change. They should make us think about possibilities.

The 10 science videos we've posted below are designed to do just that. Use them as part of STEM lessons, or precursors to projects that will interest learners in the subject of science. These are the kinds of videos that make learning fun again.

1. Beautiful Reactions

There are many reasons why chemists love chemistry. One of them could be that chemical reactions resemble art. This is true of the science videos found on Beautiful Chemistry. It's a collaborative effort to display the visual beauty of chemistry. Watch the magic unfold and see chemistry in a whole new light.

2. 10 Amazing Science Tricks Using Liquid

There are some pretty cool experiments on this video that show you detailed steps and explanations as to what you need to make them work right. Some of the experiments include things like Slow Motion Ball, Invisible Bottle, Liquid Stacking, No-Leak Magic Bag, and more. These tricks are all easy to do and loads of fun for your learners.

3. Plate Tectonics Explained

This fun video explains how plate tectonics really works. It uses comical animation and easily understandable terms and facts. It clocks in at just over two minutes, so if you're collecting quick Earth science videos to share with students, put this one on your list.

4. What if the Death Star Was Real?

Who hasn't dreamed of building their own Death Star? Well, probably most of us, but hat doesn't stop us thinking about the implications of a working prototype. How could it be done? What would it look like from Earth? How much energy would you need to destroy an entire planet? Have some fun with Professor Mike Merrifield from the University of Nottingham as he discusses the possibilities of Star Wars coming to life.

5. Everything You Need to Know About Planet Earth

Welcome to Planet Earth, abridged. This is one of those science videos designed to give you some true perspective. We tend to often take the magnificence of Earth for granted. This is an incredible planet we live on, and this video will open your eyes up to it again.

6. Scientific Bubble Art

This is the entrancing work of Keith Johnson of BubbleArtist.com. Keith is fascinated by the science of soap bubbles, and he also fascinates others with his experiments in trade shows and festivals all over the world. This is how he teaches kids about science in a mesmerizing way that's also highly educational.

7. How Do Vaccines Work?

The first vaccine was created by English physician and scientist Edward Jenner. In 1796, he injected tiny amounts of smallpox virus into a young boy to inoculate him. It proved to be successful. Nevertheless, the process has always seemed counter intuitive. So how does it actually work? Kelwalin Dhanasarnsombut talks about the whole story in this video.

8. Could We Actually Live on Mars?

What would it actually be like to live on Mars? Would it even be possible? We first contacted the actual surface of the planet with probes back in 1971. Since then, our continuing exploration of the Red Planet has truly fired our imaginations. This video narrated by Mari Foroutan compares features of Earth and Mars. (You'll have to decide for yourself if you want to move there.)

9. Fizzy Bottle Rockets

Want to see your kids' eyes light up? Show them a bottle rocket. Better yet, have them build their own and explain how they work. This is the idea behind all the science videos on ExpeRimental. It's science for fun and play.

10. The Slo Mo Guys: Giant Water Balloon

Watching fluids move through space is fascinating. Trust the Slo Mo Guys to take it to a whole new level, though. In this updated video, an old classic gets a new twist. They've taken their water balloon and stuck a person inside it. Watch what happens—it's beautiful and comical.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Originally published Sept 19, 2019, updated Dec 19, 2021