8 After-School STEM Clubs in Long Beach, California (That Kids Actually Love)

Long Beach has always been a great place to grow up. The weather’s good, the neighborhoods are tight-knit, and the schools are full of people who care. But what really makes a place great for kids is when learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door.

That’s what after-school STEM clubs are for.

These aren’t just activities to keep kids busy. They’re places where curiosity gets room to stretch out. Places where a kid can figure out how gears work, or why magnets behave the way they do, or what happens when you send a rocket into the air and it doesn’t come back the way you planned.

If you’re a parent in Long Beach, here are eight STEM clubs that are doing this kind of learning right.

1. Rocketry

Few things spark a kid’s imagination like launching something they built with their own hands. In the Rocketry Club, students learn the basics of propulsion, aerodynamics, and Newton’s Laws—not from a textbook, but from actual trial and error.

They experiment with different designs, make adjustments, and then head outside to see if it flies. There’s something about seeing a rocket take off (or fail spectacularly) that teaches persistence better than any worksheet ever could.

2. 3D Printing

3D Printing is one of those tools that makes you feel like the future is already here. In this club, students use handheld 3D pens and basic modeling software to bring their ideas to life. It’s part art, part engineering, and entirely satisfying.

They might design bridges, build anatomical models, or invent their own tools. What matters most is that they’re learning how to think in three dimensions—how to imagine something, design it, test it, and make it better.

3. Circuits (Electrical Engineering)

This is where things start to light up—literally. Students learn how electricity works by building their own flashlights, alarms, and other simple devices. They work with wires, batteries, LEDs, and switches, slowly building an understanding of how electronic systems connect and function.

More importantly, they start to see how the world around them works: why a light turns on, how a phone vibrates, or what’s inside the remote control they’ve used a thousand times.

4. Robotics

Robotics is where hardware meets software, and the result is a lot of trial, error, and eventual triumph. In this club, students build robots from scratch and learn to program them to move, react, and solve challenges.

It’s not just about tech—it’s about how to break a big problem into smaller parts. How to deal with frustration. How to test an idea, find out it doesn’t work, and go back to the drawing board. In other words, it’s about learning how to think like an engineer.

5. Engineering & Design

This one’s all about solving problems. Kids are given a challenge—a bridge that needs to span a gap, a tower that has to hold weight, or a zipline that needs to carry a passenger—and they figure out how to build it.

There’s no single “right” answer, which is kind of the point. The process teaches flexibility, iteration, and creative problem-solving. Some ideas fail. Some barely hold together. And some are surprisingly brilliant.

6. Physics

Physics tends to get a reputation for being abstract and math-heavy, but when you experience it through motion, balance, and energy, it clicks. In this club, kids build pendulums, test gravity-driven cars, and create experiments to see Newton’s Laws in action.

They’re not solving for X. They’re figuring out why something moves the way it does—and they get to tweak, adjust, and try again. It’s a great introduction to scientific thinking that actually sticks.

7. Chemistry

This is the club where science feels like magic. From mixing substances to create slime to testing acids and bases, Chemistry is hands-on, visual, and often a little messy (which kids love).

Instead of memorizing the periodic table, students see what actually happens when molecules interact. They start to understand patterns, reactions, and safety—all in an environment that’s exciting but carefully structured.

8. Biology

Biology is one of those subjects that becomes infinitely more interesting when you can touch, see, and explore it. In this club, students study cells, ecosystems, life cycles, and anatomy in a way that feels real. They might dissect flowers, grow bacteria, or model body systems.

It’s not just about what life is. It’s about how it works, and why it matters. And once kids start to make those connections, the world around them starts to look a little different.

Getting started at All Things Science

All of these clubs are offered through All Things Science. We run hands-on STEM programs at schools throughout Long Beach and Southern California. Our instructors (engineers, scientists, and educators) teach students how to think like real scientists and engineers.

Our programs are built around a simple idea: kids learn best when they get to build, test, and figure things out for themselves.

If you’re looking for something that makes learning feel real for your students, get in touch. We’d love to bring our STEM programs to your school.

Learn more about bringing All Things Science to your school →