Kids love to dive into science experiments, and these at-home projects are a fun way to foster their curiosity about things like density, chemistry, physics, and so much more. Grow mold on bread; engineer a tower of red party cups; send a message using lemon juice that changes color; find your blind spot; and more easy DIY experiments.
1. Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloons are a classic science experiment for kids that teaches about Bernoulli’s principle and air pressure. This fun and simple DIY science project also encourages observation, comparison, reasoning, data gathering, experimentation and language development.
A little vinegar and baking soda can help kids learn about chemical reactions in this easy kitchen science experiment from Everything and Nothing. They’ll be awed by watching bubbling, fizzing, cooling, and hardening of materials like plastic, glass, and metal.
Kids can make their own DIY rain gauge with a plastic bottle and some markers to monitor weather patterns. They can use the information they collect to compare with local meteorology reports. They can also use their results to create a model of the process using a platform like Miro and then share their models with you for feedback. They can repeat the experiment multiple times to see which variables affect results.
2. Rainbow Skittles
This candy-filled science experiment looks like magic but is actually a great way for kids to learn about the concept of diffusion. The Skittles are coated in sugar and food coloring and when the water hits them the colors slowly diffuse into the water. It’s a fun hands-on way to teach children about color and also the concept of concentration gradients.
Have the kids arrange the rainbow colored Skittles on a plate in a circle and then gently pour water over them until the whole plate is covered. Warm water works best as it dissolves the candy and food coloring faster than cold water. The colors then move towards the center of the plate in a beautiful rainbow pattern. You can even do this with other colored candies and explore how different temperatures of water effect the results.
3. Volcano Boat
Getting kids interested in science and the world around them starts at a young age with simple experiments that let their curiosity take flight.
Everyone loves a baking soda and vinegar volcano, but try this fun twist on the classic experiment with a sand volcano that doesn’t require a paper mache structure. Watch a sugar crystal grow with this simple yet cool STEM activity for kids, or see how colour mixing relates to surface tension with this coloured water whizzes experiment.
Explore gravity with our Gizmo Copter and find out why a hula hoop can stay upright – this is the perfect home science project for younger children. Or learn about weather with a tornado in a bottle or rain cloud science experiments. Get your hands wet with this salt shaker ocean experiment, or explore osmosis in an eggshell using this easy science activity for preschoolers.
4. Raisin Bubbles
This funny science experiment is a great way to help kids learn about density and buoyancy. The raisins float up and down in the soda because of gas bubbles that attach to their irregular surface. The bubbles increase the raisins’ volume, which helps them to displace more water and float to the top of the soda.
Once the raisin reaches the surface, its bubbles pop and it sinks back down. It then starts the process all over again.
This is an easy and fun activity that teaches kids about the chemical reaction between vinegar (an acid) and baking soda (a base). The same basic principles apply to this activity as to the volcano project or the self-inflating balloon.
5. Sundial
Long before there were digital clocks, people used sundials to tell time. This easy STEM activity is a great way to teach kids about how shadows move and the Earth’s rotation on its axis, which affects the position of the sun.
For this project, you’ll need a plate, a straw, and a compass. Find a sunny spot outside where the sun will be visible all day, such as a playground, driveway, or large open concrete space. Mark the plate with markings for each hour on that day, then track the movement of the straw’s shadow to determine what time it is.
This is a hands-on STEM activity that aligns with Next Generation Science Standards MS-ESS1-1 and 1-ESS1-2, which focus on the Earth’s relationship with the sun and moon. It’s a great project to complete with older children who are eager to learn more about the solar system.
6. Plant Transpiration
This fun plant science experiment shows kids how plants lose water through the process of transpiration. Transpiration occurs when a plant releases water vapor through small pores in the leaves called stomata. It's also a key part of photosynthesis.
Give each student group a cup and cut a piece of cardboard for each of their plants (just big enough to cover the opening of the cup). Have students write down their predictions before beginning this cool experiment.
Water vapor rises up the inside of a plant's ingenious system of tubes (called xylem) by an amazing force called capillary action. It's a bit like sucking on a straw! This water is transported to the plant's leaves and flowers through a process of transpiration. This allows the leaves to cool the plants and absorb nutrients in a way that isn't dependent on the sun or the ground.
7. Eggshell Experiment
Kids can do a fun, simple egg science experiment at home that proves that while they may appear fragile, eggs actually have surprising strength. They can learn about the shell’s unique shape, and see how the curved surface distributes pressure rather than concentrating it on one end.
This experiment also teaches them that materials have different properties, and that the stronger an object is, the more force it can withstand. They can compare an eggshell to other objects, and understand how to calculate the amount of force required to break something.
Kids can use this information to build structures that will allow them to drop an egg from a certain height without breaking it. This is a great STEM activity that can also teach them about engineering design.
8. Catapults
Swap game night for invention night with a simple catapult challenge! Have your family search the recycle bin, junk drawer and basement for items they can use to build their catapult. Then, see if they can launch candy 10 feet.
These easy catapults are the perfect STEM activity to teach children about levers and how energy can be transferred from one object to another. They can also explore how physics influences the distance of the projectile, including the release angle, the force used and the weight of the material.
Encourage kids to record their results and compare their data. This helps them learn about math and statistics, too! You could even ask them to try launching different types of projectiles to test the effects of their designs on how far they travel. This is a fun way to practice inclusive learning skills with students of all abilities!
9. Red Cabbage Indicator Juice
If you're looking for a science experiment that has big wow factor for your kids, try this acid-base indicator using red cabbage. The indicator turns different colors depending on the pH level of the liquid it is poured into. Acidic solutions will turn it pink or red, while bases will cause the indicator to change to blues and purples.
This demonstration is easy to prepare in advance and is a great way for students to learn about acids and bases. Students can use the cabbage indicator to test household items, such as lemon juice, vinegar, soda and window cleaner to determine which are acids or bases.
To test the indicator, have students add a small amount of each item to one cup of the indicator solution and observe the color changes. Rank the substances according to their pH value and discuss their findings.
10. Chromatography
Kids love to learn through hands-on experiments, and these awesome home science projects are a great way for them to practice the scientific method. Whether learning about chemical reactions with a baking soda and vinegar art project or exploring the power of the sun with a homemade solar s'mores oven, these easy-to-do activities are sure to engage your child's interest and curiosity.
Teach your child about gravity and force with this simple experiment that uses water, an egg, and a piece of string.
Challenge your child to lift an ice cube with a piece of string in this fun experiment that teaches about potential and kinetic energy.
