fun experiments that you can do at home

Grades 6-12
School Leaders

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72 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Because science doesn’t have to be complicated.

Easy science experiments including a "naked" egg and "leakproof" bag

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to get your students excited, it’s a good science experiment! While some experiments require expensive lab equipment or dangerous chemicals, there are plenty of cool projects you can do with regular household items. We’ve rounded up a big collection of easy science experiments that anybody can try, and kids are going to love them!

Easy Chemistry Science Experiments

Easy physics science experiments, easy biology and environmental science experiments, easy engineering experiments and stem challenges.

Skittles form a circle around a plate. The colors are bleeding toward the center of the plate. (easy science experiments)

1. Taste the Rainbow

Teach your students about diffusion while creating a beautiful and tasty rainbow! Tip: Have extra Skittles on hand so your class can eat a few!

Learn more: Skittles Diffusion

2. Crystallize sweet treats

Crystal science experiments teach kids about supersaturated solutions. This one is easy to do at home, and the results are absolutely delicious!

Learn more: Candy Crystals

3. Make a volcano erupt

This classic experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate.

Learn more: Best Volcano Experiments

4. Make elephant toothpaste

This fun project uses yeast and a hydrogen peroxide solution to create overflowing “elephant toothpaste.” Tip: Add an extra fun layer by having kids create toothpaste wrappers for plastic bottles.

Girl making an enormous bubble with string and wire

5. Blow the biggest bubbles you can

Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.

Learn more: Giant Soap Bubbles

Plastic bag full of water with pencils stuck through it

6. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and water to blow your kids’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.

Learn more: Leakproof Bag

Several apple slices are shown on a clear plate. There are cards that label what they have been immersed in (including salt water, sugar water, etc.) (easy science experiments)

7. Use apple slices to learn about oxidation

Have students make predictions about what will happen to apple slices when immersed in different liquids, then put those predictions to the test. Have them record their observations.

Learn more: Apple Oxidation

8. Float a marker man

Their eyes will pop out of their heads when you “levitate” a stick figure right off the table! This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink.

Learn more: Floating Marker Man

Mason jars stacked with their mouths together, with one color of water on the bottom and another color on top

9. Discover density with hot and cold water

There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun.

Learn more: Layered Water

Clear cylinder layered with various liquids in different colors

10. Layer more liquids

This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass. Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic (except it is really science).

Learn more: Layered Liquids

Giant carbon snake growing out of a tin pan full of sand

11. Grow a carbon sugar snake

Easy science experiments can still have impressive results! This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand.

Learn more: Carbon Sugar Snake

12. Mix up some slime

Tell kids you’re going to make slime at home, and watch their eyes light up! There are a variety of ways to make slime, so try a few different recipes to find the one you like best.

Two children are shown (without faces) bouncing balls on a white table

13. Make homemade bouncy balls

These homemade bouncy balls are easy to make since all you need is glue, food coloring, borax powder, cornstarch, and warm water. You’ll want to store them inside a container like a plastic egg because they will flatten out over time.

Learn more: Make Your Own Bouncy Balls

Pink sidewalk chalk stick sitting on a paper towel

14. Create eggshell chalk

Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk.

Learn more: Eggshell Chalk

Science student holding a raw egg without a shell

15. Make naked eggs

This is so cool! Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium carbonate in an eggshell to discover the membrane underneath that holds the egg together. Then, use the “naked” egg for another easy science experiment that demonstrates osmosis .

Learn more: Naked Egg Experiment

16. Turn milk into plastic

This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. Sculpt them into cool shapes when you’re done!

Student using a series of test tubes filled with pink liquid

17. Test pH using cabbage

Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips! Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.

Learn more: Cabbage pH

Pennies in small cups of liquid labeled coca cola, vinegar + salt, apple juice, water, catsup, and vinegar. Text reads Cleaning Coins Science Experiment. Step by step procedure and explanation.

18. Clean some old coins

Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict (hypothesize) which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results.

Learn more: Cleaning Coins

Glass bottle with bowl holding three eggs, small glass with matches sitting on a box of matches, and a yellow plastic straw, against a blue background

19. Pull an egg into a bottle

This classic easy science experiment never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar, no hands required.

Learn more: Egg in a Bottle

20. Blow up a balloon (without blowing)

Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school. The baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases when you fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda.

21 Assemble a DIY lava lamp

This 1970s trend is back—as an easy science experiment! This activity combines acid-base reactions with density for a totally groovy result.

Four colored cups containing different liquids, with an egg in each

22. Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. Use eggs to explore how soda and juice can stain teeth and wear down the enamel. Expand your learning by trying different toothpaste-and-toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.

Learn more: Sugar and Teeth Experiment

23. Mummify a hot dog

If your kids are fascinated by the Egyptians, they’ll love learning to mummify a hot dog! No need for canopic jars , just grab some baking soda and get started.

24. Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide

This is a fiery twist on acid-base experiments. Light a candle and talk about what fire needs in order to survive. Then, create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon dioxide to extinguish the flame. The CO2 gas acts like a liquid, suffocating the fire.

I Love You written in lemon juice on a piece of white paper, with lemon half and cotton swabs

25. Send secret messages with invisible ink

Turn your kids into secret agents! Write messages with a paintbrush dipped in lemon juice, then hold the paper over a heat source and watch the invisible become visible as oxidation goes to work.

Learn more: Invisible Ink

26. Create dancing popcorn

This is a fun version of the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, perfect for the younger crowd. The bubbly mixture causes popcorn to dance around in the water.

Students looking surprised as foamy liquid shoots up out of diet soda bottles

27. Shoot a soda geyser sky-high

You’ve always wondered if this really works, so it’s time to find out for yourself! Kids will marvel at the chemical reaction that sends diet soda shooting high in the air when Mentos are added.

Learn more: Soda Explosion

28. Send a teabag flying

Hot air rises, and this experiment can prove it! You’ll want to supervise kids with fire, of course. For more safety, try this one outside.

Learn more: Flying Tea Bags

Magic Milk Experiment How to Plus Free Worksheet

29. Create magic milk

This fun and easy science experiment demonstrates principles related to surface tension, molecular interactions, and fluid dynamics.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment

Two side-by-side shots of an upside-down glass over a candle in a bowl of water, with water pulled up into the glass in the second picture

30. Watch the water rise

Learn about Charles’s Law with this simple experiment. As the candle burns, using up oxygen and heating the air in the glass, the water rises as if by magic.

Learn more: Rising Water

Glasses filled with colored water, with paper towels running from one to the next

31. Learn about capillary action

Kids will be amazed as they watch the colored water move from glass to glass, and you’ll love the easy and inexpensive setup. Gather some water, paper towels, and food coloring to teach the scientific magic of capillary action.

Learn more: Capillary Action

A pink balloon has a face drawn on it. It is hovering over a plate with salt and pepper on it

32. Give a balloon a beard

Equally educational and fun, this experiment will teach kids about static electricity using everyday materials. Kids will undoubtedly get a kick out of creating beards on their balloon person!

Learn more: Static Electricity

DIY compass made from a needle floating in water

33. Find your way with a DIY compass

Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle, float it on the water’s surface, and it will always point north.

Learn more: DIY Compass

34. Crush a can using air pressure

Sure, it’s easy to crush a soda can with your bare hands, but what if you could do it without touching it at all? That’s the power of air pressure!

A large piece of cardboard has a white circle in the center with a pencil standing upright in the middle of the circle. Rocks are on all four corners holding it down.

35. Tell time using the sun

While people use clocks or even phones to tell time today, there was a time when a sundial was the best means to do that. Kids will certainly get a kick out of creating their own sundials using everyday materials like cardboard and pencils.

Learn more: Make Your Own Sundial

36. Launch a balloon rocket

Grab balloons, string, straws, and tape, and launch rockets to learn about the laws of motion.

Steel wool sitting in an aluminum tray. The steel wool appears to be on fire.

37. Make sparks with steel wool

All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.

Learn more: Steel Wool Electricity

38. Levitate a Ping-Pong ball

Kids will get a kick out of this experiment, which is really all about Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and Ping-Pong balls to make the science magic happen.

Colored water in a vortex in a plastic bottle

39. Whip up a tornado in a bottle

There are plenty of versions of this classic experiment out there, but we love this one because it sparkles! Kids learn about a vortex and what it takes to create one.

Learn more: Tornado in a Bottle

Homemade barometer using a tin can, rubber band, and ruler

40. Monitor air pressure with a DIY barometer

This simple but effective DIY science project teaches kids about air pressure and meteorology. They’ll have fun tracking and predicting the weather with their very own barometer.

Learn more: DIY Barometer

A child holds up a pice of ice to their eye as if it is a magnifying glass. (easy science experiments)

41. Peer through an ice magnifying glass

Students will certainly get a thrill out of seeing how an everyday object like a piece of ice can be used as a magnifying glass. Be sure to use purified or distilled water since tap water will have impurities in it that will cause distortion.

Learn more: Ice Magnifying Glass

42. String up some sticky ice

Can you lift an ice cube using just a piece of string? This quick experiment teaches you how. Use a little salt to melt the ice and then refreeze the ice with the string attached.

Learn more: Sticky Ice

Drawing of a hand with the thumb up and a glass of water

43. “Flip” a drawing with water

Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to “flip” a drawing; you can also try the famous “disappearing penny” trick .

Learn more: Light Refraction With Water

44. Color some flowers

We love how simple this project is to re-create since all you’ll need are some white carnations, food coloring, glasses, and water. The end result is just so beautiful!

Square dish filled with water and glitter, showing how a drop of dish soap repels the glitter

45. Use glitter to fight germs

Everyone knows that glitter is just like germs—it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage and show kids how soap fights glitter and germs.

Learn more: Glitter Germs

Plastic bag with clouds and sun drawn on it, with a small amount of blue liquid at the bottom

46. Re-create the water cycle in a bag

You can do so many easy science experiments with a simple zip-top bag. Fill one partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle

Plastic zipper bag tied around leaves on a tree

47. Learn about plant transpiration

Your backyard is a terrific place for easy science experiments. Grab a plastic bag and rubber band to learn how plants get rid of excess water they don’t need, a process known as transpiration.

Learn more: Plant Transpiration

Students sit around a table that has a tin pan filled with blue liquid wiht a feather floating in it (easy science experiments)

48. Clean up an oil spill

Before conducting this experiment, teach your students about engineers who solve environmental problems like oil spills. Then, have your students use provided materials to clean the oil spill from their oceans.

Learn more: Oil Spill

Sixth grade student holding model lungs and diaphragm made from a plastic bottle, duct tape, and balloons

49. Construct a pair of model lungs

Kids get a better understanding of the respiratory system when they build model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons. You can modify the experiment to demonstrate the effects of smoking too.

Learn more: Model Lungs

Child pouring vinegar over a large rock in a bowl

50. Experiment with limestone rocks

Kids love to collect rocks, and there are plenty of easy science experiments you can do with them. In this one, pour vinegar over a rock to see if it bubbles. If it does, you’ve found limestone!

Learn more: Limestone Experiments

Plastic bottle converted to a homemade rain gauge

51. Turn a bottle into a rain gauge

All you need is a plastic bottle, a ruler, and a permanent marker to make your own rain gauge. Monitor your measurements and see how they stack up against meteorology reports in your area.

Learn more: DIY Rain Gauge

Pile of different colored towels pushed together to create folds like mountains

52. Build up towel mountains

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some landforms are created. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountains

Layers of differently colored playdough with straw holes punched throughout all the layers

53. Take a play dough core sample

Learn about the layers of the earth by building them out of Play-Doh, then take a core sample with a straw. ( Love Play-Doh? Get more learning ideas here. )

Learn more: Play Dough Core Sampling

Science student poking holes in the bottom of a paper cup in the shape of a constellation

54. Project the stars on your ceiling

Use the video lesson in the link below to learn why stars are only visible at night. Then create a DIY star projector to explore the concept hands-on.

Learn more: DIY Star Projector

Glass jar of water with shaving cream floating on top, with blue food coloring dripping through, next to a can of shaving cream

55. Make it rain

Use shaving cream and food coloring to simulate clouds and rain. This is an easy science experiment little ones will beg to do over and over.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Rain

56. Blow up your fingerprint

This is such a cool (and easy!) way to look at fingerprint patterns. Inflate a balloon a bit, use some ink to put a fingerprint on it, then blow it up big to see your fingerprint in detail.

Edible DNA model made with Twizzlers, gumdrops, and toothpicks

57. Snack on a DNA model

Twizzlers, gumdrops, and a few toothpicks are all you need to make this super-fun (and yummy!) DNA model.

Learn more: Edible DNA Model

58. Dissect a flower

Take a nature walk and find a flower or two. Then bring them home and take them apart to discover all the different parts of flowers.

DIY smartphone amplifier made from paper cups

59. Craft smartphone speakers

No Bluetooth speaker? No problem! Put together your own from paper cups and toilet paper tubes.

Learn more: Smartphone Speakers

Car made from cardboard with bottlecap wheels and powered by a blue balloon

60. Race a balloon-powered car

Kids will be amazed when they learn they can put together this awesome racer using cardboard and bottle-cap wheels. The balloon-powered “engine” is so much fun too.

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car

Miniature Ferris Wheel built out of colorful wood craft sticks

61. Build a Ferris wheel

You’ve probably ridden on a Ferris wheel, but can you build one? Stock up on wood craft sticks and find out! Play around with different designs to see which one works best.

Learn more: Craft Stick Ferris Wheel

62. Design a phone stand

There are lots of ways to craft a DIY phone stand, which makes this a perfect creative-thinking STEM challenge.

63. Conduct an egg drop

Put all their engineering skills to the test with an egg drop! Challenge kids to build a container from stuff they find around the house that will protect an egg from a long fall (this is especially fun to do from upper-story windows).

Learn more: Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

Student building a roller coaster of drinking straws for a ping pong ball (Fourth Grade Science)

64. Engineer a drinking-straw roller coaster

STEM challenges are always a hit with kids. We love this one, which only requires basic supplies like drinking straws.

Learn more: Straw Roller Coaster

65. Build a solar oven

Explore the power of the sun when you build your own solar ovens and use them to cook some yummy treats. This experiment takes a little more time and effort, but the results are always impressive. The link below has complete instructions.

Learn more: Solar Oven

Mini Da Vinci bridge made of pencils and rubber bands

66. Build a Da Vinci bridge

There are plenty of bridge-building experiments out there, but this one is unique. It’s inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year-old self-supporting wooden bridge. Learn how to build it at the link, and expand your learning by exploring more about Da Vinci himself.

Learn more: Da Vinci Bridge

67. Step through an index card

This is one easy science experiment that never fails to astonish. With carefully placed scissor cuts on an index card, you can make a loop large enough to fit a (small) human body through! Kids will be wowed as they learn about surface area.

Student standing on top of a structure built from cardboard sheets and paper cups

68. Stand on a pile of paper cups

Combine physics and engineering and challenge kids to create a paper cup structure that can support their weight. This is a cool project for aspiring architects.

Learn more: Paper Cup Stack

Child standing on a stepladder dropping a toy attached to a paper parachute

69. Test out parachutes

Gather a variety of materials (try tissues, handkerchiefs, plastic bags, etc.) and see which ones make the best parachutes. You can also find out how they’re affected by windy days or find out which ones work in the rain.

Learn more: Parachute Drop

Students balancing a textbook on top of a pyramid of rolled up newspaper

70. Recycle newspapers into an engineering challenge

It’s amazing how a stack of newspapers can spark such creative engineering. Challenge kids to build a tower, support a book, or even build a chair using only newspaper and tape!

Learn more: Newspaper STEM Challenge

Plastic cup with rubber bands stretched across the opening

71. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

Explore the ways that sound waves are affected by what’s around them using a simple rubber band “guitar.” (Kids absolutely love playing with these!)

Learn more: Rubber Band Guitar

Science student pouring water over a cupcake wrapper propped on wood craft sticks

72. Assemble a better umbrella

Challenge students to engineer the best possible umbrella from various household supplies. Encourage them to plan, draw blueprints, and test their creations using the scientific method.

Learn more: Umbrella STEM Challenge

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Science doesn't have to be complicated! Try these easy science experiments using items you already have around the house or classroom.

16 Red-Hot Volcano Science Experiments and Kits For Classrooms or Science Fairs

Kids will erupt with excitement! Continue Reading

MKE FUN MAP

100 Easy Science Experiments for Kids to do at Home (2024)

Welcome, young scientists! If you’ve arrived here today, you’re probably looking for easy science experiments for kids that you can do at home.

Child doing an easy science experiment with magnets that are the letters of the alphabet.

Good news! There are literally hundreds of simple science experiments & STEM activities you can do at home, with materials you already have on hand.

We scoured the internet and practiced these experiments with our own young kids to test them out and make sure they were good ones. They’re super educational and so much fun for kids of all ages!

Each of these easy STEM challenges and science experiments will take about 30 minutes to complete from start to finish, and they’re a great way to teach simple science concepts that your kids will use in school.

The best part? They each use simple ingredients from around the house like food coloring, dish soap, paper towels, ice cubes, rubber bands, white vinegar, vegetable oil, and baking soda.

So, let’s dive in to our giant list of 100 fun science experiments for kids!

Chemistry Experiments For Kids

Invisible ink (chemical reactions).

Lemons are one of the only household ingredients needed for this easy science experiment for kids.

In this fun experiment, your kids can write a secret message with invisible ink that they will learn how to reveal scientifically. Like all of these at-home science experiments, you need only basic materials, and it’s sure to be a big hit.

lemon juice
Cotton swab
lamp or light bulb
plain white paper
bowl or cup

Mini Volcanos (Acid – Base Reaction)

Kids excitedly watch a volcano overflow from a container during a science experiment.

This super easy baking soda and vinegar volcano eruption is a real crowd-pleaser for kids of all ages, and your kids will be begging to do it over and over again!

All you need is a few very basic household ingredients, and your colorful volcano will be erupting in no time. It only takes about three minutes to prep.

Ingredients

1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar
Plastic cup
3-4 Tbs of baking soda at least
1 tsp of dish soap
Food coloring (or washable paint if you want to avoid staining)

Elephant Toothpaste (Exothermic Reaction)

Toothpaste is squeezed out a tube during a science experiment.

H ave you heard of the elephant toothpaste experiment yet? It’s a blast! You will need an adult for this experiment. Kids of all ages will love learning about catalysts and exothermic reactions in this simple fun science activity

What You Need:

16-oz plastic soda bottle
1/2 cup 20-volume of 6% solution hydrogen peroxide liquid
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
3 Tablespoons of warm water
Liquid dish soap
Food coloring
Safety goggles

Shiny Pennies (Oxidation and Chemical Reactions)

Shiny pennies glisten after being washed as part of a simple science experiments for kids.

You definitely have some dirty pennies lying around your house, so let’s put them to good use in a classic science experiment that even young kids can enjoy. Pennies are copper, and they are often in circulation for years (yuck!), so they often appear very tarnished. In this experience, you’re going to see if soap or vinegar (or other liquids) do a better job at cleaning the exterior of the dirty copper penny.

What You’ll Need

dirty pennies
2 paper cups
Paper towel
Different liquids from around the house (ketchup, soda, Diet Coke, etc.)

Orange Fizz (Acid – Base Reaction)

Discover orange fizz bubbles popping inside of your mouth! This sensory experiment is really fun for learning about acids and bases. And hardly any materials are needed.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Orange or clementine

Tie-Dye (Absorption and Chemical Bonding)

Who would have thought that everyone’s favorite t-shirt pattern is actually a great science lesson, too? As your child dyes the shirt, they’ll be observing water solubility and absorption in real time. The dyes are fiber-reactive, which means that a chemical reaction takes places between the dye molecules and fabric molecules so that they actually become one. The dye bonds with the fabric and actually becomes a part of it.

Plastic gloves
White T-shirt or pillowcase
Buckets or bins filled with water
Rubberbands

Here are 10 Easy Tie-Dye Patterns For Kids . To learn how to wash and care

Exploding Soap (Air Expansion)

The Exploding Soap experiment is a surefire hit with all ages, and all you need is soap and microwave! (And a little help from your parents.)

Exploring Colors With Baking Soda / Vinegar (Chemical Reactions with pH)

I n this science activity for kids of all ages, your little scientists will create a chemical reaction, explore color mixing, AND create colorful artwork. Triple win!

Tray (A baking sheet will do)
Baking soda
White vinegar
Ice Cube Trays or other containers to hold the colored vinegar
Pipettes or eye droppers
Liquid watercolors or food coloring

Water Cycle In A Bag (Evaporation, Condensation, & Precipitation)

This is one of the best science experiments to teach your kids about the water cycle, and it’s so easy to do! They’ll watch the water cycle in a bag play out right before their eyes.

Zip lock bag
permanent marker
blue food coloring

Mixing Impossible (Immiscibility)

This super easy experiment involves mixing equal parts oil and water and adding a drop of food coloring to see what happens. Kids will love watching the food coloring make it through the oil. You will love how easy it is to set up and clean up!

Several drinking glasses
vegetable oil
liquid food coloring
a toothpick (if you have it)

Static Electricity Hair

Want to provide your kids with (literally) hair-raising good time? It’s super simple to teach your kids about static electricity with this easy, no-mess science activity.

What You need:

an inflated balloon
a piece of cloth

Rub the surface of the balloon with the cloth for at least40 seconds. Then, hold the balloon a short distance above your head and watch your hair stick to it!

What’s Happening:

T he balloon gains electrons from the cloth and becomes negatively-charged when you rub it together. Then, when the balloon touches you hair, it attracts your hair, which is positively charged.

Magic Milk Experiment

Full Fat Milk
Food Coloring
Dawn Dish Soap
Cotton Swabs

First, pour the milk in a small baking dish until the bottom is covered. Next, fill the milk with drops of food coloring. Glitter is optional!

Then, pour some dishwashing soap into a bowl, and dip your cotton swap tip into the dish soap to coat it. Then, gently touch your cotton swab to the milk and watch what happens!

Milk is composed of minerals, proteins, and fats, which are easy to change. When you add the dish soap to the milk, the soap molecules try to attach to the fat molecules in the milk.

When everything stops moving, you can see where all the fat molecules are.

Melting Snowballs

This is another acid and base experiment, and it’s perfect for a winter day (or any time of year!) when you’ve got cabin fever.

Baking Soda

First, form snowballs by adding water to the baking soda. You’ll need about a 1/3 cup per snowball. Then, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes. Finally, pour drop of vinegar on the snowballs and watch them sizzle and melt. You can also make a snowman and do the same thing!

More Quick Chemistry Experiments:

Rock Candy Experiment – Grow colorful rock candy in a glass!
Naked Egg Experiment – Dissolve an eggshell with vinegar and see the membrane below!
Balloon Magic – Blow up a balloon without blowing, using vinegar and baking soda.
Egg Teeth – Explore how sugar affects teeth in this easy experiment.
Make Butter – Shake cream and turn it into butter!
Ice Cream in a Bag – Turn simple ingredients into delicious ice cream.
Moldy Bread Experiment – See how important it is to wash your hands in the viral science experiment. Exploding baggie – Use a simple chemical reaction to explode a plastic zip close baggie.
Flame-Proof Balloon – Use cold water to make a balloon resistant to a fire’s flame!
Rotten Banana Balloon – Use that rotten banana in your kitchen to blow up a balloon. You can also try it with a lemon. (Here’s the Lemon Balloon Trick .)
Mouth-Foaming Fun – Experience a chemical reaction first hand while brushing your teeth.
Smashing Seashells – Discover how to easily smash seashells with vinegar.
Super Bubble Solution – Find out how you can make giant bubbles with an easy homemade solution.
Water Fireworks – Create fireworks in a glass of water using this simple experiment with household ingredient.
Dancing Corn Experiment – Explore and investigate carbon dioxide by making corn dance.
Homemade Bouncy Balls – Make your own bouncy ball toys with household ingredients.
Steel Wool & Vinegar Experiment – Get a better understand of how things rust!

Physics Experiments For Kids

Jumping pepper (static electricity).

Pepper is the only simple ingredient needed in this easy science experiment for kids.

Have you ever seen pepper jump ? You’re about to! This simple experience using water, soap, and black pepper will get kids of all ages exploring the concept of surface tension.

liquid soap
black pepper
a plate or bowl

Homemade Lava Lamp (Density & Buoyancy)

Kids look at a plastic bottle while they are doing a DIY lava lamp as a science experiment.

This simple lava lamp experiment is especially a hit with kids ages 4-12 (and beyond!), and it will take their favorite adults back a few decades, too! It’s a fun way to learn about density.

Food Coloring A clean plastic bottle or glass jar Vegetable Oil Baking Soda

Dry Erase Marker Magic (Surface Tension & Floating Objects)

Three dry erase markers and a little water are all you need for one of the easiest science experiments for kids.

Bring your drawings to life with nothing more than a glass plate, a dry erase marker, and a little water! Dive into this magical and straightforward dry erase marker experiment that will not only wow the kids but also ignite their curiosity about chemistry and physics.

Poke-Through Science Tricks

Are you ready to wow your kids with some magical science tricks?

In these two fun experiments, you’ll learn how to poke pencils through a bag of water without a leak and push a needle through a balloon without popping it—both using nothing but simple household materials.

Ziplock bag or balloon
Very sharp pencils or needle

Light Refraction Magic

$Two straws in a water glass show how light refraction works.$

This super simple science experiment is really more of a magic trick, and it will teach your kids all about light refraction.

Piece of Paper

Dancing Raisins (Buoyancy and Gas Bubbles)

A little girl does an easy science experiment involving raisins and clear soda.

Home science experiments don’t have to be complicated. My little ones liked watching the raisins dance and prance around the bubbled.

In this very easy science experiment that’s perfect for young kids, you’ll need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your household: clear soda, a glass of water, and a handful of raisins. With these simple ingredients, you’ll produce chemical reactions that your kids can watch in real time!

What You’ll Need:

A clear glass of water
Handful of raisins

Sink or Float? (Density)

Kids of all ages – but especially young children – will love this easy science experiment that builds a foundation to understanding density. This is one of our favorite science activities for the little ones!

Two glasses of water
Small items from around the house
A piece of paper and a pen

Floating Eggs (Density and Buoyancy)

This experiment will show your child how things float differently in fresh water and salt water.

2 tall drinking glasses

First, fill one glass with water. Then, fill another glass with water and add 8 tablespoons of salt. Mix it up. Next, place an egg in both glasses. One will float and the other will sink. Adding salt to the water increases the water’s density which causes the egg to float.

DIY Parachute (Air Resistance & Gravity)

Looking for a fun, hands-on way to teach your kids about gravity?

Building a DIY parachute at home is a great way to combine learning and creativity. Plus, you probably already have all the materials you need!

Materials You’ll Need:

Plastic bag (like a grocery bag)
Yarn or string

Paper Airplanes

There’s no better way for kids to learn about aerodynamics than by making a paper airplane. Wow Fold, a paper airplane website, offers dozens of paper airplane designs and easy to follow instructions.

How far did you paper airplanes fly? Make some observations about what worked and didn’t work, and try again!

Flying Ping Pong

Your kids will love this flying ping pong trick, and there are only two things you need.

Steps: First, make sure your hair dryer is on a cool setting. Then, hold the ping pong above the nozzle and turn on the air. When you let the ping pong go, it should float! Next, try it on different settings. Try to see how far you can tilt your hair dryer before the ball drops.

Magnet Magic

Using simple household items, this activity helps kids practice sorting, classifying, and making predictions, while learning the basic principles of magnetism.

Materials You Need:

A variety of small household objects (e.g., paperclips, coins, screws, buttons, erasers)
Clear plastic box (like a recycled food container)
Pipe cleaners
Small containers for sorting

Sugar Water Rainbows (Density and Buoyancy)

If you’re looking for a fun and educational activity that brings science to life, this “ Sugar Water Rainbow ” experiment is perfect!

Food coloring
Water
5 cups
Pipette or syringe

Walking on Eggs

You’ve heard about walking on eggshells, but what about walking on eggs? In this easy science experiments for kids – albeit a messy one – your kids will be astonished to see that they can actually walk on eggs without breaking them!

6 dozen eggs in their cartons-Drop cloth / newspaper

Lay down your drop cloth in case the experiment doesn’t work as expected!

Place the open egg cartons next to each other. Take off your sock and shoes and gently step onto the eggs keeping your feet flat. Step gently and slowly to not concertante force. Then bring up your other foot and carefully walk across the eggs.

The key is to evenly distribute your weight across many eggs, so no single egg bears too much pressure. Eggs are surprisingly strong when pressure is applied evenly across their surface, thanks to their arched shape, which helps them distribute force efficiently.

Disappearing Reflection

Make your reflection vanish! All you need is aluminum foil.

Aluminum Foil
Scissors (optional)

Rip off a large piece of aluminum foil (ten inches should do) and take a look at your reflection. Then, crumple up the aluminum foil. Next, Carefully flatten it back out. Finally, look for your reflection. It’s nowhere to be found!

When the aluminum foil is smooth, light reflect off of it in straight lines, which enables you to see your reflection. But once you crumple the foil, it has a wrinkled surface that sends your reflection in all different direction, causing it to disappear.

Defy Gravity!

Glass turned upside down with water in it, not spilling out.

Be like Elfaba and defy gravity with this extremely easy science experiment for kids. When you turn over a cup of water, you expect the water to spill and fall. But that’s not always what happens!

Clear plastic cup
Playing card or notecard

First, fill your clear glass about 3/4 of the way with water. Next press your playing card or notecard gently on the top of your glass to completely cover the top. Gently rotate the cup upside down. After a few moments, remove the card. The water will stay in place!

Try it again, adding something that will float in the water. Repeat the steps, and see what happens!

More Quick Physics Experiments:

Giant Dish Soap Bubbles – Make a giant bubble with household ingredients.
Layering Liquids – See how liquids can stack on top of each other according to density.
Liquid Sandwich – Learn about density with water, oil, and honey.
Step Through an Index Card – Amaze your kids by stepping through an index card that’s been strategically cut.
Frozen Bubbles – Find out what happens when you blow bubbles in freezing temperatures.
Big Stick Balance – This surprising experiment will teach kids about balance.
Upside Down Reflection – All you need is a kitchen spoon to learn about the principles of reflection.
Soap Boats – Explore density with this easy DIY boat-making activity.
Water Bending Trick – Learn how to bend water with one simple thing you have lying around your house.
Dry Paper Experiment – See how you can magically dunk paper in water and not make it wet.
Bending Straw Illusion – Learn about light refraction in this quick and simple experiment.
Magic Napkin – Learn about inertia with a napkin and a plastic cup filled with water.
Talking String – Learn about sound waves and make a string “sing” by using one simple button.
Noisy Paper – Create a loud vibration noise with just two pieces of computer paper.
Make a Rainbow – See how you can easily create your own rainbow.

Biology Experiments For Kids

Rainbow celery (capillary action in plants).

Three cups of water with food coloring and celery in it, as part of a science experiments at home.

Got some celery in the fridge? Then you can begin to l earn about capillary action with a simple and colorful color-changing celery experiment . It’s a really cool project that your kids are sure to remember for years to come!

What you need:

Glasses of water

Traveling Rainbows (Capillary Action in Plants)

Two young kids doing an easy science experiment in the kitchen involved paper towel and food coloring and small bowls of water.

This colorful experiment is an easy way of demonstrating capillary action, water travel, and color mixing. Kids of all ages will love watching the color move through the paper towel on its own, and they’ll have a better idea of how plants get their nutrients.

6 glasses or jars
Paper towels
Food coloring (red, yellow, & blue)

Skittle Heart Experiment (Water Solubility)

Skittles dissolve into water on a paper plate.

This visually stunning experiment is not only a treat to watch but also a great way to explore concepts of water solubility and color mixing. Let’s dive into the simple Skittle Heart Experiment that will capture your kids’ hearts.

Homemade Slime (Polymers & Viscosity)

A child works his fingers through sticky pink and neon green slime.

What kid doesn’t love slime? This is one of our favorite science experiments because it’s a sure kid-pleaser! In this basic recipe , you can make some of your own right in your kitchen, and have fun squeezing it with your bare hands all day long.

Slime has quickly become one of those classic science experiments that every family should try at least once!

White school glue
food coloring

More Quick Biology Experiments For Kids

Map Your Taste Buds – Learn about your taste buds in this easy mapping activity.
Growing Gummy Bears – Watch gummy bears grow before your eyes.
Foot Fat Experiment – Compare the levels of fat in different foods with this simple experiment.
Fingerprinting – Dive into the infinite world of fingerprints with a no. 2 pencil and paper.
Sunscreen and Skin – Learn about the human body and how sunscreen works with this simple experiment using sunscreen and construction paper.
Taste Bud 101 – Learn about the taste buds with this fun and interactive experiment.

Earth Science Experiments For Kids

Bird feeder fun.

In this simple science project, you’ll learn where birds like to have their meals.

Pipe Cleaner

Place cheerios on a pipe clean and make a simple circle. Place it out for the birds to eat.

To experiment, place different bird feeders in different places and see if it makes a difference for how much gets eaten.

You could also make your bird feeder into different shapes to see how the birds prefer it.

It’s super simple to make a rain gauge from a soda bottle and track your area’s rain water! We did this easy science experiment at the start of the you-know-what, and it got us through another rainy day.

Soda Bottle
X-acto knife (with parental supervision)

Cut the top off of a soda bottle and invert the top so that the rain water funnels into the bottle. You may want to secure it with duct tape. Next, place it outside in a spot where it can collect rain water. You’ll want to secure it so it doesn’t fall over. Then, begin measuring the rain water each day!

More Quick Earth Science Experiments:

Solar Oven S’mores – Cook up a tasty snack in a solar oven.
Human Sundial – Become a human sundial to learn about solar patterns.
Windowsill Trash – Demonstrate how the heat of the sun helps trash decompose
Tornado in a Bottle – Create a cyclone in a bottle in this classic, simple experiment.
Make a Sundial – Learn how to tell time with the sun by making a simple sundial.
Shaving Cream Rain Clouds – learn about the water cycle with shaving cream. The shaving cream represents the rain cloud and the water is the atmosphere.

Engineering/Technology Experiments For Kids

Lego boats (buoyancy & design).

This experiements present a great opportunity to get kids thinking about engineering and design.

First, challenge your kids to build their own boat out of LEGO bricks. For an added challenge, only give them a certain number of pieces.

Once everyone has finished building, put the boats to the test in a tub of water.

Add pennies a few at a time to see how many each boat can hold.

Talk to your kids about how weight and design matter. Reflect on good designs and help them understand why they worked well.

Rubber Band Guitar

Tap into your musical side and explore sound with this simple rubber band guitar.

Paper or plastic cup Rubber bands

First, wrap your rubber bands of different sizes around the cup so that the rubber bands act as strings over the hole of the cup. Then, pinch the sides of them together as best you can and tap them around the sides of the cup. See what sounds they make, and experiments with rubber bands of various sizes to see what sounds they make!

Paper Cup Tower

Similar to the “walking on Egg” experiment listed above, this activity will wow your children as they discover they won’t crush the paper cups by standing on them!

8 paper cups

First, set the paper cups on the grounds, spaced evenly. Next, place the cardboard on top of them. Then, try to stand on it and see what happens. Can you make another level?

More Engineering Experiments for Kids:

Egg Drop Project – See if you can build a contraction to protect an egg from breaking.

So, there you have it – 100 kids science experiments that are super easy to do at home! They all use simple household items and take about 30 minutes to complete.

If your child is interested in science check out the videos at How Stuff Works . It will keep them informed and entertained for hours! They also may be interested in reading about the latest news in science at Science News Explores .

Do you have other ideas for easy science experiments for kids? We’d love to hear about them! Email us at [email protected] to add your idea.

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Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.

Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.

Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.

Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page .

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37 Cool Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home

General Education

Are you looking for cool science experiments for kids at home or for class? We've got you covered! We've compiled a list of 37 of the best science experiments for kids that cover areas of science ranging from outer space to dinosaurs to chemical reactions. By doing these easy science experiments, kids will make their own blubber and see how polar bears stay warm, make a rain cloud in a jar to observe how weather changes, create a potato battery that'll really power a lightbulb, and more.

Below are 37 of the best science projects for kids to try. For each one we include a description of the experiment, which area(s) of science it teaches kids about, how difficult it is (easy/medium/hard), how messy it is (low/medium/high), and the materials you need to do the project. Note that experiments labelled "hard" are definitely still doable; they just require more materials or time than most of these other science experiments for kids.

#1: Insect Hotels

Teaches Kids About: Zoology
Difficulty Level: Medium
Messiness Level: Medium

Insect hotels can be as simple (just a few sticks wrapped in a bundle) or as elaborate as you'd like, and they're a great way for kids to get creative making the hotel and then get rewarded by seeing who has moved into the home they built. After creating a hotel with hiding places for bugs, place it outside (near a garden is often a good spot), wait a few days, then check it to see who has occupied the "rooms." You can also use a bug ID book or app to try and identify the visitors.

Materials Needed
Shadow box or other box with multiple compartments
Hot glue gun with glue
Sticks, bark, small rocks, dried leaves, bits of yarn/wool, etc.

#2: DIY Lava Lamp

Teaches Kids About: Chemical reactions
Difficulty Level: Easy

In this quick and fun science experiment, kids will mix water, oil, food coloring, and antacid tablets to create their own (temporary) lava lamp . Oil and water don't mix easily, and the antacid tablets will cause the oil to form little globules that are dyed by the food coloring. Just add the ingredients together and you'll end up with a homemade lava lamp!

Vegetable oil
Food coloring
Antacid tablets

#3: Magnetic Slime

Teaches Kids About: Magnets
Messiness Level: High (The slime is black and will slightly dye your fingers when you play with it, but it washes off easily.)

A step up from silly putty and Play-Doh, magnetic slime is fun to play with but also teaches kids about magnets and how they attract and repel each other. Some of the ingredients you aren't likely to have around the house, but they can all be purchased online. After mixing the ingredients together, you can use the neodymium magnet (regular magnets won't be strong enough) to make the magnetic slime move without touching it!

Liquid starch
Adhesive glue
Iron oxide powder
Neodymium (rare earth) magnet

#4: Baking Soda Volcanoes

Teaches Kids About: Chemical reactions, earth science
Difficulty Level: Easy-medium
Messiness Level: High

Baking soda volcanoes are one of the classic science projects for kids, and they're also one of the most popular. It's hard to top the excitement of a volcano erupting inside your home. This experiment can also be as simple or in-depth as you like. For the eruption, all you need is baking soda and vinegar (dishwashing detergent adds some extra power to the eruption), but you can make the "volcano" as elaborate and lifelike as you wish.

Baking soda
Dishwashing detergent
Large mason jar or soda bottle
Playdough or aluminum foil to make the "volcano"
Additional items to place around the volcano (optional)
Food coloring (optional)

#5: Tornado in a Jar

Teaches Kids About: Weather
Messiness Level: Low

This is one of the quick and easy and science experiments for kids to teach them about weather. It only takes about five minutes and a few materials to set up, but once you have it ready you and your kids can create your own miniature tornado whose vortex you can see and the strength of which you can change depending on how quickly you swirl the jar.

Glitter (optional)

#6: Colored Celery Experiment

Teaches Kids About: Plants

This celery science experiment is another classic science experiment that parents and teachers like because it's easy to do and gives kids a great visual understanding of how transpiration works and how plants get water and nutrients. Just place celery stalks in cups of colored water, wait at least a day, and you'll see the celery leaves take on the color of the water. This happens because celery stalks (like other plants) contain small capillaries that they use to transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.

Celery stalks (can also use white flowers or pale-colored cabbage)

#7: Rain Cloud in a Jar

This experiment teaches kids about weather and lets them learn how clouds form by making their own rain cloud . This is definitely a science project that requires adult supervision since it uses boiling water as one of the ingredients, but once you pour the water into a glass jar, the experiment is fast and easy, and you'll be rewarded with a little cloud forming in the jar due to condensation.

Glass jar with a lid
Boiling water
Aerosol hairspray

#8: Edible Rock Candy

Teaches Kids About: Crystal formation

It takes about a week for the crystals of this rock candy experiment to form, but once they have you'll be able to eat the results! After creating a sugar solution, you'll fill jars with it and dangle strings in them that'll slowly become covered with the crystals. This experiment involves heating and pouring boiling water, so adult supervision is necessary, once that step is complete, even very young kids will be excited to watch crystals slowly form.

Large saucepan
Clothespins
String or small skewers
Candy flavoring (optional)

#9: Water Xylophone

Teaches Kids About: Sound waves

With just some basic materials you can create your own musical instrument to teach kids about sound waves. In this water xylophone experiment , you'll fill glass jars with varying levels of water. Once they're all lined up, kids can hit the sides with wooden sticks and see how the itch differs depending on how much water is in the jar (more water=lower pitch, less water=higher pitch). This is because sound waves travel differently depending on how full the jars are with water.

Wooden sticks/skewers

#10: Blood Model in a Jar

Teaches Kids About: Human biology

This blood model experiment is a great way to get kids to visual what their blood looks like and how complicated it really is. Each ingredient represents a different component of blood (plasma, platelets, red blood cells, etc.), so you just add a certain amount of each to the jar, swirl it around a bit, and you have a model of what your blood looks like.

Empty jar or bottle
Red cinnamon candies
Marshmallows or dry white lima beans
White sprinkles

#11: Potato Battery

Teaches Kids About: Electricity
Difficulty Level: Hard

Did you know that a simple potato can produce enough energy to keep a light bulb lit for over a month? You can create a simple potato battery to show kids. There are kits that provide all the necessary materials and how to set it up, but if you don't purchase one of these it can be a bit trickier to gather everything you need and assemble it correctly. Once it's set though, you'll have your own farm grown battery!

Fresh potato
Galvanized nail
Copper coin

#12: Homemade Pulley

Teaches Kids About: Simple machines

This science activity requires some materials you may not already have, but once you've gotten them, the homemade pulley takes only a few minutes to set up, and you can leave the pulley up for your kids to play with all year round. This pulley is best set up outside, but can also be done indoors.

Clothesline
2 clothesline pulleys

#13: Light Refraction

Teaches Kids About: Light

This light refraction experiment takes only a few minutes to set up and uses basic materials, but it's a great way to show kids how light travels. You'll draw two arrows on a sticky note, stick it to the wall, then fill a clear water bottle with water. As you move the water bottle in front of the arrows, the arrows will appear to change the direction they're pointing. This is because of the refraction that occurs when light passes through materials like water and plastic.

Sticky note
Transparent water bottle

#14: Nature Journaling

Teaches Kids About: Ecology, scientific observation

A nature journal is a great way to encourage kids to be creative and really pay attention to what's going on around them. All you need is a blank journal (you can buy one or make your own) along with something to write with. Then just go outside and encourage your children to write or draw what they notice. This could include descriptions of animals they see, tracings of leaves, a drawing of a beautiful flower, etc. Encourage your kids to ask questions about what they observe (Why do birds need to build nests? Why is this flower so brightly colored?) and explain to them that scientists collect research by doing exactly what they're doing now.

Blank journal or notebook
Pens/pencils/crayons/markers
Tape or glue for adding items to the journal

#15: DIY Solar Oven

Teaches Kids About: Solar energy

This homemade solar oven definitely requires some adult help to set up, but after it's ready you'll have your own mini oven that uses energy from the sun to make s'mores or melt cheese on pizza. While the food is cooking, you can explain to kids how the oven uses the sun's rays to heat the food.

Aluminum foil
Knife or box cutter
Permanent marker
Plastic cling wrap
Black construction paper

#16: Animal Blubber Simulation

Teaches Kids About: Ecology, zoology

If your kids are curious about how animals like polar bears and seals stay warm in polar climates, you can go beyond just explaining it to them; you can actually have them make some of their own blubber and test it out. After you've filled up a large bowl with ice water and let it sit for a few minutes to get really cold, have your kids dip a bare hand in and see how many seconds they can last before their hand gets too cold. Next, coat one of their fingers in shortening and repeat the experiment. Your child will notice that, with the shortening acting like a protective layer of blubber, they don't feel the cold water nearly as much.

Bowl of ice water

#17: Static Electricity Butterfly

This experiment is a great way for young kids to learn about static electricity, and it's more fun and visual than just having them rub balloons against their heads. First you'll create a butterfly, using thick paper (such as cardstock) for the body and tissue paper for the wings. Then, blow up the balloon, have the kids rub it against their head for a few seconds, then move the balloon to just above the butterfly's wings. The wings will move towards the balloon due to static electricity, and it'll look like the butterfly is flying.

Tissue paper
Thick paper
Glue stick/glue

#18: Edible Double Helix

Teaches Kids About: Genetics

If your kids are learning about genetics, you can do this edible double helix craft to show them how DNA is formed, what its different parts are, and what it looks like. The licorice will form the sides or backbone of the DNA and each color of marshmallow will represent one of the four chemical bases. Kids will be able to see that only certain chemical bases pair with each other.

2 pieces of licorice
12 toothpicks
Small marshmallows in 4 colors (9 of each color)
5 paperclips

#19: Leak-Proof Bag

Teaches Kids About: Molecules, plastics

This is an easy experiment that'll appeal to kids of a variety of ages. Just take a zip-lock bag, fill it about ⅔ of the way with water, and close the top. Next, poke a few sharp objects (like bamboo skewers or sharp pencils) through one end and out the other. At this point you may want to dangle the bag above your child's head, but no need to worry about spills because the bag won't leak? Why not? It's because the plastic used to make zip-lock bags is made of polymers, or long chains of molecules that'll quickly join back together when they're forced apart.

Zip-lock bags
Objects with sharp ends (pencils, bamboo skewers, etc.)

#20: How Do Leaves Breathe?

Teaches Kids About: Plant science

It takes a few hours to see the results of this leaf experiment , but it couldn't be easier to set up, and kids will love to see a leaf actually "breathing." Just get a large-ish leaf, place it in a bowl (glass works best so you can see everything) filled with water, place a small rock on the leaf to weigh it down, and leave it somewhere sunny. Come back in a few hours and you'll see little bubbles in the water created when the leaf releases the oxygen it created during photosynthesis.

Large bowl (preferably glass)
Magnifying glass (optional)

#21: Popsicle Stick Catapults

Kids will love shooting pom poms out of these homemade popsicle stick catapults . After assembling the catapults out of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons, they're ready to launch pom poms or other lightweight objects. To teach kids about simple machines, you can ask them about how they think the catapults work, what they should do to make the pom poms go a farther/shorter distance, and how the catapult could be made more powerful.

Popsicle sticks
Rubber bands
Plastic spoons
Paint (optional)

#22: Elephant Toothpaste

You won't want to do this experiment near anything that's difficult to clean (outside may be best), but kids will love seeing this " elephant toothpaste " crazily overflowing the bottle and oozing everywhere. Pour the hydrogen peroxide, food coloring, and dishwashing soap into the bottle, and in the cup mix the yeast packet with some warm water for about 30 seconds. Then, add the yeast mixture to the bottle, stand back, and watch the solution become a massive foamy mixture that pours out of the bottle! The "toothpaste" is formed when the yeast removed the oxygen bubbles from the hydrogen peroxide which created foam. This is an exothermic reaction, and it creates heat as well as foam (you can have kids notice that the bottle became warm as the reaction occurred).

Clean 16-oz soda bottle
6% solution of hydrogen peroxide
1 packet of dry yeast
Dishwashing soap

#23: How Do Penguins Stay Dry?

Penguins, and many other birds, have special oil-producing glands that coat their feathers with a protective layer that causes water to slide right off them, keeping them warm and dry. You can demonstrate this to kids with this penguin craft by having them color a picture of a penguin with crayons, then spraying the picture with water. The wax from the crayons will have created a protective layer like the oil actual birds coat themselves with, and the paper won't absorb the water.

Penguin image (included in link)
Spray bottle
Blue food coloring (optional)

#24: Rock Weathering Experiment

Teaches Kids About: Geology

This mechanical weathering experiment teaches kids why and how rocks break down or erode. Take two pieces of clay, form them into balls, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then, leave one out while placing the other in the freezer overnight. The next day, unwrap and compare them. You can repeat freezing the one piece of clay every night for several days to see how much more cracked and weathered it gets than the piece of clay that wasn't frozen. It may even begin to crumble. This weathering also happens to rocks when they are subjected to extreme temperatures, and it's one of the causes of erosion.

Plastic wrap

#25: Saltwater Density

Teaches Kids About: Water density

For this saltwater density experiment , you'll fill four clear glasses with water, then add salt to one glass, sugar to one glass, and baking soda to one glass, leaving one glass with just water. Then, float small plastic pieces or grapes in each of the glasses and observe whether they float or not. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, which means some objects may float in saltwater that would sink in freshwater. You can use this experiment to teach kids about the ocean and other bodies of saltwater, such as the Dead Sea, which is so salty people can easily float on top of it.

Four clear glasses
Lightweight plastic objects or small grapes

#26: Starburst Rock Cycle

With just a package of Starbursts and a few other materials, you can create models of each of the three rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Sedimentary "rocks" will be created by pressing thin layers of Starbursts together, metamorphic by heating and pressing Starbursts, and igneous by applying high levels of heat to the Starbursts. Kids will learn how different types of rocks are forms and how the three rock types look different from each other.

Toaster oven

#27: Inertia Wagon Experiment

Teaches Kids About: Inertia

This simple experiment teaches kids about inertia (as well as the importance of seatbelts!). Take a small wagon, fill it with a tall stack of books, then have one of your children pull it around then stop abruptly. They won't be able to suddenly stop the wagon without the stack of books falling. You can have the kids predict which direction they think the books will fall and explain that this happens because of inertia, or Newton's first law.

Stack of books

#28: Dinosaur Tracks

Teaches Kids About: Paleontology

How are some dinosaur tracks still visible millions of years later? By mixing together several ingredients, you'll get a claylike mixture you can press your hands/feet or dinosaur models into to make dinosaur track imprints . The mixture will harden and the imprints will remain, showing kids how dinosaur (and early human) tracks can stay in rock for such a long period of time.

Used coffee grounds
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin

#29: Sidewalk Constellations

Teaches Kids About: Astronomy

If you do this sidewalk constellation craft , you'll be able to see the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt in the daylight. On the sidewalk, have kids draw the lines of constellations (using constellation diagrams for guidance) and place stones where the stars are. You can then look at astronomy charts to see where the constellations they drew will be in the sky.

Sidewalk chalk
Small stones
Diagrams of constellations

#30: Lung Model

By building a lung model , you can teach kids about respiration and how their lungs work. After cutting off the bottom of a plastic bottle, you'll stretch a balloon around the opened end and insert another balloon through the mouth of the bottle. You'll then push a straw through the neck of the bottle and secure it with a rubber band and play dough. By blowing into the straw, the balloons will inflate then deflate, similar to how our lungs work.

Plastic bottle
Rubber band

#31: Homemade Dinosaur Bones

By mixing just flour, salt, and water, you'll create a basic salt dough that'll harden when baked. You can use this dough to make homemade dinosaur bones and teach kids about paleontology. You can use books or diagrams to learn how different dinosaur bones were shaped, and you can even bury the bones in a sandpit or something similar and then excavate them the way real paleontologists do.

Images of dinosaur bones

#32: Clay and Toothpick Molecules

There are many variations on homemade molecule science crafts . This one uses clay and toothpicks, although gumdrops or even small pieces of fruit like grapes can be used in place of clay. Roll the clay into balls and use molecule diagrams to attach the clay to toothpicks in the shape of the molecules. Kids can make numerous types of molecules and learn how atoms bond together to form molecules.

Clay or gumdrops (in four colors)
Diagrams of molecules

#33: Articulated Hand Model

By creating an articulated hand model , you can teach kids about bones, joints, and how our hands are able to move in many ways and accomplish so many different tasks. After creating a hand out of thin foam, kids will cut straws to represent the different bones in the hand and glue them to the fingers of the hand models. You'll then thread yarn (which represents tendons) through the straws, stabilize the model with a chopstick or other small stick, and end up with a hand model that moves and bends the way actual human hands do.

Straws (paper work best)
Twine or yarn

#34: Solar Energy Experiment

Teaches Kids About: Solar energy, light rays

This solar energy science experiment will teach kids about solar energy and how different colors absorb different amounts of energy. In a sunny spot outside, place six colored pieces of paper next to each other, and place an ice cube in the middle of each paper. Then, observe how quickly each of the ice cubes melt. The ice cube on the black piece of paper will melt fastest since black absorbs the most light (all the light ray colors), while the ice cube on the white paper will melt slowest since white absorbs the least light (it instead reflects light). You can then explain why certain colors look the way they do. (Colors besides black and white absorb all light except for the one ray color they reflect; this is the color they appear to us.)

6 squares of differently colored paper/cardstock (must include black paper and white paper)

#35: How to Make Lightning

Teaches Kids About: Electricity, weather

You don't need a storm to see lightning; you can actually create your own lightning at home . For younger kids this experiment requires adult help and supervision. You'll stick a thumbtack through the bottom of an aluminum tray, then stick the pencil eraser to the pushpin. You'll then rub the piece of wool over the aluminum tray, and then set the tray on the Styrofoam, where it'll create a small spark/tiny bolt of lightning!

Pencil with eraser
Aluminum tray or pie tin
Styrofoam tray

#36: Tie-Dyed Milk

Teaches Kids About: Surface tension

For this magic milk experiment , partly fill a shallow dish with milk, then add a one drop of each food coloring color to different parts of the milk. The food coloring will mostly stay where you placed it. Next, carefully add one drop of dish soap to the middle of the milk. It'll cause the food coloring to stream through the milk and away from the dish soap. This is because the dish soap breaks up the surface tension of the milk by dissolving the milk's fat molecules.

Shallow dish
Milk (high-fat works best)

#37: How Do Stalactites Form?

Have you ever gone into a cave and seen huge stalactites hanging from the top of the cave? Stalactites are formed by dripping water. The water is filled with particles which slowly accumulate and harden over the years, forming stalactites. You can recreate that process with this stalactite experiment . By mixing a baking soda solution, dipping a piece of wool yarn in the jar and running it to another jar, you'll be able to observe baking soda particles forming and hardening along the yarn, similar to how stalactites grow.

Safety pins
2 glass jars

Summary: Cool Science Experiments for Kids

Any one of these simple science experiments for kids can get children learning and excited about science. You can choose a science experiment based on your child's specific interest or what they're currently learning about, or you can do an experiment on an entirely new topic to expand their learning and teach them about a new area of science. From easy science experiments for kids to the more challenging ones, these will all help kids have fun and learn more about science.

What's Next?

Are you also interested in pipe cleaner crafts for kids? We have a guide to some of the best pipe cleaner crafts to try!

Looking for multiple different slime recipes? We tell you how to make slimes without borax and without glue as well as how to craft the ultimate super slime .

Want to learn more about clouds? Learn how to identify every cloud in the sky with our guide to the 10 types of clouds .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa) .

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WHY NOT TRY A FUN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT RIGHT NOW?

Here’s list of great science experiments with instructions that you can do right at home or at school. In order for your science experiment to be safe and successful, be sure to:

Get your parent’s or teacher’s permission, and their help
Follow the directions as written

Building a Hovercraft – Video

The egg drop challenge, make ice cream in a plastic bag, build a hovercraft you can ride, eggshell geode crystals, build a soap powered model boat, a density experiment you can drink, make your own rock candy, build a fizz inflator, make a levitating orb, blobs in a bottle, fantastic foamy fountain, build a film canister rocket, the exploding lunch bag, make your own volcano, bend water with static electricity, a color symphony, make a paperclip float, blow up a balloon with yeast, how to make slime – method 1, see some optical illusions, make an electromagnet, try some lava in a cup, make a balloon rocket.

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Making Science Fun, Easy to Teach and Exciting to Learn!

Science Experiments

35 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do Today!

Looking for easy science experiments to do at home or in the classroom? You’re in luck because we’ve got over 35 easy science activities for kids that will help you make science fun for all ages.

Most of these simple science experiments for kids are easy to prepare, quick to perform, and use household items or inexpensive materials you can find almost anywhere. To connect the fun to the “why it works” you’ll find an easy to teach explanation with every experiment!

Musical Jars Science Experiment

This super easy experiment is simple as it is fun! Kids make their own musical instruments with clear jars and water then investigate sound waves, pitch, and more.

When the experiment is complete, use the colorful new “instrument” for a fun music lesson. Kids can play and take turns to “name that tune”!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Musical Jars Science Experiment

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment

Viscosity may be a confusing term for kids at first, but this super easy experiment can help them see viscosity in action!

With marbles, clear jars, and a few household materials, kids will make predictions, record data, and compare the results while they test high and low density liquids.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Viscosity Science Experiment

Floating Egg Science Experiment

Can a solid egg float? Kids can find the answer and understand why with this quick science experiment.

Discover just how easy it can be to make a raw egg float while testing the laws of density. We’ve included additional ideas to try so kids can make predictions and test the concept further.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Floating Egg Science Experiment

Paper Towel Dry Under Water Experiment

Is it possible to keep a paper towel dry even when submerging it under water? The answer is a surprising “yes,” if you use science to help!

Start with the properties of your materials, make a prediction, then explore matter, density, volume, and more.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Paper Towel Dry Under Water Experiment

Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment

This simple experiment for kids helps them better understand density and the changes that happen when adding an emulsifier to the mix.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Mixing Oil & Water Experiment

Will it Float or Sink Science Experiment

Will it sink or will it float? This fun experiment challenges what students think they know about household items!

Students record their hypothesis for each item then test it to compare what they think will happen against their observations.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Float or Sink Science Experiment

Water Temperature Science Experiment

What does thermal energy look like? In this easy science experiment, kids are able to see thermal energy as they explore the concept in action.

With clear jars and food coloring, students can quickly see how molecules move differently through hot and cold water.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Water Temperature Science Experiment

Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Kids will discover how matter reacts when heated and cooled as they watch with surprise as baking soda and vinegar blow the balloon up before their eyes.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Kids will giggle with joy with this super easy experiment. With only a ping pong ball and a hair dryer, students will have a great time while exploring Bernoulli’s Principle in action.

We’ve included additional ideas to further explore the concept with different objects and observe the change in results.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Hair Stand on End Science Experiment

It’s especially fun for those who’ve never seen static electricity in action before!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Hair Stand on End Science Experiment

Oil Bubbles in Water Science Experiment

Kids explore density and experience some chemistry when creating oil bubbles in water with everyday household items.

This experiment is particularly fun when kids see that they’ve made what looks like a lava lamp!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Oil Bubbles in Water Science Experiment

Color Changing Water Science Experiment

Kids will be surprised as they watch a new color being “created” without mixing! Using only a clear bowl and glass, some food coloring, and water, this super easy science experiment is quick and easy with a huge wow factor.

Try it with yellow and blue to follow along with our demonstration video then try different primary color combinations and explore the results.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Color Changing Water Science Experiment

Magnetic Paper Clip Chain Science Experiment

It may seem a bit like magic but it’s actually science! It’s not hard to capture your kids’ attention with this quick and easy science experiment as they watch paper clips “stick” together and form a chain!

Perfect for younger children, the experiment only takes a few minutes and is a fun way to explore the concept of magnetic transference.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Magnetic Paper Clip Chain Science Experiment

Is it Magnetic Science Experiment

With only a magnet and a few household items, kids will make and record their predictions, test and observe, then compare what they think is magnetic against the results.

Simple and quick, but some of the results may surprise your students!

Cloud in a Jar Experiment

This simple experiment only requires a few materials but really holds student attention as a cloud forms before their eyes!

Kids will learn new weather vocabulary as they explore how physical changes and reactions happen as clouds begin to take form. We’ve also included a helpful chart on the types of clouds.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment

Magic Milk Science Experiment

Create a dancing rainbow of colors with this easy science experiment for kids!

Using only a few ordinary kitchen items, your students can create a color explosion in ordinary milk when they add our special ingredient. (Hint: The special ingredient (soap!) includes hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules that make the magic happen!)

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Magic Milk Science Experiment

Walking Water Science Experiment

Water can’t really walk upwards against gravity, but this cool science experiment makes it seem like it can!

Kids are able to see the capillary action process and learn how attraction and adhesive forces in action allow water to move out of one glass into another.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Walking Water Science Experiment

Light Refraction Science Experiment

$Light Refraction Science Experiment$

The results of this easy science experiment are so amazing, it makes kids (and adults) think it must be magic!

Young scientists watch in surprise while they see an arrow change directions instantly. Investigating refraction couldn’t be more fun!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Light Refraction Science Experiment

Dancing Raisins Experiment

Dancing Raisins Science Experiment - Step (3)

Learn about the reactions of buoyancy and density in this simple science activity for kids.

They may not need dancing shoes, but give them a glass of soda pop and the raisins in this fun experiment love to dance!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Dancing Raisins Science Experiment

See Sound Experiment

Kids love this experiment because they are encouraged to drum loudly so they can “see” sound waves in action!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> See Sound Science Experiment

Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Grab some giant brushes and get ready to make elephant toothpaste! Although you might not be able to get an elephant excited by this super easy experiment, kids love it!

The impressive and quick results created by the chemical reaction and the heat released in the process makes an abundant amount of fun and colorful foam!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Upside Down Water Glass Science Experiment

We all know what happens when we turn a glass of water upside down, but what if I told you you can do it without the water spilling out?

The experiment only requires a few common items and you’ll be amazed by the results of air pressure in action!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Pick up Ball with a Jar Science Experiment

It almost seems like magic but with the help of science, you can pick up a ball with an open jar!

Instead of magic, this easy science activity uses centripetal force and practice to do what seems like the impossible.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pick up Ball with a Jar Experiment

Will It Melt Science Experiment

Can you guess which items will melt? This easy outside experiment challenges what students think they know about the effects of the sun.

Pepper Move Science Experiment

Can you make pepper move and zoom away with just a light touch of your finger? With science you can!

This experiment only takes a few quick minutes from beginning to end, but the reaction caused by surface tension makes kids want to do it over and over.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pepper Move Science Experiment

Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

Go for it, crush that bottle, but don’t touch it! Although it usually can’t be seen or touched, air pressure is pushing against all surfaces at all times.

With this easy science activity kids can see air pressure at work when they watch a bottle crushes itself!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

This vinegar science experiment will have your eggs and kids bouncing (with excitement!) before you know it!

Kids can watch and explore the results of chemical reactions as the egg changes from something that seems solid into what feels like something bouncy!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

Can you make a normal plastic straw go into a raw, solid potato? It seems like something impossible, but science can easily make it possible!

Pick your potatoes then let kids try their strength as they explore air pressure with this super easy experiment.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

Rainbow in a Jar Science Experiment

With only a few household items, they’ll explore mass, volume, and density with every color layer!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Rainbow in a Jar Experiment

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

Kids can have fun while learning more about centripetal force with this fun experiment.

With a little muscle and science, kids watch with amazement as they create their own glitter cyclone in a bottle as the centripetal force vortex appears.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

Can you poke holes in a plastic bag full of water without the water leaking out? With this super easy science activity you can!

Kids are stunned as they learn about polymers and how they can do what seems to be impossible.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Science Experiment

Is it possible to blow up a balloon with only water and science?

In this super easy experiment, kids learn more about how matter behaves as they watch a balloon inflate and deflate as a result of matter being heated and cooled.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Orange Float Science Experiment

Kids explore buoyancy as they learn about and test density in this sink or float science activity.

While it only takes a few minutes, this super easy experiment invites kids to predict what they think will happen then discuss why the heavier orange floats!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Orange Float Science Experiment

Pick up Ice with String Science Experiment

With only a few household items, kids learn about freezing temperatures and the results they create in saltwater versus freshwater.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pick Up Ice with String Science Experiment

Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

Using the concepts explored in our popular Walking Water Science Experiment, kids will see color walk from one glass to another and change colors as it goes!

The quick experiment seems to defy gravity like magic, but don’t worry, kids can find out how science makes it work!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

Reader Interactions

32 Cool Science Experiments for Kids (that are Fun AND Easy!)

Do you ever want to do science experiments at home with your kids, but you’re not quite sure what to do? Not just any old kitchen science experiment will do – you want something cooler than vinegar + bicarb soda! But, you also want something simple and easy to do – because no-one wants a huge mess from their kids doing crazy science experiments at home!

We understand, and that’s why the writing team here at STEM Geek has put our heads together to come up with the most awesome at-home science experiments for kids! As science enthusiasts and educators, we also wanted to make sure that these are genuine science learning opportunities. So not only are they captivating for the kids, but we also emphasize what questions can be asked as kids explore and apply the scientific method! Plus, we’ve arranged them according to how much time they take: up to 1 hour, 1 to several hours, and long-term.

Related Post: Ultimate Boredom Buster: 101 Things To Do When Kids Are Bored

Science Experiments at Home that take Less than 1 Hour

1. tie-dye milk.

Sounds delicious, right? You’re not actually drinking it, but instead watching science magic happens when you combine dish soap with milk and food coloring. This is a very pretty experiment that draws the focus and mind into what’s happening on the plate, and all because of a little chemistry with everyday items. Well, food dye may not be an everyday item, but it might be after your kids get a hold of this!

So, what’s going on here, scientifically-speaking? Milk is made up of two major ingredients: water and fat. When you add a little dish soap, it bonds with the fat in the milk so strongly that it literally pushes the food coloring and water away from the cotton ball. On a microscopic level, the dish soap is wandering around the milk, which causes the colors to swirl and swirl.

Questions to ask beforehand:

Before knowing what will happen to the food coloring, ask the kids what they think will happen when dish soap mixes with milk.
Since the major catalyst is fat in the milk, what would happen if you used other types of milk: Skim milk, soy milk, coconut milk?

You’ll need:

Round cake pan or plate with high edges
Cotton ball (some tutorials show cotton swabs)
Dish detergent
Different colors of food dye (three or four should do)

Procedure/Instructions:

Fill the pan halfway with milk.
Drip one color of food dye in one section of the plate away from the center. Four to five drops works and later you can play around with more or less. Do the same for the rest of the colors around the plate.
Soak the cotton ball in dish detergent, and when you’re ready for action, place the cotton ball into the center of the pan.
Watch the colors racing around, creating a psychedelic tie-dye effect!
You can add more cotton balls throughout the dish to see more action.
If some food coloring hugs the wall of the plate, take a cotton swab dipped in dish detergent and place it into the food coloring. It will move away!

2. Saturn’s Glowing Rings

using a flashlight for a Saturn’s Glowing Rings experiment

I don’t know about you, but I love everything about space. This experiment shows you how Saturn’s rings are made of rocks and ice chunks even though they look so smooth in pictures. You’ll also see why there are big gaps in the rings. Younger kids take delight in using a flashlight and sprinkling powder, while older kids can get more specific with questions about Saturn and how the rocks and ice stay in orbit.

Do Saturn’s rings give off their own light?
Why are some rocks and ice chunks more lit up than others?
Compare the results of light sprinkles to thicker sprinkles.
Strong flashlight
Powder (flour, baby powder, etc) in a shaker
Very dark room
Darken a room and set the flashlight on the edge of a table or counter, pointing it at a blank wall. Lay the newspaper on the floor between the flashlight and the wall.
Turn on the flashlight and notice where the light comes from the flashlight and where it hits the wall. You should only see the light from these two places and not from the space between them. This shows you that the light travels through the air without being seen until it hits the wall. The light represents the sun’s light.
Now to see how Saturn’s rings glow: Hold the powder shaker and sprinkle some powder over the beam of light where you know the light is traveling. You’ll notice the powder lights up and sparkles in the beam of light. The powder shows in glowing clumps, just like in Saturn’s rings.

3. Breaking Down Colors

We all know that the fun, vibrant colors we see in our lives are created by mixing the basic red, yellow, and blue. In this experiment, you and your child will learn which colors make up those fun shades they have in their art supplies. This also teaches some basic chemistry and uses materials you already have at home. It can be done very simply and expanded to create a large-scale investigation if you love it.

Which colors separate out first?
Is the same order for each test?
Which colors make up the original shade?
Do the different types of color (pen, pencil, paint) separate in the same way or differently?
Are some separated in a shorter space are the colors the same mixture?
Coffee filters
Color sources (markers, colored pencils, paint, etc.)
A plain pencil
To complete this experiment, cut the coffee filters into strips, mark one end with a line the same distance from the bottom on each strip.
Color in each strip (between the bottom and line) with your colors, and write at the top what the color and source are (e.g., purple marker).
Place each strip in a glass and help it to stand up by folding the top over a pencil (a chopstick, table knife, or any long narrow object will also work) so that it stands up in the glass.
Fill the glass up to the top of your colored block, and wait. The water will move up the filter, and the colors will separate out as it goes.
Remove the strip once the water gets near the top of the strip to stop the experiment.

To make this a true experiment, we recommend testing multiple colors and using markers, colored pencils, and paint (as some starting examples). You could test the same colors from each type of art supply to investigate whether they all use the same mix of basic colors to create the same end product.

This post has a nice full description of the methods if you need more detail.

4. Water Xylophone

Water Xylophone - let kids experiment with sound and liquids

This simple experiment will teach your child about sound and pitch using glasses, water, and something to act as a mallet. Don’t let the simplicity deceive you, there are a lot of ways to experiment and learn through this process, and it also brings in an element of music that makes it interesting and engaging.

Do you think more water makes the sound higher or lower in pitch?
How do you think the shape or size of the glass will affect the sound?
How should we arrange the glasses to play a simple song?
Do you think this will work with a plastic cup, why or why not?
Some glasses
Something wood to act as a mallet (we recommend wood so you don’t break the glasses!)
A great way to start is with glasses that are the same size, shape, and material, and filling them with different amounts of water.
Have your child use the mallet to test how the amount of water affects the sound.
From there, it’s a really simple extension to use different sized and shaped glasses (or any glass vessel like jars and bowls) to experiment with how the shape, size, and amount of water in the glass affect the tone.

To take this one further and really bring in the musical component, you and your child could work out a simple song and create the right tones to play it. If you or your child are musical, you could get very elaborate and creative (try googling harry potter or star wars theme songs on glasses, there are so many options that I couldn’t even choose one)!

5. Ultimate Bottle Flipping

Ah, bottle flipping. The fad that kids can’t get enough of, but parents are well and truly over. The constant thud of semi-filled water bottles being tossed (and hopefully landing upright) is guaranteed to send parents around the twist!

If you can stand it for a bit longer though, there’s a lot of STEM knowledge to be gained in this bottle flipping experiment. As we know, the aim of bottle flipping is to flip a partially filled water bottle underhand and get it to land upright.

In this experiment, kids will learn the importance of observing a result multiple times before changing a variable (the amount of water in the bottle).

How much water should you put in the bottle?
What is the ideal amount of liquid to get the perfect flip?
What should be the ideal amount of water?
Was their prediction correct?
Why do they think the amount of water affects the chances of landing the bottle?
A plastic water bottle
Measuring jug
Paper to record results
Get the kids to start by flipping their bottle with no water in it at all. Kidspot recommends flipping it 50 times for each step, but you could do less if you need to.
Try it again with 50ml of water.
Keep adding more water until the bottle is full.

If they’re keen, you could try other types or sizes of bottles, or even try different liquids to see if that affects the results!

6. Rainbow in a Jar

Rainbow in a Jar - a kitchen chemistry experiment for kids

This simple science experiment is not only very visually appealing, but it’s also a great way to learn about the density of liquids. Warning though, this one could get messy so make sure kids are in some old clothes and you might want to take it outside! I like this experiment because you’ll probably have most of the materials in your kitchen already!

Which liquids they think will be heaviest?
Which ones will be lightest?
Why do they think that?
A glass jar
Food coloring
Various liquids like honey, corn syrup, dishwashing liquid, olive oil, rubbing alcohol and water.
Use the food coloring to make all your liquids a different color. A dropper comes in handy here, but if you don’t have one you can manage without.
Slowly add each liquid to the jar (pouring into the middle of the jar is best).
Soon, you’ll have different layers of colored liquid forming your very own rainbow in a jar.

You might even get them to draw a diagram of what they think the jar will look like at the end. They can compare this with the experiment results to see if their prediction was correct.

It might also help to talk to your kids first about what density is and how materials are all made of different amounts of molecules. The more molecules a liquid has, the heavier it will be. Playdough to Plato demonstrates a great way of introducing this concept using marbles.

7. Write Your Own Secret Messages!

We love science experiments that are made up primarily of supplies that you likely already have in your home.

Why do you think this will work?
Which liquid do you think will make the best secret message?
Why do people write secret messages?
Juice (eg. Lemon)
Lamp (or anything else that can be used as a heat source)
In order to complete this experiment, you’ll need to gather all of your supplies along with a piece of paper, some q-tips, and a lamp or other item that you can use as a heat source.
Next, you’ll mix your lemon juice with a slight amount of water.
Using your q-tip, use the mixture you’ve created to begin writing your message.
Allow it to dry.
Once dry, apply heat to it in order to get your message to appear.

Extend this project by attempting to write with a juice and water mixture, a milk and water mixture, or any other variation of the liquids we listed as necessary supplies!

8. Create Your Own Butterfly

Create Your Own Butterfly and learn about capillary action

Your little ones will love practicing their color mixing by creating their very own coffee filter butterflies. Hang them in the windows of your home to spread some cheer and to watch the sun flow through their beautiful wings!

What colors can mix together to make other colors?
How do butterflies fly?
What do you think will happen when we add water to the markers?
Water spray bottle
Allow your child to draw on the coffee filter to their heart’s content.
Spray it with water and allow the colors to mix together.
Allow it to dry thoroughly.
Once dry, fold it like a fan and then clip it in the middle.

Ta-da, you’ve created a beautiful butterfly!

9. Make A Duck Call

Give your family an excuse to head outdoors by allowing your children to craft their own duck calls. Test them out at a local pond and see if you can get the ducks to come closer to you for a healthy veggie snack!

Do you think ducks will be able to hear us with this?
What other materials do you think could make this noise?
How is what we have created similar to a duck’s beak?
Plastic straw
Push down on the straw to flatten one end and then cut the flattened end into a point.
Flatten out your straw and then blow into it.
Feel free to experiment with different amounts of flattening and different point shapes to see how you can adjust the sound.
When finished, take your duck call into the wild to test it out.

10. Make Ivory Soap Boats

Make Ivory Soap Boats - a home science experiment that is fun

Did you ever carve items out of soap at camp when you were a child? Give your child the same opportunity. Soap can be carved using safe items, like plastic knives.

Why are we able to carve soap so easily?
Do you think our boats float?
Why do you think they float or sink?
Carving tools (for kids)
Allow your child to express their creative side by carving their boat out of soap.
Once they have finished carving it, allow them to test them out in the bathtub. . Extend their learning by discussing density with them–the soap floats because it is less dense than the water.

11. Make Your Own Quicksand

As John Mullaney famously said, “I thought quicksand would be a much bigger problem in my adult life than it would have turned out.” For some reason, quicksand permeates children’s adventure stories – and their imaginations!

Where can we find quicksand in real life?
How do you think quicksand works?
What do you think we will need to make our own quicksand?
Cornflower (one cup)
Water (half cup)
A container
To make your quicksand, you’ll need to mix the cornflour and water.
Be sure to stir slowly in order to demonstrate – if you stir too quickly, it will become hard and you won’t be able to see it function the way it should!

12. Make Your Own Lava Lamp

Make Your Own Lava Lamp - a cool science experiment

We’ve tried this one in our classrooms, and trust us, our kids go wild year after year. Kids love making something that they can use as home decoration, and they love how easy it is to show new people – this is the experiment that lives on and on!

How do you think density is involved in this experiment?
Why don’t the water and oil mix?
Why can’t we shake our lava lamps?
Clear Plastic Bottle
Vegetable Oil
Food Coloring
Alka-Seltzer
Pour water into the plastic bottle until it is approximately one quarter full.
Then pour vegetable oil in until the bottle is almost completely filled.
Allow some time for the oil and water to separate.
It is important that your children do not shake the bottle in this step. It will extend the experiment for no other reason than you waiting for the bubbles to dissipate.
Add as much food coloring as your child deems fit and then drop a piece of Alka-seltzer tablet into the bottle for the lava lamp fun to begin.

13. Guess the Smell

This one will take a little more prep work, but it’s a great touchstone for your children to begin discussing one of their five senses: the sense of smell!

What are examples of times we use our sense of smell?
What other senses do we have?
If you could only use one sense for the rest of your life, which one?
Plastic Cups
Smells (eg. coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice)
Place a variety of common smells in small plastic cups. We like to use coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice.
Pour these in and place tin foil securely over the top of the cup.
Poke small holes in the top of the foil.
Secure the foil with tape (on the sides, not over the holes).
Allow your children to guess the smells and record their findings on paper.

Home Science Experiments that take 1 to Several Hours

14. mangrove bioshield .

Ecologists and conservationists are pushing for more regulations in building and saving mangrove forests around coastal areas. The reason is represented in this STEM activity. The trees act as a mangrove BioShield (bio = life, shield = protection), showing how natural obstacles can prevent critical damage from marine natural disasters such as tsunamis.

The mangrove BioShield can be for older elementary kids through to high school. Obviously, the younger they are, the more parent involvement. This experiment is done twice to show the effects of having and not having a BioShield. The first part uses little to no trees, and the second uses a forest of trees and rocks.

What will happen in a tsunami if the village is without a BioShield? And the village with a BioShield?
Would a BioShield help with hurricanes?
Would you want to encourage people to save manatee forests if they are beneficial?
Medium to large clear, plastic container
Newspaper – wad into balls, then cover half of the bottom container – this help to keep the ground sturdy
Mud – cover the newspaper and press it in to form a slope down to the empty side of the container. The top side should be flattened for the cardboard houses, then it slopes down into the empty half of the container.
Cardboard houses (use the bottoms of milk cartons for the house and popsicle sticks for the roofs, place houses on the mud towards the top of the high slope
Model trees or leafy stems from plants – Different amounts for activity 1 and activity 2
Several small rocks
Cardboard – long enough to fit across the container and tall enough to hold it from out of the water
Water – enough to go halfway up the slope

A tsunami without the mangrove forest – insert only one or two trees down the slope. Place the cardboard piece into the water end of the container and move back and forth to create waves. Notice how easy it is for the water to destroy the village you’ve created.

Repeat the process of constructing the village, but this time insert a lot of trees down the slope to where the water meets the mud. They need to be deeply rooted like mangroves, and I’ve found that aquarium plants work well for this reason. Place the rocks within the mangrove forest and in front of the trees. Add a little bit more water. Insert the cardboard again and move it back and forth to create waves.

15. A Greater Crater

When you look at the night sky and see the moon, one of the first things you notice is its craters. The moon is completely covered in them, and some are so large we can see them from Earth. Meteorites often make the craters that we see when they hit the surface, but it makes us wonder why some craters are so much bigger than others.

This experiment will help you to investigate one of the main reasons why craters come in different sizes.

What causes craters?
How big do the meteorites have to be to make a crater?
What is it about the meteorite that causes the size of the crater?
Paper to record your results
Flat floor surface for the experiment, large enough for the newspaper to cover
Shallow metal pan at least 2 inches deep
Flour to fill 2 inches of the pan
¼ cup hot chocolate powder
Mesh strainer or flour sifter
Large marble (and others of varying sizes if comparing results)
Metric ruler
Tongs or long tweezers
Pour the flour into the pan until it reaches 2 inches. Place the pan on top of the newspaper on a level surface.
Sift a layer of hot chocolate powder over the flour (this is so you can better see the rays and other features of the craters).
You will be dropping your marble from three different heights, then comparing the sizes of the craters. Measure the diameter (side to side) of the marble and record this on your paper as Marble 1. Hypothesize how large the crater will be and write that next to the diameter of Marble 1.
Stand next to your pan and hold the marble at knee height above the flour. Drop the marble (do not throw it, just let it fall from your fingers) into the flour and study the shape of the crater. Look for a rim around the crater or any rays coming from the edges.
Measure across the widest part of your crater, from rim to rim and record on your data sheet as Marble 1 – Knee Height – Width or something similar. You can also draw a picture of your results.
Very gently use the tongs or long tweezers to remove the marble without destroying the crater.
Repeat this procedure from waist height, shoulder height, top of head height. Make sure you aim in different parts of the flour so you don’t land on top of another crater. Record all of your results as the different heights you’re using.
Compare your results.
You can try again with a different sized marble as “Marble 2” to compare those results with each height as done with Marble 1.

Perhaps now, you’ll look at the moon a little differently!

16. Rube Goldberg Chain Reaction Machine

We’ve all seen them, some pretty far-out there chain reaction machines to complete simple tasks, usually in movies. But they are real , and are becoming even more popular now that we’re all stuck at home for a while. This is a fun way to explore physics with stuff you have at home.

Ask your child to decide what the end goal is (e.g. get the ball into the cup), and ask them to think about creative ways to make it get there. Working together, you can start with small pieces of a circuit to find out how your ball reacts to the set-up, and grow it from there. You can even refer to this video for more ideas:

What will happen when the ball bounces off of this wall?
How will these dominoes change the speed of the ball?
What can we use to make sure that the ball goes in the direction we want it to at this point?
What should we put here to get the best bounce?
Paper towel
Toilet paper tubes
Fixed objects like walls or furniture
Any other toys and materials that can be used to build your circuit

To make this a true experiment, it needs to include more than a one-off demonstration, and there are a lot of ways to accomplish this.

Set up parallel courses and use different sized or weighted balls to go through the circuit.
Set up one elaborate circuit and use different objects one at a time.
Set up circuits in different ways to see how different set-ups affect your end goal.

Another experimental component is the process used to create a circuit that reaches your end goal ( like this video about getting the ball into the cup, but you could come up with lots of other endpoints!). Along the way, you and your child get a lot of time to learn about momentum, velocity, friction, energy transfer, and interference (e.g., the cat).

17. Melting

Melting ice - a very easy kitchen science experiment for kids

This is a simple and fun experiment that can be set up in a short time and then fill-up your day with observations and new experiments. Using only things you already have at home, you can set-up an engaging experiment with your kids!

Ice melts at different rates depending on a variety of factors including temperature, pressure, and if there are impurities (think salt, sugar, dirt) in the ice or touching the ice. There is a lot of opportunities to get creative and do the experiment in multiple ways, keeping your kids engaged and developing their investigative, experimental, and critical thinking skills.

Which ice melts the fastest, slowest, and if they have any guesses about why?
What other ice-melting experiments they think would be fun: Using different temperature liquids? Using different amounts of ice? Different sized cups?
Lots of ice
Several matching cups (i.e., they are the same size, shape, and color)
Measuring cups
A variety of liquids for the test
Paper for writing down observations
Measure the same amount of ice and place it in each cup.
M easure equal amounts of each liquid and place them in the cups: try to complete this part quickly so that the ice in each cup is in liquid for as close the same amount of time as possible.
Set up your cups in a place that is easy for your child to watch and observe.
Ask them to check in at regular intervals (every 15 minutes, every hour) and record or talk to you about their observations.

Other potential experimental examples:

Using different liquids to test if they affect melting time;
Using the same liquid and placing ice in different locations to test what conditions throughout your home affect melting;
Test if different amounts of ice melt at different rates;
Test if different kinds of cups change melting time.

There are endless possibilities for you to come up with new ways to complete these simple experiments. You get the idea. Explore more!

18. Breathing Leaves

Science experiments don’t get much more simple than this one! It’s effective though and kids will enjoy watching their leaf ‘breathe’. Learning about plant science is often tricky because it can seem a bit abstract. This experiment allows kids to see the process of plants making oxygen right before their eyes!

A question to ask beforehand:

What do you think will happen if we leave it for a few hours?
A fresh leaf from a tree
A bowl of water
Pluck a fresh leaf from a tree and place it in a bowl of water.
Use a rock to weigh it down and leave the experiment out in the sun.
Have your kids predict what they think they will see when they come back in a few hours (they can write their prediction down or draw a diagram if that’s more their style).
After a few hours, your kids will see lots of tiny little bubbles on the edge of the leaf and in the glass bowl of water (use a magnifying glass to get a closer look if you have one).

So, what’s happening here? Leaves take in carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen during photosynthesis. The bubbles you can see are the leaf releasing the oxygen it’s created. You could explain to your kids how trees and plants make the oxygen we need to breathe. Kids Fun Science explains this experiment in more detail and suggests taking it further by leaving the plant for a longer period of time (do you see more or fewer bubbles?) or placing a leaf in a dark area to see what difference that makes!

19. How Does Sunscreen Work?

Scientific Method - How Does Sunscreen Work?

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that kids hate wearing sunscreen! Trying to get it on them is like wrestling a crocodile. Maybe if they knew how sunscreen worked they’d understand how important it is to wear it when they’re out in the sun (and be slightly more cooperative when we’re lathering it over their little faces). This is a simple experiment that shows kids the difference wearing sunscreen will make to their skin.

What do they observe when they come back?
Why do they think one side faded and the other not?
A piece of colored cardboard (a dark color would be best)
Your usual bottle of sunscreen
Have your kids smear the sunscreen over one part of the cardboard and leave the other part clear.
Kids can then predict what they think will happen when they return to the experiment after a few hours.
Talk to them about how the sun’s UV radiation is absorbed by the sunscreen so it can’t get through to damage the cardboard.

You could even take it further by trying different kinds of sunscreen or leaving your cardboard out during different times of the day.

20. Make A Rubber Egg

Imagine a world in which eggs can be used like bouncy balls. Well, with a couple of home supplies and a little bit of science, you can live in that world. Your child will be dazzled as they remove eggshells from eggs while leaving the insides intact.

Is vinegar an acid or a base?
Is there another substance that could do this?
Simply leave the egg in the vinegar for a few hours and wait to see what happens. Because of the transformative nature of this experiment, it lends itself to science journaling.
Consider having your kiddos draw before and after pictures of the eggs in order to track their journeys.

21. Flying Tea Bags

Flying Tea Bags is an easy kitchen science experiment

Nothing will get your kids’ attention faster than telling them that you are going to spend some time creating something that will fly. However, because this experiment will involve fire, please ensure that you select a time in which you will be able to provide ample adult supervision.

How do we stay safe with fire?
How do we make sure we don’t damage the surface we are working on?
Why do you think the tea bag will fly?
Single Serving Tea Bags
A Small Bowl
A Non-Flammable Work Surface
First, open the tea bags and unfold them.
Empty the leaves from the bag.
Stand the tea bags up on your surface and light the top of each bag on fire.

As they begin to burn, they will float into the sky!

22. Make Wax Paper Lanterns

Your children will love the chance to display their fantastic art skills by creating these paper lanterns. If you want to add a culture lesson, have your children research German’s St. Martin’s Day and learn about why children parade through the streets with lanterns. We promise there’s a good moral story involved here!

When could we use lanterns?
What safety considerations do we need to use in this project?
Why can we see the light through the wax paper?
Popsicle Sticks
To begin, tear a ten-inch piece of wax paper off of the roll and cut it in half.
After that, fold each piece in half.
Allow your child to color their image on top of the wax paper. (This is a great place for an impromptu lesson in color mixing).
Fold the wax paper and iron it (consider something in between the crayon mess and the iron you use on your clothes).
Finally, glue the craft sticks into squares, add the wax paper, and turn it into a cube.

Voila, you’ve created your own lantern!

23. Create an Insect Habitat

Alright, this one isn’t for the faint of heart. Draw up your courage and send your child into the backyard to collect all of the creepy crawlies they’d like to.

Now you have a home for them. Better yet, you can keep your child entertained for hours as they track the growth of their bug friends.

What do bugs need to survive?
What do bugs eat?
What is the difference between a need and a want?
Imagination
Find something that you’re willing to sacrifice to the bugs in order to create a habitat for them – we recommend a shadowbox so that your child can see inside, but a cardboard box will do just fine as well.
Ensure that there is breathing room for the bugs.
Create a habitat with sticks, bark, small rocks, dried leaves, and whatever else you can find.
If you’re willing to hang onto the habitat long enough, use it as an opportunity to talk about decomposition as the bugs begin to break down the twigs.

Long-Term Science Experiments at Home

24. crystal kingdom.

This is the oldest trick in the book, but it’s popular because it’s so effective, fun, and has great results. The only drawback to most crystal-growing recipes is that they take ages to grow, and to be quite honest this one is no exception. In fact, these crystals will take several days to grow but the end result is worth it. The reason is that this experiment involves growing a whole landscape of beautifully colored salt and bluing crystals. Here’s a video for visual reference:

A few things to keep in mind: Allow for plenty of air circulation, preferably inside rather than outside. Ammonia is not necessary but does help in the process.

What will happen when you add ammonia?
Why does more salt and less liquid create faster crystallization?
What part does the bluing solution have in crystal growing?

(Answers can be found here )

Two bottles of bluing solution
Large tray/cookie sheets with sides
Measuring cup
Liquid watercolors
Eye droppers
Cut sponges into large pieces. Spread them out on the tray.
Measure out 1 cup of each of salt, water, and bluing and then gently mix together.
Evenly coat or sprinkle the mix over the sponges.
Add 1 cup of ammonia to the sponges.
Coat an extra 1 cup of salt on to the sponges.
By now you’ll see some crystals growing . Sprinkle the magic mix again: 1 cup each of salt, water, and bluing. You can pour the ingredients onto the tray instead of on top of the crystals to keep them from breaking. Don’t worry, more will grow!
Take an eyedropper, and drop a tablespoon of each liquid watercolor (undiluted) in different patterns over the sponges and crystals.
Take note of your garden and what the crystal formations look like. You can make a sketch in your notebook as a before and after. Ask questions and observe!
Observe how the crystals are bigger than before, and notice the colors aren’t as vibrant. Compare the differences in shapes, sizes, and colors.
If you want more crystals to grow, add a little more water, bluing, and salt.

25. Blow up a Balloon with Yeast

We are surrounded by science in action, but sometimes it is really difficult to see what is happening, especially when it is on a small-scale. When we make bread, yeast ‘eats’ the sugars in the food and creates CO2, giving bread its airy texture. This experiment lets you both visualize what happens when yeast consumes sugar and is a great set-up for an experiment that can be observed throughout the day.

Depending on your supplies and time, you could start with a demonstration and use that to think of other tests, or you could set up several parallel tests at the same time.

How quickly does the balloon filled with air?
When does it stop filling (at some point the yeast will run out of food and will stop making gas)?
Does the starting temperature affect the experiment?
Does the balloon fill faster in different places in your home (try especially for different air-temperatures, you could include an outside location)?
Some balloons
Blow up the balloon a few times before starting so that it’s loosened up a bit.
Fill the bottle with about 1 inch of warm water (heat is required to activate the yeast, but you could experiment with different temperatures), add the yeast and swirl to dissolve.
Add the sugar and swirl more.
Place the balloon over the opening to the bottle and wait. You should expect to see the balloon begin to inflate after around 20 minutes.
Continue checking and observing how much the balloon inflates throughout the day.

More example experimental setups include:

Do different temperatures – either with the water you start with or the air the yeast lives in – affect how quickly the balloon blows-up?
Does using 2x the yeast result in a balloon that is 2x bigger, or blows-up 2x faster?
Do different types of sugar (e.g., white sugar, honey, syrup, flour) affect how quickly the balloon blows up or how big it gets?

A sk your child to think of new experiments (you could prompt with some of the examples above, or ideas from this post ).

26. Seed Germination

A really simple but fun multi-day experiment is germinating seeds under different conditions. This means finding some quick-sprouting seeds such as beans and putting them in different conditions to see how that affects germination (sprouting leaves and roots) and growth.

Seed Germination is an easy science experiment for kids

I love using seed experiments because they are inexpensive, simple, and leave a ton of room for creating your own unique experiment.

Which seed will sprout fastest?
Seeds (Beans, radishes, squashes, and many flowers sprout quickly from large seeds, making them good choices.)
Small pots or paper cups
Potting soil
Cloth or paper towel
Somewhere with good light
To get started, you’ll need some seeds – feel free to choose something you already have, if you’re a gardener you might have some seeds ready for the coming season and could spare a few – or find something online or at your local nursery.
Use small pots or paper cups and fill each with your growth material (we recommend a minimum of 3 for a useful comparison).
Fill one with potting soil, one with sand, and one with a cloth or paper towel.
Place them somewhere with good light, and add water.
Ask your child to predict which seed will sprout fastest, and make observations every day. If possible, make them around the same time each day.
Once you see growth, you can ask your child what they think caused any differences, and you can use that as a jumping-off point for more experiments

Additionally, you could:

Use one type of seed and different types of growth media: soil, paper towel, gravel, sand, water, etc.
You could use different seeds (beans, flowers, grass, herbs) and grow them under the same conditions (soil, water, sun exposure) to see how different plants grow differently.
You could see how different light conditions (by a window, in the basement, in a bright room away from a window, etc.) affect germination.

You could also extend each experiment by simply continuing to grow each seed to learn whether the different germination time affects long-term growth (you may want to re-pot everything in the soil for this to be effective, depending on the specifics of your initial experiment).

27. Colored Celery

Colored Celery is a simple science experiment for kids

It’s hard to imagine plants having little capillaries inside them that transport water and nutrients, but this experiment shows that in action. It’s easy to set up, but you’ll have to wait at least a day to see some results. Your kids will be able to see how transpiration takes place and plants absorb water from the soil all the way up into their leaves.

A few stalks of celery (celery works best for this because it’s a bit more visible, but you could also use flower stems)
Different food coloring
Place each stalk in a cup of colored water and make your predictions about what will happen.
After a day or so you’ll see the celery leaves becoming the color of the water they’re standing in.
Have your kids describe their observations (they can write down what they see or draw it if they prefer).
If you look at the base of the stem you’ll also see tiny little holes that the colored water is traveling through.

When you’re done with the experiment, make sure you snap the celery and look inside – you should be able to see the capillaries in action. For more ideas, Little Bins for Little Hands has got some great hints and tips for this experiment.

28. Moldy Bread

This experiment is an oldie, but a goodie! Kids love looking at disgusting things and this one will certainly come up with the goods. Not only will kids learn about how mold grows, but they might also take on some lessons about the importance of washing their hands!

You might want to check out the results of this experiment at Science Alert before you start to see if your stomach is up to it.

A few slices of bread
Some ziplock bags
Sticky little hands.
Get a few slices of bread and lay them out on your kitchen bench.
Have your kids touch one piece of bread with dirty, unwashed hands.
They can wash their hands with soap and water and touch another slice, then do the same using hand sanitizer.
Leave one piece of bread untouched.
Place them all in clear, labeled ziplock bags and predict which one will grow the most mold.
Leave your bread slices for at least a week (it may take a bit longer, depending on the conditions where you live) and get the kids to record their observations.

You can also try wiping your bread slices on other surfaces to see what moldy results you get (their laptop or tablet is a great place to start)!

29. Sprouting Beans

Give your household a real survivalist feel by beginning an indoor garden. We recommend planting your beans in a clear cup so that your children can be privy to all of the processes during the plant’s journey.

How does a plant grow?
What does germination mean?
What is in season to grow in our area now?
Unprocessed Beans
If you’d like your child to see every step of the process, consider placing the beans inside of a damp paper towel inside of a ziplock.
You can wait, see the germinated seed together, and then plant it inside of a small cup.
Once inside the cup, watch it grow.

Extend your work by planting various beans and altering the growth conditions in order see what makes your beans grow best!

30. Begin Composting

Begin your “go green” resolutions by teaching your child the value of composting! Best of all, once the science experiment is done, your family will have a recycling process that will last your entire lifetimes.

Why is composting important?
How else can our household go green?
Why do we need a foundation layer for compost?
Compost Bin
Organic Material
First, create a compost bin. You can purchase one or build one out of wood.
To begin your composting, you’ll need even amounts of brown materials (think shredded paper, dryer lint, etc.) and green materials (think fruit and vegetable waste, lawn clippings, etc.).
If you’re really feeling fancy, throw some earthworms in there.

For days to come, your family will be able to discuss what can and cannot be broken down by the decomposers inside of the compost bin. Never-ending science!

31. Turn Grapes Into Raisins

Turn Grapes Into Raisins for an at-home science experiment

Your kids may or may not eat raising – but we can guarantee you, they’ve likely never considered the option of creating their own!

What other snacks can we make with science?
Should we ever eat our experiments?
How does this work?
For this experiment, you’ll need grapes. (Really, that’s it!)

Leave your grapes somewhere where they will not be disturbed and use this as an opportunity for your children to journal the changes in the grapes from day to day. Believe it or not, this type of sequential journaling is a valuable literacy skill!

32. DIY Science Experiment

The best science experiment your child can engage in is the one they create themselves! Begin brainstorming a list of questions and let the world be their oyster as they plan and carry out their own experiments. Some of our favorite brainstorming questions, from Scholastic’s Science-Fair Project Guide, are listed below:

What is the effect of toothpaste brand on teeth-cleaning power?
What brand of trash bag can withstand the most weight before ripping?
How does the type of material affect how long a shirt takes to dry?

Written by Miranda Altice, Kaitlin Anselmo, Mark Coster, Allison Ebbets, and Jodie Magrath.

Mark is the driving force behind STEM Geek. With 20 years of experience in chemistry education and research, and 3 willing children as guinea pigs, Mark has a passion for inspiring kids and adults to combine fun and learning with STEM Toys!

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45 Easy Science Experiments for Kids

Hello, STEM! These simple DIY activities can be done at home or in school.

at home water cycle science experiment for kids

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Imagine blowing the biggest bubbles imaginable — or even making bubbles within bubbles. Or sending vessels — rockets, tea bags, airplanes — soaring through the sky for impossible distances. Now imagine making things explode, or change colors, or reveal hidden messages with just a few simple mixtures.

None of this is magic. It's all science that you can do at home, most likely with ingredients you already have in your house. So, next time you need a boredom-busting indoor activity on a rainy day or a DIY project to get their minds humming, try one of these best at-home science experiments for kids , which cover topics like cover magnetism, surface tension, astronomy, chemistry, physics and more.

First off, it's good to start them off with the scientific method. Give them a journal to record their observations, questions, hypotheses, experiments, results and conclusions. As always, safety counts: wear goggles and coats or aprons if need be (sometimes kids get a kick out of how scientific the protective gear makes them look), and always make sure that the kids are supervised when doing them. (Warning: Some of these are messy!)

These experiments are mostly designed for preschoolers through elementary schoolers — with a couple that are either demonstrations or better for older kids — but if you have a younger one, you can check out these 1-year-old learning activities , toddler learning activities and preschool/kindergarten learning activities , some of which also cover STEM subjects.

Floating Fish

dryerase fish float in a shallow dish of water as part of an athome science experiment for kids

Here's another one that deals with solubility and density.

Draw the outline of a fish on the bottom of a glass plate or tray in dry-erase marker. Retrace your drawing to make sure all the lines are connected. Let dry for a minute or two.
Fill the measuring cup with tap water. Place the pour spout just inside the corner of the dish and add water very slowly until it just covers the bottom. Be careful not to pour water directly onto your drawing or make splashes near it. The water will move toward your drawing, eventually surrounding it. Observe what happens. If the water splashes or it doesn’t work on your first try, empty the dish, erase the drawing with a paper towel, dry off the dish, and try again.
Tilt the dish slightly from side to side. What happens? Jot it down.

The ink in dry erase markers is engineered to be slippery. It’s made with a chemical that causes it to easily release from surfaces. (Permanent markers are made with a chemical that makes the ink stick to surfaces, so be sure not to use these in your experiment!)

The easy-release ink lets go from a surface, but why does it float? There are two reasons. First, dry erase ink isn’t soluble, which means it won’t dissolve in water. Second, dry erase ink is less dense than the water, so it becomes buoyant, meaning it can float. When you tilt the dish, the fish moves around on the water’s surface.

From Good Housekeeping Amazing Science: 83 Hands-on S.T.E.A.M Experiments for Curious Kids! See more in the book »

Brush, Brush!

eggs, toothbrushes and different kinds of liquids form the materials for this at home science experiment for kids

This one will really get them into brushing their teeth once they scientifically prove all the good things that toothpaste can do.

Write on sticky notes: Soda 1, Soda 2, Juice 1, and Juice 2. Place them in a row on a counter.
Fill two glasses halfway with brown soda and place behind the Soda 1 and Soda 2 sticky notes. Fill two glasses halfway with lemon juice and place behind the Juice 1 and Juice 2 sticky notes.
Carefully place one egg in the bowl. Squeeze a big dollop — about one tablespoon — of toothpaste on top of the egg and gently rub the toothpaste all around with your hands until the egg is completely covered in a thick layer of toothpaste. Repeat with a second egg.
Gently submerge the toothpaste-covered eggs into the liquids: one egg in the glass labeled Soda 1 and the other egg in the glass labeled Juice 1. Wash and dry your hands.
Gently submerge the remaining eggs, without toothpaste on them, in the remaining glasses: one in the glass labeled Soda 2 and the other in the glass of juice labeled Juice 2. Wash and dry your hands. Leave the eggs in the glasses for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, remove the eggs from the glasses of soda one at a time. Rinse them in cool water and pat them dry with the towel. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Are the eggs the same or different colors?
Remove the eggs from the glasses of juice one at a time. Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Feel the eggs gently. Does one feel stronger or weaker than the other?
Write down your observations in your science notebook.

The eggshells in this experiment represent the enamel (outer coating) on your teeth. Toothpaste cleans your teeth and prevents stains: it removes food and drink particles that are stuck on your teeth. Teeth can be stained easily by dark-colored liquids like cola, coffee or tea. The egg without toothpaste will be brown and discolored. The egg covered in toothpaste was protected from turning brown.

Toothpaste also protects your pearly whites from decay (breaking down). The egg without toothpaste left in the lemon juice was worn down and soft to the touch, while the egg that was protected with toothpaste is stronger. The lemon juice is acidic, and those acids broke down the shell just as acidic drinks can wear away your tooth enamel. When a tooth is worn down, a cavity can form more easily. But the fluoride in toothpaste mixes with your saliva to create a protective coating around your tooth enamel. It helps keep your teeth strong and cavity-free.

Grow an Avocado Tree

an avocado tree grows from a pit as part of this at home science experiment for kids

For an easy lesson in Earth Science, your family can grow an avocado tree from a pit. You can buy an AvoSeedo kit , or just peel the seed and suspend it over water with toothpicks.

Get the tutorial »

Milk Bottle Xylophone

No for an experiment in sound!

Arrange six glass jars or bottles, all the same size with no lids, in a line. What will each jar sound like when you tap it with a spoon? Make a prediction, then tap each jar. Record your observations.
Next, put water in each of the jars. Pour 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of water into the first jar. Add 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of water to the second jar. Continue in 1⁄4-cup increments, adding 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) of water to the third jar, 1 cup (240 ml) of water to the fourth jar, 11⁄4 cups (300 ml) of water to the fifth jar, and 11⁄2 cups (360 ml) to the sixth jar. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to each jar.
What will each jar sound like? Will they sound the same or different than when the container was empty? Will they sound the same or different from one another? Record your predictions.
Tap each jar with a metal spoon. Write down your observations about each jar’s pitch (how high or low a sound is) in your notebook.

Sound waves are created by vibrations, which are back-and-forth movements that are repeated again and again. Pitch depends on the frequency of the waves — how many are created each second. A high pitch is created by high-frequency sound waves, and can sound squeaky. A low pitch is created by low-frequency sound waves, and sounds deep and booming.

When you tapped the jar, it vibrated. The vibrations traveled from the jar to the water to the air and eventually to your ears. The jars with more water had a low pitch. The sound waves vibrated more slowly because they had more water to travel through. The jars with less water had higher pitches. The sound waves vibrated faster because they had less water to travel through. A jar with no water in it makes the highest pitch because it has the least substance to travel through.

"Elephant Toothpaste"

Okay, elephants don't really brush with this stuff, which is made from a chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, dish soap and a few other simple ingredients. But this experiment has a big "wow" factor since, when the substances are mixed, the "toothpaste" foams out of the bottle. You can use it to teach kids about catalysts and exothermic reactions.

Get the tutorial at Babble Dabble Do »

DIY Compass

Explore the way magnetism works, and how it affects everyday objects, by magnetizing a needle and making a DIY compass. You can even spin the compass in the water, and it'll end up pointing the right way again.

Get the tutorial at STEAM Powered Family »

Craft Stick Chain Reaction

colored craft sticks with pom poms on top are lined up on grass as part of a science experiments for kids about chain reactions and potential and kinetic energy

Kids can learn about the differences between potential and kinetic energy with this chain reaction. It makes a big impact: Once the tension is released, the pom poms go flying through the air!

Get the the tutorial at Science Sparks »

Color-Changing Invisible Ink

Kids will feel like super-spies when they use this heatless method to reveal pictures or colors written with "invisible ink." You can try different acid/base combinations to see which one makes the most dramatic result.

Get the tutorial at Research Parent »

Paper Bridge

Get the engineering back into STEM with this activity, which challenges kids to create a paper bridge that's strong enough to hold as many pennies as possible. How can they manipulate the paper to make it sturdier? (Hint: Fold it!)

See the paper bridge tutorial at KidsActivities.com »

an ice cube is suspended on a string above a bowl of ice in this science experiment for kids

Challenge your little scientist to lift up an ice cube with just a piece of string. It's possible ... with a little salt to help. Salt melts the ice and lowers the freezing point of the ice cube, which absorbs the heat from the water around it, making the water cold enough to re-freeze around the string.

Get the tutorial at Playdough to Plato »

Marshmallow Catapult

Another lesson in potential and kinetic energy, kids will love sending mini marshmallows flying in the name of science. Change some of the variables and see how that affects the marshmallow's trajectory.

Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful »

Leaf Breathing

It's hard for kids to picture how plants and trees "breathe" through their leaves — until they see the bubbles appear on a leaf that's submerged in water. You can also teach them about photosynthesis by putting different leaves in different spots with varying levels of sunlight.

Get the tutorial at KC EDventures »

Hoop-and-Straw Airplane

We all remember how to fold those classic, triangular paper airplanes, but these hoop-and-straw airplanes fly way better (and straighter). Experiment by changing the length of the straw and the size of the hoops and see how it affects the flight.

Get the tutorial at Mombrite »

Film Canister Rocket

a diy rocket takes off from a table, where another rocket waits, in this science experiment for kids

Blast off! You don't need jet fuel to make these rockets go, just Alka-Seltzer tablets and baking soda, but they'll be amazed when they achieve lift-off! (Note: If you can't find old film canisters, tubes of Airborne work, too.)

Get the tutorial at Raising Lifelong Learners »

Coin Inertia

a stack of coins sits on a piece of cardboard on top of a glass of water as part of a science experiment for kids about inertia

Stack up about five or so coins on a piece of cardboard and place it over a glass of water. Then, flick the cardboard out from on top of the glass. Do the coins drop into the water, or ride with the cardboard? Due to inertia, they drop into the water — a very visual (and fun!) demonstration of Newton's First Law of Motion.

Get the tutorial at Engineering Emily »

Apple Oxidation

What works best for keeping an apple from turning brown? Test to find out! Slice up an apple, and let each slice soak in a different liquid. Then take them out, lay them on a tray, and check the brownness after three minutes, six minutes and so on. Not only does this test the properties of different liquids, it also helps students practice the scientific method if they create hypotheses about which liquids would be most effective.

Get the tutorial at Jennifer Findley »

RELATED: 50 Fun Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours

Coffee Ground Fossils

a salt dough circle "fossil" with dinosaur footprints, made as part of an athome science experiment for kids

By making a salt dough with coffee grounds and pressing various shapes into it (toy dinosaur feet, seashells), kids can get a better understanding of how fossils are made. If you poke a hole in the top before it dries, the kids can hang their "fossils" up in their rooms.

Get the tutorial at Crafts by Amanda »

Chromatography Flowers

a coffee filter flower with an led in the center is decorated with swirls of color as part of this at home science experiment for kids

Chromatography is the process of separating a solution into different parts — like the pigments in the ink used in markers. If you draw stripes around a coffee filter, then fold it up and dip the tip in water, the water will travel up the filter and separate the marker ink into its different pigments (in cool patterns that you can display as a craft project). This family made the end-result even brighter by adding an LED circuit to the center.

Get the tutorial at Steam Powered Family »

Water Walking

five cups with different colored liquid in them are connected by paper towel bridges as part of this at home science experiment for kids

You'll need six containers of water for this one: three with clear water, one with red food coloring, one with blue coloring, and one with yellow coloring. Arrange them in a circle, alternating colored and clear containers, and make bridges between the containers with folded paper towels. Your kids will be amazed to see the colored water "walk" over the bridges and into the clear containers, mixing colors, and giving them a first-hand look at the magic of capillarity.

Get the tutorial at Fun Learning for Kids »

Sunscreen Test

colorful construction paper painted with different sunscreens, as part of an athome science experiment for kids

This experiment puts the A (art) in STEAM: Paint different designs on construction paper with different sunscreens, leave the papers out in the sun and compare the results. Then, hang your "conclusions" on your fridge.

Get the tutorial at Tonya Staab »

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

50 Amazingly Simple Science Experiments for Kids at Home

Science Kindergartners Preschoolers Experiment Resources 30 Comments

Kids love experimenting , and these 50 simple science experiments for kids at home from Brigitte are perfect for all ages! Plus, you probably already have the basic supplies at home.

My daughters and I have had a lot of fun doing science experiments. Each year when we create our spring and summer list , we make sure to include “science days” which are days filled with science experiments.

Sometimes our science experiments don’t work according to plan, but I have been told that all scientists have failures with experiments from time to time.

It’s okay if they aren’t all successes.

Get the FREE Science Experiments Download

50 Simple Science Experiments with Supplies You Already Have

I love these 50 simple science experiments for you to try with your little scientists. They all use basic household supplies that you probably already have at home!

Most of these are experiments my daughters and I have done together. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

Get little ones involved with these easy toddler-friendly science experiment ideas!

Sink or Float Simple Science Experiment for Kids to try at home, fine 50 easy science experiments for kids!

Simple Science Experiments with Water

Not only can water be a blast to play in, but water plus a few basic supplies equals a lot of science fun!

Make an orange sink and float with an orange buoyancy experiment from Playdough to Plato.
Compare the amount of salt in different types of water with this salty egg experiment as seen on Uplifting Mayhem.
Do a little more sinking or floating with a fun sink or float experiment even toddlers can do from Hands On As We Grow.
Use the free printable to record what sinks or floats in an outdoor experiment from Buggy and Buddy.
Create some beautiful pieces of paper with this rainbow paper experiment from Science Kiddo.
Talk about solutions as you try the “what dissolves in water” experiment as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
Learn about water absorption with this simple experiment from Little Bins for Little Hands.
Mix some fun colors with this oil and water experiment from Fun Learning for Kids.
Make your own lava lamp , just like on Hands On As We Grow.
Can you keep all the water in the bag? Try it with a leak-proof bag experiment as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
Learn about surface tension with this magic finger pepper experiment found on Hands On As We Grow.
Make your own water cycle in a bottle as seen on A Dab of Glue Will Do.

Colored Baking Soda & Vinegar Simple Science Experiment for Kids to try at home, fine 50 easy science experiments for kids!

Simple Science Experiments with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda + vinegar = a great chemical reaction! This fizzy reaction can fuel a variety of simple science experiments at home.

First of all, we have tested and found out the absolute best combination of baking soda and vinegar to get the best reaction possible. It makes a difference if you add vinegar to baking soda or vice versa! And how much you use!

Inflate a balloon without blowing into it with a baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment as seen on Little Bins for Little Hands.
Practice colors as you do a baking soda and vinegar with color experiment as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
Have fun outside with an outdoor volcano eruption as seen on Preschool Inspirations.
Have more volcano fun by making apple volcanoes as seen on The Resourceful Mama.
Learn about acids and bases and the chemical reaction that occurs when you make apple seeds dance with a jumping apple seeds experiment as seen on JDaniel4s Mom.
Watch some rice dance with a dancing rice experiment as seen on Green Kid Crafts.
Continue your dance party by making raisins dance with a dancing raisin experiment as seen on 123 Homeschool 4 Me. What other items can you get to dance?
Learn more about acids and bases by dissolving a sea shell as seen on Teach Beside Me.
Make an egg shell disappear with this disappearing egg activity as seen on Premeditated Leftovers.
See how far you can launch a soda bottle with this baking soda powered boat as seen on Science Sparks.
Make your own rocks (or eggs) with this fizzy treasure rocks experiment as seen on Living Life and Learning.
Have some fun this summer with this frozen vinegar experiment as seen on Inspiration Laboratories.

Plant Themed Simple Science Experiments

Enjoy learning about seeds, plant parts, and how plants grow with these simple science experiments.

Learn about how plants soak up water through their stems with a flower experiment for kids from Growing A Jeweled Rose.
Watch seeds sprout as you grow seeds in a jar as seen on Teaching Mama.
Learn about the parts of the seed with a seed coat experiment as seen on Gift of Curiosity.
Build a house out of sponges and then watch it sprout with this sprout house as seen on The Stem Laboratory.
Learn what liquids allow seeds to grow the best with this seed experiment as seen on Gift of Curiosity.
Explore how plants grow towards the light with this shoe-box maze experiment from Plants for Kids.

Try these 50 simple science experiments for kids that use supplies you already have at home!

Animal Themed Simple Science Experiments

Learning about animals can be even more fun with some simple hands-on simple science experiments.

Find out more about giraffes and create some giraffe spots as seen on Preschool Powol Packets.
Learn about how animals in the Arctic keep warm by making an arctic glove as seen on Steve Spangler Science.
Discover how penguins stay dry with a penguin feather experiment as seen on Raising Little Superheroes.
Learn about different bird beaks with a bird beak experiment as seen on Blessed Beyond a Doubt.
Explore how fish (and hermit crabs) breathe with this gill experiment as seen on Preschool Powol Packets.
Learn about sharks with a shark buoyancy experiment as seen on Little Bins for Little Hands.

Color Changing Milk Simple Science Experiment for Kids to try at home, fine 50 easy science experiments for kids!

Even More Simple Science Experiment for Kids at Home!

If you are still looking for more science fun, you may enjoy the following simple science experiments.

Find out how sugary drinks hurt teeth with an eggs-periment as seen on Feels Like Home Blog.
Discover geodes (the state rock of Iowa) with this eggshell geode crystal experiment as seen on Science Bob.
Learn about air pressure with an egg and bottle experiment as seen on Science Sparks.
Find out what causes an apple to brown with this apple science experiment as seen on Teach Beside Me.
Make an edible bubble apple with an experiment as seen on Preschool Powol Packet.
Learn more about surface tension with a penny and water experiment as seen on Artful Parent.
Mix colors like magic with this color changing milk experiment from Hands On As We Grow.
Blow up a balloon with this soda and balloon experiment from Learn Play Imagine.
Practice letters by making beautiful crystal letters as seen on Books and Giggles.
Make your own indoor hovercraft as seen on Living Life and Learning.
Learn about colors with this beautiful butterfly chromatography craft as seen on Buggy and Buddy.
Make soap souffle as seen on Steve Spangler Science.
After talking about liquids and solids (and finding them in your own home), create oobleck as seen on Babble Dabble Do. Is it a liquid, or is it a solid?
Learn about frost by making some indoor frost as seen on Little Bin for Little Hands.
Make your own homemade butter in a jar as seen on Happy Hooligans.

What scientific experiment will you try first?

About Brigitte Brulz

Brigitte Brulz is a homeschooling mom of two daughters, wife of her high school sweetheart, and author of Jobs of a Preschooler and Pickles, Pickles, I Like Pickles. She offers free coloring pages and activity ideas on her website at BrigitteBrulz.com .

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

Reader Interactions

30 comments.

college brawl says

March 13, 2024 at 1:05 am

Wow, these experiments look like so much fun! I can’t wait to try them out with my kids. We’re always looking for new and creative ways to learn about science at home, and these experiments look like they’ll be perfect for us. Thanks for sharing! 😊

threadsBay says

August 31, 2023 at 3:13 am

I love science experiments! This one is really simple and easy to do.

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20 Awesome Science Experiments You Can Do Right Now At Home

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We can all agree that science is awesome. And you can bring that awesomeness into your very own home with these 20 safe DIY experiments you can do right now with ordinary household items.

1. Make Objects Seemingly Disappear Refraction is when light changes direction and speed as it passes from one object to another. Only visible objects reflect light. When two materials with similar reflective properties come into contact, light will pass through both materials at the same speed, rendering the other material invisible. Check out this video from BritLab on how to turn glass invisible using vegetable oil and pyrex glass.

2. Freeze Water Instantly When purified water is cooled to just below freezing point, a quick nudge or an icecube placed in it is all it takes for the water to instantly freeze. You can finally have the power of Frozone from The Incredibles on a very small scale! Check out the video on this "cool" experiment.

3. Create Oobleck And Make It Dance To The Music Named after a sticky substance in a children’s book by Dr Seuss , Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it can behave as both a solid and a liquid. And when placed on a sound source, the vibrations causes the mixture to gloopily dance. Check out these instructions from Housing A Forest on how to make this groovy fluid funk out in every way.

4. Create Your Own Hybrid Rocket Engine With a combination of a solid fuel source and a liquid oxidizer, hybrid rocket engines can propel themselves. And on a small scale, you can create your own hybrid rocket engine, using pasta, mouthwash and yeast. Sadly, it won’t propel much, but who said rocket science ain’t easy? Check out this video from NightHawkInLight on how to make this mini engine.

5. Create "Magic Mud" Another non-Newtonian fluid here, this time from the humble potato. "Magic Mud" is actually starch found in potatoes. It’ll remain hard when handled but leave it alone and it turns into a liquid. Make your own “Magic Mud” with this video.

6. Command The Skies And Create A Cloud In A Bottle Not quite a storm in a teacup, but it is a cloud in a bottle. Clouds up in the sky are formed when water vapor cools and condenses into visible water droplets. Create your own cloud in a bottle using a few household items with these wikiHow instructions .

7. Create An Underwater Magical World First synthesized by Adolf van Baeyer in 1871, fluorescein is a non-toxic powder found in highlighter pens, and used by NASA to find shuttles that land in the sea. Create an underwater magical world with this video from NightHawkInLight .

9. Make Your Own Lava Lamp Inside a lava lamp are colored bubbles of wax suspended in a clear or colorless liquid, which changes density when warmed by a heating element at the base, allowing them to rise and fall hypnotically. Create your own lava lamp with these video instructions.

10. Create Magnetic Fluid A ferrofluid is a liquid that contains nanoscale particles of metal, which can become magnetized. And with oil, toner and a magnet , you can create your own ferrofluid and harness the power of magnetism!

12. Make Waterproof Sand A hydrophobic substance is one that repels water. When sand is combined with a water-resistant chemical, it becomes hydrophobic. So when it comes into contact with water, the sand will remain dry and reusable. Make your own waterproof sand with this video .

13. Make Elephant's Toothpaste Elephant’s toothpaste is a steaming foamy substance created by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, which sort of resembles giant-sized toothpaste. Make your own elephant’s toothpaste with these instructions.

14. Make Crystal Bubbles When the temperature falls below 0 o C (32 o F), it’s possible to freeze bubbles into crystals. No instructions needed here, just some bubble mix and chilly weather.

15. Make Moving Liquid Art Mixing dish soap and milk together causes the surface tension of the milk to break down. Throw in different food colorings and create this trippy chemical reaction.

16. Create Colourful Carnations Flowers absorb water through their stems, and if that water has food coloring in it, the flowers will also absorb that color. Create some wonderfully colored flowers with these wikiHow instructions .

17. "Magically" Turn Water Into Wine Turn water into wine with this video by experimenter Dave Hax . Because water has a higher density than wine, they can switch places. Amaze your friends with this fun science trick.

18. Release The Energy In Candy (Without Eating It) Dropping a gummy bear into a test tube with potassium chlorate releases the chemical energy inside in an intense chemical reaction. That’s exactly what's happening when you eat candy, kids.

19. Make Water "Mysteriously" Disappear Sodium polyacrylate is a super-absorbent polymer, capable of absorbing up to 300 times its own weight in water. Found in disposable diapers, you can make water disappear in seconds with this video .

20. Create A Rainbow In A Jar Different liquids have different masses and different densities. For example, oil is less dense than water and will float on top of its surface. By combining liquids of different densities and adding food coloring, you can make an entire rainbow in a jar with this video .

There you have it – 20 experiments for you to explore the incredible world of science!

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50 Fun Kids Science Experiments

Science doesn’t need to be complicated. These easy science experiments below are awesome for kids! They are visually stimulating, hands-on, and sensory-rich, making them fun to do and perfect for teaching simple science concepts at home or in the classroom.

Top 10 Science Experiments

Click on the titles below for the full supplies list and easy step-by-step instructions. Have fun trying these experiments at home or in the classroom, or even use them for your next science fair project!

baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment

Baking Soda Balloon Experiment

Can you make a balloon inflate on its own? Grab a few basic kitchen ingredients and test them out! Try amazing chemistry for kids at your fingertips.

Rainbow In A Jar

Enjoy learning about the basics of color mixing up to the density of liquids with this simple water density experiment . There are even more ways to explore rainbows here with walking water, prisms, and more.

This color-changing magic milk experiment will explode your dish with color. Add dish soap and food coloring to milk for cool chemistry!

Seed Germination Experiment

Not all kids’ science experiments involve chemical reactions. Watch how a seed grows , which provides a window into the amazing field of biology .

Egg Vinegar Experiment

One of our favorite science experiments is a naked egg or rubber egg experiment . Can you make your egg bounce? What happened to the shell?

Dancing Corn

Find out how to make corn dance with this easy experiment. Also, check out our dancing raisins and dancing cranberries.

Grow Crystals

Growing borax crystals is easy and a great way to learn about solutions. You could also grow sugar crystals , eggshell geodes , or salt crystals .

Lava Lamp Experiment

It is great for learning about what happens when you mix oil and water. a homemade lava lamp is a cool science experiment kids will want to do repeatedly!

Skittles Experiment

Who doesn’t like doing science with candy? Try this classic Skittles science experiment and explore why the colors don’t mix when added to water.

Lemon Volcano

Watch your kids’ faces light up, and their eyes widen when you test out cool chemistry with a lemon volcano using common household items, baking soda, and vinegar.

DIY popsicle stick catapult Inexpensive STEM activity

Bonus! Popsicle Stick Catapult

Kid tested, STEM approved! Making a popsicle stick catapult is a fantastic way to dive into hands-on physics and engineering.

Grab the handy Top 10 Science Experiments list here!

Free Science Ideas Guide

Grab this free science experiments challenge calendar and have fun with science right away. Use the clickable links to see how to set up each science project.

Get Started With A Science Fair Project

💡Want to turn one of these fun and easy science experiments into a science fair project? Then, you will want to check out these helpful resources.

Easy Science Fair Projects
Science Project Tips From A Teacher
Science Fair Board Ideas

Easy Science Experiments For Kids

Science Experiments By Topic

Are you looking for a specific topic? Check out these additional resources below. Each topic includes easy-to-understand information, everyday examples, and additional hands-on activities and experiments.

Chemistry Experiments
Physics Experiments
Chemical Reaction Experiments
Candy Experiments
Plant Experiments
Kitchen Science
Water Experiments
Baking Soda Experiments
States Of Matter Experiments
Physical Change Experiments
Chemical Change Experiments
Surface Tension Experiments
Capillary Action Experiments
Weather Science Projects
Geology Science Projects
Space Activities
Simple Machines
Static Electricity
Potential and Kinetic Energy
Gravity Experiments
Magnet Activities
Light Experiments

Science Experiments By Season

Spring Science
Summer Science Experiments
Fall Science Experiments
Winter Science Experiments

Science Experiments by Age Group

While many experiments can be performed by various age groups, the best science experiments for specific age groups are listed below.

Science for Toddlers
Science for Preschoolers
Science for Kindergarten
Elementary Science by Season
Science for 1st Grade
Science for 2nd Grade
Science for 3rd Grade
Science for 4th Grade
S cience for 5th Grade
Science for 6th Grade
Science for Middle School

How To Teach Science

Kids are curious and always looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to discover why things do what they do, move as they move, or change as they change! My son is now 13, and we started with simple science activities around three years of age with simple baking soda science.

Here are great tips for making science experiments enjoyable at home or in the classroom.

Safety first: Always prioritize safety. Use kid-friendly materials, supervise the experiments, and handle potentially hazardous substances yourself.

Start with simple experiments: Begin with basic experiments (find tons below) that require minimal setup and materials, gradually increasing complexity as kids gain confidence.

Use everyday items: Utilize common household items like vinegar and baking soda , food coloring, or balloons to make the experiments accessible and cost-effective.

Hands-on approach: Encourage kids to actively participate in the experiments rather than just observing. Let them touch, mix, and check out reactions up close.

Make predictions: Ask kids to predict the outcome before starting an experiment. This stimulates critical thinking and introduces the concept of hypothesis and the scientific method.

Record observations: Have a science journal or notebook where kids can record their observations, draw pictures, and write down their thoughts. Learn more about observing in science. We also have many printable science worksheets .

Theme-based experiments: Organize experiments around a theme, such as water , air , magnets , or plants . Even holidays and seasons make fun themes!

Kitchen science : Perform experiments in the kitchen, such as making ice cream using salt and ice or learning about density by layering different liquids.

Create a science lab: Set up a dedicated space for science experiments, and let kids decorate it with science-themed posters and drawings.

Outdoor experiments: Take some experiments outside to explore nature, study bugs, or learn about plants and soil.

DIY science kits: Prepare science experiment kits with labeled containers and ingredients, making it easy for kids to conduct experiments independently. Check out our DIY science list and STEM kits.

Make it a group effort: Group experiments can be more fun, allowing kids to learn together and share their excitement. Most of our science activities are classroom friendly!

Science shows or documentaries: Watch age-appropriate science shows or documentaries to introduce kids to scientific concepts entertainingly. Hello Bill Nye and the Magic Schoolbus! You can also check out National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, and NASA!

Ask open-ended questions: Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended questions that prompt kids to think deeper about what they are experiencing.

Celebrate successes: Praise kids for their efforts and discoveries, no matter how small, to foster a positive attitude towards science and learning.

What is the Scientific Method for Kids?

The scientific method is a way scientists figure out how things work. First, they ask a question about something they want to know. Then, they research to learn what’s already known about it. After that, they make a prediction called a hypothesis.

Next comes the fun part – they test their hypothesis by doing experiments. They carefully observe what happens during the experiments and write down all the details. Learn more about variables in experiments here.

Once they finish their experiments, they look at the results and decide if their hypothesis is right or wrong. If it’s wrong, they devise a new hypothesis and try again. If it’s right, they share their findings with others. That’s how scientists learn new things and make our world better!

Go ahead and introduce the scientific method and get kids started recording their observations and making conclusions. Read more about the scientific method for kids .

Engineering and STEM Projects For Kids

STEM activities include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition to our kids’ science experiments, we have lots of fun STEM activities for you to try. Check out these STEM ideas below.

Building Activities
Self-Propelling Car Projects
Engineering Projects For Kids
What Is Engineering For Kids?
Lego STEM Ideas
LEGO Engineering Activities
STEM Activities For Toddlers
STEM Worksheets
Easy STEM Activities For Elementary
Quick STEM Challenges
Easy STEM Activities With Paper

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

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Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!

June 27, 2021 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

These science experiments you can do at home have been designed to be simple, open-ended and use materials you already have around the house ( mostly paper, scissors, recycled items and kitchen staples ).

Click on the experiment image or the link to each science experiment to view full details and instructions for each science investigation .

I’ve got 100s more easy and fully explained science experiments for kids and easy STEM Challenges too if you fancy taking a look.

easy science experiments you can do at home

Easy Experiments for Science at Home

These activities are the perfect easy experiment to try at home and the best part is you probably already have everything you need to do them!

Create flying paper spinners. Experiment with different sizes and types of paper.

Instructions for a reaction time experiment

Use a ruler to test your reaction time.

Create a simple optical illusion.

Design and launch a water powered bottle rocket.

Use cornflour to make gloop!

Use baking soda and vinegar to erupt a volcano.

Create towers of different shapes and test to see how strong they are.

Reverse the direction of an arrow using just a glass of water!

Watch a lava lamp bubble!

Learn about emulsions with this beautiful magic milk investigation.

Place skittles in water and watch as the colours spread.

Use the freezing power of ice and salt to make ice cream in a bag.

Build your own catapult using popsicle sticks.

Make a density jar using oil and water.

Save an egg from breaking by creating a parachute!

More awesome science for kids

It doesn’t get much more simple than these easy newspaper STEM challenges . Roll up paper to create a den or try something more unusual and design paper slippers, or a newspaper monument.

Collection of easy newspaper STEM challenges for kids and grown ups. roll the paper and get buildiing. #STEMChallenges #NewspaperSTEM #STEMforkids

Paint on ice, dissect a flower and make your own bubble wands with these science and STEM Challenge cards .

STEM Challenge cards for kids perfect easy science experiments you can do at home

Some of my favourite Science Sparks experiments are in this collection of Fairy Tale science investigations , including growing a bean for Jack and building a gingerbread house.

Collage of fairy tale stem challenges including a free printable

I also have themed science investigation ideas for all times of the year including an egg filled collection of Easter science experiments , winter science investigations , summer science and so much more, so do take a look around.

Easy science experiments you can do at home. Massive collection of easy science experiments for home and school. Make a lava lamp, a density jar, egg experiments and lots more awesome science for kids #scienceforkids #coolscience #scienceathome #scienceforhome #scienceforschool

Last Updated on March 29, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

20 Best Science Experiments At Home

Whether you are homeschooling or just stuck at home looking for something educational and fun to do with the kids, science experiments are a fantastic choice! Not only do kids love doing these science experiments, but they are learning valuable scientific methods, vocabulary and processes that can help them throughout their lives.

Science Experiments To Do At Home

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

Lately this has become a very common theme.

Kids are bored. They really want something to do. Something interesting, exciting and fun!

Parents are trying to find ways to entertain and educate their children.

Homeschooling has become incredibly popular, but parents are struggling to find cool science experiments to do at home. Something that is suitable without breaking the bank when it comes to supplies, won’t destroy their home, and that will actually teach their kids about chemistry, biology and physics.

So with that in mind, here are the top 20 Science Experiments to do at home as chosen by not only me, but the readers here at STEAM Powered Family!

The Best At Home Science Experiments

In selecting which experiments ranked as the absolute BEST science experiments to do with your kids at home we had a few different criteria.

They needed to be popular! These experiments are tried and true, and have loyal following of readers that LOVE doing them. Once you try them, you will know why STEAM Powered Family readers voted these as their favourite science experiments!
Supplies must be relatively easy to source. In most cases you will likely have all the materials you need at home right now. Where you need to order or purchase a few supplies, they are readily accessible and links to purchase are included.
They must be easy to do, with logical, easy follow directions. We are all overwhelmed. No one wants an experiment that is complex and confusing.
The experiments need to be adaptable to wide variety of ages, grades, abilities and interests.
The lessons need to be interesting! In all of our science experiments and STEM activities, we include a scientific explanation that either your children can read themselves, or you can read and use to help explain the experiment.
They need to be FUN!

With that in mind, here are our top 20 picks for the BEST science experiments to do at home with your kids!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

There are so many cool experiments you can do with these pantry staples. Yes, you can do a standard volcano, but you can also hatch dino eggs, create fireworks, set off explosive bottle rockets and more! You can keep your kids busy experimenting for a ages with all of our baking soda and vinegar ideas. Get your hands on some bulk vinegar and baking soda and get experimenting!

Oobleck is like slime, but much more fascinating and sciencey! Oobleck is a non-Newtonian Fluid that becomes solid under pressure, and liquifies when pressure is removed. It is fascinating, and we have a number of different recipes, so you can find the one that uses whatever you have available in the house.

A year of Oobleck projects, recipes and activities for the classroom

Make a Compass

This science experiment is really cool and a wonderful tie into geography and social studies lessons. Kids learn how to make a compass with materials from around the house.

Make a Lava Lamp

With 5 different ways to make a Lava Lamp, it’s no wonder our readers rate this as one of their favourite activities! Kids are fascinated by the chemical reaction that causes the mesmerizing bubbles to bob up and down in a science driven lava lamp experiment.

Against a white background a mason jar has dark and light green liquids with bubbles in dark green going through the light green layer in a lava lamp style. Overlay text says How to Make a Lava Lamp

Grow Crystals

This is one of the most beautiful experiments we have done and always gets rave reviews from readers. Growing crystals is a wonderful science experiment that has fantastic ties to studies in geology. You can also grow edible crystals. Plus the results… STUNNING!

Ready for a fun, giggle-fest science experiment? In this science experiment we are removing the shell of a raw egg! The result is a bouncy, colourful egg. This science experiment is the perfect compliment to a study of biology and reproduction as you can also use this experiment to teach the parts of the cell and egg.

Square image showing naked eggs in a rainbow of colors

Lemon Battery

You could make a battery with lemons, squash, pumpkins, potatoes, there are lots of options! But the lemons are by far the most popular battery project. You will need some supplies, but once you have those supplies you can reuse them in lots of circuit building activities. Plus, once you are finished making your lemon battery, you can make lemon volcanoes!

Wingardium Leviosar

Whether you are a fan of Harry Potter or not, this experiment with magnets is a hit with kids. It’s like magic as they make a feather levitate!

Wingardium Leviosa Science Experiment Make A Feather Levitate

Walking Rainbow

This classic experiment is a beautiful demonstration of primary and secondary colours, while also learning about the fascinating science behind capillary action. All you need to start your rainbow walking is cups/jars, water, food colouring and paper towels!

Make Bioplastics

Making bioplastics is an experiment that is a HUGE hit with older kids as part of their studies in polymers and environmental sciences. We have made bioplastics with both milk and gelatin, so you can pick which one to tackle based on the supplies you have on hand. Wonderful for helping kids understand how we can make plastics, and the challenges of making plastics, without fossil fuels.

How to make hard, clear plastic science experiments for kids

Build a Heart Model

This engineering project is a fantastic way to do some studies into biology and how the heart functions. Using recycled bottles, straws, a bit of playdough and water, you can have your model pumping in no time!

This Heart STEM activity to build a functioning heart model uses all 4 STEM pillars - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Kids will spend some time learning about their own heart rates, then how blood flows through the body. For the exciting conclusion engineer and build a functioning model of a beating heart.

Skittles Experiment

A simple, yet timeless experiment. Kids of all ages love making these gorgeous images using nothing but candy, water and the magic of science. We also used this as a chance to explore van Gogh and fluid dynamics.

So easy, yet so amazing! Magic Milk is another classic experiment that is as simple or as complex as you want to make it. I did this with my middle school kids and we had a blast exploring how the fat content of our milk affected the explosion of colours!

$magic milk in 33% cream with color fractal explosions$

Slurpee Science

Heat transfer is a fascinating science to explore with your kids. If you want to make this a more serious scientific study, you can focus on the effects of salt on ice, but we like to up the fun, so we turned it into a slurpee making science project. Kids love that delicious treat made with science!

Elephant Toothpaste

Elephant Toothpaste classic experiment creating a fantastic foamy fountain that can be done safely at home using easy to source supplies and has massive wow factor for students.

Make Water Rise

Another science experiment that is a little bit like magic! Kids will learn how to create a vacuum and make water magically rise into a container. So cool!

Why Does Water Rise? Best Science Experiments for Kids!

Balloon Races

Kids got ants in their pants? Need something that is educational and will help them burn energy? Balloon races are the answer! Kids will explore physics while having a blast running about and cheering on their balloon races!

Exciting, hands on physics activities that explore Newton's Laws of Motion. An inquiry based lesson plan to facilitate deeper learning and retention.

Build a Water Clock or a Windmill

Both of these projects involve some engineering and of course science but they also have some fantastic book tie ins. I LOVE projects inspired by great books!

Build a Salt Circuit

Salt circuits are a great way to introduce kids to experiments with electricity and circuitry. The supplies are minimal, and it teaches kids excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills. Plus you can make it extra fun with a glow circuit option!

Build a Catapult

A favourite that captures the excitement of every generation, and was a MUST do in our top 20 science experiments is… building catapults! We work in a little extra physics and math by turning ours into games where we need to hit targets. A definite must do for all kids.

Catapults engineered from popsicle sticks

These are 20 of our BEST picks for science experiments to do at home with your kids. This list though is far from exhaustive. Once you find something that interests your kids, search our site and see what other fun experiments you uncover. We have hundreds of experiment ideas all just waiting to inspire your kids!

Join our mailing list and we will send you even more ideas to inspire your learning!

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

Science Connected Magazine

Science Literacy, Education, Communication

8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily Do at Home

Looking for a science project to do with kids? These experiments go beyond the trivial and incorporate real-world scientific research.

SciStarter Blog

Around the world, millions of kids are headed back to school in a totally different way. Classes are online. Teachers talk to students in virtual classrooms. And parents are often left looking for new, hands-on science learning opportunities.

We’ve got your back. Here are eight fun and easy science experiments that you can do at home with kids of all ages. What’s more, each of these science projects ties into real-life research efforts through citizen science, where volunteers help experts collect and analyze data.

RELATED: VIRTUAL DISSECTION: ANIMALEARNING FROM HOME

Make Wild Sourdough

It seems like the whole world is baking homemade sourdough bread right now. Sourdough took on broad appeal when the baker’s yeast disappeared from store shelves. Unlike other baking projects, sourdough doesn’t need store bought yeast. Instead, it’s made with sourdough starter.

RELATED: FREE SCIENCE EDUCATION E-BOOKS

If you have flour, you can easily experiment with making your own sourdough starter. Wild sourdough starters tap into the abundant yeast in our homes and puts them to work making delicious bread. When it comes to science experiments you can do at home, few could be more delicious and rewarding than this one. You’ll also be helping scientists out along the way.

RELATED: BACK TO SCHOOL WITH CITIZEN SCIENCE

The Wild Sourdough Project is a global science experiment that hopes to discover how sourdough starter communities form over time. The team behind the effort is hoping to unravel how factors like geography and different kinds of flour affect the yeast communities. Best of all, the effort has a step-by-step guide that lets you learn how to make your own sourdough starter.

Take Part: Make Your Own Sourdough for Science

Create a Cloud in a Jar

Clouds are an important and often overlooked driver of Earth’s temperature. They trap sunlight in, but they also reflect it back into space. That role has climate scientists rushing to study our planet’s clouds, and how they’re changing. NASA’s GLOBE Observer: Clouds project taps citizen scientists to provide pictures of the sky, plus observations of cloud cover, type, sky conditions and visibility. That data helps info real science research and verify what satellites are seeing from space.

You can get involved with your kids and enrich the experience by adding lessons about clouds. For example, NASA has added a number of fun and easy ways to learn about climate science and clouds, including science experiments. One of the best related projects is to make a cloud in a jar. This simple science experiment is a powerful way to demonstrate how clouds work. You only need water, ice, a jar, and a few minutes of time.

Take Part: Join NASA’s Globe Observer Clouds

Measure Rain and Snow with CoCoRaHS

Fall is approaching fast, which means many of us will soon be at home watching rain and snow out the window. Instead of succumbing to the gloom, why not make that weather into a fun science experiment for your kids?

The CoCoRaHS weather monitoring program, or Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, is a network of volunteers who measure and report on precipitation. CoCoRaHS emphasizes training and education, and they even have an interactive website rich in educational resources and even National Weather Service lesson plans you can use at home.

RELATED: Getting Creative with Remote Science Learning

As a volunteer, you’ll use the same low-cost weather gauges that meteorologists and cities use. Then, when it rains, snows or hails, you’ll submit your precipitation data to the website where you can compare it to others in real-time. That information also helps out the National Weather Service, as well as researchers, farmers, emergency managers — and curious people everywhere.

Take Part: Join the CoCoRaHS Weather Monitoring Network

Plant a Pollinator Garden

Pollinators play a vital role in Earth’s ecosystems, and yet they’re threatened by pesticides, disease, habitat loss and even climate change. That has many people searching for ways to help save bees and other pollinators .

There are many options to chip in, but one of the most impactful things you and your kids can do at home is plant a pollinator garden .

Not only will this serve to help struggling pollinators, it can also serve as a long-term science laboratory at home. SciStarter, the citizen-science group behind this blog post, has compiled an entire group of at-home science projects that can be done from your pollinator garden. You can watch moths, butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and more, then help scientists track their migration across the country.

Take Part: Plant a Pollinator Garden

Build a Bee Condo

If you already have a bumper garden at home, or it’s getting too cold to think about planting just yet, you can still stay indoors and help pollinators. The group behind National Pollinator Week has put together instructions for how you can build a home for native bees, called a bee condo. Unlike domesticated honey bees that live in apiaries, most native, wild bees you find in your backyard actually burrow their homes into the soil or a tree.

By building a bee condo, you can encourage bees to live nearby and also get a fun, DIY science experiment to do at home. Once it’s up, you can watch what kinds of critters take up residence there and report back on the results for science.

Take Part: Build a Bee Condo

Scan the Night Sky

Around the world, light pollution from buildings and street lamps is blocking our view of the night sky. Most people who live in cities have never seen a truly dark sky, or the Milky Way. That’s not just bad for humans, it’s also bad for the plants, animals and insects who are disrupted by light pollution.

If you have a budding astronomy-lover in the house, you can participate in a science project called Globe at Night that aims to create a world-wide measure of light pollution in our night sky.

For this science experiment, you can start making observations using only a smartphone. You’ll mark the sky’s darkness by how many stars you can see. And you can get a sky quality meter through the project to help record even better data.

Take Part: Measure Light Pollution in Your Community

Measure Water Quality

More than 1.5 million volunteers from across the planet are already taking part in a science experiment to track — and protect — Earth’s waterways. The citizen science effort is called the EarthEcho Water Challenge , and it has users buy a water test kit for about $25, then start collecting basic water data.

Volunteers record things like water clarity, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. That data gets plugged into a large database, where it’s used for real science research and to help protect waterways.

Take Part: Join the Earth Echo Water Challenge

Study the Vitamin C in Your Juice

Back in the golden age of sailing, sailors worried that they’d get scurvy. A lack of vitamin C during long voyages can cause a host of health problems. Scurvy leaves you weak, causes skin problems and gum disease, and makes it harder to heal. Scurvy can even kill you. This isn’t just an old-timey concern, either. Future space explorers will have to worry about vitamin C as they head off to explore the solar system. And that’s the angle utilized by a fun citizen science project called Space Scurvy .

The project asks students to use household items to test the vitamin C content of juices from their schools and homes. The necessary tools for this science experiment should be easy to come by, and the site has fun and simple directions for you to follow.

Take Part: Measure Vitamin C for the Space Scurvy Project

Note: Some of these projects are SciStarter Affiliates. You can use your SciStarter account email to join and earn credit for your participation in your SciStarter dashboard.

Citizen Science Lessons During the Pandemic

About the Author

Eric Betz is a science and tech writer for Discover Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and others. He is a lover of #darkskies and pale blue dots.

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3 colourful fall leaf experiments you can do at home.

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We had fun with fall leaves this morning. STEM educator Sarah Habibi has three colourful science experiments you can do at home.

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Ways To Celebrate Halloween at Home Share Ghost Stories

12 Ways To Celebrate Halloween at Home That Are Way More Fun Than You’d Expect

Some of the links might be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, we earn a small commission. See our disclaimer for more info.

Whether you spend it watching spooky movies, eating your body weight in candy, dressing up as your favorite horror movie character, or carving a pumpkin, Halloween is an excellent way to start family traditions that your family can look forward to, carry on for future generations, and never forget.

Better yet, you don’t have to leave the house to have fun at Halloween. You can play games, do various activities, and create traditions without leaving the house. In preparation for next Halloween, we’ve compiled a list of 12 ways to celebrate Halloween at home. We’ll show you everything you can do to have a spooktacular Halloween with your family and friends.

Decorate Your House

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Let’s start with one of the most enjoyable ways to kickstart the Halloween celebrations at home. No matter your age, something is exciting about decorating the house with themed decorations. However, turning your place into a haunted house seems even more fun at Halloween, when we can go crazy with fake spider webs, ghostly figures, skulls, eyeballs, and other spooky decorations.

Orange and purple lights are a must to bring more Halloween vibes to your house. Don’t forget to decorate your front door and lawn with ghosts, ghouls, and zombies. If you want to turn Halloween decorating into a challenge, you could give each family member a room to decorate and then judge each room to see who decorated the best. The runner-up can be sacrificed to Jack O’Lantern.

Get Dressed Up

Let’s face it, no Halloween celebrations are complete until you’ve got your Halloween costume on. Whether it be some simple devil horns or a full-body vampire suit, you must dress up at Halloween to keep in spirit with the celebrations. One of the best things about getting dressed up at Halloween is the diversity of costumes and joining a costume contest.

We also love how it allows people to unleash their creativity. You don’t have to get inspired by the Addams Family and go as a vampire, a ghost, or the devil – you can dress up as whoever you like. At Halloween parties I’ve been to, I’ve bumped into Donald Trump, the Flintstones, and even Yoda from Star Wars. The opportunities are endless, so have fun with it. You could make it a competition by ranking everyone’s costumes.

Read also: Haunted Tourist Destinations in the US

Carve a Pumpkin

One of, if not the biggest, Halloween traditions worldwide is pumpkin carving, or Jack O’lantern carving, as it is referred to in many parts of the world. Pumpkins play an enormous role in autumn and Halloween. Without them, the spooky season wouldn’t be the same. You must leave the house to buy a pumpkin, but you can carve it at home.

With that in mind, dig out your carving supplies and decorating kits, buy a pumpkin, and get to work scooping its brains out. Once again, you can turn this Halloween activity into a competition by judging who has the best design. Don’t just carve your pumpkin, either. Decorate it with paint, stickers, and slime.

Read also: Most Haunted States in the US

Share Ghost Stories

One of my favorite ways to celebrate Halloween is to turn off all the lights, light some candles, sit in a circle with family and friends, and share Halloween ghost stories. Suppose you have a fireplace; light that, too, for extra atmosphere and spooky horror movie campfire vibes. Your guest will feel spooked out in no time.

When it comes to telling your stories, there are endless possibilities to give you goosebumps. You can read straight from a horror storybook, make up your own stories as you go along, share scary actual crime cases, and share any paranormal encounters you or your guests have experienced. How scary your stories are will likely depend on your company. We don’t want to scare the children too much.

Read also: Dangerous Tourist Destinations

Bake Halloween-Themed Treats

Admittedly, baking is a fun activity to do with your family any time of the year. However, baking cookies, biscuits, and cupcakes at Halloween is even more entertaining. Whether you’re making ghost-shaped cookies or spider muffins, don’t be afraid to get messy with colorful icing, hundreds and thousands, and edible eyes and spiders. The trick-or-treaters will love them.

You don’t have to stop there, either. You could also go crazy with it by making Halloween-themed jellies loaded with Halloween sweats, horror movie-themed dinners, and creepy snacks. If you’re feeling extra creative and you have a favorite recipe, you could use the pulp from the pumpkins you carved to make some delicious food items, such as pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin bread.

Make Halloween Cocktails

If you don’t have children but still want to get in the Halloween spirit at home, invite your friends for a cocktail evening. When we say Halloween cocktails, we expect you to go crazy with blood-colored drinks, spooky decorations, and specific Halloween themes. Themes you can follow include horror movies, Halloween characters, and Halloween colors.

Hold a competition to make the evening more exciting and see who can decorate their cocktail the best. We expect pumpkin-shaped glasses, cocktails served with gummy worms, and bright colors. Oh, and of course, your cocktail has to taste good. You can do this activity with children, too, by making mocktails.

Read also: Small Towns Out of a Fairy Tale

Watch Scary Movies

It doesn’t have to be Halloween for you to grab some popcorn and do a scary movie marathon, but it’s undoubtedly the best time of the year to do so, especially when most of the year’s new scary movies come out around Halloween. A scary movie night is a quick, easy, and entertaining way to celebrate Halloween without much planning.

There are thousands of movies to choose from across various platforms and streaming services. We recommend Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ for the best horror movies. These platforms offer horror movies in abundance. Some of my favorites include Halloween, the Silence, and Hocus Pocus. The Nightmare Before Christmas is also a classic, but we’re still unsure if that’s a Halloween or Christmas movie.

Read also: Must-Visit Cities in the World

Play Halloween Games

No matter your age, playing Halloween games is an excellent way to have fun during the Halloween celebrations. It’s a surefire way to create lasting memories, introduce new traditions, and ensure your guests or family have lots of fun. There are countless games, so you’ll never run out of things to do.

Better yet, many Halloween games you can play at home don’t cost much to play. For example, you only need a large bowl or bucket, water, and some apples to play Apple Bobbing. Other exciting games you can play at Halloween include Witches Ring Toss, Pin the Spider on the Web, and Ghost in the Graveyard.

Go on a Halloween-Themed Scavenger Hunt

The next Halloween-themed activity on our list is a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts are an excellent way to keep young kiddos entertained for longer. For those who don’t know what one is, a scavenger hunt is a game in which an organizer prepares a list of specific items or clues for the hunters to seek.

In this instance, the organizer will hide Halloween-themed items around the house and in their backyard for the players to find. Once the items have been hidden, the players are given a list of what they need to find. Halloween-themed items you might hide include small pumpkins, toy bats, ghost figures, spider webs, and skeletons. Make sure you get some prizes for when the players find all the items.

Read also: European Cities With Colorful Autumn Scene

Have a Halloween Disco

You don’t have to leave the house to have a Halloween party this October. You can easily create your Halloween disco by decorating the house, clearing a space, and playing Halloween-themed music. For the ultimate Halloween disco, throw on a Halloween playlist, throw on your costume, and invite your friends over for a dance-off.

Alternatively, keep your disco private and have a dance-off with your children. There are plenty of epic tunes you can play at Halloween, and dancing along to them helps you burn off the excessive amount of sweets you’ll likely consume. Noteworthy Halloween tunes include ‘Thriller,’ ‘Ghostbusters,’ and ‘Monster Mash.’ You can link this to your games evening by playing Musical Statues.

Read also: European Spots for an Incredible Autumn Experience

Make Arts and Crafts

If you’re struggling to keep your children entertained during the day, keep them engaged for hours with kid-friendly arts and crafts. From hand painting spiders and rock painting to Halloween masks and jack-o-lantern making and drawing, there are many ways to keep kids entertained through arts and crafts.

Admittedly, you’ll need a few supplies to do arts and crafts, but there’s a good chance you already have many of the things you need because it’s unlikely your child has never done them before. Arts and crafts is also an excellent way to decorate your house because you can use your child’s decorations to turn your home into a spooktacular Halloween wonderland. Just make sure you don’t use glitter. IYKYK.

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Have a Halloween Grazing Board Competition

This last Halloween activity is perfect for adults hosting a Halloween party from their home. Grazing boards are an easy and aesthetically pleasing way to present food, and they’re currently trendy. A quick look at TikTok reveals that many people are hosting grazing board competitions with friends and family.

To join in with the trend, tell everyone in your group to create a grazing board based on a specific theme. For example, the theme might be horror movies, pumpkin patch or Halloween colors. Each person must bring a grazing board to the party in keeping with that theme. This activity is excellent fun, and it stops you from having to buy all the food for your party.

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IMAGES

Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!
25 EASY Science Experiments You Can Do at Home!
25 COOLEST Science Experiments You Can Do at Home for Kids
25 Cool Science Experiments You Can Do At Home
8 Fun and Easy Kids Science Experiments To Try At Home
17 Easy Science Experiments Kids can Do at Home

VIDEO

8 Easy Science Experiments To Do At Home
4 Science Amazing Activities & Experiments At Home
Easy and Mind-Blowing: Try These 5 Amazing Science Experiments at Home
Easy Science Experiments you can do at home easily
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40 Amazing science experiment to do at home!

COMMENTS

70 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have
Go Science Kids. 43. "Flip" a drawing with water. Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to "flip" a drawing; you can also try the famous "disappearing penny" trick.
100 Easy Science Experiments for Kids to do at Home (2024)
Dive into 100 easy science experiments for kids to do at home, featuring activities like Traveling Rainbows, making slime, exploring colors with baking soda and vinegar, and revealing secret messages with invisible ink. Perfect for curious minds eager to learn through fun, hands-on science.
25 COOLEST Science Experiments You Can Do at Home for Kids
25 EASY Science Experiments You Can Do at Home!Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/1L5DNroFollow Our Twitter: http://twitter.com/spacebound100 Life Hacks...
Science Experiments for Kids:
Science experiments you can do at home! Explore an ever growing list of hundreds of fun and easy science experiments. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for science fair project ideas. Explore experiments by category, newest experiments, most popular experiments, easy at home experiments, or simply scroll down this page for tons of awesome experiment ideas!
37 Cool Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home
Difficulty Level: Easy. Messiness Level: Medium. In this quick and fun science experiment, kids will mix water, oil, food coloring, and antacid tablets to create their own (temporary) lava lamp. Oil and water don't mix easily, and the antacid tablets will cause the oil to form little globules that are dyed by the food coloring.
Easy Science Experiments You Can Do at Home or at School
Here's list of great science experiments with instructions that you can do right at home or at school. In order for your science experiment to be safe and successful, be sure to: Get your parent's or teacher's permission, and their help. Follow the directions as written.
35 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do Today!
Musical Jars Science Experiment. This super easy experiment is simple as it is fun! Kids make their own musical instruments with clear jars and water then investigate sound waves, pitch, and more. When the experiment is complete, use the colorful new "instrument" for a fun music lesson. Kids can play and take turns to "name that tune"!
32 Cool Science Experiments for Kids (that are Fun AND Easy!)
Along the way, you and your child get a lot of time to learn about momentum, velocity, friction, energy transfer, and interference (e.g., the cat). 17. Melting. This is a simple and fun experiment that can be set up in a short time and then fill-up your day with observations and new experiments.
45 Best Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home or In School
Gently submerge the remaining eggs, without toothpaste on them, in the remaining glasses: one in the glass labeled Soda 2 and the other in the glass of juice labeled Juice 2. Wash and dry your ...
50 Simple Science Experiments with Supplies You Already Have
Simple Science Experiments with Water. Not only can water be a blast to play in, but water plus a few basic supplies equals a lot of science fun!. Make an orange sink and float with an orange buoyancy experiment from Playdough to Plato.; Compare the amount of salt in different types of water with this salty egg experiment as seen on Uplifting Mayhem.; Do a little more sinking or floating with ...
67 Easy Science Experiments for Kids To Do at Home
Fun Science Experiments Using Household Staples. 11. Marshmallow catapult. Build a marshmallow catapult out of a plastic spoon, rubber bands, and Popsicle sticks. 12. Make a parachute for toys. Use a plastic bag and cup to build a parachute for a light toy. 13. Dye flowers with food coloring.
20 Awesome Science Experiments You Can Do Right Now At Home
2. Freeze Water Instantly. When purified water is cooled to just below freezing point, a quick nudge or an icecube placed in it is all it takes for the water to instantly freeze. You can finally ...
50 Fun Kids Science Experiments
Learn about osmosis when you try this fun potato osmosis experiment with the kids. You will love the noise you can make with this screaming balloon experiment. Make homemade oil and vinegar dressing for fun chemistry you can eat. Explore the plant pigments in leaves with this leaf chromatography experiment.
30 Fun Science Experiments You Can Do At Home
This video is a compilation of 30 fun science activities you can do at home. These are fast, fun activities that are perfect for young children. You can acce...
25 EASY Science Experiments You Can Do at Home!
25 EASY Science Experiments You Can Do at Home!Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/1L5DNroFollow Our Twitter: http://twitter.com/spacebound100 Life Hacks...
Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!
These science experiments you can do at home have been designed to be simple, open-ended and use materials you already have around the house ( mostly paper, scissors, recycled items and kitchen staples ).. Click on the experiment image or the link to each science experiment to view full details and instructions for each science investigation.. I've got 100s more easy and fully explained ...
12 fun science experiments for kids you can do at home
Take a few white carnations, vases and different types of food coloring. Dye the water, then place the flowers in the different vases to watch them change color day by day. You can even split ...
20 Best Science Experiments To Do At Home With the Kids
With that in mind, here are our top 20 picks for the BEST science experiments to do at home with your kids! Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments. There are so many cool experiments you can do with these pantry staples. Yes, you can do a standard volcano, but you can also hatch dino eggs, create fireworks, set off explosive bottle rockets and more!
8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily Do at Home
For example, NASA has added a number of fun and easy ways to learn about climate science and clouds, including science experiments. One of the best related projects is to make a cloud in a jar. This simple science experiment is a powerful way to demonstrate how clouds work. You only need water, ice, a jar, and a few minutes of time.
25 Best Science Experiments for Kids to do at Home
4. Baking Soda and Vinegar Rainbow. Add some extra excitement to the traditional baking soda and vinegar with food coloring and a baking sheet. 5. Pepper, Water and Soap for Surface Tension. This ...
40 Crazy Science Experiments
40 Awesome Science Experiments By inventor 101I put together some crazy science experiments you can do at home or for school science project, hope you enjoy ...
3 colourful fall leaf experiments you can do at home
We had fun with fall leaves this morning. STEM educator Sarah Habibi has three colourful science experiments you can do at home. The plant was expected to produce batteries for a million electric ...
Easy DIY Top 10 Science Experiments for kids you can do at home
Easy DIY Top 10 Science Experiments you can do at home for kids!!! Learn with Ryan as he have fun learning about science like doing Sink or float, Walking Wa...
12 Ways To Celebrate Halloween at Home That Are Way More Fun Than You'd
There are countless games, so you'll never run out of things to do. Better yet, many Halloween games you can play at home don't cost much to play. For example, you only need a large bowl or bucket, water, and some apples to play Apple Bobbing. Other exciting games you can play at Halloween include Witches Ring Toss, Pin the Spider on the ...

72 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Easy Chemistry Science Experiments

1. Taste the Rainbow

2. Crystallize sweet treats

3. Make a volcano erupt

4. Make elephant toothpaste

5. Blow the biggest bubbles you can

6. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

7. Use apple slices to learn about oxidation

8. Float a marker man

9. Discover density with hot and cold water

10. Layer more liquids

11. Grow a carbon sugar snake

12. Mix up some slime

13. Make homemade bouncy balls

14. Create eggshell chalk

15. Make naked eggs

16. Turn milk into plastic

17. Test pH using cabbage

18. Clean some old coins

19. Pull an egg into a bottle

20. Blow up a balloon (without blowing)

21 Assemble a DIY lava lamp

22. Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

23. Mummify a hot dog

24. Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide

25. Send secret messages with invisible ink

26. Create dancing popcorn

27. Shoot a soda geyser sky-high

28. Send a teabag flying

29. Create magic milk

30. Watch the water rise

31. Learn about capillary action

32. Give a balloon a beard

33. Find your way with a DIY compass

34. Crush a can using air pressure

35. Tell time using the sun

36. Launch a balloon rocket

37. Make sparks with steel wool

38. Levitate a Ping-Pong ball

39. Whip up a tornado in a bottle

40. Monitor air pressure with a DIY barometer

41. Peer through an ice magnifying glass

42. String up some sticky ice

43. “Flip” a drawing with water

44. Color some flowers

45. Use glitter to fight germs

46. Re-create the water cycle in a bag

47. Learn about plant transpiration

48. Clean up an oil spill

49. Construct a pair of model lungs

50. Experiment with limestone rocks

51. Turn a bottle into a rain gauge

52. Build up towel mountains

53. Take a play dough core sample

54. Project the stars on your ceiling

55. Make it rain

56. Blow up your fingerprint

57. Snack on a DNA model

58. Dissect a flower

59. Craft smartphone speakers

60. Race a balloon-powered car

61. Build a Ferris wheel

62. Design a phone stand

63. Conduct an egg drop

64. Engineer a drinking-straw roller coaster

65. Build a solar oven

66. Build a Da Vinci bridge

67. Step through an index card

68. Stand on a pile of paper cups

69. Test out parachutes

70. Recycle newspapers into an engineering challenge

71. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

72. Assemble a better umbrella

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