easy lab experiments for middle school

40 Best Science Experiments & Projects for Middle School

Welcome to our curated collection of top science fair projects and experiments, perfectly tailored for the inquisitive middle schoolers. Our collection offers hands-on activities that will captivate young minds and ignite their passion for learning.

Science fairs during middle school years are less about competition and more about fostering a love for exploration, experimentation, and the thrill of the “Eureka!” moment. That’s why we have ensured that all the experiments on our list are fun and easy.

Through hands-on experimentation, students can gain a deeper understanding of scientific concepts, build confidence in their abilities, and cultivate a lifelong passion for learning.

1. Crushed Can

Students will be amazed as they witness an ordinary can being transformed before their very eyes. By simply heating it and then rapidly cooling it, the can will be crushed as if by magic!

Learn more: Little Bins Little Hands

2. Water Bottle Rockets

In this engaging activity, students will have the opportunity to design, build, and launch their very own water-propelled rockets.

By adjusting variables like water level and air pressure, they’ll witness firsthand how these factors impact the rocket’s flight path and distance.

3. Cabbage Ph Indicator

In this middle school science project, students will use red cabbage as a natural pH indicator to test the acidity or alkalinity of various household substances.

Learn more: Cabbage PH Indicator

4. Build a Solar Oven

By building these ingenious devices using simple materials, they will discover the incredible potential of renewable energy and its practical applications in everyday life.

Learn more: Solar Oven

5. Build a Helping Hand

In this captivating middle school science experiment, students will have the opportunity to construct their very own “Helping Hand” device.

Learn more: Science Buddies

6. DIY Lung Model

This captivating middle school project offers an exciting hands-on opportunity to explore the inner workings of our respiratory system.

By creating their own lung models using simple household materials, students will gain a deeper understanding of how our lungs function and the vital role they play in our bodies.

7. Flying Tea Bag

By harnessing the power of convection currents, students will learn about the fascinating relationship between heat and air pressure.

Learn more: Flying Tea Bag

8. Egg Float Experiment

In this captivating middle school science project, students will unlock the mysteries of density and water displacement while discovering the fascinating properties of eggs.

Learn more: Egg Float Experiment

9. Popsicle Stick Chain Reaction

This captivating middle school project is all about the magic of potential energy and kinetic energy. By carefully setting up a series of interlinked popsicle sticks, students will create a mesmerizing chain reaction that ripples through the entire structure.

10. How to See Sound

As they watch sound come to life through colorful visualizations, students will develop a deeper appreciation for the profound impact of sound in our daily lives.

11. Orange Peel Plate Tectonics

In this captivating middle school project, students will learn about the dynamic of Earth’s crust and explore the powerful forces that shape our planet’s surface.

12. Heart Pump

In this captivating middle school project, students will embark on a hands-on exploration of the human circulatory system and discover the marvels of the heart’s pumping mechanism.

Learn more: Heart Pump Model

13. Invisible Ink

By concocting their own invisible ink, students will discover the science behind chemical reactions and learn how certain substances react to reveal hidden text when exposed to heat, light, or other catalysts.

Learn more: Invisible Ink

14. DIY Grow Box

In this captivating middle school project, students will learn the wonders of plant growth and the art of nurturing a thriving garden.

By constructing their own affordable and innovative grow boxes using simple materials, they’ll have the perfect environment to observe the magical transformation from seeds to flourishing plants.

Learn more: Easy DIY Grow Box

15. Creative Ferris Wheel

By encouraging creativity and experimentation, this engaging experiment not only promises an exciting learning experience but also fosters teamwork and critical thinking

16. Alka Seltzer Rockets

Prepare for a high-flying adventure with the Alka Seltzer Rockets science experiment! This exciting and explosive activity is a perfect choice for middle school students eager to explore the wonders of chemical reactions and rocketry.

17. Why do Apples Turn Brown?

Through hands-on exploration, middle school students will discover the role of enzymes and oxygen in this intriguing transformation.

18. Water Bending Experiment

By understanding the principles of surface tension and cohesion, you’ll be able to create mesmerizing effects, seemingly bending water with just a piece of static material.

19. Water Clock

Experience the magic of timekeeping in its most ancient form with the fascinating Water Clock project! In this hands-on experiment, students will learn about history, physics, and engineering as they build their own timekeeping device using just water and a few simple materials.

Learn more: Steam Powered Family

20. Paper Ball Run Challenge

Get ready for a thrilling and creative adventure with the Paper Ball Run Challenge! In this captivating science experiment, you’ll explore the principles of motion, gravity, and engineering as you design and build your very own paper ball run.

21. Flood Barriers

As you construct and evaluate your barriers, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how floods occur and the importance of finding effective solutions.

Learn more: Teachers are terrific

22. Exploring the Law of Inertia Experiment Using a Fidget Spinner

This engaging experiment will help you unravel Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Inertia in a fun and hands-on way. By using a fidget spinner, you’ll explore how the spinning motion persists due to inertia and how different factors can influence its behavior.

23. Air Pressure Impact on Ping Pong Balls 

By investigating the effects of air pressure on these lightweight spheres, you’ll uncover the secrets of flight, aerodynamics, and atmospheric pressure.

24. Rolling Uphill

In this experiment, you’ll witness the baffling phenomenon of a ball seemingly defying gravity by rolling uphill on a specially designed track.

25. Pick Up Ice with a String

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to lift ice using just a simple string? In this fascinating experiment, you’ll explore the principles of heat transfer and surface tension as you attempt to defy gravity and lift ice cubes with nothing but a string.

Learn more: Pick Up Ice with a String

26. Keep a Paper Towel Dry Under Water 

This captivating experiment will unveil the wonders of surface tension and hydrophobicity, as you attempt to create a barrier that defies the conventional wisdom of water soaking through paper.

Learn more: Keep a Paper Towel Dry Under Water

27. Upside Down Glass of Water

This mesmerizing experiment will unravel the fascinating concept of air pressure and its influence on liquids. As you turn a glass of water upside down and observe the water’s defiance of falling out, you’ll gain insight into the powerful role of air pressure in our everyday lives.

Learn more: Upside Down Glass of Water

28. Make a Wine Glass Sing

Have you ever wondered how to turn a simple glass of wine into a musical instrument? This captivating experiment will introduce you to the fascinating concept of acoustics and how sound waves interact with liquid-filled glasses.

29. Crush a Plastic Bottle

Are you curious about the forces at play when we compress a seemingly indestructible plastic bottle? This captivating experiment will unravel the science behind how pressure and air interact to create this astonishing effect.

Learn more: Crush a Plastic Bottle

30. Ruler Changes Size

Get ready to witness an optical illusion that will challenge your perception of reality. In this captivating experiment, you’ll explore the fascinating phenomenon of light refraction and how it can make objects appear different than they really are.

31. Egg in a Bottle

Have you ever wondered how to get an egg into a bottle without breaking it? This mesmerizing experiment will introduce you to the concept of air pressure and how it can be harnessed to achieve the impossible.

Learn more: Egg in a Bottle

32. Water Doesn’t Leak Out Science Experiment

This hands-on activity not only sparks curiosity and amazement but also teaches you about the properties of gases and the laws of physics.

So, get ready to be astounded and dive into the magic of science with the “Water Doesn’t Leak Out” experiment – an entertaining and enlightening adventure that will leave you thirsting for more knowledge!

Learn more: Water Science Experiment

33. Pick Up a Ball with a Jar

This captivating experiment will introduce you to the fascinating concept of air pressure and how it can create a powerful force that defies gravity.

34. Glowing Water Science

This captivating experiment will introduce you to the fascinating properties of fluorescent materials and how they interact with light.

35. Fizzy Cloud Dough

The fizzing reaction not only adds an element of excitement but also provides a great opportunity to explore the science of chemical reactions and the release of carbon dioxide.

Learn more: Fizzy Cloud Dough

36. Underwater Magic Sand

Get ready to witness the marvels of hydrophobic science and explore the secrets of this captivating underwater magic sand experiment.

Learn more: Teaching Mama Org

37. Make Bouncy Polymer Balls

This captivating experiment will take you on an exciting journey into the realm of polymers and chemical reactions.

38. Use a Crayon as a Candle

This hands-on activity not only sparks curiosity and excitement but also offers a safe and educational way to explore the science of combustion and the flammability of materials.

Learn more: Crayon Candle

39. Flame Test Colors

Not only does it spark curiosity and wonder but also deepens your understanding of the emission spectra of elements.

So, get ready to illuminate your scientific knowledge with the “Flame Test Colors” experiment – an educational and visually stunning adventure that will leave you dazzled and eager to discover more about the fascinating world of chemistry!

Learn more: Thought Co

40. Grow A Bean Plant

By planting a simple bean seed and providing it with water, sunlight, and care, you’ll witness the fascinating process of germination and watch as your bean seedling sprouts and grows.

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Science for Everyone

Science education, teaching resources, scientific literacy, and more!

• Feb 27, 2023
• 37 min read

100+ labs, activities, and science experiments for middle and high school students

Updated: Sep 12, 2023

Looking for fun and engaging lab ideas for use in your science class? You've come to the right place. Here's my list of practical activities and experiments you can try with your students, all in one place.

Introduction

I've been teaching MYP science (grades 6-10) internationally for over a decade. I try to devote about a third of my class time to experimental activities, which means we do a lot of labs. I'm also the only lab technician at my current school, so I'm responsible for set-up and cleanup as well. Needless to say, I've accumulated quite a bit of experience in the lab and can confidently recommend all of the following experiments. I have personally tried all of them with my students and in most cases have been conducting them for years.

Where can I get these labs?

Although I have provided links to just about every activity on my list, some are much better than others. You will often need to adjust them significantly for your classroom depending on the classes and number of students you teach, as well as the materials you have access to. Additionally, free lab guides usually do not include much in the way of background info, student questions or handouts, and teacher prep notes. For these reasons, I've created my own resources for most of the labs I do, which I'm currently in the process of uploading to my TPT store . You can access my complete experimental resource collection here . I'm adding new experiments regularly, but early purchasers will have access to all future activities at no additional cost! As you can see from the list below, I have quite a few more to add! Links to my individual lab activities have also been provided in the relevant sections.

The following list of experiments is organized by grade and unit. Click on the links below to jump to the section you need.

Scientific Method

Chemical and physical changes, characteristics of living things, earth and space science, objects in motion, atoms and elements, inheritance, earth systems and cycles, energy, work, and power, human impacts on the environment, electromagnetism, communication, body systems, organization of life, chemical reactions and bonding, forces and structures, pure substances and mixtures, health and disease, electricity, environmental chemistry, space exploration, organic chemistry, genetics and reproduction, radiation and radioactivity.

You can also access unit plan outlines for each of the above units in my store .

List of Experiments

1. Memory experiments - How many random words or objects can students memorize? Will students be able to identify a missing object (or classmate)? How reliable is eyewitness testimony? These are excellent activities for getting students to practice basic experimental design, as well as practical skills like collecting and analyzing data. As a bonus, many of these experiments require virtually no prep for you!

2. Accuracy and precision experiment - For this activity, all you need is a target and something that will stick to it. I've used a dart board, NERF guns with suction cup darts, or just a target drawn on the whiteboard with magnetic disks to throw at it. You could even make a target on the ground outside and have your students toss beanbags at it. Anything will do! Students take turns hurling things at the targets and recording the distance to the middle. Then they analyze the results in terms of accuracy (average distance to the center) and precision (range, standard deviation, and the number of decimal places).

3. Baking science experiment - I've long been a fan of incorporating food science into science class. What better way to get kids excited about chemistry while also learning a useful life skill? I've done many versions of this activity, but it always involves baking something, like cookies or cakes, by modifying a recipe to learn about variables. There are also many opportunities here for unit conversion practice.

4. Fire triangle oxygen experiment - For younger students who may not have had access to open flames before, this is a good place to start for developing safe handling practices. Students use candles and various glass containers to measure how long a flame will burn in a limited oxygen environment. You might as well demonstrate the rising water trick too since you're using all the same materials.

5. Bunsen burner temperature experiment - Students learn how the Bunsen burner works and attempt to find out what part of the flame is hottest. You'll need a temperature probe rated for high temperatures in order to get accurate data for this lab. Alternatively, you can just use a thin steel rod or a nail by holding it in different parts of the flame and recording any colour changes. Try comparing the orange and blue flames, as well as the top, bottom, middle, and sides of the flame. Almost all students fail to predict where the hottest region will be!

6. Fire extinguisher safety activity - You'll need to get some safety approvals for this one, but I think it's worth it. Who knows when you might have a real emergency to deal with? Go outside and start a simple fire in a safe place like a metal tray. Then use one of the school fire extinguishers to put it out. Have a few students try it, too. Discuss the locations of fire extinguishers, different types of fires, exit strategies, and so on. You may even want to coordinate with the local fire department and see if they can send someone to talk to the students about fire safety.

7. Lab equipment identification quiz - Another one for younger students who are just beginning to do lab work. Collect one piece of glassware or lab equipment for each student in your class (with a few extra, just in case). Put one on each desk before your students arrive. As students come in, give them a blank piece of paper and have them write down the name of the equipment in front of them. Then rotate to the next seat and repeat. Set a timer for ~30 seconds to keep things moving. You may also want to get students to draw the equipment as well, in which case they would need a bit of extra time. This works best as a review activity, but it can also be used as a chance to see what students already know.

8. Oobleck states of matter activity - After students have learned about solids, liquids, and gases, whip up a batch of oobleck (cornstarch + water) and have them explore its properties. Is it a solid, a liquid, or a bit of both? Have your students consider the particle interactions going on in this unusual fluid. A bit of research may be required on their part.

9. Salt or sugar crystal lab - Students dissolve and then evaporate a very small volume of concentrated salt or sugar solution to produce crystals. I prefer salt since it is less of a sticky mess, but you can do one or both. Check out the crystals under the microscope and compare them to mineral crystals if you have some to observe. You can also use this lab as a chance to explore saturation and give a really cool supersaturation demo using sodium acetate. Just Google 'hot ice'!

10. Separating salt and sand mixtures experiment - Give students a sample containing salt, sand, and (optionally) iron filings. Then tell them to figure out how to separate each substance. This will involve a combination of magnetism, dissolving, filtration, evaporation, and so on. There is more than one way to accomplish this task, which is what makes it interesting. Add to the challenge by having students compare the mass of their sample to the total mass of each separated substance (you'll need to allow time for proper drying) to see who managed to preserve the most material. Discuss industrial and everyday applications of these separation techniques.

11. Diffusion of potassium permanganate - Another classic chemistry experiment that involves the movement of purple crystals as they dissolve in water. You can have students record the time it takes to produce a uniform solution and then compare this at different water temperatures or volumes. It's also useful to get your students to take photos, or better yet, videos of the process to compare.

12. Dissolving cocoa experiment - Students try to find the best way to dissolve a specific quantity of cocoa in order to make hot chocolate effectively. This is great for winter or during the holiday season, but as far as I'm concerned there's never a bad time for hot chocolate. Make this as open-ended as you can, but have students write down their reasoning and the method used. Is it better to use milk or water? Should you add the liquid first or the powder first? How does the temperature affect how easily the cocoa dissolves? Obviously, you wouldn't want to use typical chemistry glassware for this one, so plan ahead if you want to allow your students to drink their creations.

13. Pond organisms microscope lab - Visit a local ecosystem and collect some water. It's better to get the 'chunky stuff' including mud, water plants, pond scum, and other organic material. Bring it back to the lab and have your students look for microorganisms under the microscope. With luck, you will be able to identify water fleas, vorticella, euglena, and other organisms in your samples. If you do this in the spring or summer, various insect larvae will likely be present as well.

14. Specialized cells microscope lab - Sure, you can easily find prepared slides of specialized cells, but it's much more interesting for your students if they create their own. Collecting cheek cells is simple, and I think students get a kick out of seeing their own cells for the first time. Root hair cells and leaf cells are easy to locate as well, although the species you choose makes a huge difference. Try a few and see what works best.

15. Energy in food (calorimetry) experiment - I've found this lab to be notoriously difficult unless you have very good equipment, but it has the potential to produce lots of interesting results and is endlessly customizable for your students. The flexibility alone makes it worthwhile to try, even if the results don't end up being as useful as you'd hoped. Burning sugary or oily foods works best. Try potato chips or marshmallows.

16. Comparing fuels experiment - In this lab activity, students burn equal quantities of various fuels to determine which makes the best fuel. Alcohols including methanol, ethanol, and propanol should be easy enough to obtain. The experiment itself is pretty straightforward, but there are a lot of factors to consider. Which fuel burns the hottest? Which burns the longest? Which is the cheapest or easiest to obtain? What about other factors, such as the smell? There's a lot for students to explore here.

17. Design a solar oven - This is an excellent project for students to tackle that requires only a few simple craft and household supplies. As a summative assessment, students can make use of their physics knowledge to conduct, reflect, insulate, and ultimately cook simple foods. I prefer not to tell them the exact method so that they can find out what works and what doesn't. We like to make s'mores and cheese toast - things that are still delicious even if they don't cook properly!

18. Thermal conductivity experiment - This lab has many variations, but most involve comparing the ability of different metals to transfer heat. If you can find wires of equal diameter and length made of copper, steel, etc. then it is pretty easy to compare the conductivity of these substances by putting one end in hot water and then measuring the temperature along its length using a digital thermometer. Alternatively, put the other end of the wire in cold water and measure the temperature after a given amount of time. The warmest liquid should indicate the best conductor.

19. Insulated drink experiment - This is a bit like the solar oven experiment, except that in this case, students are given a hot beverage and tasked with keeping it warm for as long as possible. Similar ideas and materials can be used, so it makes sense to do this as a follow-up experiment to that. Provide each group with a cup of boiled water and identical materials in order to make it a fair comparison. Then pop a thermometer in and see who has the warmest drink by the end of class.

20. Mark-recapture simulation - This mathematical exercise involves students estimating a population's size by 'marking' and 'capturing' beans or other small objects from a container. Various sample sizes are used to show how accuracy improves with the number of marked and captured individuals. Then discuss how accurate mark-recapture studies would be for different populations in the wild.

21. Quadrat study - Using square frames, students collect data on the plant or invertebrate species found in a local environment (the school playground will do!). They can use this information to estimate population sizes and species distribution, but it can also be used to identify possible community interactions, including competition, mutualism, commensalism, and predation.

22. Mesocosm experiment - Students set up small ecosystems in jars or soda bottles to observe nutrient cycling in action. If done well they can last for years. I've tried aquatic ecosystems with fish in the past, but for ethical reasons, we pretty much stick to plants and soil organisms only these days. I also like to keep it simple and do everything in large peanut butter jars. It can get pretty elaborate if you decide to make full eco-columns though.

23. Personal impact experiment - This is an open-ended investigation where students decide on a lifestyle change they will maintain for a few weeks in order to reduce their environmental impact. This could include things like reducing shower time, air drying their clothes, biking to school instead of getting a ride, and so on. They then attempt to estimate the impact they are making in terms of environmental and economic savings, both for the project duration and for a lifetime, if they were to keep it up indefinitely. Although most students quickly fall back into their regular routines, a few do recognize that small changes are manageable and decide to make compromises in the way they live.

24. Solar system scale model - This is a mathematical/visual investigation that shows kids the true scale of the solar system (it's mostly empty space!). We usually do this on two different scales - one that allows us to fit the solar system within the classroom, and another that requires us to go outside and cover some distance on the playground. Even at that scale, the largest planets are still only the size of a small ball and the Earth is minuscule.

25. Chocolate rock cycle - The rock cycle can be a bit dull and abstract considering the time scales and forces students are expected to imagine. Spice it up a little with the delicious addition of chocolate! Through mixing, grating, melting, hardening, and other processes, you can mimic most of the changes in the rock cycle and give students a clearer understanding of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock formation. Yum!

26. Rock and mineral identification with dichotomous keys - Once students have a grasp of the rock cycle, it's time to get them familiar with some of the more common rocks and minerals. This can be done outdoors with field guides and cameras, or inside with samples and a dichotomous key. Even with a key this can be pretty challenging and there is quite a bit of terminology to understand, but I still think it's worthwhile. Some kids get really into it!

27. Flashlight moon phases activity - With a couple of balls, a flashlight, and a darkened room, you can put small groups of students to work trying to simulate the movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon as they orbit around each other. It is pretty funny watching kids trying to move everything correctly and position themselves to see the phases properly, but I think it gets the concepts across quite well. You can also simulate eclipses, and if you're feeling really ambitious, you can get Mars involved and demonstrate retrograde motion.

28. Human body systems of measurement activity - I use this exercise to teach students about units and what they are based on. In ancient times, a lot of measurement standards were based on the distances between or across body parts, including the hand, fingers, and arms. Most of the metric units in use today are based on much more complicated standards, but it can be surprising for students to realize that measuring devices can't really be made without standards of some kind.

29. Comparing ancient and modern maps - In the age of discovery (~1400-1600) a lot of early mapping was accomplished by Europeans. It wasn't all accurate, however, for a variety of reasons. This activity gives students a good crash course in cartography, which you might argue is more appropriate for geography and social studies, but it works well for this unit because it devotes a significant amount of time to understanding how we determine our location in space. Graphing using GPS coordinates is a significant part of this investigation.

30. GPS pathways activity - Since practically all of your students have access to an accurate GPS device of their own, this once-expensive activity is now easier than ever. You can use one of a handful of apps to track students as they walk various pathways around the schoolyard and elsewhere, which can then be analyzed and compared in terms of distance, time, acceleration, and changes in elevation. It can be particularly fun to compare the pathways students take to get to school. I couldn't find a good link for this activity, unfortunately.

31. Determining the acceleration of gravity using a pendulum - This lab always produces consistent results, provided students perform the calculations correctly. Since we use the acceleration of gravity so often in physics, I think it helps students to see that it can be determined with a relatively simple setup. Students will have only tiny pendulums to work with at their desks, but if you plan ahead, you can make a huge one that hangs from the ceiling to show that it works at larger scales, too.

32. Metals and non-metals identification - Depending on what materials you have available, this can be a really great introduction to the periodic table of elements. Chances are your lab already has a good selection of metals, as well as some non-metals like carbon and sulfur. Provide small samples of each material and allow students to rotate to different stations where they attempt to identify the materials using some simple techniques (like magnetism). You can do this entirely visually if you like, or give some obscure facts about each element to help them out.

33. Metal displacement reactions experiment - Students observe whether reactions occur between pure metals and various salt solutions in order to create a simple reactivity series. It's reasonable to test four or five metals in order to introduce the concept, but you'll need to explain that very reactive and unreactive metals are not realistic to test in school due to prohibitive costs and safety concerns. The reactivity series can then be used to discuss why certain metals are chosen for particular uses and why precious metals are so valuable and long-lasting.

34. pH indicator lab - There are many kinds of indicators that can be used to determine pH. Teach students about acids and alkalis, then give them a selection of common household substances like vinegar and soapy water to test with universal indicator. They can then use the results to create their own coloured pH scale in their notebooks and label each substance accordingly. If you want to go a little further, consider making your own indicator solution with purple cabbage!

35. Titration of NaOH with HCl - This classic chemistry experiment involves the neutralization reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. A small sample of NaOH containing the indicator phenolphthalein is given to each group (this is best done in pairs). Students slowly add acid to the pink alkali solution until it goes clear, at which point it should be neutral. If you have digital pH probes, get students to measure the changes throughout the experiment and plot them on a graph. You can also evaporate the resulting solution to show that salt (NaCl) crystals are formed in the process.

36. Fruit DNA extraction - In this simple lab activity, students use common household ingredients to isolate and observe the DNA found in fruits such as kiwis, bananas, and strawberries. The similarities should help illustrate the fact that DNA is a universal code common to all organisms. Although you can't see the molecular structure of the DNA in this exercise, it's still fun to have a look at your extracted nucleic acids under a microscope.

37. Life cycles investigation - There are a few ways to show students how various plants and animals complete their life cycles. For plants, beans grow quite quickly and the seeds are easy to collect and save. If you have some space and a bit more time, sunflowers are really fun to grow at school, too. Depending on the season, it may be possible to collect some tadpoles from a local pond and observe them as they grow and develop. Insect larvae and caterpillars are fun to watch as well, but a little less exciting until their final metamorphosis. You might even be able to contact a nearby chicken farm and get ahold of some fertilized eggs to incubate. Be sure to provide food and a decent living space for whatever creatures you investigate, of course, and have a plan for what to do with them after you are done observing them.

38. Phenotype investigation - Collect class data for a variety of common genetic traits and compare these to national or global averages. Blood type is ideal, but some students might not know theirs (everyone knows their blood type in Japan so this is an easy one for me!). Other possibilities include eye colour (here's a VERY detailed article on eye colour genetics ), dominant hand, hair colour, or earlobe shape. Avoid things like height, which might single out or embarrass some students. Also, don't do tongue rolling, because despite what you may have heard, the ability to roll your tongue is either mostly or entirely NOT determined by genes .

39. Determining the speed of sound experiment - This one requires some space, and by space, I mean distance. You'll want at least 200m with a clear line of sight for good results. Have a few students position themselves at 100m increments away from a group of observers (the rest of the class). These students will be equipped with some kind of noise-making device that can also serve as a visual cue. We use two blocks of wood clapped together above the head. The observers use a stopwatch to measure the time between when they see the blocks touch and when they hear the sound. This is then used to calculate the speed of sound. If you get really lucky on a stormy day, you can do a variation of this exercise using lightning (from indoors, of course). In that case, your students would be finding the distance of the lightning using an accepted speed of sound.

40. Create a pinhole camera - It's not really an experiment, but it's still a classic physics exercise and for good reason. Nothing more clearly illustrates the function of the eye and retina and the concept of light moving in straight lines than this ancient device. A small cardboard box or similar container forms the basis for the pinhole camera, along with a few other craft materials. Then look at a bright object like a lightbulb or candle to see the inverted image.

41. Hearing or colour sensitivity experiment - For this activity, students will use different videos or apps to determine how well they can differentiate between similar shades of a colour or hear high-pitched sounds. Have the whole class perform the tests and then analyze the results. Students love learning about themselves!

42. Reflection investigations - Using lasers and different types of mirrors, students observe the behaviour of light and construct ray diagrams. This is good practice for drawing clear and detailed diagrams. This can take a while, so it's probably best to split it into two lessons and keep plane and curved mirrors separate.

43. Playing a song with glasses of water - This is a pretty silly activity that I decided to do a few years ago, but there's some solid science behind it. Students can obviously make music on glasses of water without learning anything, so be sure to indicate (and possibly calculate) how and why the pitch changes with volume. Put on a concert at the end of class and get your cameras ready!

44. Water cycle simulation - With just a few simple materials you can easily show many of the processes involved in the water cycle. Get a fish tank and fill it with a small amount of water. Place some sand or a rock on one side to represent mountains. Cover the tank with a clear sheet of glass or plastic so you can still see what's going on. Put a tray of ice above the mountain to represent cold air in the upper atmosphere. Finally, place a heat lamp near the tank to represent the sun (you can also just use the actual sun!). A 'cloud' should form below the ice with lots of condensation which will drip down the mountains and back into the 'ocean'. If you want to speed up the process, try adding warm water to the tank.

45. Weather comparison investigation - Students look up weather information for a number of different cities and record things like temperature, wind speed, humidity, pressure, and so on for a week or two. Then they analyze the data and prepare a report or presentation on the similarities and differences between the chosen locations. They must use their knowledge of air and ocean currents, elevation, latitude, and other factors to explain any observed differences. This works best as a summative assessment comparing where you live to a selection of other cities chosen by the students themselves.

46. Plate tectonics simulation - I've tried several different materials to simulate the movements of tectonic plates, and each has its pros and cons. Slowly pushing crackers over a peanut butter or jam 'mantle' until they collide is pretty fun and shows some fault interactions reasonably well. I also like smashing layers of towels or paper into each other to show how mountains and unusual strata patterns can form. You can also try freezing the top few centimeters of a large container of water (just leave it outside if it's cold enough in winter!). Use a hammer to smash the surface and form a few 'plates'. Then move them across the surface to show plate movements and interactions. You can also use this to illustrate how the continents were once connected as a single land mass.

47. Human sense perception lab - This is one of my personal favourites. Students move around in pairs visiting a variety of stations that put their senses of hearing, touch, taste, sight, and smell to the test. In total students do 13 interactive sense activities that are easy to set up and fun to experience.

48. Plant tropism experiments - Use a fast-growing plant like beans to show how plants grow towards the light (phototropism) and away from gravity (gravitropism). Students can get a bit creative with this one by coming up with modifications to test. Some possibilities include growing a plant sideways or upside down, rotating a plant away from the sun every few days, or covering different parts of a growing shoot with various materials to see how phototropism is controlled.

49. Invertebrate stimuli and response experiments - Unlike mammals, invertebrates such as insects, worms, and snails exhibit mostly predictable responses to specific stimuli. Go outside and collect whatever tiny creatures you can from your local ecosystem. Then bring them back to the lab to test their responses to things like temperature gradients, moisture, light, sound, movement, and so on. Use this opportunity to discuss the ethical treatment of laboratory animals and make it clear that your students must do their best to avoid harming the creatures in their care. Release them where you found them after the experiments are done!

50. Human power experiment - Get your students running up flights of stairs to see how much power a human can generate! I like to kick off this activity by discussing horsepower and its origins as a unit of measurement. Inevitably students want to see how they compare to a horse (and each other), so this always gets competitive. Spoiler alert - your students can't beat a horse! To end the activity, we discuss situations in which a horse can be defeated by a human, focusing on an annual marathon that pits the two species against each other held in the UK. As it turns out, humans perform best when it's hot.

51. Impact crater experiment - This is good messy fun with applied physics! Students drop marbles into trays of flour from different heights and compare the diameter and depth of the impact craters. Use marbles with different masses and calculate the potential energy for each trial. This should equal the kinetic energy on impact. How does the kinetic energy affect crater size and depth? Graph it and find out!

52. Principle of moments lab - Students use a balance beam to solve problems and investigate the principle of moments. This is the idea that when two opposing turning forces act equally on either side of a pivot, they are balanced and no movement occurs. I like this activity because it can be completed in a number of ways, including trial and error, calculation, or a combination of both.

53. Gear ratios experiment - You'll need access to some specific equipment for this one. A bicycle should be easy enough to obtain (or borrow), but I use LEGO technic . Students build simple LEGO cars and switch out different gears to compare the force and speed produced. This takes a while and is definitely more complicated than just demonstrating with a stationary bicycle or similar setup, but it's far more hands-on. This is best for smaller classes or science clubs.

54. Pulley experiment - Here's another activity that requires you to have some materials on hand, although they can be easily purchased from a local hardware store for a reasonable price. Give students an object of known mass and a force meter. Then give them the pulley materials and set them to work on reducing the force needed to lift the mass by as much as possible. If they have already studied the theory behind pulleys, this should be doable, but the reality of setting up a working block and tackle is much more complicated than it seems if you've never done it before.

55. Greenhouse effect simulation - Using sealed jars or other containers, students modify atmospheric conditions to see how temperature is affected. There are many ways to conduct this experiment, so I recommend letting each group of students try something different. Start with a simple control (usually an empty container) and go from there. You can try adding different quantities of water, soil, or ice, or if you can get your hands on it, chunks of dry ice to increase the CO2 concentration.

56. Chemical tests for macromolecules - This is a well-documented set of biochemistry procedures for identifying starch, simple sugars, proteins, and fats in small samples of common foods. You only need a few reagents which should be readily available in most middle or high school science labs. The results involve various colour changes that are pretty fun to observe. Get your students to predict which foods will contain each macromolecule and then test their predictions to see if they are right.

57. Plant nutrient deficiencies investigation - Teach your students how to recognize signs of nutrient deficiencies in plants. These can be seen by examining leaf growth and colour. Then go outside and see if your students can find examples of nutrient-deficient plants around the school. Beware of plants that are naturally red/purple in colour, which could be mistaken for phosphorous deficiencies, and definitely don't try this in the fall for obvious reasons.

58. Digestion simulation - In this activity, students take a sample of food and put it through a series of processes in order to simulate the stages of digestion. This doesn't sound that fun, but it involves a lot of smashing, squishing, and messy fun. Crush the food inside a plastic bag, add some water and hydrochloric acid, filter it through a pair of socks or stocking 'intestines', and then compact the leftover chunks to make 'poop' (kids love it). Combine this activity with the chemical tests from experiment 56 above for a more in-depth analysis. I like using cornflakes or a similar cereal as the carbs are pretty easy to break down and there is enough iron for you to actually extract and see.

59. Digestive system dissection - If your students aren't too squeamish, consider dissecting something to view its digestive system. Whole fish are easy to obtain here in Japan so that's what I use. Rather than opting for a class set, if you splurge for a big one, you can cut open the stomach and examine the contents. I did this several times with carp in college and there was always lots to see. If you happen to know a hunter, you might be able to get something much larger. Enjoy!

60. Protease enzyme experiment - Some fruits, such as pineapples, naturally contain protein-digesting enzymes. If you attempt to make gelatin with a sufficient quantity of these fruits, it won't solidify. Try a bunch of different fruits and see which ones contain enzymes and which don't. Make sure you use fresh fruits as canned varieties can be unreliable. Then discuss enzyme activity and its importance in digestive processes.

61. Cell respiration experiment - Use germinating beans or yeast to indirectly measure the rate of cell respiration at different temperatures. You can accomplish this by placing these organisms inside a sealed system called a respirometer and measuring their CO2 production. It's a little complicated to set up for students, but you can prepare some of the materials ahead of time yourself. This experiment encourages accurate measurement techniques and can be used on invertebrates as well!

62. Magnetic field investigation - Put a magnet on a piece of paper and sprinkle with iron filings. Then draw the resulting magnetic field lines. Try different magnet shapes, or add multiple magnets in different arrangements to see how the magnetic field changes. If you have clear sheets of plexiglass or even just a blank laminated sheet you can put the magnets underneath and make cleanup MUCH easier.

63. Make a compass activity - Float a magnetized needle on water and watch it point north. Everyone has probably done this one at some point, but for younger students, this is still a tried and true way to observe the Earth's magnetic field. Apparently, you can also just suspend a bar magnet on a string and accomplish the same thing, but I've never tried that. Might be worth a go!

64. Fruit and vegetable battery experiment - Use a lemon or potato to generate electricity and power a simple device like a fan or light bulb. That's the basic version, anyway. You can make it more of an experiment by comparing how pH affects the voltage produced or by adjusting the distance between the electrodes. Obviously, you can also compare different fruits and vegetables to see which works the best. Some of them might surprise you (try a pumpkin!).

65. Series and parallel circuits investigation - Build different kinds of circuits and compare the voltage and current at different points. You'll need quite a few materials for a full class activity, including batteries, components, and a lot of wire, so consider doing this as part of a station activity if supplies are limited. You can also get kits that simplify and streamline the building process, but I like making students do it the hard way!

66. Electrical conductivity experiment - Compare the resistance of various materials using a multimeter. It's as simple as it sounds and generates really good data. The hardest part is finding similar materials for a fair test, as your wires need to be the same length and diameter if you are comparing different metals. One version of this activity involves using graphite from pencil drawings to compare conductivity. Simply draw two large dots on paper and connect them with a line. Then measure by placing your multimeter on the dots. Try making long or short lines, waves, or other shapes. Increase the thickness of your lines to see if that makes a difference.

67. Total internal reflection experiment - Shine a laser into a semi-circular transparent block at different angles until it reflects back rather than refracting through. You can use a small clear container or fish tank as well. Get students to use a protractor to find the critical angle, which can be calculated and compared for that substance as well. There are better ways to observe total internal reflection, including streaming water and the use of fiber optics, but those work better as demos.

68. Audio format sound quality experiment - Convert lossless quality music files to MP3s at different bit rates and see if your students can hear the differences in quality. You can do this with a free music editor such as Audacity . It's harder than you think, even with good headphones. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read the linked article about file formats and audio quality. Compare WAV files to 320 kbps VBR MP3s and 192 kbps CBR MP3s. Let your students choose their favourite songs if you like, or give them some music education by choosing yours!

69. Wi-fi signal strength experiment - See how different variables affect the signal strength of wi-fi signals, such as the distance, number of connected devices, or physical obstructions. Download a free signal strength app that measures in dBm to compare signals and collect data. Since this is a logarithmic scale you can take the opportunity to teach students about that, too. This is a super practical experiment that students find quite relevant to their needs.

70. Sheep/pig brain dissection - Another dissection, this time with a medium-sized brain. In order to get the most out of this lab, it's best to frontload a lot of the terminology and be sure students are familiar with the main brain regions and their functions. I like to get kids to follow along with a video dissection, pausing as needed, or just use a document camera to guide them through it yourself if you're confident to do so. One word of wisdom - don't freeze your brains prior to dissection. I do this with hearts and thought it would be fine, but nope! Brains turn to mush when you thaw them out.

71. Properties of bone experiment - Cook and soak bones in acid to remove the substances that give them strength. Chicken bones are the easiest to obtain, especially if you plan to have enough for a full class (there might be a wing night or two in your future!). You can combine this lab with a microscope investigation of bone tissue, or look at cross-sections of bones from avian and non-avian species (images are fine).

72. Antagonistic muscle groups activity - Construct a model of an antagonistic muscle group (the biceps/triceps arm pair is almost always used) and observe how the bones and muscles work during flexion and contraction. There are many different materials that can be used to make this work. It can be as simple as popsicle sticks and elastic bands, or more complicated models using wood or PVC to represent the bones and stretch cords or balloons for the muscles.

73. Observing body tissues microscope lab - Students look at a variety of human tissues under the microscope and attempt to identify them. It's not that hard to create mounts of different plant tissues, but animal tissues are a lot less practical. For these, I like to get a good set of prepared slides and have students do an ID quiz by rotating around the room. I'll usually give them a list of possible tissue types to choose from, but I don't always teach them what to look for ahead of time. The reasoning behind their choices is usually very good and worth writing down.

74. Microscope / biological drawings lab - In this lab, we revisit some properties of cells from earlier courses and refresh the students' memories on proper microscope use. In the process I have them create very detailed microscope drawings of protists - usually paramecium at 400x. The goal is to draw for accuracy and scale. I also need to regularly emphasize that students draw what they see, not what they expect to see.

75. Organs diagram activity - Students are given cutouts of human organs and have to place them in their correct positions on a blank torso. You can do this at the beginning or end of a topic (or both!), but either way, it's pretty hilarious to observe at times. After students are fairly confident with their choices, I have them label and annotate their diagrams explaining what each organ does. Finally, we look at the actual diagram and make corrections where necessary (I usually use a student exemplar from someone who knows what they're doing!). I've also done a whole class version of this exercise where I draw a life-sized torso on the whiteboard and have students take turns placing organs on it. There's a lot of communication from the 'audience' and it's always entertaining.

75. Dichotomous key activity - Students create a dichotomous key to differentiate and identify a selection of everyday objects. Sure, you could do this with images of actual species, in which case I would stick with a group of closely related organisms (turtles, sharks, cats, bears, etc.), however, I find that this is much more engaging when done with objects that have nothing to do with biology. Save yourself time and money by using whatever you have on hand, like candies, school supplies, or weird and random objects from your 'junk' drawer!

76. Flame test lab - Always a student favourite, this lab involves burning small quantities of metal salts to produce coloured flames. These can be used to identify specific metals. It is also the basis for the colours seen in fireworks. While that connection is easy to make, it's much harder for students to understand why each metal produces a different colour, but this is actually a good opportunity to introduce electron configurations. Let your students use their phones for this lab and they'll enjoy taking lots of cool photos and videos.

77. Properties of ionic and covalent compounds experiment - There are lots of ways to do this (and lots of compounds to test), but the simplest one I know of is to compare salt (sodium chloride), sugar (sucrose), and paraffin wax. Students can examine a number of properties, including melting point and conductivity, to determine the typical features of ionic and covalent substances. A much more interesting version of this experiment involves giving students a bunch of unknown substances and asking them to determine whether they are ionic or covalent. This is most easily accomplished by testing for conductivity, but let them figure that out for themselves!

78. Properties of metals lab - Students test a bunch of common metals to investigate their properties. This can include both a qualitative (describe the colour and other physical features) and quantitative analysis (measuring the conductivity, density, and so on). I find it best if you can get equally sized samples of each metal, whether that be cubes, wires, or strips. I usually have students fill out a table of all the properties. I also include a few rare metals (like gold, platinum, iridium, etc.) that they have to research and add to the table themselves).

79. Electroplating experiment - Students use a zinc solution and electricity to coat a copper plate with a thin layer of zinc. I make this a seasonal activity by drawing holiday-themed designs on the copper using a permanent marker. When removed, it creates a nice contrast between the dull grey zinc and shiny orange copper metals. Heat it lightly in a Bunsen burner and you'll create brass instead. Then punch a hole in the top and you've got a unique ornament for your Christmas tree.

80. Preventing rust experiment - Take a selection of iron nails and coat them with different protective substances before placing them in water. Leave them in there for a few days to see how much they rust. The goal is to learn about the factors that contribute to corrosion and to see if we can prevent it with readily available materials. You can also do a follow-up experiment where you use things like acid to remove the layer of rust.

81. Newton's 3rd law skateboard experiment - There are lots of versions of this, but I like to get kids up and moving a bit using rollerblades or skateboards if possible (safety first!). Get a student to sit on the skateboard and then toss a medicine ball. Measure how far they threw the ball and how far they rolled, and then repeat this with different masses of medicine balls (and students!). Do lots of trials to smooth out inconsistent data. If you don't have skateboards you can always just use balloon-powered rockets or cars to show the same concepts.

82. Hooke's law elastic spring constant experiment - With nothing more than a few small weights and an elastic band, you can investigate Hooke's law. This is so simple and quick that I would recommend doing it more than once with either different elastics or springs . As the name implies, springs produce better data, but you might not have enough for a full class, and once they're stretched out, that's pretty much the end of them.

83. Center of gravity experiment - Students try to find an accurate way of locating the center of gravity for irregularly shaped objects. I don't tell them how to do it at first to see if anyone can come up with a decent method. We might even test a few ideas if they seem reasonable, but otherwise, we'll go to the prescribed lab to complete the activity. All you need is a thick paper cut into irregular shapes. I use pieces of cardboard or old greeting cards.

84. Engineering challenges activity - Create and test towers and bridges using craft materials or building sets, then test them for strength and efficiency. Normally I do this at the end of our unit on forces and structures, but this year we did it twice - once at the beginning and then again after they had learned some more about construction and engineering. The results were greatly improved! My resources for this particular experiment are freely available here , by the way.

85. Types of mixtures lab - This is another great example of an experiment that makes use of what you have, saving you time and hopefully a shopping trip. Students mix household solids and liquids to explore different types of homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures. Use small quantities as this lab can generate a lot of waste that needs to be cleaned up. You can also illustrate the Tyndall effect by shining a flashlight through your mixtures to see if they scatter the light.

86. Dialysis or potato osmosis experiment - Use dialysis tubing to illustrate the concept of osmosis, typically with sugar, salt, or starch solutions of varying concentrations. Unfortunately, I rarely have dialysis tubing on hand, so we do the potato version with saltwater instead. I've been keeping our data for many years, however, so we compare and combine the data to arrive at much better results. My big breakthrough with this method has been to use cookie cutters when preparing the potato samples. It makes the sizes and surface areas much more consistent, although you still have to weigh each sample. 24 hours is a perfect amount of time to leave your samples in solution.

87. Molecular gastronomy spherification lab - Students make bubble tea using fruit juice. This is a fairly challenging experiment, but the result is often worth the effort (plus, you can eat it). Molecular gastronomy has a lot more to explore and honestly I wish I knew more about it. I've always wanted to try an activity to have students create and taste unusual flavour combinations based on similar chemical compounds, but I've never gotten around to it.

88. Chromatography crime lab - Separate the pigments in marker ink using various solvents in order to solve a 'crime'. You can go full CSI on this one if you're inspired to do so, and I think kids appreciate it. The experiment itself is not that thrilling, so you really have to play up the forensics angle and focus on the practical aspects of the technique.

89. Infection simulation - Give each student a solution that represents their body fluids. One student is 'infected' with a different solution. Students mingle around sharing fluids for a few rounds before testing the liquids to see who else is now infected. The cups containing the infected solution turn bright pink when phenolphthalein indicator is added. This is one of my favourite activities for exploring immunity, vaccination, and viruses. It also lends itself very well to discussions on STIs.

90. Graveyard survivorship and life expectancy investigation - Visit a local graveyard and collect as much data as you can. Then analyze it over the next couple of lessons. This is very location dependent, but luckily you can access similar records online using sites like Find A Grave . I still think going to the actual site where people are buried is much more meaningful, but it works either way. Use the results to create survivorship curves, compare life expectancy over time, and look for specific birth and death events. Try doing this as an interdisciplinary activity with social studies!

91. Electron flow student simulation - Kids act out an electrical circuit by pretending to be electrons. It sounds stupid, but it works beautifully and even older students usually come around once they try it. Increase the voltage by having students move faster. Add components and batteries using chairs or levels to show gaining and losing energy. Add switches to stop and start the flow of students. Then create a series or parallel circuit and get students to adjust their movements accordingly. Surprisingly I couldn't find a decent online version of this, so I guess I need to upload mine soon!

92. Fuse wire experiment - Use fuse wires of variable thickness to explore the relationship between current and resistance. You'll need a low-voltage power supply and the wires themselves, as well as other standard electrical circuit materials. This has the potential to be slightly dangerous, so be sure to prepare students adequately beforehand and make safety requirements clear.

93. Water quality investigation - There are many aspects of water that can be tested in schools, including hardness, pH, and the presence of nitrates. Purchase water quality testing kits to save yourself a ton of effort. I send each kid home with a small container and tell them to get some water. Most kids will bring their tap water, but some get creative and scoop a sample out of a puddle, pond, stream, or toilet (ew...). Label everything accordingly and then start analyzing those samples! I really love showing the film Erin Brockovich in combination with this activity as it's directly related and based on a true story.

94. Acid rain plant germination and growth experiment - Various concentrations of acidified water are used on germinating seeds and healthy plants to observe the effects on their growth and general health. You can use vinegar as the experiment here suggests, but I make a more realistic batch of 'acid rain' by combining nitric and sulfuric acids in order to get a pH below 5. We then dilute this solution as necessary to use on our plants. I like to use radishes since they grow so quickly and require very little space/depth. You can grow them right in the classroom with a few trays or planters.

95. Natural selection simulation - Students act as predators to capture prey using a variety of utensils. Both predator and prey populations change with each 'generation', but only the strongest survive! I really like this activity for introducing or reviewing the concept of natural selection, and it pairs well with the board game Evolution .

96. Hominid migration mapping activity - This website is awful, but the activity is great. Students use hominid fossil data to plot locations on a map and then suggest migration routes our ancestors might have taken. There is one typo in the data but I always forget to write down which one it is. Don't worry, your students will find it! When finished you can refer them to this updated interactive which helps explain human migration patterns.

97. Kepler's laws investigation - This is really a collection of experiments to explore the laws of planetary motion outlined by Johannes Kepler about 400 years ago. Students will be drawing and performing calculations related to ellipses and learning about centripetal force. There's a decent amount of geometry and other maths involved, so you might want to coordinate with the math department if that's something that interests you.

98. Lenses investigation - Using a series of lasers and lenses, students refract light and produce images on a screen to find focal lengths. This can be difficult without the proper equipment so I think it's worth investing in a couple of decent optics sets for your lab. Treat them well and they should last practically forever.

99. Eye dissection - Cow eyes are typically used for this investigation of eye structure and function. It's simple enough, but I haven't done it in years since it's hard to get the materials where I live. If you want to avoid the mess, there are many virtual options or videos you can use instead.

100. Doppler effect experiment - A simple smartphone app is used to explore the way motion affects sound frequencies. The experiment itself is pretty easy to do, but it's important to then link these concepts back to light and the expanding universe, which is responsible for the red-shift observed with very distant objects.

101. Night sky investigation - Another set of app investigations that use star-gazing software on your phone or tablet to explore the locations and movements of celestial objects. The good thing about these apps is that you can complete them in broad daylight, but I still think it's worth organizing a star-gazing event at night with telescopes so that students can view actual planets and moons. If you aren't confident running this yourself (I'm not), ask a physics teacher or contact your local astronomy club/observatory.

102. DIY Spectrometer experiment - Got a pile of useless CDs? Use them to create your own spectrometer to observe the spectral lines from different light sources. There are far more complicated designs available online if you are a tinkerer, but I find that this one works well enough for our purposes. There are some apps that will analyze a photo of spectral lines and suggest what elements might be present, but there isn't a single one that I would really recommend at this time. Explore what's available on your device as apps are constantly changing.

103. Molecular modeling activity - I'll take any excuse to get out the modeling kits. For this activity, students practice making various organic functional groups. I sometimes give each group equal components and see what kinds of different isomers they can come up with. It's easy to get caught up with complicated naming procedures in organic chemistry so I find that this hands-on activity helps to put some of the theory in perspective without being too demanding. If you want to challenge your students on a rainy afternoon (or whenever) give them something really big to make, like a phospholipid, or a section of DNA.

104. Esters investigation - Making esters by combining carboxylic acids with alcohols is relatively straightforward, if you have access to the necessary reactants. Students get to smell a bunch of things and relate this to compounds found naturally in foods and those artificially added to perfumes and other products. This lab makes use of concentrated sulfuric acid, which only you should handle for safety reasons.

105. Polymer slime activity - Making slime is fun for all ages, but you might wonder why I do it with grade 10 as it's more of an elementary school type of activity. Although younger students love to make and play with slime, they can't really appreciate the chemistry behind it, so that's why I toss this in at the end of a tough organic chemistry unit. You don't have to make the usual borax / PVA slime, but I find that it is simple and flexible enough to illustrate all of the concepts I want to hit. We also use this as a jumping-off point to discuss the use of plastics and other polymers as well as their effects on the environment.

106. Identifying plastics lab - Not all plastics are created equal in terms of their suitability for recycling. In this experiment, students will use the density of various plastic samples to identify them. We often watch a documentary associated with this experiment, such as Plastic Problem or Plastic Wars , both from PBS.

107. PCR and gel electrophoresis experiment - If your school has a PCR and electrophoresis machine, you're good to go and can begin examining samples of DNA without much effort, but if you don't, you'll need to connect with another organization that does. In the past, I've taken students to local universities in order to make use of their equipment, which they are usually happy to share for educational purposes. Sometimes they even prepare the lesson for us!

108. Flower anatomy investigation - If you plan to teach this unit in the warmer months you'll have access to all kinds of flowers you can dissect and examine. If you want to leave them on the plants you can just take photos I guess, but you'll miss out on exploring what's inside. Large flowers such as lilies are among the best and most straightforward examples of flower anatomy, but be sure to have a look at other flower types, including composites like sunflowers to see if your students can still identify all of the structures. Don't just look at flower structure, however. Make sure you discuss the functions of each part, and more importantly, why each species has evolved in a particular way. This is a good chance to talk about pollination as well.

109. Radioactive decay simulation - This is a statistics activity using dice to determine radioactive decay events. The experiment involves graphing, half-life calculations, and discussions on nuclear waste, so it's a well-rounded activity for any unit on radiation.

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Kristi Harjo

Adventures in ISTEM

8 Cool Scientific Method Experiments for Middle Schoolers to Try

August 10, 2023 by Kristi

It’s back to school time, and that means it’s time to reintroduce students to key science skills like the scientific method.  There are some simple and engaging scientific method experiments you can have your students do where they practice the key steps of the scientific method process.

The scientific method is a process that allows students to figure things out about the world.  They can use it to solve problems and learn more about what’s around them. 

It starts with making observations. Then, they ask questions about what they are seeing.  From there, they make an educated guess as to why the observing the phenomenon and what is causing it.  They create a controlled experiment to test their hypothesis where they gather data and more observations.  Next, they analyze the data to look for patterns and answers. Finally, they draw their conclusions and share their findings.  

Scientific Method Experiment 1: Paper Towel Test Strength

Growing up, for us, it was commercials that were designed to tell us which brand is best and why.  Now with Tik Tok and other social media, it is important for students to fact check what they are seeing. I like to show students old paper towel commercials and then have students create scientific method experiments to test the claims.

• First, I will show them one or two paper towel commercials that claim their brand is the best for strength and not tearing while it cleans the mess.
• Then, the students turn the commercials claim into a hypothesis.
• From there, they design a test to test the claim.  I usually provide four to five different towels, including the brown school paper towel and a generic store brand towel. I also provide different types of weights like marbles, washers, or pennies.
• The students perform their paper towel experiments and collect data.
• They then analyze the data and then use the evidence to determine if the commercial claim is true or false.

Scientific Method Experiment 2: Paper Towel Test Absorbancy

This is just like the strength test, but it focuses on the paper towels ability to absorb a spill. The steps are the same as the other test.  You could have half the class doing one test and the other half of the class doing the other test.  This way, you are using a lot of the same materials, and students can compare their results. In the end, you could see if they can create a test to determine which is the best paper towel for strength and absorbency.

• First, I will show them one or two paper towel commercials that claim their brand is the best for absorbing a mess over the other.
• From there, they design a test to test the claim.  I usually provide four to five different towels, including the brown school paper towel and a generic store brand towel.
• The students perform their experiments and collect data.

Scientific Method Experiment 3: Grow that gummy

I find that students love doing labs that involve food.  They especially like eating the leftover candies that weren’t used when the experiment is over. For this scientific method experiment , students use gummy candy and different liquids to determine which one will make the gummy candy grow the largest.  

• Start off by having the students make a hypothesis as to which type of liquid will make the gummy candy grow the largest. For liquids, you could use water, salt water, vinegar, milk, soda, juice, and vegetable oil.
• Then have students design an experiment that will test their hypothesis.  Have them share ideas for how they will measure the gummy and what factors will need to be controlled.
• Students will conduct the experiment and record their observations.
• They will then analyze the results and draw conclusions as to which liquid made the gummy candy grow the largest.
• Students will then share their results and compare their results and tests with other groups.  This step is important because if they created a controlled experiment, they should draw the same conclusions even though the actual data numbers might be different or the way they designed the test might be different.

Scientific Method Experiment 4: Candy Letter Lab

My students are always fascinated by this lab. Students act like magicians as they have the letters on the candy levitate to the top of the liquid without touching the candy.  

• Start by using hard candy that has a letter or word stamped on it.  If find that Skittles and m&m’s work best for this. You might want to have some groups test Skittles while others test m&m’s to see if they get different results.
• Have students create a hypothesis for which liquid they think will be the best at removing the letter from the candy.
• Next, students will design an experiment that will test their hypothesis.  
• They will then analyze the results and draw conclusions as to which liquid was the fastest at removing the letter from the candy.
• Students will then share their results and compare their results and tests with other groups.  

Scientific Method Experiment 5: Where did the stripes go?

This is a great lab to do during the winter holidays when candy canes are in more abundance.  In this lab, the students design scientific method experiments to see which liquid will remove the stripes from the candy cane the fastest.  

• Start by using a regular candy cane or red and white peppermint candy.  I find the mini candy canes work the best and are not that expensive when you buy them in bulk.
• Have students create a hypothesis for which liquid they think will be the best at removing the red stripes from the candy cane. 
• They will then analyze the results and draw conclusions as to which liquid was the fastest at removing the stripes from the candy cane.

Scientific Method Experiment 6: Growing plants

One scientific method experiment that is good to do at the beginning of a long unit is growing plants from seeds.  This takes a while to see results, so it’s one that you will want to start and then check on periodically over a few weeks. 

The best seeds to use for this would be green beans, spinach, lettuce, or radish.  They have short germination periods.  To start, students can discuss what plants need to grow and thrive.  They can come up with a variety of different questions about how different factors might affect plant growth.

• Have students choose one question they want to test.
• Then, students create a hypothesis for their question. 
• They will then analyze the results and draw conclusions to determine if their hypothesis was supported or not supported.

Scientific Method Experiment 7: Pendulum swing

This lab is great for students to determine not only the hypothesis but also the question. You might want to start off with a demonstration of a single pendulum.  You can then start an “I Wonder” session.  I wonder how adding more weight affects the number of swings? I wonder how adding more weight affects the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth 10 times. Have students come up with their own I Wonder questions.  Once you have a good list, they can then choose one of them that they would like to test and investigate.

• Have students create a hypothesis for their question. 
• Students will conduct the pendulum experiment and record their observations.

Scientific Method Experiment 8: Crystal Growing

This is another lab I like to do before winter break.  Students can not only practice the steps of the scientific method, but they can also create ornaments or sun catchers that they can then take home.  In this scientific method experiment , students will be given different questions about crystals and decide which question they would like to test.

• Does the type of solution affect the amount of crystal growth?
• Does the type of solution affect the size of the crystals?
• Does the level of saturation affect the amount of crystal growth?
• Does the level of saturation affect the size of the crystals?
• Does the temperature of the solution affect the amount of crystal growth?
• Does the temperature of the solution affect the size of the crystals?

Why Teach the Scientific Method

Having students practice using the steps of the scientific method helps them to develop the soft skills that they will need outside of school and when they enter adulthood.

• Critical thinking skills- Being able to analyze data, draw conclusions, and make evidence-based decisions.
• Problem-solving abilities- approaching challenges using a systematic approach by identifying the problem, forming a hypothesis, and finding solutions.
• Communication skills- communicating effectively their findings and using evidence to support their conclusions.

Practicing the steps of the scientific method provides middle school students with a host of valuable benefits that extend beyond the classroom. Engaging in scientific method experiments such as testing paper towel strength and absorbency, growing crystals, and investigating candy properties helps students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication.

These skills are vital for their future endeavors, enabling them to make evidence-based decisions, tackle real-life challenges, and express their findings clearly. Embracing the scientific method empowers students to explore the world around them and equips them with essential skills for success in adulthood.

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Middle School Science Experiments

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Get ideas for science experiments targeted at the middle school educational level. Find out how to perform an experiment and get a hypothesis to test.

Fruit Battery Experiment

 Natthakan Jommanee / EyeEm / Getty Images

Make a battery using household materials and a piece of fruit. Does one type of fruit or vegetable work better than another? Remember, it's easiest to test the null hypothesis . Hypothesis: Current produced by a fruit battery does not depend on the type of fruit that is used.

Battery Experiment Resources

How to Make a Fruit Battery Electrochemical Cells Potato-Powered LCD Clock Human Battery Demonstration

Bubbles and Temperature

 Sascha Jung / EyeEm

Blowing bubbles is fun. There is a lot of science to bubbles, too. You can perform an experiment to see how factors affect bubbles. What is the perfect bubble solution? What makes the best bubble wand? Can you color bubbles with food coloring? Does temperature affect how long bubbles last? Hypothesis: Bubble life is not affected by temperature. Bubble Experiment Resources More about Bubble Life and Temperature Glowing Bubbles Bubble Fingerprints

Breakfast and Learning

You've heard about how important breakfast is to performance in school. Put it to the test! There are several experiments you can design around this topic. Does eating breakfast help you stay on task? Does it matter what you eat for breakfast? Would breakfast help you equally well for math as for English?

Hypothesis: Students who eat breakfast will not score differently on a vocabulary test than students who skipped breakfast.

Rocket Balloon Experiment

 Radu Dan / Getty Images

Rocket balloons are a fun way to study the laws of motion, plus they use a safe propellant.

You can design a middle school experiment exploring the effect of balloon size on the distance a rocket travels, whether the temperature of the air makes a difference, whether a helium balloon rocket and an air balloon rocket travel the same distance, and more.

Hypothesis: The size of the balloon doesn't affect the distance a balloon rocket travels. Rocket Experiment Resources Make a Match Rocket Newton's Laws of Motion

Crystal Experiments

 mark watson (kalimistuk) / Getty Images

Crystals are good middle school experimental subjects. You can examine the factors that affect the rate of crystal growth or the form of the crystals that are produced.

Sample Hypothesis:

• The rate of evaporation does not affect final crystal size.
• Crystals grown using food coloring will be the same size and shape as those grown without it.

Crystal Experiment Resources Crystal Science Fair Projects What Is a Crystal? How to Grow Crystals How to Make a Saturated Solution Crystal Projects to Try

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Science Experiments For Middle Schoolers

Middle schoolers love science! These hands-on middle school science experiments can be completed in the classroom or at home, whether you’re exploring viscosity, density, liquids, solids, and more. Below you’ll find a great list of middle school science activities and experiments, including 7th grader science fair project ideas to get you started. 

What is Middle School Science?

Are you looking for cool science experiments for kids that also offers a valuable opportunity to learn basic chemistry, physics, and earth science concepts? With simple ingredients and basic materials, your middle school students will have a blast with these easy science experiments.

You’ll find that just about every science experiment on the list below uses supplies you can easily find around the house or classroom or are quick and easy to pick up at the supermarket.

Mason jars, empty plastic bottles, baking soda, salt, vinegar, zip-top bags, rubber bands, glue, hydrogen peroxide, food coloring (always fun but optional), and various other common ingredients make science accessible to everyone!

Explore chemical reactions to simple machines, surface tension, gravity, buoyancy, and more with various science experiments, demonstrations, and activities.

Printable Science and STEM Packs

For a comprehensive guide to all of our science and STEM projects , make sure to look at these guides to get started today.

Try These Science Experiments for Middle Schoolers

Grab a pen and make a list! Everything you need for educational and fun science is right here.

At the end of this huge list, you’ll find more science resource guides such as vocabulary words , book choices , and information on the science process !

Alka Seltzer Rocket

Get ready for some fun with this Alka Seltzer Rocket. Easy to set up and simple to do, it is chemistry in action!

Apple Browning Experiment

How do you keep apples from turning brown? Do all apples turn brown at the same rate? Answer these burning apple science questions with an apple oxidation experiment.

Archimedes Screw

Archimedes’ screw, is one of the earliest machines used for moving water from a lower area to a higher area. Make an Archimedes screw that uses cardboard and a water bottle to create a machine to move cereal!

Atoms are tiny but very important building blocks of everything in our world. What are the parts of an atom?

Balloon Experiment

Blow up a balloon using a baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction. Also try our soda balloon experiment .

Blubber Experiment

How do whales stay warm in very cold water? Test out how blubber works as an insulator with this fun science experiment.

Bottle Rocket

There’s nothing better than a baking soda and vinegar reaction when it comes to science experiments, and it is great for a variety of ages including middle schoolers.

Cabbage pH Indicator

Explore how re cabbage can be used to test liquids of varying acid levels. Depending on the pH of the liquid, the cabbage turns various shades of pink, purple, or green! It’s incredibly cool to watch, and kids love it!

Cells (Animals and Plants)

Learn about the unique structures that make up plant and animal cells with these two free, hands-on STEAM projects.

Candy Experiments

Take a sweet treat and apply science to it. There are a variety of ways you can experiment and explore candy for physics fun!

Crushed Can Experiment

Love exploding experiments? YES!! Well here’s another one the kids are sure to love except this one is an imploding or collapsing experiment! Learn about atmospheric pressure with this incredible can crusher experiment.

Dancing Corn

Can you make corn dance? Explore a simple chemical reaction, with the addition of corn kernels. Also try it with raisins or cranberries !

Dancing Sprinkles

Turn on your favorite tunes and make colorful sprinkles dance! Explore sound and vibrations when you try this fun   dancing sprinkles experiment.

DIY Compass

Learn what a compass is and how a compass works, as you make your own homemade compass. All you need are a few simple materials to get started.

DNA Extraction

Usually, you can’t see DNA except with a high-powered microscope. But with this strawberry DNA extraction experiment, you can get the DNA strands to release from their cells and bind together into a format that’s visible with the naked eye.

Egg Drop Challenge

Take the egg drop challenge as you investigate what makes for the best shock absorber for dropping an egg without it breaking on impact.

Egg In Vinegar Experiment

Can you make an egg bounce? Find out with this chemical reaction, of an egg in vinegar.

Elephant Toothpaste

Explore a foaming exothermic chemical reaction with hydrogen peroxide and yeast that looks like “Elephant toothpaste”!

Dry-Erase Marker Experiment

Create a dry-erase drawing and watch it float in water.

Floating Rice

Grab some rice and a bottle, and let’s find out what happens when you put a pencil in the mix! Do you think you can lift a bottle of rice with a pencil? Try this fun friction experiment and find out.

Green Pennies Experiment

Why is the Statue of Liberty green? It’s a beautiful patina, but how does it happen? Explore the science in your own kitchen or classroom by making green pennies.

Growing Crystals

There are several ways to explore super saturated solutions and grow crystals. Grow borax crystals , sugar crystals or check out how to grow salt crystals . All three chemistry experiments are cool for kids!

Heart Model

Use this heart model project for a hands-on approach to anatomy. You only need a few simple supplies and very little prep to make this fun heart pump model.

Invisible Ink

Write a message that no one else can see until the ink is revealed with your own invisible ink! Cool chemistry that’s perfect to do at home or in the classroom. Compare it with a different type of invisible ink with cranberry secret messages .

Lava Lamp Experiment

What happens when you drop alka seltzer tablets into oil and water? This type of experiment explores both physics and chemistry.

Liquid Density Experiment

This fun liquid density experiment explores how some liquids are heavier or denser than others.

Lemon Battery

What can you power with a lemon battery? Grab some lemons and a few other supplies, and find out how you can make lemons into lemon electricity! Also try this with potatoes !

Learn how our amazing lungs work, and even a bit of physics with this easy balloon lung model. 

The chemical reaction in this magic milk experiment is fun to watch and makes for great hands-on learning.

Melting Ice Experiment

What makes ice melt faster? Investigate with a fun ice melting experiment that kids are sure to enjoy. Plus, try an icy STEM challenge.

Mentos and Coke

Here’s another fizzing experiment kids are sure to love! All you need are Mentos and Coke. It’s not a chemical reaction taking place like you might think.

Milk and Vinegar

Transform a couple of common kitchen ingredients into a moldable, durable piece of a plastic-like substance. Make plastic milk with a chemical reaction.

Oil Spill Experiment

Apply science to the care and protection of the environment with this oil spill demonstration. Learn about an oil spill and investigate the best ways to clean it up.

Penny Boat Challenge

Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks. How many pennies will it take to make your boat sink? Learn about simple physics while you test out your engineering skills.

Pepper and Soap Experiment

Sprinkle some pepper in water and make it dance across the surface. Explore surface tension of water when you try this pepper and soap experiment.

Pop Rocks and Soda

Pop rocks is a fun candy to eat, and now you can turn it into an easy Pop Rocks science experiment.

Potato Osmosis Lab

Explore what happens to potatoes when you put them in concentration salt water and then pure water.

Rising Water Experiment

Place a burning candle in water and watch what happens to the water. Explore the science of burning candles when you try this fun candle experiment.

Salad Dressing- Emulsification

You can mix oil and vinegar for the perfect salad dressing! It’s called emulsification. Simple science you can set up with ingredients found in your kitchen cupboards.

Saltwater Density Experiment

Investigate whether an egg will sink or float in salt water.

Skittles Experiment

Explore what happens to skittles candy in water and why the colors don’t mix.

Screaming Balloon

This screaming balloon experiment is an awesome   physics activity! Explore centripetal force or how objects travel a circular path with a few simple supplies.

Grab the glue and make a classic chemistry demonstration. Slime is all about science and a must try at least one. If you want a 2 for1, our magnetic slime is just about the coolest thing you’ll ever play with… it’s alive (well, not really)!

Stormwater Runoff

What happens to rain or melting snow when it can’t go into the ground? Set up an easy stormwater runoff model with your kids to explore what happens.

Surface Tension Experiments

Learn what the surface tension of water is and check out these cool surface tension experiments to try at home or in the classroom.

Walking Water

Watch the water travel as it makes a rainbow of color! How does it do that?

Free Printable Science Fair Project Pack

Looking to plan a science fair project, make a science fair board or want an easy guide to set up your own science experiments? Go ahead and grab this free printable science fair project pack to get started!

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• All About Scientists
• Free Science Worksheets
• DIY Science Kits
• Science Tools for Kids
• Scientific Method for Kids
• Citizen Science Guide
• Join us in the Club

Bonus STEM Projects

STEM activities include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As well as our kid’s science experiments, we have lots of fun STEM activities for you to try. Check out these STEM ideas below…

• Building Activities
• Engineering Projects For Kids
• LEGO Engineering Projects
• What Is Engineering For Kids?
• Coding Activities For Kids
• STEM Worksheets
• Top 10 STEM Challenges For Kids

Printable STEM Activities Pack

80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!

• Full instructions with sample images
• Activity-specific instruction sheets
• Data Collection Sheets
• Questions for Reflection
• Architecture Building Cards: Try the tallest tower challenge
• Bridge Building Cards: Explore different types of bridges to build your own.
• Paper Chain STEM Challenge: Who can make the longest chain? Great icebreaker or quick challenge!
• 3 Little Pigs Architectural Pack: Design a house that won’t blow away!
• Great marshmallow challenge: A classic challenge kids love!
• Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
• What’s the difference between a scientist and an engineer?
• Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
• Engineering vocabulary cards
• Design a one-of-a-kind invention and write about it with this 5-page activity!

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

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

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

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

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

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

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7 Easy Scientific Method Experiments

Kids’ natural curiosity never fails to amaze me. Their imaginations and observation skills run wild, especially at the elementary level. And the classroom is the perfect place to explore and exercise their curious minds!

When it comes to introducing younger students to scientific concepts like drawing observations and conclusions, the scientific method is a great place to start. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. I’ve seen some pretty intense resources that teach the scientific method for kids, and they’ve been anything but kid friendly!

My preferred way to teach science is to boil the scientific method down to these 5 steps:

• Asking a research question
• Making a hypothesis
• Doing the experiment
• Taking observations
• Writing a conclusion

Keeping the scientific method for kids simple lets them explore their world without confusing them too much. When it comes to science concepts, we want to ease younger students in — not overwhelm them. This helps kids build a love of science that will last their whole lives!

With all that being said, I’ve gathered my favorite easy scientific method experiments for younger students into one bundle for you! These 7 Easy Science Experiments to Teach the Scientific Method are amazing because they all follow the same framework. This helps students know what to expect when it’s time to experiment and keeps your curriculum cohesive. Once we do one or two, my class gets into a nice groove and doesn’t need much direction on my part.

Plus, each of these experiments are available in a digital format, so they’re perfect for in-person or distance learning! And since they are so easy for students to follow, students will have no problem completing them at home.

What are the 7 easy scientific method experiments?

I’m glad you asked! Here is everything that is included in the scientific method for kids bundle:

1. Rainbow Milk Experiment

In the Rainbow Milk Magic Experiment, students will combine milk, dish soap, and food coloring to learn all about why the colors begin to swirl and look as if they are exploding into a rainbow. This is such a simple science experiment that works great with students of any age!

2. Tornado in a Bottle Experiment

This Tornado in a Bottle Experiment is the perfect way to teach the scientific method to kids. Students will practice measuring to fill a water bottle, then add dish soap and of course some glitter! They will then create a vortex to simulate a tornado and learn all about tornadoes.

3. Fingerprint Science Experiment

In the Fingerprint Science Experiment, students will become detectives and investigate their fingerprints while learning about the scientific method! This STEM fingerprint science experiment will cover the three types of fingerprints and super fun facts about fingerprints in humans and animals.

4. Marshmallow Toothpick Tower Science Experiment

The Marshmallow Toothpick Tower Science Experiment teaches students about building structures. They get to build their own masterpieces with marshmallows and toothpicks. As a bonus, this one ends in a tasty snack that students can enjoy!

5. Coffee Filter Digital Science Experiment

Students will learn about pigment and chromatography through this engaging experiment. They will get to draw a picture on a coffee filter using markers and observe what happens when it is sprayed with water. This is a fantastic way to introduce students to the concept of chemistry!

6. Slime Experiment

What kid doesn’t love slime?! This fun experiment lets them make their own with just a few household supplies. I love using this one during Halloween — it’s got the perfect spooky vibe!

7. Clean a Dirty Penny Science Experiment

Students love to collect and bring in a dirty penny for this science experiment. Students discover which cleaning solution works best to clean it and why using the scientific method! All you need are pennies, water, dish soap, salt, and vinegar. It’s a great option for Presidents’ Day, too!

What’s included in each scientific method for kids experiment?

I recently edited this bundle of experiments to include a table of contents, digital versions on Google Slides, and some great teacher tips to help your experiments run smoothly and make life easier for you. Each experiment includes…

●       Explanation of the experiment, great for parents to follow at home!

●       Guiding Question and Hypothesis

●       Experiment (Picture and written)

●       Observations (Picture and written)

●       Conclusion

●       The science behind the experiment explained (includes fill in the blank option as well)

There you have it: everything you need to teach the scientific method to your students or a child at home!

Teaching the scientific method to kids doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s best to stick to 5 steps and use the same experimental format to keep science lessons cohesive. My 7 Easy Science Experiments to Teach the Scientific Method are an amazing option for anyone looking to introduce students to key STEM concepts!

How often do you experiment in your classroom? What’s your favorite experiment to do? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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You may also like, 3 digital science lessons for elementary students, free 1st grade math warm-ups, fingerprint science project for kids, 2nd grade fractions activity, number search puzzle for fun multiplication and division practice.

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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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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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• Nov 18, 2019

10 Simple Experiments for Density and Buoyancy and Air Pressure

Updated: Jun 24, 2020

Develop an understanding of air pressure, buoyancy, and density using a series of hands-on labs.

When I’m teaching a science concepts like air pressure and density my goal is to help kids build mental models of what’s going on. Whenever possible I try to start with something they can touch and feel and experience. Here’s a simple sequence we did in my classroom. I hope you can see how students’ understanding builds.

1. Air is Stuff: Air Pressure Experiment with Water

This activity is a good place to start. When you try to pour water into the jug, it won’t go in. This is a concrete way to show that air is stuff. This always surprises and puzzles kids and encourages them to play. And when they’re intrigued, kids engage with difficult material more easily.

This is where we begin our study of buoyancy. Can you see where this will lead?

If you don’t get the idea that air is stuff, you won’t believe that it has weight. And if you don’t believe that air has weight, you won’t see how it can produce pressure. And if you don’t understand how air produces pressure, you won’t be able to see how it creates buoyancy. And if you don’t understand how buoyancy works, then it’s tough to grasp the concept of density. Sure, you can memorize the formula for density, but what does that tell you about density? BTW what IS the formula for density? And will it be on the test?

2. Matter Presses: Understanding Pressure

Once we proved to ourselves that air is stuff, we’ll play with the concepts of weight and pressure. This activity is free on my website. If you’re interested in a copy, you can sign up here.

This is a super simple activity to show kids how the weight of an object (our body) doesn’t change as you change your position (squatting, sitting, standing on tiptoe), yet its pressure does. It’s a concrete way for kids to feel the connection between the concepts of weight and pressure.

We’re just getting started on our investigation into density, buoyancy, and air pressure. These three concepts are related, and it’s helpful to study them together. In this activity, kids see how pressure comes from weight. We’ll continue that line of thought in the next couple of activities.

3. Streamlines: Water Pressure Experiments with a Water Bottle

Have you tried this experiment? It’s easy, a little messy, and super fun. Plus, kids find it intriguing, so that’s a huge point in its favor. 

How many observations can you make? Note how the lower streams are shooting farther than the upper ones. What could you conclude from that?

Click here (or on a pic) for middle school labs on this topic.

This is a visual example showing how pressure comes from weight. The greater push comes from the taller column of water. Kids can prove this to themselves by comparing bottles of different diameters and heights. It’s easy to conclude that it’s only the height of the water that changes the shape of the squirt.

This activity gives good evidence that the water sitting above the hole produces the pressure. This is a direct correlation to air pressure, which comes from the weight of Earth’s air sitting on top of you. 

The difficulty with understanding air pressure is that we ignore the surrounding air. We rarely think of air as sitting on us. It’s invisible so we forget it’s there.  Time to roll the tape from activity #1 . Air is stuff. It’s always there and we need to remember this to understand air pressure.

If you climb a mountain to a place where there’s less air above you, there’s less pressure. And vice versa, the lower you go, the higher the pressure. We call sea-level standard pressure, but if you go below sea level (into a cave for instance) air pressure increases. 

[Students may know that air high in the atmosphere is thinner than that near sea level. While that’s important, it’s a separate issue and we don’t deal with it yet.]

This is part 3 of our conceptual journey—we’ve determined that air is stuff and we’ve connected weight to pressure. The definition of stuff is that it has weight and takes up space. And if air has weight, it must be able to produce pressure by sitting on stuff. 

And what keeps air sitting on Earth? The same force that keeps every other substance sitting on Earth… gravity! Just because it’s light and thin and invisible doesn’t make it immune to gravity. Gravity gives air its weight and air’s weight produces pressure. It’s that simple. The complicated part is that we haven’t trained our brains to think in those terms. We forget that air is there and we forget that air is stuff. So it’s helpful to refer to experiments that kids have completed—like trying to pour water into a sealed bottle (experiment #1 ). The water won’t go in because the bottle is already full… of air.

And this is our job as teachers—to help kids think like scientists.

4. Nature Abhors a Vacuum: Playing with Suction Cups

Now that we’re beginning to get an idea of where air pressure comes from, what if we could change it? What if we could change the pressure around an object? How would that affect it? In this activity, we play with suction cups. Their shape allows them to trap some air and then change their volume. 

If their volume increases but the amount of air inside stays the same, the pressure will drop. Now the inside pressure is less than the outside pressure. It’s this small difference that makes suction cups stick. The higher outside air pressure is pushing them against the surface, keeping them attached.

This is a good activity to delve into the idea that pressure can come from two different sources. We’ve already looked at what causes the outside, or atmospheric, pressure (air’s weight). 

And now we’re looking at the pressure which comes from the air pushing against the sides of the container. All gasses exhibit this pushiness. This is a more common understanding of air pressure and one that confuses kids when they’re learning about atmospheric pressure.

5. Nature Abhors a Vacuum: Playing in the Tub

Who hasn’t tried this? Umm, a lot of kids apparently. Part of our job as science teachers is to help kids play with materials so they can discover concepts on their own. Play builds a library of phenomena and experiences that kids can refer to when unpacking their understandings.  Here they see how they can lift a full, upside-down cup and it doesn’t empty. It remains full until the rim of the cup breaks the surface of the water. They can use a bottle of any shape or size and see the same results.

What keeps the water in the cup? 

Water seeks its level by falling to the lowest point. But for water to leave this cup, a vacuum would have to form in the space since there’s no way for air to enter. The surrounding air pressure pushes on the surface of the water and holds the water in the cup. 

What if the cup were very tall, wouldn’t the pressure from the water in the cup overwhelm the atmospheric pressure? Yup!

Normal air pressure is about 15 pounds per square inch. For a one inch column of water to weigh 15 pounds, it would need to be about 32 feet high. 

Above 32 feet a vacuum would form and the water would not stay higher than that. This is the basis for early barometers. These were made with mercury because it’s super dense and therefore short enough to fit inside a room. Making a water barometer is a cool experiment if you have the time and space for it.

Do you see the barometer here? The sealed tube of mercury is inverted into an open dish of mercury, just like the experiment we did with the cup and water. As the room’s air pressure rises and falls because of changing weather, the height of the mercury will rise and fall.

(Click the image to go to the full painting)

6. Determining Density: An Experiment for Kids

This is the classic way to find the density of an object. While you can use anything that sinks, I prefer polymer clay. It’s sold under brand names Fimo and Sculpey, but there are off-brands too. The beauty of this clay is that it doesn’t dry out, doesn’t leave a residue, and you can use it in water. 

But why clay? By using clay, you can show that density is a quality of a substance. It doesn’t change if you have more or less of the substance. Kids can calculate the density for two or three different-sized lumps to prove this to themselves.

Click the image to go to the lab directions.

7. How do Boats Float? A Buoyancy Lab

You can understand floating and sinking in two ways: 

First, you can look at the way pressure changes with the depth or height of a fluid. As we saw in Activity #3 above, the pressure in a fluid depends on how deep the fluid is. The deeper you are, the higher the pressure is. So, if you’re standing in water, the pressure at your feet is higher than near your head. This difference in pressure causes a force that pushes you upward.

Do you float? It depends. You also have a downward force (your weight) so these two forces work against each other and the larger one wins. 

Another way to look at sinking and floating is to realize that water holds up the water above it. If you could remove a chunk of water and replace it with another object of identical size, will that object float or sink? It depends. If the object weighs more than the same volume of water, then it will sink. If it weighs less, it will float. And if it weighs exactly the same, it will neither float nor sink but stay where you put it.

It’s this second idea that we’re exploring here. We’re determining how much water an object displaces and whether that amount of water weighs more or less than the object. The cool thing about this procedure is that you can use it with floating objects. Here the boat displaces an amount of water. If we collect and weigh this water, we see that it weighs more than the entire boat. Here we're using polymer clay which is cool because it won't float if it's a solid ball, but it does float if its shaped like a boat. You could also use a square of foil to shape an aluminum foil boat but it's a little less forgiving when trying to reshape it multiple times..

So the weight of the boat (a downward force) is less than what the water can support (the upward force) and the boat floats. If we loaded the boat with weights, it would still displace the same amount of water. When would it sink? At the point when its weight increased beyond the weight of the displaced water. 

I like this setup because it’s simple and cheap to make and is easy to store.

8. Air Is Compressible: How to Deflate a Marshmallow

This activity uses two different pumps—one that pumps air into a bottle and one that pumps air out of a bottle. Can you think what beverage you might use each for?

I love using marshmallows for this since they’re soooo visual. This always draws a WOW from kids and they want to do it over and over. When you pump air in, the marshmallows contract and when you pump the air out, they expand. The marshmallows fatigue over time, but you can use them a few times for sure.

Here we’re back to exploring the idea that air pressure is a function of how much gas is inside a confined space. If you add more molecules to the space, the pressure goes up and if you take some out, the pressure drops. This doesn’t explain surrounding (ambient) air pressure or why that rises and falls, but it’s an important part of understanding.

9. Out with a Bang: Heat Causes Expansion

This is another not-to-be-missed activity that your students will want to try over and over. It’s simple and quick. I let them do it themselves, though I supervised closely.

Add a centimeter or two of water to an empty can. Place it on a hot plate until the water is at or near boiling. Using tongs, remove the can and invert it into a bowl of water. BANG! The can collapses instantly.

What’s going on? As you heat the water, it turns to gas and drives out much of the air that was filling the can. Since the water vapor is hot, it doesn’t take much to fill the can. When you place the can into the water, it cools and the water vapor condenses. The pressure in the can drops dramatically (since it’s sealed and no air can get in) and the higher outside air crushes the can.

Sometimes the can doesn’t get crushed, but fills with water. Can you see why? Here, the air pressure pushes water into the can until the air pressure inside and outside are equal. It’s the same explanation but with a different outcome. And if this happens, you can reuse the can for another try!

10. Local Pressure: Heat Causes Expansion

This is the last in our lineup. Here we add some very hot water to a milk jug and swirl it around to heat the plastic. Next we dump out the water and cap the jug and wait. Before long the jug implodes. It’s not as dramatic as the previous demo but it gets the point across. I appreciate doing different setups that focus on the same concepts. It helps solidify ideas.

Plus, we’re scientists, we repeat stuff.

As much as possible, we begin with concrete experiences that kids use to construct their understanding based on what they’re seeing. A sequence like this forms the basis of our comprehension and gives us something to discuss and return to again and again.

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20 Science Experiments for Middle School Students

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The amazing human battery, the potato powered clock, the rocket balloon, the balloon powered car, the match rocket, newton’s laws of motion, salt water conductivity experiment, crush the can experiment, demonstration of centripetal force, demonstration of centrifugal force, neutralization experiment, the homemade thermometer, cleaning water with sunlight, extracting dna from spinach, acids and bases producing colors, cleaning copper pennies, measure heights with your shadow, make beeswax lip balm.

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14 Science Experiments for Middle School — Unlock the Wonders of The World in Your Classroom

1. Crystals

Unleash your creativity and amaze even the biggest skeptics with this delightful experiment! It’s simple to set up yet produces stunningly beautiful results that will be sure to captivate students.

2. Copper Plate Coins

Watch this video to fully understand how to conduct the experiment.

3. A Solar Oven

What You’ll Need:

4. Dissect a Flower

Dissection is both an effective and engaging way to teach anatomy – but it can be tough for younger classes when the cost or contents don’t quite fit. That’s why flowers have become a great alternative: they offer up just as much knowledge, with little messiness and even less fuss.

Starting with simpler dissection exercises can be an exciting way to introduce students to the fascinating and intricate world of anatomy.

5. Homemade Thermometer

Thermometers have an impressive history of being essential to many parts of our world, such as health and the environment. Believe it or not – making your own thermometer is just a few steps away.

Students can now explore the mysterious world of acids and bases in a fun, creative way. By testing different items with this method, students will develop an understanding of the general level of acidity. Unlocking secrets never seemed so easy.

After watching this video you’ll get understanding pH scales and identifying acidic and basic materials.

7. Oil Spills

8. water clock.

Water’s passage of time can be tracked by two distinct clocks. Inflow water clocks collect the liquid into a vessel, allowing users to measure its accumulation along graduated markings. Alternatively, outflow versions record how many escapes from their containers in order to calculate minutes and hours gone by.

9. Purify Water

Watch this video and learn how to do own water filter using simple materials.

10. Hanging Compass

Discover together why compasses always point north and uncover secrets about magnetism in your classroom – it’s sure to be fascinating for everyone involved.

11. Grow Box

As the warm days of summer fade, a chill creeps in that demands we put on layers before stepping outside. Our gardens go dormant as plants wilt and our own homegrown produce bows out for the season.

It’s with sadness that I bid goodbye to those freshly picked veggies from my garden – always providing so much more satisfaction than store-bought varieties!

12. How Color Influences Memory

This simple middle-school science experiment isn’t just a fun activity – it gives students an excellent opportunity to learn skills that can help them be successful with any subject.

This video has a lot to say about how color affects our mood and behavior.

13. Da Vinci Bridge

14. find out how sugary drinks affect teeth.

We all know that sugary drinks can have adverse reactions on our health, but what happens when we show young students the extent of those effects?

Here’s an example how one of my colleagues experimented with her students.

Students in #PAGrade8 performing controlled experiments to determine which reactants are responsible for the changes observed in a chemical reaction. ?‍? ? #PAExplore @PA_Sciences pic.twitter.com/tT2Ew1Shpl — Middle School | Pulaski Academy (@PA_MidSchool) February 28, 2023

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Overall, these science experiments for middle school are great for teaching middle school students the basics of science. Each experiment has its own unique approach to introducing scientific concepts and principles in an engaging way that will help them understand more complex topics later on.

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Top 13 Simple Science Experiments for Middle Schoolers

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Middle school science fairs and hands-on science lessons are an exciting and immersive part of any student’s education, and there is a great deal of potential to make them super fun!

When first looking into ideas for projects to take on, however, it can feel a little daunting. After all, what experiments strike the perfect balance between fascinating and achievable for young children?

If you’re trying to get started and have hit a bit of a roadblock with those blue-ribbon ideas to inspire future STEM leaders , here are 13 great ideas that are age appropriate while also being interesting and challenging!

Table of Contents

• Test How Color Affects Memory

Are specific colors better for your memory? Does it help to write notes and flashcards in one color more than it does with another?

This is a low-budget project that any student or classroom could take on, requiring only a variety of colored pens or markers, index cards and participants.

• Gather willing participants (classmates, teachers, etc.) and select a few obscure dates from history.
• On three sets of index cards, write the dates on the front and the event that corresponds with the dates on the back. One group should be in black marker, the second should be in a color that matches the emotional response to an event (red for danger, green for growth, etc.) and the third should be a different, randomly chosen color.
• Divide participants into the control group, the trend group and the random group. Give them all time to study the cards and then test their memory either through written or oral examination.
• The next day, conduct the same test with the participants without giving them additional study time to test long-term memory.

Not only is this middle school science experiment extremely easy to conduct, it can also help students learn potential vital study skills for any subject area in their future!

• Use Charcoal to Purify Water

Water filtration systems are extremely common nowadays, but to many it’s a complete mystery how they actually work!

This is a fairly simple experiment as well, so you’ll only need a measuring cup, a teaspoon, two baby food jars, water, activated charcoal and red food coloring.

• Fill the measuring cup with ½ cup of water and add 8 drops of food coloring. Pour half of the mixture into each of the jars.
• Add 2 teaspoons of activated charcoal to one jar and put the lids on both jars. Leave them in a place where they will be undisturbed for several days.
• Note the colors of the jars after 4 hours, 24 hours and then once a day for the remaining three days.

This experiment is great because it is simple, exciting and can be completed in a fairly short time frame. Plus, students will have an added appreciation for the importance of clean, filtered water!

• Experiment with Crystals

Crystals are easy to grow and a lot of fun for young students. Plus, there are many ways you can experiment with them during and after the growing process!

One specific way we can explore is aiming for a specific shape and end-product by making a crystal flower.

Either a real or fake flower will work for this experiment, but you do need a physical one to start one. If it is weak, you will want a pipe cleaner to support the weight. Other than that, all you will need is borax, hot water and food coloring.

• Pour boiling water into a cup or jar large enough to hold the flower.
• Stir in borax until it is finished dissolving and add food coloring.
• Place the flower into the cup and let the crystals grow for anywhere between a few hours and overnight (the longer you give, the thicker the crystals will be).
• Remove the crystal flower from the cup and place it on a paper towel to dry!

This is an extremely basic and easy experiment with exciting and beautiful results, so it can make for a fantastic classroom activity!

• See How Sugary Drinks Impact Teeth

Everyone knows the general concept that sugary drinks like soda and juice are terrible for your teeth and several other areas as well, but what if we could show young students just how bad they are?

The basic materials required here will be five eggs, five cups and masking tape. In terms of the drinks you’ll need, make sure to gather water, a dark sugar-free drink like gatorade, a dark juice like grape juice, a dark soda like cola and orange juice.

• Fill and label each cup with the name of their respective contents.
• Add the eggs and leave them in a safe spot. Be sure to check every few hours to record any noticeable updates.
• After 24 hours, take out the eggs. Since eggshells have a similar calcium makeup to enamel, the effects that each drink has on the shell will give a general intensified idea of how they impact teeth.

Not only will this experiment help to give students a general understanding of how sugary drinks can impact their teeth, it may inspire them to scrub a little more thoroughly every time they brush!

• Make a Hanging Compass to Understand Magnetism

If the science behind magnets is something that interests your students or is relevant to your curriculum, a hanging compass experiment may be the perfect way to go!

This will help them understand the Earth’s magnetic field as it influences the needle of the compass.

All that will be needed here is a magnet, a large steel sewing needles, a few smaller steel needles, pencil, a string and a wide-mouthed jar or cup.

• Rub the pointed end of the large needle on one end of the magnet 30-50 times to align the electrons in the needle and magnetize it. You can test this with the smaller needles by trying to gentle pick them up with the large needle (if it does not work, repeat this step).
• Knot one end of the string around the middle of the needle and the other end around the middle of the pencil.
• Lay the pencil across the mouth of the jar with the needle inside. The needle will turn to point North.

And just like that, you created a compass! This is a great hands-on way to show how magnetism works with the Earth’s natural magnetic field.

• Copper Plate Coins

This is a fun and creative way to learn how to use simple, common items to plate coins with copper. You can even incorporate unique designs into the finished product!

This is all done through electricity and can both make for a fascinating individual project or a part of a core lesson plan.

The materials required for this can be found in most homes or a quick trip to a dollar store. You’ll need a plastic cup, distilled white vinegar, two alligator clips (one red and one black), two copper strips, a nickel or quarter, a 9v battery and battery snap, masking tape, scissors and rubbing alcohol.

• Fill the cup with vinegar to a point that is about 2 in. high. Mark a small piece of tape with “+” and another with “-” to tape to either side of the cup.
• Clip a copper strip to the end of each alligator clip.
• Submerge the copper strips and tape the clips in place to keep them out of the vinegar.
• Place the battery into the battery snap and connect the black alligator clip to the black wire lead and the red clip to the red wire lead.
• Wait three hours until the vinegar is a greenish blue. Clean the coin with rubbing alcohol and take the positive alligator clip and copper strip out of the vinegar, replacing with the coin and submerging.
• Wait about 15-20 minutes before taking the coin out and drying it on a paper towel. The coin will now be copper plated!

If you are feeling particularly creative with this project, you can tape neat designs onto the coin to get a fun pattern or look with the plating.

Test How Oil Spills Impact Wildlife

Something that can really hit home for students is how their environment is being impacted by the actions of humans.

Specifically, we have already witnessed the disastrous effects of oil spills in recent history, so showing students just how it impacts our wildlife can help to further emphasize it.

All you will need here is water, liquid soap, corn oil, vegetable oil, a toothbrush and a feather. The feather is intended to represent wildlife like birds who are commonly affected by these accidents.

• Make a chart with the titles “Absorbed,” “Repelled” and “Changes” written across the top and “Water,” “Oil” and Liquid soap along the left side. Draw lines to form a grid.
• Dip the feather in water and record whether it was absorbed or repelled. Note any changes.
• Do the same with the oil and note whether there are any differences. Try to sprinkle water on the oil-soaked feather and note whether the water is absorbed or repelled this time.
• Add some soap to the water and try to scrub off the oil with the soapy water and toothbrush.
• Note how easy or difficult it was to clean the feather and how successfully it was able to return to its original state (or if it wasn’t).

This experiment will show how oil can compromise a feather’s ability to maintain warmth and dryness, showing the importance of caring for our environment and keeping these spills from happening in the first place as much as we can!

• Design a Solar Oven

Solar energy in general is becoming a much more popular and necessary source of electricity.

Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty easy to demonstrate how it all works to young students and actually have them design their own solar oven that can be used while camping or simply trying to cook with greener energy sources!

To tackle this experiment, you will need a cardboard pizza box, a pencil, a ruler, scissors, foil, clear tape, black construction paper, plastic wrap, newspapers, an oven mitt, a dish, a thermometer and cooking ingredients (avoid raw meat)!

• Make sure to clean the pizza box before use in case of any leftover cheese or crumbs. Use the pencil and ruler to draw a square one inch from the top of the box.
• Cut out three of the four sides of the square. Crease the uncut side to create a flap that stands up.
• Cut a piece of foil to use to cover the inner side of the flap. Wrap it tightly and secure it with tape.
• Line the bottom of the box with the black construction paper.
• Cut two pieces of plastic wrap the same size as the top of the box. Secure them to the inside edges of the square window with tape so that it is airtight.
• Roll the newspapers into tubes to stuff into the sides of the box (it should still be able to close).
• Use the oven and the sun to cook something (preferably between 11 A.M. and 2 P.M.)!

While this project may take some time, it is definitely something any young student can tackle. Plus, it produces some exciting and delicious results!

• Determine Whether Texting is a New Language

Texting has become such an integral part of our society’s communication particularly for younger generations.

Can it be considered a new language, though?

All that is needed for this project is a computer with internet access, a mobile phone, a digital camera and typical office supplies like paper, pens and poster board.

• Read overviews of relevant research and topics. Basic research surrounding linguistics and text messaging are fairly easy to find and understand.
• Compile a text messaging glossary. This can be accomplished through students’ basic knowledge of texting rhetoric as well as some more searches for common phrases, spellings and acronyms.
• Design a new text messaging application and interpret findings in a detailed report. Show these findings visually through charts and graphs.

While this experiment may not concern commonly relevant subject areas, it can easily tie into more social areas of science such as linguistics and communication as well as lead into topics surrounding technology .

• Dissect a Flower

Dissection of any organism can do a great job at explaining anatomy to students in a hands-on and visual way that lectures don’t provide.

That said, it can be hard to acquire and dissect animals like frogs or sharks, especially when it comes to younger classrooms. Plus, these projects can turn some stomachs at any age group. Flowers, however, are easy to obtain and have just as much educational potential!

For this, you will need flowers with easily identifiable parts. This could be something like a hibiscus, for instance, or any flower that will clearly display the anatomy being taught. You will also need a scalpel, pins and materials to draw and label the parts of the flower as students discover them.

• Carefully instruct students how to properly use a scalpel to make educated incisissions and locate relevant parts of the flower like the pistil, stamen and others.
• Use the pins to keep the flower open and make it possible to really study the insides of the plant. During this time, students can draw what they are seeing and label each part as they are able to identify it.
• Chart the different lengths of the flowers each student is dissecting to open up discussion on how these differences may have occurred and how they make impact the flowers’ fertility.

Of course, it’s always interesting to move onto other more complex dissections, but this is a great place for students to start!

• Create a Homemade Thermometer

Thermometers have been such a basic part of so many areas of society for so long now, including health, environmentalism and more.

It’s also much easier than you may think to make your own!

To take this on, you will need some basic materials like modeling clay, red food coloring, water, rubbing alcohol, a clear straw, a clear plastic bottle and a thermometer for reference.

• Pour equal amounts of water and rubbing alcohol into the bottle until it is a quarter of the way full.
• Add a few drops of food coloring and shake to mix.
• Insert the straw and wrap modeling clay around part of the straw and the bottle opening to ensure that it stays put. Do make sure to leave the opening of the straw uncovered.
• Test the thermometer by wrapping hands around the bottle and seeing what happens as it heats up! The mixture will expand from the heat and cause the red liquid to raise up in the straw.

This is an incredible safe and easy way to make your own thermometer, and it opens up the possibility for discussion with how heat can impact substances!

60 Physics Science Experiments For Middle School: Crafts, Investigations, Model Building, And DIYs

January 11, 2024 //  by  Carly Gerson

Physics is a subject that can be difficult for students to understand, so hands-on experiences like experiments are excellent to give your students a better understanding of tricky concepts and theories! Not only do experiments and activities help your kiddos’ understanding but they also create an interactive way to engage them in the learning. Read on to discover 60 phenomenal physics science experiments to try out with your middle school students!

1. Newton’s Cradle

Newton’s Cradle is a classic physics experiment that uses basic materials to demonstrate kinetic energy and potential energy . Your students will love creating their very own version using some string and straws! This is a great way to demonstrate the basic concept of energy transfer in an engaging way.

Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

2. Simple Bernoulli Experiment

The Bernoulli experiment is an excellent way to teach your kids about air pressure. Show your learners how to use construction paper, tape, a bendy straw, a ping pong ball, scissors, and a pencil to create a fun experiment that they can have a go at! This is a simple way to demonstrate to them how large vehicles like planes can stay high in the air. This abstract concept will be brought to life quickly!

3. Car Science Experiment for Air Resistance and Mass

A physics concept that is sure to be fun to teach your kiddies is the impact of mass on motion! They’ll feel like modern physicists as they place cars with different masses on their race track and time them on their journey! While this may seem like a pretty simple experiment, you can challenge your kids to complete lots of different trials to find out how a range of different factors affects the speed of their cars.

Learn More: Frugal Fun 4 Boys

4. Archimedes’ Screw Simple Machine

Can water flow up? Your kids will be able to answer this question after completing this fun experiment! The Archimedes’ Screw is a commonly known invention that moves water upward and transfers it from one place to another. Help your learners construct their own using a piece of plastic pipe and some clear plastic tubing, then let them experiment and see if they can make it work!

5. Layering Liquids Density Experiment

Children will love participating in this colorful activity. Have your students use different colored liquids to test out the density of each one by creating a density tower! Everyone will watch in amazement as the different colored liquids separate and float to different places in the jar!

Learn More: Green Kid Crafts

6. Launching Easter Eggs Experiment

This activity would make for an incredibly fun science fair project or a great science activity during the Easter season. Using a mini catapult and plastic eggs, your kiddies will have great fun testing how mass impacts the distance traveled by the egg. This experiment will definitely make you smile!

Learn More: STL Motherhood

7. Balloon in a Bottle Properties of Air Experiment

Challenge your learners to put a balloon inside a plastic bottle and blow it up; sounds easy enough, right? They’ll find this one to be a little trickier than they initially thought! As they work to try to blow up their balloons discuss the properties of air which makes this seemingly simple task almost impossible!

Learn More: Steve Spangler Science

8. How to Make a Pendulum Wave

This physics science project is both fun to make and incredible to look at! Using washers and a few other simple materials like string, your students will be captivated by their experiment for hours on end. Besides being completely mesmerized, they’ll also learn about waves and motion.

Learn More: YouTube

9. Creating Catapults

A homemade catapult is a great way to use cheap materials in a STEM project. Have your kiddos use simple household and craft materials to determine which combination makes for the best catapult. You can launch anything from scrunched-up paper to marshmallows! Encourage your middle schoolers to consider how they can scientifically measure which catapult is best!

Learn More: Science Gal

10. Inertia Tower Activity

Raise the stakes with this amazingly fun inertia activity. This creative activity uses sheets of paper or index cards to separate a tower of cups or blocks, which your students then need to pull out quickly without disturbing the tower. Can they remove all the pieces of paper?

Learn More: Perkin’s E-Learning

11. Rice Friction Experiment

Friction can be a challenging concept to teach middle school students. Thankfully this experiment makes it a little bit easier! Give your kids a better understanding of this tricky concept by using a plastic bottle, funnel, chopstick, and rice. They’ll learn how to increase and decrease friction and will be amazed when this amazing force lets them lift a bottle up with just a single chopstick!

Learn More: Carrots Are Orange

12. Balancing Robot

Combine arts and crafts and physics with this adorable activity! Use the printable template and have your kids customize their robots, decorating them however they like before cutting them out. Next, you’ll use some putty to stick a penny to the end of each of the robot’s arms. All that’s left is to let them find out where they can get their robots balancing! 

Learn More: Buggy and Buddy

13. Make Your Own Ice Cream in a Bag

You had us at ice cream! Your kiddies will be so excited to have a go at making their own ice cream using just a few Ziplock bags. Have them start by measuring cream, sugar, and vanilla flavoring into one bag, making sure it’s sealed up. Then, get them to place this bag inside another bag that also has ice and salt inside and shake! Once they’re done learning, make sure you set aside time for some taste testing!

Learn More: Delish

14. Skittles Density Rainbow

Build the rainbow with this fun density experiment. Start by having your kiddies dissolve Skittles in water, using a different quantity of each color of Skittles in each liquid. They’ll then gently use a pipette to layer their liquids while you discuss how the solids have impacted the density of each liquid!

Learn More: Gift Of Curiosity

15. Dancing Raisins Science Experiment

Did you know that you can make raisins dance? Ok, well maybe they’re not actually dancing, but they’re definitely doing something! Your learners will love this fun science experiment where they’ll watch as they watch the carbonation and bubbles of the soda water lift the raisins and “make them dance”.

16. Learning With Dry Ice

Dry ice is so exciting for your little learners! It has almost magical properties that give it a mysterious element that kids are completely captivated by. Using dry ice is a great way to teach students about how clouds are formed and how they eventually evaporate by capturing a dry ice cloud in a bag! You’ll be inspiring future meteorologists with this visually appealing experiment!

Learn More: Penguin Dry Ice

17. Learning About Arches

Arches are surprisingly impressive feats of architecture. Their unique shape actually makes them surprisingly strong! Teach your kiddos about how heavy-weight objects such as cars on a bridge are supported as they test out different types of arches to see which one holds the most weight!

Learn More: Imagine Childhood

18. Heat Changing Colored Slime

This unique experiment requires very specific materials, but we promise it’s worth it! Blow your kids’ minds as they learn about thermodynamics and how heat can change the color of certain materials as they make some heat-sensitive color-changing slime! 

Learn More: Left Brain Craft Brain

19. Homemade Marble Run

Let your kiddies get creative with any materials they can get their hands on with this next activity! Challenge them to create a track for marbles, testing out different course layouts to see how these impact the time it takes the marble to complete it. Encourage them to record their results and share their findings!

Learn More: Buggy And Buddy

20. Ice Hockey Puck Friction Experiment

The ice hockey fans in your class will love this next one! In this activity, your kids will use different flat circular items like bottle caps and coins to determine which materials make the best ice hockey puck! This is a great experiment to take outside on an icy winter day to let them learn about and see friction in action!

Learn More: Science Sparks

21. Transfer of Momentum Basketball Activity

Here’s a quick physics experiment your kiddos can do during recess or on a sunny day! Grab some basketballs and racquetballs and instruct your kids to hold the smaller ball on top of the basketball. Next, have them let go and watch in amazement as the basketball bounces up into the racquetball, transferring momentum as it makes contact! 

Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys

22. Pumpkin Boats

Wondering what to do with all those leftover pumpkins after Halloween? Look no further! Get your learners to make them into boats as they investigate the link between density and buoyancy. Support them to make differently-sized pumpkin boats and then make predictions about whether or not their pumpkin boat will sink or float.

Learn More: The Preschool Toolbox

23. How to Make a Hovercraft

Hovercrafts were once something that only appeared in sci-fi stories, but now your kids will be making them in your classroom! Using simple household materials, they’ll learn how to harness the power of air resistance in this unique craft. Neat!

24. St. Patrick’s Day Balloon Rockets

This holiday-themed activity is a great way to teach students about air resistance and acceleration! Your kids will craft their balloon rockets with a balloon, some tape, and a straw to keep it attached to the line. All that’s left is to let go to watch their balloon rockets blast off down the track! Why not make it competitive with a prize for the winning balloon of each race?

Learn More: Housing A Forest

25. Marshmallow Shooter

Your learners will love this silly activity that incorporates a favorite sweet treat and a unique contraption! As they launch their marshmallows through the air, you can discuss how the force of the pull impacts the motion of the marshmallows.

Learn More: Teky Teach

26. Use The Force

Star Wars fans will have fun with this one as they use “the force” to magically pick up paper clips! This exciting activity will have your kiddos wanting to learn more about magnetism and how it works! Simply have them place a large magnet on the back of their hand, reach toward a pile of paper clips, and watch as the paper clips magically fly into their hands!

Learn More: Rookie Parenting

27. Magic Toothpick Star Experiment

You’ll have a tough time convincing your kids that this experiment shows physics at work and not magic! Have your kids take five toothpicks and snap them in half. Let them arrange them as shown, and then drip water in the middle of the sticks. They’ll be amazed as the water moves the sticks, seemingly mending them and creating a star!

Learn More: Living Life And Learning

28. Water Powered Bottle Rocket

Bottle rockets are a fun science experiment to bring the science classroom outdoors . Your students will love learning about pressure and how it impacts the velocity of an item using just a recycled plastic bottle, a cork, some water, and a pump with a needle adaptor. To add even more excitement to this activity, let your kiddos decorate their own rockets!

29. Magnetic Levitation Activity

With all these seemingly magical experiments, your kids are really going to wonder if you attended Hogwarts instead of a teacher-training college! Use the power of magnets to make a pencil float! Show your kids how to position their magnets so that they repel each other enough to suspend a pencil in mid-air! 

Learn More: Arvin D. Gupta Toys

30. Rubber Band Powered Car

This adorable craft will teach your kiddos about force and motion! Let them spend some time going through a trial and error process to make a working car that’s powered by applying force to a  rubber band! Once they’ve got their models working, let them race to see whose creation goes the fastest and the farthest!

Learn More: Stem Inventions

31. Making a Water Wheel

Waterwheels have been around since Roman times, over 2000 years ago! Historically they were used in mills to grind grains into flour but nowadays they can be used as a source of renewable energy. Task your pupils with making a working waterwheel out of some simple household items like plastic cups, straws, and tape- are they up to the challenge? 

Learn More: Deceptively Educational

32. DIY Pulley Physics

This pulley system will show your students that simple machines aren’t always so simple! Using whatever materials they can find and some string, they’ll need to create a fully functional, intricate pulley system along your classroom walls! This would make a great display for the entire school year!

Learn More: The Homeschool Scientist

33. How to Make an Orange Sink or Swim

What is more likely to float, a peeled or unpeeled orange? Let your kids vote on this seemingly straightforward question then reveal the answer with a simple demonstration. Your students will watch in awe as they learn that they can change the density and buoyancy of an object by slightly altering it. In the case of the orange, however, the results might not be what they were expecting!

Learn More: Woo Jr.

34. Paper Airplane Test

There’s nothing kids love more than making and throwing paper airplanes. If they’re usually banned in your classroom, then you might want to consider lifting that ban for one day! Turn this simple activity into an engineering investigation where your students will test out different designs to see which shape of the paper airplane will fly the furthest and which shape will stay in the air the longest! Physics made fun!

Learn More: Feels Like Home

35. Rising Water Experiment

Water experiments in the classroom can be so much fun! This activity will teach your students how temperature and oxygen levels can affect the density of the air! All you’ll need are some matches, a cork, a plate of water, and a glass! They’ll love watching what seems like magic!

Learn More: Teach Beside Me

36. Physics Mystery Bag Challenge

This unique physics activity will have your kiddos work in groups to solve a physics mystery. Each group will receive identical bags of mystery items and will be told what type of machine they need to create. The challenge is that there are no instructions! Using only the items in front of them and their ingenuity, your students will compete to see which group creates the best of the designated machine!

Learn More: Teaching Highschool Math

37. Solar Oven S’mores

Fun science experiments are even better when combined with food! This solar oven teaches your students about how transmission, absorption, and reflection are used in a solar cooker to cook food. Your middle schoolers will be amazed at how easy it is to make yummy smores using an array of simple supplies, such as plastic boxes, aluminum foil, cotton, and glass.

Learn More: PBS

38. Laser Jello

Here’s another edible science project for your class! In this fun project, your kiddos will put the concepts of reflection and refraction into practice in a hands-on experiment. Give them some red and blue Jello to investigate how differently colored lasers project through it; they’ll be amazed as the Jello changes the lasers’ color and sometimes blocks out the light altogether! 

Learn More: Exploratorium

39. The Electric Butterfly

Elevate the basic static-electricity balloon experiment by adding a paper butterfly! Teach your learners about positive and negative electrons by charging up the balloon with static electricity and using it to move the paper butterfly’s wings. This hands-on activity is a super way for them to see what can be a very abstract concept in action!

Learn More: CACC Kids

40. Homemade Thermometer

This classic science experiment is great for showing how heat affects certain liquids by making them expand. Using the simple supplies of a bottle, cold water, rubbing alcohol, food coloring, a straw, and some modeling clay, have your students build their very own thermometer. As they heat or cool the surroundings, your kiddos will observe the liquid rising and falling in the straw!

41. DIY Electromagnet

Creating an electromagnet is a cool way of combining middle-grade physics and engineering! This fun activity uses screws, some wire, and batteries to demonstrate how an electric current flows through metal to create a magnetic field. After this simple experiment, you can challenge your kids to take this activity to the next level and create bigger versions like their own electromagnetic cranes!

Learn More: Teach Engineering

42. Optical Illusion Fun

Experiments don’t get much cooler than optical illusions! You can use these amazing visual activities to teach your middle graders about how our eyes process light and send signals to our brains. Simply print out the template and let your kids add some color before they cut them out and attach them to a pencil. As they spin, they won’t believe their eyes! What a fun way to make this lesson about our eyes memorable!

43. Water Cycle in a Bag

This cute little experiment is a great way to give your kids their very own visual of the water cycle! Print off the template and let your kids trace it onto their own Ziploc bag. All that’s left is to add water and tape it to a window where it’ll catch the sun! These little experiments are really quick to make and set up, but your kids will spend days analyzing them!

Learn More: Kiwi Co

44. Homemade Barometer

Your students might have already made a DIY thermometer, but what about a barometer? You can help them learn about atmospheric pressure by crafting barometers using a jar or can, a balloon, a wooden stick, rubber bands, and some tape! As the weather changes over the next few days, so will the air pressure which will move the wooden stick of their barometers! Cool, right?!

Learn More: Easy Science For Kids

45. Basic Motor Mechanics

It is amazing what you can do with some modeling clay, a magnet, a battery, and wire! This cool project showcases how electric energy works, demonstrating the interaction between the current and a magnetic field. This nifty little experiment will definitely get your students’ physics motors running! 

Learn More: Education

46. Xylophone fun

Sound waves are much easier to teach and learn about when your kiddies can make visual connections. Have your learners fill empty jars with varying amounts of cold water (and a few drops of food coloring in each to make it look even more interesting) and then let them test the different pitches by hitting each one! 

Learn More: Sugar, Spice And Glitter

47. Build a Paper Bridge

This fantastic activity uses some really simple materials to challenge your kiddies to ‘build a bridge’. What seems like a pretty basic activity actually teaches them all about the scientific method and physics concepts behind building a bridge. They’ll learn about concepts like compression and tension to explain how bridges stay in place even under pressure! This is one your future engineers will love! 

48. Magnet Maze

Art and physics are combined in this clever classroom experiment! Task your students first of all, with drawing a colorful maze on the outside of the bottle. Next, have them put in different items like coins, marbles, paperclips, and buttons to explore which ones they can attach the magnet to from the outside and navigate through their maze. A -maze- ing, right?!

Learn More: Science Museum Group

49. Super Sundial

If you feel like taking your teaching outdoors, this sundial construction lesson is ideal! Bring some paper plates, bendy straws, and a pencil, and you’re good to go! Your learners won’t need a lot of background knowledge before the activity, but they’re sure to learn a lot about the Earth’s orbit and rotation in the process!

Learn More: Generation Genius

50. Sound Sandwich

Your kiddies might initially be confused when you announce that they’ll be making sound sandwiches! Their confusion will soon turn to fascination at how such simple materials can make really interesting sounds! In this activity, they’ll be learning how to make music with sticks, straws, and rubber bands. See if they can figure out that it is the rubber band vibrating that makes the differently-pitched sounds!

51. Optical Lens Experiment

Did you know that you can actually bend light? Your students will be surprised to learn this for sure! Through this investigation, you’ll teach them how when light goes from one medium to another (e.g. from air to glass), it usually bends. This series of simple activities covers the effects of convex and concave lenses on light, and thus how refraction works.

Learn More: Discover Primary Science And Maths

52. Density Tower floating experiment

Combine the previously mentioned density tower and floating experiments in this cool activity! Using just a few simple ingredients that can be found around most homes, you can instruct your learners to combine cornstarch, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol. This will create the colored layers in this cool activity! Then they’ll add small items of their choosing to see which ones float in the various liquids, and at what density!

53. Walking Water experiment

Capillary action isn’t a term that most of your kiddies will be familiar with but after doing this experiment they won’t forget it! Help your learners set up a row of cups with water and different colors of food dye. Next, they’ll add some strips of paper towels dipping each end into a different up and let them watch in amazement as the colored water seems to defy gravity and ‘walk’ up the paper and into the next cup!

Learn More: Made In A Pinch

54.  Build a Solar Still

This easy experiment is the perfect way to demonstrate the water cycle and how sunlight can purify water. Start by letting your kiddos have a bit of fun to make ‘dirty’ water using assorted safe and edible kitchen ingredients. Then you’ll challenge them to make their own solar stills from plastic glasses, cling wrap, and, a bowl. Finally, they’ll set their glass of ‘dirty’ water inside the bowl, cover it with cling wrap, and then sit it out in the sun. And voila – clean water!

55. Slinky Sound Waves

A metal slinky is a super simple but really effective source of demonstrating sound waves for your kids. Get two volunteers to hold the ends of the slinky and encourage your other students to take note of the different wave patterns when one or both of them shake it. This is a super way to make this abstract concept a little more visual for your class.

Learn More: Fizzics Education

56. Bike Wheel Gyroscope 

Momentum is an important concept that your little physicists will cover in middle school science. A bike wheel gyroscope activity will amaze and enthrall your students as you use it to show off how the wheel’s mass and rotation obey the laws of angular momentum! The best part is that you’ll only need a bike wheel and some willing participants! 

Learn More: NASA

57. DIY Kaleidoscope

Teach your kids all about the law of multiple reflections with this super fun, customizable activity! Using a cardboard tube, some mirrors, and small colorful items like confetti or sequins, these kaleidoscopes will be something they’ll always remember making. If you don’t have mirrors, why not try using aluminum foil instead? 

Learn More: Home Science Tools

58. Mapping Magnetic Field Lines

Teaching theoretical, intangible ideas is one of the hardest parts of teaching a subject like physics. Thankfully this short but practical activity makes this a whole lot easier by showcasing how the magnetic field lines of a bar magnet do not ever cross, are continuous, and go from north to south! All your kiddies will need is a magnet, a compass, and a marker!

59. Buzz Wire game

Electrical circuits can be really interesting to make, and this activity makes it fun too! Get your students to create their own ‘Buzz Wire’ game which will teach them about the loop system needed for electricity to work. Once they’ve made their loops, let them have a go at completing each others’ games! Can they get to the end without setting the buzzer off?

60. Galileo’s Gravity Experiment

As the story goes, Galileo dropped two items from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to see which hit the ground first. Though we can’t be sure he actually did this, you can be sure that your students will have fun trying out this similar activity to learn about the effects of mass and air resistance on falling objects! Simply have them pick out two different objects, drop them from a height, and record which lands first!

Learn More: Science-Sparks

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50 Sensational 7th Grade Science Fair Projects and Classroom Activities

Mummification, oxidation, electroplating, and more!

Engage every student with these 7th grade science fair projects, whether they’re interested in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, or any other discipline. Plus, find interesting classroom demos, experiments, and hands-on activities to spice up your lesson plans!

To make it easier to find classroom activities or science fair ideas for 7th grade, we’ve rated all the projects by difficulty and the materials needed:

Difficulty:

• Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
• Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
• Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
• Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
• Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
• Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete

Biology and Ecology Science Fair Ideas for 7th Grade

Chemistry science fair ideas for 7th grade, physics and engineering science fair ideas for 7th grade, 7th grade science classroom demos, experiments, and hands-on activities.

Want to learn more about animals or human behavior, the environment around you, or other life science topics? Try these 7th grade science fair projects.

Learn whether color affects memory

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Can certain colors improve your memory? This experiment explores that idea using different text, background colors, and blue light settings on devices.

Learn more: Colors and Memory at Education.com

Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium ADVERTISEMENT

The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. In this experiment, students use eggs to determine how soda and juice stain the teeth and wear down the enamel. (Bonus: Have students try different toothpaste and toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.)

Learn more: Eggshell Experiment at Feels Like Home

Extract DNA from an onion

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

Learn how to extract DNA from an onion (most of what you need you can find at home, and you can get 95% ethanol at Amazon ). Then, turn it into an experiment by applying the theory to other fruits or vegetables to see if you can get similar results.

Stretch your mind with a flexibility experiment

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

Find out how important stretching really is by comparing the flexibility of willing test subjects before and after stretch exercises. This is a great experiment for fitness fans.

Learn more: Flexibility Experiment at We Have Kids

Construct a DIY grow box

Design a grow box using a cardboard box, foil, and a plug-in light socket . Then, use it for all kinds of plant-based science fair ideas for 7th grade students.

Learn more: DIY Grow Box at Uplifting Mayhem

Collect and control biofilm

Bacteria that accumulate on objects in the water form a substance called biofilm. In this 7th grade science fair project, students build an apparatus to collect biofilm and then experiment with ways to reduce the amount of biofilm that accumulates over time.

Learn more: Biofilm Experiment at The Homeschool Scientist

See if caffeine helps you type faster

People seek out a jolt of caffeine when they’re feeling sluggish, but does it really help them perform better? This 7th grade science fair project tasks students with answering that question using the scientific method.

Find out if all plants are phototropic

You probably already know that many plants grow toward the light. But do all of them respond in the same way? Test several types of plants to find out.

Devise a water filtration system

Plenty of homes use water filtration systems these days, but how do they really work? This chemistry experiment explores how charcoal filters impurities from drinking water.

Learn more: Water Filtration at The Homeschool Scientist

Determine whether text abbreviations are a new language

Kids are fluent in text-speak, but does it really count as a whole new language? In this 7th grade science fair project, students research language and the history of texting, then compile a texting glossary and consider texting’s practical applications.

Learn more: Text Language at Education.com

If you’re fascinated by test tubes, beakers, and Bunsen burners, check out these interesting 7th grade science fair projects and ideas.

Design your own slime

Chances are good your students already love making and playing with slime. Turn the fun into an experiment by changing the ingredients to create slime with a variety of properties, from magnetic to glow-in-the-dark!

Copper-plate some coins

Students need just a few simple supplies to perform electroplating, but the results are always impressive. (Get copper strips  and 9V battery snap connectors with alligator clips on Amazon.) Turn this into a 7th grade science fair project by changing up the variables (does temperature matter?) or items being electroplated.

Learn more: Electroplating at KiwiCo

Swab and test for germs

Germ experiments are one of the most popular science fair ideas for 7th grade students. Swab household items, school supplies, and more to discover what’s living on the items around you.

Learn more: Germ Experiment at Angelic Scalliwags

Spherify your favorite beverage

Spherification is a hot trend in top restaurants, but 7th grade science students can easily replicate it at home with a spherification kit . This is a cool chemistry experiment, and tasty too!

Test calorie counts in packaged foods

Ever wonder how scientists determine how many calories are in your food? Try this experiment to find out!

Explore mummification

First, learn how to mummify a hot dog using baking soda as a desiccant. Then, experiment with other desiccants or items to turn this into a bona fide experiment.

Play around with oxidation

Can you find a way to slow or prevent oxidation (rusting)? This is one of those 7th grade science fair ideas that’s simple in concept but has lots of practical applications.

Learn more: Oxidation Experiment at Teach Beside Me

Blow hot or cold bubbles

Blowing bubbles may sound like too much fun for a science project, but when conditions like temperature are altered, the experimental part kicks in. What conditions do you need to blow a bubble that freezes?

Learn more:  Bubble Life & Temperature at ThoughtCo.

Whip up some eggshell chalk

Use the calcium in eggshells to make your own sidewalk chalk. Then, tinker with the recipe to see if you can make the chalk last longer, resist water, or other variables.

Learn more: DIY Chalk at Kidspot

See the effect of acid rain on plants

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This simple project tests whether acid rain has any effect on plant life, using vinegar in place of fossil fuels. Experiment with different acid concentrations and pH levels for a more advanced version.

Learn more: Acid Rain Experiment at STEAM Powered Family

Explore the laws of motion, the science of energy, or STEM challenge engineering ideas through 7th grade science fair projects like these.

Drive a balloon-powered car

Engineer a balloon-powered car using basic materials from around the house (even the wheels are bottle caps!). Experiment to see how far or fast you can make the car go.

Learn more: Balloon Car at Prolab

Construct a geodesic dome

Budding engineers will love designing, building, and testing the strength of the fascinating geodesic dome. This experiment requires nothing more than newspaper and masking tape!

Design a solar oven

Students experiment with the best way to build a solar oven, exploring thermal energy, reflection, convection, and other physics concepts. They can serve up their experiment results along with their final reports!

Learn more: Solar Oven at Children’s Science Center

Lend a helping hand

This is a great individual or group 7th grade science project, as it encourages students to use and hone their design and engineering skills to make a working model of a hand. If you’ve got robotics skills, take this project to a more advanced level.

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. Build a model and test the amount of weight it can hold, or craft a full-size version to put Da Vinci’s plan into action.

Construct a water clock

You’ll blow your 7th grade science students’ minds when you tell them they’re going to build a clock using engineering that’s been around for thousands of years. The supplies are simple, but the results are pretty neat!

Learn more: Water Clock at STEAM Powered Family

Generate electricity

In this science fair project, kids build a generator from scratch. Turn it into an experiment by varying the materials to see if you can increase the amount of energy it produces.

Test the elasticity of balloons

Explore whether heat and cold have an effect on elasticity using balloons. Try this with other materials too to expand the project. ( Find more balloon science here! )

Freeze water in an instant

Explore the concept of nucleation (the process of chain reactions) by turning water into ice in seconds! Make this a 7th grade science fair project by trying the same process with other liquids.

Auto-feed your pet

Difficulty: Advanced / Materials: Advanced

Can you build a device that feeds your pets automatically? Even better, can you make it inexpensive and easy for others to build too? This project has real practical applications.

Use these classroom activities to teach human biology, mechanical engineering, and more physics and chemistry concepts in engaging and exciting ways.

Use Oreos to teach mitosis

A 7th grade science activity that doubles as a sweet treat? Your students are going to love this activity using Oreo cookies and colorful sprinkles to make cellular mitosis models.

Learn more: Oreo Mitosis at Ballin With Balling

Twist pipe cleaners to explore meiosis

Meiosis is similar to mitosis, but it’s specific to the production of gametes. These hands-on models use basic materials like pipe cleaners and beads to make the process easier to visualize.

Learn more: Meiosis Models at Science Prof Online

Teach about “Homer-o-stasis”

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced

This is such a fun way to teach kids about the concept of homeostasis! Get all the instructions you need at the link.

Learn more: Homer-o-stasis at The Trendy Science Teacher

Sort jelly beans to learn genetics

If you’re learning about how genetic traits are passed along from parent to child, try this jelly-bean demo. When you’re finished, you can enjoy a sweet treat!

Learn more: Jelly Bean Genetics at The Owl Teacher

Design a pinball machine

Give your class basic supplies like rubber bands, plastic cups, and cardboard boxes. Then challenge them to create their very own pinball machines!

Learn more: Pinball STEM Challenge at Student Savvy

Conduct a carbon cycle lab activity

If you’ve got access to some basic chemicals, conduct this lab that helps students see the carbon cycle in action using their own breath.

Learn more: Science Lessons That Rock

Make a tea bag float on air

This easy experiment is a cool way to show kids how heat affects air molecules, making hot air rise. They’ll need some supervision with the fire, so try this out on the playground for extra safety.

Learn more: Floating Tea Bags at Coffee Cups and Crayons

Learn how salt affects density

Explore the salinity of various bodies of water, then re-create their waters to see if you can make an egg float or sink. Experiment with other objects too.

Learn more: Saltwater Density at Uplifting Mayhem

Watch the greenhouse effect in action

Climate change can be a contentious topic, so start by teaching kids about the greenhouse effect, which is easy to see and understand. Then, urge them to explore data collected by other scientists so they can learn to make informed decisions about topics like global warming.

Learn more: Greenhouse Effect at Teaching Science With Lynda

Blow bubbles to explore cell membranes

Kids are never too old to enjoy bubbles, so use them to learn more about cell membranes in this fun 7th grade science activity.

Learn more: Cell Membrane Bubbles at The Trendy Science Teacher

Marvel at a density rainbow

We learn early on that oil floats on water, but where do other liquids fit in? Students find out when they conduct this colorful density experiment that has them layer different substances, making a rainbow.

Ride the wave (machine)

Learning about wave action? Build this surprisingly easy wave machine for hands-on exploration.

Learn more: Wave Machine at Engaging Science Labs

Create a taxonomy system

Students can step into Linnaeus’ shoes by creating their own system of taxonomy using a handful of different dried beans. This is a fun 7th grade science project to do in groups, so students can see the differences between each group’s system.

Learn more: Taxonomy Project at Our Journey Westward

Bake an edible cell model

Sure, students could build a cell model out of clay, but cake and candy are so much more delicious! Check out the link below to see how one teacher does it.

Learn more: Edible Cell Model at Weird Unsocialized Homeschooling

Swing a glass of water

This classic science experiment teaches kids about centripetal force. Be forewarned: This could potentially make a bit of a mess, so consider taking this one outside.

Simulate natural selection with a lab activity

Travel to the Galápagos Islands and follow in Darwin’s footsteps as students explore finch beak adaptations in this clever natural selection lab.

Learn more: Natural Selection Lab at Teach To Serve

Participate in Project FeederWatch

Citizen science projects bring science to life for kids! One of our favorites is Project FeederWatch, where kids put out bird feeders and then count and report on their visitors. This is a great way to build a love of birding for life.

Learn more: Classroom Resources at Project FeederWatch

Experiment with basic substances to learn about chemical change

If you’re introducing lab work and chemistry basics to 7th graders, this easy lab is a great way to do it. They’ll learn safety procedures and get to feel like “real” scientists as they pour, mix, swirl, and more.

Learn more: Chemical Change Lab at Super Sass and Science Class

Assemble an edible DNA model

DNA models are always more fun when you can snack on them afterwards. Want to make this a healthier activity? Use fruits and veggies to make models instead.

Learn more: Edible DNA Model at Hess UnAcademy

Craft a food web marble maze

Combine a STEM challenge with learning about food webs in this clever project. Kids will love the hands-on aspect, and it will really help the learning stick.

Learn more: Food Web Marble Maze at Teach Savvy

Keep the STEM learning going with these 15 Items All Middle School Math Classrooms Need .

Plus if you like these 7th grade science fair projects, sign up for our newsletters and get all the latest teacher tips and ideas, straight to your inbox.

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Easy Science Experiments for Kids

Looking for some easy experiments to do with the kids? We’ve got you covered with all of our favourite, easy science experiments for kids. The best part about all of these ideas is that they may be simple, but the lessons are powerful! Plus they can be adapted for a wide variety of ages and learning environments.

100+ Genius Easy Science Experiments for Kids

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!

Fun Science Experiments

First let’s kick things off with a list of easy science experiments for kids that we have done many times over and are a favourite of STEAM Powered Family readers around the world. Almost all of these projects use common household items and are tested by kids and teachers. We have science experiments for all ages, from preschool to middle school, even adults love to do these. The best part is that you can use these ideas to help students gain comfort and eventually mastery of the Scientific Method . This list is also a fantastic place to find ideas for your science fair projects.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

It is incredible the number of cool science experiments you can create from this one simple chemical reaction between Baking Soda and Vinegar . This endothermic reaction, is a classic acid and base chemical reaction.

Here is the chemical formula of this reaction

C 2 H 4 O 2  + NaHCO 3  -> NaC 2 H 3 O 2  + H 2 O + CO 2 vinegar + sodium bicarbonate -> sodium acetate + water + carbon dioxide

Some of our favourite baking soda and vinegar science activities of all time include Bottle Rockets , Fireworks Experiment , Baking Soda Oobleck , and Hatching Dinosaur Eggs . No matter which one you pick, you must try at least one vinegar and baking soda experiment when little scientists are first learning about chemistry.

Balloon Races – Physics Science Experiment

This fast paced, exciting science experiment explores the principles of physics and Newton’s Laws of Motion. It is so simple, kids won’t believe how much they are learning while having fun! Balloon Races make a fantastic activity for the classroom, camp, after school program or at home when the kids need to burn off some energy while learning!

Build a Compass – A Magnetism Science Experiment

Did you know it is actually very easy to build a compass ? All you need is a bowl of water, a needle and a cork! Have your children explore the same magnetic forces that inspired Einstein as a child in this fun science experiment.

Lollipop Layers Density Experiment

Density is such a fun phenomenon to explore, and in this version of a density experiment we are using candy! Lollipop layers is so simple, all you need is a bunch of lollipops or hard candies, water, and a patient hand. The result… GORGEOUS!

Greenhouse Effect Science Experiment

Climate change experiments are so important for helping foster a deep understanding in our students. In this Greenhouse Effect Science Experiment we learn how gas are changing the atmosphere and affecting global temperatures.

Volcano Experiment

A classic science project for kids, making a volcano can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. The goal of the exercise, a big, bubbly reaction that is sure to WOW students. Here are some of our favourite Volcano Experiments we have done.

Have you ever made a Lava Lamp at home? This sensory science experiment is mesmerizing! Watching those bubbles bounce and dance and play is sure to capture students of all ages. Best of all, we have 5 different ways you can make a Lava Lamp (including the old favourite with alka seltzer), so no matter what supplies you have available, we have a Lava Lamp experiment you can do.

Make Milk Plastic

While teaching elementary science I was always on the hunt for cool science experiments that would impress my kids and really stretch their interests and foster their curiosity. One of the biggest hits of all time was a surprisingly simple experiment, that we never really considered as possible… making plastics. Specifically making bioplastics out of milk . With this concept you can create a lesson that is a powerful way to explore polymers with kids. This easy science experiment is a sure fire hit with students and gives them a wonderful keepsake of their studies.

Bouncy Naked Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Have you ever tried to shell a raw egg? Impossible you say? Challenge your hypothesis in this egg in vinegar science experiment ! Not only will you remove the shell from a raw egg, but the result is a bouncy, rubbery, raw egg. An incredibly simple science experiment, it can also be used to teach higher level concepts in osmosis and biology for students learning about the parts of the cell.

Making Water Rise Experiment Magic

When we did this water experiment the kids jaws hit the floor! It is so simple, but the results shock the kids. This is one very easy science experiment that is also incredibly memorable. It teaches the science of creating a vacuum in a very simple approach with just a jar, water and a candle. Learn how to make water rise and wow your students!

Elephant Toothpaste

You have probably seen the Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment done on TV or at the Science Center where they create a massive gusher that goes many feet into the air, but did you know there is a very simple and easy way you can do this experiment yourself with items you already have available? This classic science experiment is one every student should experience.

Frozen Bubbles

If you live where it gets well below freezing, one of our favourite winter science experiments is to freeze bubbles . There are some specific science principles you need to understand to ensure this experiment is a beautiful success!

Growing Crystals

As a crystal lover and passionate family of rock hounds, the idea of growing crystals is something that we love! Over the years we have found all the ways to simplify and perfect the process so you can easily grow gorgeous crystals and learn the science behind crystallization. We have made crystals from borax, alum and sugar. We even have edible crystals called Rock Candy … yum!!

Explore Surface Tension with Glitter (or Pepper) and Soap

Surface tension is the focus of this simple science experiment that provides a powerful demonstration of the effect soap has on surface tension. Do this easy experiment, all you need is a plate, water, glitter or pepper and dish soap. Such an easy science experiment for kids!

Bottle Crush – Simple Heat Transfer Experiment

Got a soda pop bottle, some hot water and a cold winter day (or a bucket of ice)? Then you have all the makings of a cool science experiment! This this Bottle Crush science experiment , kids feel like all powerful magicians as they crush plastic bottles without touching them.

pH Testing Lab

Have you ever done a pH lab ex periment? In this simple version, you can use items from the kitchen to create a science lab that allows students to explore pH and learn more about acids and bases.

Gummy Mummies – Gummy Bear Mummification Experiment

Gummy Bear Science Experiments are always a hit with kids and in this easy science experiment we explore how the mummification process works. Add an extra fun comparison by also placing some of the gummy bears in liquid.

Walking Rainbow

Want a beautiful rainbow science experiment that is soooo easy it all happens without you even needing to do anything? Simply set it up, walk away, and come back to a beautiful rainbow of colours. In the Walking Rainbow Science Experiment kids learn about capillary action and color mixing. All you need is jars, paper towels, water and food coloring.

Rainbow Rain

On a rainy day, why not make Rainbow Rain in this simple science experiment for kids. The results are beautiful and will brighten a dreary day. All you need is water, shaving cream and a few drops of food colouring.

Skittles Experiment

It doesn’t get any easier than the simple Skittles Experiment . All you need is a plate, some Skittles and water. Soon you will have a spectacular science experiment the kids will beg to do again and again.

It’s been all the rage for a few years, and whether you love it or hate it, making slime can actually be a fantastic science experiment for kids.

Ready to do one of the most simple science experiments, but also the most fun? It’s time to make non-Newtonian Fluids! Known as Oobleck , it turns sold under pressure and liquifies when you remove pressure. And it will keep kids learning hands on and exploring for hours! The best part is all the different science experiments you can do with Oobleck.

Now when you think of Moon Dough , you don’t immediately think of easy science experiments for kids, but that’s because you have never made Moon Dough the way we make Moon Dough! In our recipes we learn about emulsifiers, glow in the dark science, chemical reactions, heat transfer, all while having so much fun exploring science and sensory play with kids of all ages.

Making playdough with your kids is a great way to teach them about mixtures, solutions, substances, and chemical changes. It is also teaches about the importance of formulas and the role each ingredient plays in creating one of the all time most popular sensory play items, playdough!

Magic Milk Experiment

Ready for some serious wow factor in a really easy science experiment? Magic Milk is a classic experiment that always mesmerizes kids. Over the years we have used it to learn about surface tension, space, pollution on Earth Day, and so much more. All you need is milk, dish soap and a drop of food colouring… and watch the magic colour explosion happen!

Simple Snow and Ice Experiment

Is it winter where you live? This is a fantastic, very simple and easy experiment to do with young students. All you need is some jars, snow, ice cubes and water… and watch the melting magic !

Heat Transfer Experiment – Slurpee Making

Kids love this simple slurpee science experiment where they get a cold, sweet treat at the end in the form of a homemade slurpee! Using the science of heat transfer, kids will make their very own slurpee out of juice. A great experiment for learning about temperature, heat and heat transfer.

Flying Ghosts Tea Bag Experiment

Obviously this easy science experiment is perfect for Halloween, but don’t let that stop you from doing it at any time during the year. The results of the flying tea bag experiment are always a hit with kids and all you need is fire and a tea bag to set flight to curiosity!

Ice Fishing

Inspire your little ones to learn more about how salt and water react in this fun ice fishing science experiment .

Water and Oil Experiment

Demonstrate how oil and water don’t mix in this colourful oil and water experiment. All you need is a few simple ingredients: water, oil and food colouring. When it comes to easy science experiments for kids, it doesn’t get easier than this!

Magnet Science – Harry Potter Inspired Wingardium Leviosa

Use the magic of science to wow students, or teach students this experiment so they can wow their friends with their new found magical abilities. You can also use this science to make ghosts fly! Who knew magnet science was so cool?

Marshmallow Science

Marshmallows are the secret to easy science experiments that you never knew existed in your pantry! Learn how to teach concepts around heat, molecules, expansion and more in this marshmallow science experiment .

Sky Science

Kids wondering why the sky changes colour during sunrise and sunsets? Or the always famous, why is the sky blue, question? Explore the science of the sky colours in this easy experiment .

Easy STEM Challenges

Why not combine Science with some Technology, Engineering and Math in these easy STEM Projects for kids.

Build a Popsicle Stick Catapult

One of the original STEM projects kids have been building for generations is the simple catapult. There are lots of different ways you can build a catapult, but here we are making the always easy and popular Popsicle Stick Catapult .

Build a Water Clock

This easy STEM project has some significant historical context that your history loving students will go wild over. Plus building a water clock is surprisingly easy but packs a powerful learning punch.

Make a Glow Salt Circuit

Before you start to worry, building a circuit doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, once your students master the basics of electricity and circuits, they will want to start adding circuits to everything. To get started, one of the most simple circuit projects you can make is our Glow Salt Circuit . Don’t worry, we provide all the detailed instructions to ensure your project is a hit.

Build a Battery

Another great way to explore electricity science is to build a simple battery out of food. We have built Lemon Batteries , Pumpkin Batteries and even Potato Batteries . Kids love capturing the energy in our foods and using it to light up!

Build a Bridge

A bridge building challenge is a great way to challenge a class either in school, at camp or in an after school program. Kids get to let their innovation, creativity, and understanding of science and engineering go wild as they build their creations. Then test them out against other designs to see which concepts come out on top.

Rube Goldberg Machine

Building simple machines is an incredible STEM project for all ages. With a Rube Goldberg Machine you are linking simple machines into a chain reaction to achieve an end goal. The best part about a Rube Goldberg Machine project is that it challenges students to work together and apply critical thinking and problem skills as they develop their STEM literacy. Check out the Rube Goldberg Machine we built as a Leprechaun Trap .

Build a Catapult Cannon

Catapults may be fun, but as kids get older, they want bigger challenges, bigger launches and bigger fun with their learning. Enter the Catapult Cannon , a Catapult design that launches harder and farther than your regular catapults, and challenges students to apply more advanced engineering and physics concepts.

Build a Confetti Cannon or Seed Bomb Launcher

For a smaller scale challenge with mini cannons, try making this Confetti Cannon , which includes two different designs, one for little learners and one more complex design for older kids. Plus you can use a similar design concept to make a Seed Bomb Launcher for homemade Seed Bombs.

Tower Construction Challenge

A very easy STEM Project is to challenge kids to build a tower. Now you can do this with blocks or LEGO, but up the challenge by having kids build with candy , marshmallows , paper, pasta or even frozen bubbles . Add a time limit to turn this into a one minute STEM challenge.

Make a Thaumatrope

Optical illusions are always a fun experiment for kids. For a quick and easy optical illusion for kids, try building Thaumatropes . It is so easy, especially with our ideas and templates.

Build a Balloon Car

This is a STEM build that is perfect for a classroom or after school group. Build a Balloon Car that is powered by air. For younger kids, challenge them with the Make It Move STEM Challenge .

Biology Science Building Models

Turn a boring Biology lesson into a fun science class with a STEM project inspired by the human body. Build functioning models of The Lungs , The Heart or The Hand .