simple experiment biology

Top 30 Biology Experiments for High-School

The field of biology offers a wide range of fascinating experiments that can deepen our understanding of the living world around us. From studying the behavior of cells to investigating the intricacies of ecosystems, biologists use a variety of methods to uncover the secrets of life.

We’ve compiled a captivating list of 30 biology experiments that are both educational and fun and also suitable for a wide range of ages.

These hands-on educational activities will not only deepen your appreciation for the intricacies of life but also fuel your curiosity and passion for scientific exploration.

So, roll up your sleeves, gather your lab equipment, and prepare to embark on an exciting adventure through the fascinating world of biology-based science experiments!

1. Grow a Butterfly

Students can gain knowledge about the various phases of development, from the egg to the larva to the pupa to the adult butterfly, by studying and taking care of a butterfly during its whole life cycle. This offers students a special chance to learn about the insect life cycle and the metamorphosis process.

Learn more: Elemental Science

2. Dissecting a Flower

Dissecting a flower can aid students in honing their analytical and observational skills. This may also aid in their comprehension of how a flower’s various components interact to facilitate reproduction, which is the flower’s main objective.

Learn More: How to Dissect a Flower

3. Extracting a DNA

The extraction of DNA is an excellent experiment for high school students to gain a better understanding of the principles of molecular biology and genetics. This experiment helps students to understand the importance of DNA in research and its applications in various fields, such as medicine, biotechnology, and forensics.

Learn more: Extracting DNA

4. Looking at Fingerprints

Exploring fingerprints can be a fun and intriguing experiment. This experiment encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills and attention to detail, as they must carefully analyze and compare the various fingerprint patterns.

Fingerprint analysis is a fascinating and engaging experiment that can spark an interest in forensic science and provide students with a hands-on learning experience.

Learn more: Directions to Examine a Fingerprint

5. Cultivate Bacteria on Home Made Agar

This experiment provides a hands-on learning experience for students to understand the principles of microbiology and the techniques used in bacterial culture.

This experiment can also help students to understand the importance of bacteria in our daily lives, their role in human health, and their applications in various fields, such as biotechnology and environmental science.

Learn more: Grow bacteria on Homemade Agar Plates

6. Make a Bioluminescent Lamp

This experiment provides an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn about bioluminescence and the principles of genetic engineering.

Creating a bioluminescent lamp is a fun and engaging way to explore the intersection of biology, chemistry, and physics, making it a perfect experiment for students interested in science and technology.

Learn more: Make Glowing Water

7. Make Plants Move with Light

This experiment can help students understand the role of light in plant growth and photosynthesis and the importance of light as an environmental factor for plant survival.

Learn more: Experiments with Phototropism

8. Test the Five-Second Rule

The “5-second rule” experiment is a simple and fun way to investigate the validity of the popular belief that it is safe to eat food that has been dropped on the ground for less than 5 seconds.

The experiment is an engaging and informative way to explore the science behind a common belief and promote critical thinking and scientific inquiry among students.

Learn more: Five Second Rule

9. Examine How Antibiotics Affect Bacteria

This experiment is an excellent opportunity for high school students to develop their laboratory skills, such as aseptic technique and bacterial culture, and understand the principles of antibiotic resistance and its implications for human health.

Examining how antibiotics affect bacteria is a fascinating and educational experiment that promotes scientific inquiry and critical thinking among students.

Learn more: Learn About Bacteria

10. Look for Cell Mitosis in an Onion

This experiment is an excellent opportunity for high school students to develop their microscopy skills and understand the biological basis of growth and development in plants. This experiment is a fun and informative way to explore the world of cells and their role in the growth and development of living organisms.

Learn more: Onion Root Mitosis

11. Test the Effects of Disinfectants

Testing the effects of disinfectants is an important process in determining their efficacy in killing or reducing the number of microorganisms on a surface or object. Disinfectants can be hazardous if not used correctly, and testing their effects can help students understand how to use them safely.

Students can learn about proper handling techniques and how to interpret safety labels and warning signs.

Learn more: Antiseptic and Disinfectants

12. Microwave Seed Gardening

Microwave seed gardening is a quick and efficient method of germinating seeds, microwave seed gardening can be a useful method for starting seeds, but it should be used with care and in conjunction with other germination methods to ensure the best possible results.

Learn more: Microwave plant

13. Water Bottle Bacteria Swab

This experiment can be a fun and informative way to learn about the importance of keeping water bottles clean and free from harmful bacteria. It can also be used to compare the cleanliness of different types of water bottles, such as metal, plastic, or glass.

Learn more: Swabbing Water Bottles

14. Frog Dissection

Frog dissection can be a valuable tool for teaching anatomy and physiology to high school students, as it provides a comprehensive examination of the internal organs and systems of the frog.

Dissection can be a valuable and engaging experiment for high school students interested in biology and life science.

Learn more: Frog Dissection

15. Witness the Carbon Cycle in Action

By witnessing the carbon cycle in action, learners can gain a better understanding of the interconnectedness of different parts of the Earth’s system and the impact that human activities can have on these processes.

Learn more: Carbon Cycle Lab

16. Investigate the Efficacy of Types of Fertilizer

Investigating the efficacy of different types of fertilizer can be an interesting and informative way to learn about plant growth and nutrition. Investigating the efficacy of different types of fertilizer is a practical and engaging way to learn about plant nutrition and the role of fertilizers in agriculture.

Learn more: Best Fertilizer

17. Explore the Impact of Genetic Modification on Seeds

Exploring the impact of genetic modification on seeds is a fascinating and relevant topic that can spark meaningful discussions and encourage learners to think critically about the role of science and technology in society.

Learn more: Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

18. Yeast Experiment

Another easy to perform experiment for high school students is the yeast. This experiment is simple since all that is required is the removal of four different food samples onto separate plates and a thorough examination of the mold that develops on each sample over time.

Learn more: Grow Yeast Experiment

19. Taste Perception

The human tongue has specialized taste receptors that respond to five primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory). Taste perception plays an important role in determining food preferences and dietary habits, as well as influencing the overall eating experience.

Learn more: Taste perception

20. Pea Plant Genetics

A classic pea plant genetics experiment involves cross breeding pea plants with different traits, such as flower color, seed shape, or pod shape.

This experiment can be conducted in a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse, by manually transferring pollen from one plant to another.

Learn more: Gregor Mendel Pea Experiment

21. Comparing Animal and Plant Cells

Comparing animal and plant cells is an important exercise in biology education. Both animal and plant cells are eukaryotic cells, meaning they contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

This exercise can help students understand the structure and function of cells, as well as appreciate the diversity of life on Earth.

Learn more: Comparing Plant Cell and Animal Cell

22. Testing Bacteria

Bacteria are easily accessible and can be grown in a laboratory or even at home with simple equipment and materials. This makes it a practical and cost-effective experiment for schools with limited resources.

Learn more: How to grow Bacteria and more

23. The Effect of Light on Growth

Light is a fundamental environmental factor that plays a crucial role in the growth and development of plants. By conducting this experiment, students can gain a deeper understanding of how light affects plant growth and why it is important.

Learn more: The effect of light in Plant Growth

24. Planaria Regeneration

Planaria regeneration allows students to design their own experiments, as they can choose which body parts to remove and study the effects of different variables, such as temperature, pH, or chemical treatments on the regeneration process.

Planaria are easy to obtain and maintain in a laboratory or classroom setting. They are also affordable, making it an ideal experiment for schools with limited resources.

Learn more: Planaria Experiment

25. Making a Seed Board

Making a seed board can be a fun and engaging activity for students, as they can see the progress of their plants over time and share their results with others. It can also foster a sense of responsibility and ownership in caring for their plants.

26. Design an Owl Pellet

Dissecting an owl pellet provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in scientific observation, data collection, and analysis. Students can also learn about the anatomy of the prey species found in the owl pellet.

27. Grow an Herbal Cutting

Growing an herb cutting provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in plant care, experimental design, and data collection. Students can learn about the different stages of plant growth and the factors that affect it.

28. Eat a Cell Model

Creating an edible cell model connects to various disciplines, such as biology, anatomy, and nutrition. Students can learn about the different organelles that make up a cell and their functions, as well as the nutritional value of the food materials used in the model

29. Make a Habitat Diorama

Making a habitat diorama provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in research, creative design, and presentation. Students can learn about different ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them.

30. Create a Fall Leaf (or Signs of Spring) Journal

Creating a fall leaf (or signs of spring) journal provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in observation, data collection, and analysis. Students can learn about the changes that occur in nature during the fall or spring season.

A Nervous Experiment

Do you think you need the same number of nerves in every part of your body? Where in your body might you need more nerves? See for yourself! Also in: Español

Air Pollution

The Phoenix metropolitan area, like many large cities, has problems with air pollution at certain times of the year. You can do a simple study to determine some of the factors that affect air pollution.

Farming ants might sound like a crazy thing to do unless you might like to eat chocolate covered ants. It turns out we can learn a lot from ants and the best way is to build your own ant farm. Also in: Español

Birds and Their Songs

We see them practically everywhere. They are found flying in the high mountains and soaring along the thermal winds in the low deserts. There are those that are reclusive and others you can watch from your own back yard. Also in: Español

Breaking Proteins

Catch and Sketch Plankton

Learn to focus on detail and make keen observations that could be overlooked in a picture in this lesson on scientific sketching.

Collecting Ants

There are several different ways to get ants for an ant farm, depending on when you would like to start the farm and how long you would like for your ant farm to last.

Microorganisms in action! Turn a pile of grass clippings into an experiment.

Cutting Out Brain Tumors

Try out some of the new techniques that neurosurgeons are using to guide them during surgery.

Dr. Biology's Virtual Pocket Seed Experiment

Dr. Biology has been busy working on a new experiment and he needs your help. He has collected so much information from the experiment that he needs someone to analyze the data. All the results have been recorded in photographs, including some cool animations. Also in: Español | Français

Be Part of Ask A Biologist

By volunteering, or simply sending us feedback on the site. Scientists, teachers, writers, illustrators, and translators are all important to the program. If you are interested in helping with the website we have a Volunteers page to get the process started.

Share to Google Classroom

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

$Light Refraction Science Experiment$

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

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Light Refraction Science Experiment

Dancing Raisins Experiment

Dancing Raisins Science Experiment - Step (3)

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

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Dancing Raisins Science Experiment

See Sound Experiment

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> See Sound Science Experiment

Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

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

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Upside Down Water Glass Science Experiment

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

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

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

Pick up Ball with a Jar Science Experiment

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

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

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

Will It Melt Science Experiment

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

Pepper Move Science Experiment

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

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pepper Move Science Experiment

Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

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

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

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

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

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

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

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

Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

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

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

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

Rainbow in a Jar Science Experiment

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

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

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

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

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

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

Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

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

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

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

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Science Experiment

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

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

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

Orange Float Science Experiment

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

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

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Orange Float Science Experiment

Pick up Ice with String Science Experiment

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

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

Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

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

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

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

Reader Interactions

20 Fun and Interesting Biology Experiments for High School

Jennifer is a prolific writer with over 10 years of experience in online writing. She enjoys creating quotes and poems.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Unlike science in middle school, high school biology is a hands-on endeavor. Experiments are a standard part of biology courses, whether they are part of a controlled laboratory class, science fair, or individual student projects. Explore a few fascinating high school biology experiments; and discover ideas for simple and easy biology experiments to incorporate into your curriculum.

Examples of Biology Experiments for High School

Whether you are looking for a science fair project or need to create a project for a class assignment, there are numerous biology projects for teens.

Planting Spring Bulbs: An Easy-to-Follow Guide for Beginners
7 Senior Bio Examples to Help You Craft Your Own

Frog Dissection

Dissecting a frog is a quintessential part of high school biology. If possible, try to get both female and male specimens for your class so students can see the eggs and compare the insides to the male frog.

Flower Dissection

High schoolers can get a bit squirmy about frog dissection. Have a flower dissection instead. The teens can find and label the female and male parts of the flower. It can be fun for high schoolers to check out flower intricacies under a microscope.

Diversity Among Plant Samples

Another simple biology experiment involves going into your natural environment, such as a local park, to observe diversity among plant samples. To make the experiment more detailed, students can rub collected samples on filter paper to observe which plants present which colors . Teens can work to find out why certain plants present certain colors.

Phototropism

It can be enlightening to show kids how phototropism affects plants. They can set up an experiment by using different materials to affect light. They can see how affecting the light affects the growth of the plant.

Water From Common Sources

Water is everywhere. Unfortunately, water contains numerous elements too. A great experiment is collecting water samples from various sources and viewing them under a microscope. Students can then compare their results and attempt to postulate why a given water source would present more organisms than another would.

Yeast Experiment

Another experiment involves taking a piece of bread to monitor the molds that grow over a period of two weeks.

Taste Perception

Everyone has their own taste. Literally! Some people like sour things while others like sweet. Find out if everyone perceives taste the same way and has the same threshold for taste by doing an in-class experiment.

Disinfectant Effectiveness

Ever wonder how effective hand sanitizer is at killing bacteria? Test it! Grow bacteria in a Petri dish along with paper soaked in peroxide, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, etc. Find out how each one of them works to inhibit bacteria growth.

Pea Plant Genetics

Students can recreate Mendel's genetic pea plant experiments . By growing pea plants and comparing their phenotypes, students can determine each parent plant's genotype.

Examining Fingerprints

Fingerprints are pretty amazing features on the human body. Not only can you use them to open your phone, but each one is unique . Put your fingerprint on paper and examine the different aspects of the lines and arches on your fingers. Compare fingerprints among everyone in class.

Comparing Animal and Plant Cells

To better understand animal and plant cells, students can compare cells from their cheeks to cells from an onion. Just stain the cells with iodine or another dye to better see the cell structures under a microscope.

Creating a DNA model is a great way to help students understand the structure and function of DNA in genetics. Students can use candy, string, and toothpicks to develop a fairly realistic model of the double helix structure.

Water Bottle Germs

Many people refill their water bottles in high school. But do they add germs or bacteria to the bottle? Is refilling a disposable water bottle safe? Have students take swabs of the water bottles they use and look for bacteria around the lid or on the bottle.

Testing Hair

Teens use a lot of hair products. But do they truly work? Have teens in your class take a few samples of their hair. See what happens to the hair when common hair products are added.

Water Cycle

Understanding the water cycle isn't hard. But teens can look at it firsthand by creating a water cycle experiment. Just have them fill a baggie with water and tape it to a window. They will watch evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in action.

Closed Ecosystem Bottle

It can be hard for students to imagine something having its own ecosystem. However, you can use a plastic bottle to create a closed ecosystem.

Field Survey Biology Experiment

This experiment is great because it is cheap, easy, and you can do it in a variety of areas around your school or send students home with it. The goal is to observe the surrounding area over time and monitor the samples that you collect.

Materials You'll Need

For this experiment, you need to grab:

Jar or baggies to collect samples
Stakes and string or cones help mark an area
Paper or journals for taking notes
Slides, slide covers, and a microscope

Observation Instructions

Take note that you will observe your area for several months, so choose an area that is easy to re-mark or where you can leave the markings up, so you return to the same designated area each time.

Have students choose one spot to observe. The spot should be no more than two to three feet square.
Do you see evidence of animals? (Look for prints, scat or guano, fur, owl pellets, etc.)
What plant life do you see? (Look for moss, lichen, weeds, and other plants).
What fungus do you see? (Look for mushrooms and other fungal growth).
What insects do you see? (Encourage students to look specifically for relationships here - such as connecting mosquitos with water or bees with flowers or a hive).

Sampling and Classroom Instructions

Bring the research back into the classroom by following these instructions.

Guide students to make connections and note relationships in their marked area. Have them inventory the area and draw a crude map of where everything is.
If possible, have students use tweezers and gently take samples of soil, fungus, moss, plant life, insects, etc.
pH value of soil or water
Microorganisms in water
Plant cells under a microscope
Comparative structure of flowers you find
Require students to record everything in their own journal or interactive notebook.

Teacher tip: Set up stations in the classroom for viewing, dissecting, drawing, testing pH, etc. This will allow students some choice in how they proceed with examining their specimens.

Testing for Bacteria

Have students see where the most bacteria are lurking. This experiment is great if you want a lab that has guaranteed results. There is always some kind of bacteria lurking somewhere, just waiting to grow in a student's Petri dish.

These are the materials you are going to need to have on hand.

Prepared Petri dishes, three per student
Sterile swabs
Painter's tape
Scotch tape
Permanent Marker
Graph paper

Material notes : You can also purchase sterile Petri dishes and agar separately; however, it is much more likely students will contaminate the plate before they swab.

Preparing Your Petri Dishes

Prepping your Petri dishes is an essential part of the experiment.

Before opening any materials, have students identify three places (but in one physical location such as at home or at school) that they are going to swab for bacteria. Encourage them to hypothesize about which place they think will grow the most bacteria.
Using the Petri dish, trace three circles on the graph paper and cut it out.
In pencil, draw a line to denote the 'top' of the circle. It doesn't matter where you draw the line, but you will need something to show you how your Petri dish is oriented so you can be sure you're tracking the same colony each time you observe.
On the back of the graph paper circle, note the location where you will take the swab, as well as the date you are taking the swabs. Do this for all three Petri dishes you have.

Collecting Samples

Have students bring their unopened sterile swabs and closed Petri dishes to the site. Carefully, they should:

Set the Petri dish down on a flat surface.
Unwrap the swab.
Swipe the swab across the area they suspect has bacteria.
Lift the lid, gently wipe the used swab across the agar, and close the lid, carefully but quickly.

Hint: Sometimes, it's helpful to tape the Petri dish shut so that the Petri dish doesn't accidentally lose its lid.

Evaluating Results

Now that you've swabbed the areas, it's all about the results.

Have students draw Petri-dish-sized circles in their lab books or on separate graph paper. Draw one week's worth of Petri dishes for each dish the student has.
As the colonies start to grow, have students draw the size in their notebooks, making daily observations. If they cannot observe daily, have them observe on the same day(s) over a month.
They should also be recording the color and other notable features of their bacteria colonies in their lab books.
At the end, the students should write a conclusion of their study.

The Effect of Light on Growth

In this lab, students investigate how light affects plant growth. Students may use any plants, but cress will grow more quickly, so your students can get results faster.

Gather up your materials.

Styrofoam cup or bowl
Potting soil

Instructions

With your materials at the ready, it's time to start your experiment.

On Day 1 - plant seeds in the soil in the cups.
Label the cups according to the light you're going to use. You can compare sunlight vs. complete darkness, or you can compare several types of light.
On each day after the initial day, take a picture of each cup and try to measure the growth, if any.
For your lab entries, measure the sprouts, and note color and shape characteristics.

Planaria Regeneration

In this lab, students watch the rate at which planaria regenerates and test whether how you cut the planaria makes a difference as to how they grow back.

To conduct this experiment, you want to grab.

9 planarias
3 small plastic Petri dishes
1 large plastic Petri dish
1 plastic pipet
1 magnifying glass
1 plastic coverslip
Spring water
Paper towels
Ice pack(optional)

Setup Instructions

Getting the setup right is half the battle when it comes to creating fun and interesting biology experiments for high schoolers.

Start by numbering the three small Petri dishes to ensure nothing gets confused later.
Using the pipet, move a planarian into the large Petri dish.
At this point, you may want to try to set the Petri dish on an ice pack for a few minutes. This isn't totally necessary, but it will slow the planarian down to make it easier to cut.
Right behind the head
Right in the middle
Right towards the tail
Use the pipet to gently transfer each segment to a new Petri dish (with spring water).
Repeat the steps with all remaining worm segments.
Every day, observe the planaria. Regeneration will be considered 'complete' when the photoreceptors (the black dots that look like eyes on the planarian's head) appear.

Scientific Method and High School Biology Experiments

Much of high school biology is focused on instilling the elements of science in students. The scientific method is one of these main focuses. The method prompts participants in science to be investigators and to come up with a guess about what will happen in a given experiment, called a hypothesis. The point of the experiment is then to either prove the hypothesis correct through the experiment or prove it incorrect. This prompts teens to get involved in the scientific method while teaching other scientific skills, such as:

The ability to make a rational estimate based on present factors and knowledge
Close detail and monitoring skills
The possibility of being wrong and how to move past that if it turns out to be the case
Quick thinking skills

As much fun as biology experiments can be, there is an educational component spearheading the experiment.

Fun and Interesting High School Biology Experiments

For teens, high school biology can be fun. Finding the right experiment can help biology pop off the page and become more than just another required course of study. Who knows? Perhaps your student will even be prompted to enter a science fair or a career rooted in science?

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
MEMBER LOGIN

Hands On As We Grow®

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

50 Amazingly Simple Science Experiments for Kids at Home

Science Kindergartners Preschoolers Experiment Resources 30 Comments

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

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

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

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

Get the FREE Science Experiments Download

50 Simple Science Experiments with Supplies You Already Have

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

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

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

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

Simple Science Experiments with Water

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

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

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

Simple Science Experiments with Baking Soda and Vinegar

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

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

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

Plant Themed Simple Science Experiments

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

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

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

Animal Themed Simple Science Experiments

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

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

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

Even More Simple Science Experiment for Kids at Home!

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

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

What scientific experiment will you try first?

About Brigitte Brulz

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

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

Reader Interactions

30 comments.

college brawl says

March 13, 2024 at 1:05 am

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

threadsBay says

August 31, 2023 at 3:13 am

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

What Parents Have to Say…

Shop ebooks of activities.

Get activity plans delivered to your inbox, every week!

Activities that hands-on parents absolutely love.

Make a Color Sorting Sensory Bag with Your Kids: Super Easy & Squishy

Why Routines for Kids are Important

50 Simple & Fun Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers

Improve Kids Fine Motor Skills with 30 Materials & Activities

Build gross motor skills with five easy activities using just six lines of tape1

6 Different Activities for 6 Lines of Tape

How to Make a Lava Lamp Experiment Without Alka Seltzer

Get started having fun with your kids.

PLAN THE FUN WITH THE FREE KIDS ACTIVITIES PLANNER! AND RECEIVE ACTIVITIES EVERY WEEK!

Preschoolers
Kindergartners
Grade School
Literacy & ABCs
Math & 123s
Art Projects
Gross Motor
Shop Activity Plans
Member Login

7 Fun Biology Experiments for High School

What better way to learn about life’s mysteries than through exciting and fun biology experiments? High school is the perfect time to delve deeper into the world of biology, and I’ve gathered seven fun and educational experiments that will ignite your students’ curiosity and make biology come alive. So, roll up your sleeves, put on your lab coat, and let’s dive into these fun biology experiments!

1. Barf Bag Lab

Topics: cellular respiration, alcoholic fermentation, cellular energy

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are difficult concepts for students to grasp because they involve molecular interactions that can’t be seen. Bringing these reactions into an observable format is essential for students to comprehend them. Barf bags do just that.

Not only does the name “Barf Bag Lab” catch their attention, but the reaction itself is just gross enough to be quite memorable. Using yeast to demonstrate alcoholic fermentation, students crush sugary cereal to provide a source of glucose. As the bag expands, it may ultimately “barf” its contents onto the lab table. This lab is a great use of scientific processes because variables can be manipulated by changing the type of cereal used. Grab a free Barf Bag Lab Activity from my online store or see more cellular respiration lab experiments in this post .

2. Osmosis Egg Experiment

Topics: semipermeable cell membranes, osmosis, hypertonic, hypotonic, homeostasis

This classic lab provides another opportunity for students to observe the effects of cellular processes that would otherwise be difficult to see. Unlike the previous lab, however, this one involves a little bit of teacher prep work.

By soaking eggs in vinegar for a few days, the shells become soft and can be washed away with a little water. What remains is a semipermeable cell membrane that is easily observed. By deshelling a few eggs, the cell’s response to a variety of solute concentrations can be illustrated. If you’re interested in incorporating this classic experiment into your course, this egg osmosis lab has been vetted by hundreds of high school Biology teachers.

3. Cell Size Diffusion Lab

Topics: cell size, diffusion, cell membrane, surface area to volume ratio

This is a lab that I use as the first of lesson plan in my cell cycle unit , but it also makes a great diffusion lab. I prefer to do this experiment as a demonstration because it involves bleach and knives, which can be a safety hazard in a high school Biology classroom.

By cutting cubes of fresh beets into different sizes, students can practice calculating surface area and volume, which is a skill that helps them understand the necessity of a cell membrane for the diffusion of substances. Each beet cube is then soaked in bleach and students can observe the percentage of the cube’s volume that is reached by the bleach. The visual component of this lab is a great way for students to comprehend the need for efficient nutrient absorption and the reason for cell division.

4. Extracting DNA from Strawberries

Topics: cell structure, DNA, nucleus, cell membrane, histones

This is another classic lab, but one that just can’t be skipped! With a few household ingredients, students can extract long strings of DNA from the nuclei of strawberry cells and scoop it up with a toothpick or skewer. If you want, the DNA can even be preserved in alcohol as a biology souvenir!

At the beginning of my teaching career, I used the split pea extraction lab from Learn Genetics . It’s still a solid lab, but I’ve come to prefer using strawberries over other DNA sources for two reasons: 1) Strawberries are triploid, so the amount of DNA extracted from them is greater and 2) They are easy to smush. Split pea extraction requires a blender to break the cell walls. Since blenders aren’t readily available for every student, it necessitates a demonstration rather than a lab. Some teachers have found success with wheat germ as a DNA source, as well. You can watch a video demonstration of strawberry DNA extraction on my YouTube channel.

5. Natural Selection Lab

Topics: natural selection, mutation, genetic variation, fitness, antibiotic resistance

It’s tough to find labs for natural selection and evolution because these processes usually have to be simulated rather than observed. One of the most popular natural selection labs is the bird beak activity . Students use a variety of materials to simulate finch beaks and learn how beak adaptations cause different species to show niche separation.

Another one of my favorite evolution simulations is a natural selection lab using various household items to simulate antibiotics and bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is a great topic to incorporate into an evolution unit because it is highly relevant to students. Using a variety of pasta shapes to simulate different bacterial species, students use tools like toothpicks and clothespins to act as antibiotics “killing” the bacterial cells. Mutant bacterial cells aren’t able to be picked up by the tools, allowing these new species to flourish as antibiotic-resistant strains. Looking for more evolution labs? Check out my plant cladogram freebie in this post.

6. Candy Radiometric Dating Lab

Topics: fossils, carbon dating, radiometric dating, isotopes, half-life

Using candy is a go-to in my high school courses because it keeps students interested! There are other supplies that can be used for this radiometric dating lab activity, but candy is always well-received in my classes.

Students begin with a designated number of candies with letters on one side (like Skittles, M&Ms, etc) and they shake the candies in a box or bag to simulate radioactive decay. Candies that have flipped represent the daughter atoms. By repeating the shaking and counting of flipped candies, students can create a graph showing the radioactive decay of an isotope. This easily leads to a discussion of half-lives and the radiometric dating of fossils.

7. Greenhouse Effect Experiment

Topics: greenhouse gases, climate change, fossil fuels, carbon dioxide emissions

The greenhouse effect is easy enough to illustrate. Here’s a quick greenhouse effect simulation , if students aren’t familiar. They have likely also observed the greenhouse effect in their own car or a local greenhouse. The effects of carbon dioxide emissions on the greenhouse effect, however, is not something students readily observe. That’s why this simple lab is so clever. Students set up two plastic zipper bags with a cup of water and a thermometer in each bag. Antacid tablets are added to one cup, producing carbon dioxide within that bag. Students then monitor the difference in temperature over a 30-minute period to see how carbon dioxide intensifies the greenhouse effect. For full instructions on this lab including background reading, student instructions, data tables, and comprehension questions, grab this Greenhouse Effect Experiment .

These fun biology experiments will help your students grasp fundamental concepts and nurture their scientific curiosity. Pick one you haven’t tried, gather your lab equipment, and get going!

You might also like...

How to Plan Your Biology EOC Review

Plant Experiments for Biology Class

Best Virtual Anatomy Labs for High School

Hey there! I'm Anne.

Search the site.

Anatomy and Physiology
Environmental Science
Homeschool Science
Teaching Tips

Get Instant Access to Exclusive Freebies!

Grab Exclusive Freebies!

Get great teaching tips and free lessons delivered right to your inbox, monday & tuesday only, 25% discount, use code cyber23 at checkout.

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar

FREE Experiments
Kitchen Science
Climate Change
Egg Experiments
Fairy Tale Science
Edible Science
Human Health
Inspirational Women
Forces and Motion
Science Fair Projects
STEM Challenges
Science Sparks Books
Contact Science Sparks
Science Resources for Home and School

Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!

June 27, 2021 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

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

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

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

easy science experiments you can do at home

Easy Experiments for Science at Home

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

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

Instructions for a reaction time experiment

Use a ruler to test your reaction time.

Create a simple optical illusion.

Design and launch a water powered bottle rocket.

Use cornflour to make gloop!

Use baking soda and vinegar to erupt a volcano.

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

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

Watch a lava lamp bubble!

Learn about emulsions with this beautiful magic milk investigation.

Place skittles in water and watch as the colours spread.

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

Build your own catapult using popsicle sticks.

Make a density jar using oil and water.

Save an egg from breaking by creating a parachute!

More awesome science for kids

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

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

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

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

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

Collage of fairy tale stem challenges including a free printable

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

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

Last Updated on March 29, 2022 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

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

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

Reader Interactions

Science Bob

Experiments.

Science Fair Ideas
Science Q&A
Research Help
Experiment Blog

WHY NOT TRY A FUN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT RIGHT NOW?

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

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

Building a Hovercraft – Video

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

ADS (these ads support our free website)

Share this page.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 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) .

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.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

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.

Bottle Rockets - Backyard Science Launching Young STEM Minds

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!

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

Build a 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!

Layered Lollipops uses candy in a beautiful candy stem challenge

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.

Lemon science experiment creating a beautiful, sensory rich exploding lemon volcano

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.

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

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.

Make Plastic Toys From Milk - A chemistry STEM STEAM activity that is sure to delight www.STEAMPoweredFamily.com

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!

Why Does Water Rise? Best Science Experiments for Kids!

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!!

The secret to growing really big crystals

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.

Bottle Crush - Crush a bottle with your mind, and a little science. Inspired by Mythbusters, a science experiment that seems like magic!

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.

Using items from the kitchen this fascinating experiment explores Acids and Bases and pH Levels. Kids will love digging through the pantry to test out whether items are an acid or a base, and explore pH levels of every day items. An excellent elementary experiment for hands on with science with lots of further studies.

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.

Lego Gummy Mummies are a unique experiment exploring desiccation. An excellent activity linking science and ancient historical cultures like the Egyptians.

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.

Finding the perfect oobleck recipe science fair project

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!

A bright yellow playdough flower is decorated with seeds and craft items. Overlay text says Sunflower Playdough Recipe and STEAM Activity

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!

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

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 !

Snow Ice Simple Science is an experiment all ages can do and teaches valuable lessons about the molecular structure of water in ice form versus snowflake.

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.

Sweet slurpee science is a fantastic activity for kids, with a tasty result they will love. This simple heat transfer experiment is perfect for all ages.

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!

Flying Tea Bag Ghosts Halloween Science Experiment

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?

Wingardium Leviosa Science Experiment Make A Feather Levitate

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 .

Catapults engineered from popsicle sticks

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!

Learn all about electricity, batteries, power and more by building a Lemon Battery in this science experiment

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.

Catapult Cannon STEM Activity and Game Launching

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.

Confetti Cannons are so much fun to use and build. Here we have 2 levels of difficulty, a simple design and a STEM challenge powered by imagination.

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 .

Science Projects and STEM Activities for the Holidays

Need something specific to celebrate the seasons or holidays? Check out all of these resources featuring the best in easy science experiments for kids with a special theme!

Spring Activities

Summer Activities

Fall Activities

Winter Activities

End of School Year

Valentine’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day

Halloween Activities

Christmas Activities

10 Awesome Biology Experiments Ideas For High School Aspirants

Science is no fun without practical experiments. Unlike middle school, where you limit your study and inquiry of science to the theoretical realm, high school has a different scene. Experiments are a major part of studying science in high school, and biology all the more so. Biology is fascinating. It makes us wonder at the complex system which makes the human body function efficiently; it has all the answers to the questions of death, sickness, and life. But we must admit that only the theoretical explanation of these complex concepts never suffices to give us a satisfactory understanding. That is where practical experiments come to the rescue.

Therefore, this post will cover 10 fascinating biology experiments that high school students can do independently, even at home.

Cool Experiments To Do In Your Bio Lab

While many are intrigued by art competitions , others are moved toward robotic classes. However, in a bunch of students, there are a few who love biology experiments. Hence, here are a few experiments that can be tried out by high schoolers if biology is the subject that piques their interest:

1. Extract DNA

Everyone knows DNA is the agent behind our hereditary traits. Residing in the cell’s nucleus, it guides major aspects of our physiognomy. Usually, the DNA is not visible to the naked eye, you need a powerful microscope to view it, but with this experiment, you can have a fine look at the DNA with this DNA extracting experiment.

Basically, you will be forcefully breaking down some cell walls of the extracted cells by dipping it into your extraction solution. Adding 35ml of dish soap and 5gm of salt in 240 ml of water will give you the extraction solution. Dip and mix some mashed banana slices into the extract, leading the DNA to head out into the solution. Then we will use some alcohol to force the DNA to join up into large chains that we can actually see. You will get a fluffy white substance, the DNA that is visible to the naked eye, made possible by this extraction experiment.

2. Dissect A Flower

Everyone has theoretically seen and known the different parts of a flower. Some exceptional students might even have that picture inscribed in their memory. Very well if you have that, but the hands-on experience of viewing those parts with your own eyes can definitely beat any other theoretical picture-viewing experience.

So, first thing first, go out and choose a bloom. Observe the flower and point out the petals, stamen, and pistil. Use a razor to remove the stamen and observe the Filament and Anther under magnifying glasses. Wipe out some pollen grains and have a detailed look at it under the microscope while you are at them. Next up, remove the pistil and observe your flower’s ovary, stigma, and style with a magnifying glass. This is the simplest yet a fascinating experiment on the list.

3. Raise A Butterfly

Again, we have the theoretical knowledge of the life cycle of a butterfly. Yet it takes us by surprise and wonder when we see the process through our own eyes. So, get ready to be fascinated by a butterfly’s journey from an ugly worm to a colourful butterfly.

The process is easy. You get a caterpillar, observe it daily, and note the changes. The changes will be as precise as your books have always told you. First off, a butterfly lays an egg and a caterpillar hatches from the egg. The caterpillar eats and grows, shedding its skin several times to accommodate its growing belly. Once the caterpillar reaches the right size, it sheds its skin for the last time, revealing the chrysalis, which quickly hardens. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar goes through metamorphosis and changes into a butterfly. At the right time, the butterfly breaks out. It hangs onto the chrysalis for a bit, just until its wings dry out and harden. Then, it flies off in search of nectar.

So, in the end, you will be sitting back and enjoying the release of the butterfly you raised with your own very hands.

4. Frog Dissection

Dissecting a frog is one of those lab activities that fascinate and chill you simultaneously. But before you start with the dissection, make sure you take note of all the outer organs like the skin, legs, head, digits, and urinary outlet (cloaca) of the specimen.

You will need a good scalpel, pins, and a dissection tray to cut the frog. After these things are in place, you are all set to perform the three significant incisions on the specimen. Start by cutting from the jaw to down between the legs, then make two horizontal incisions, one above the neck and the other towards the bottom of its legs. At this point, you will start seeing some organs residing in the abdominal cavity. Repeat the same incision on the frog’s abdomen to open the abdominal cavity. Observe the heart, and identify the major organs like the liver, stomach, intestines, and oviducts.

This experiment will definitely leave you amazed at the complex system of nerves, muscles, and bloods that functions interdependently to sustain a living being. However, this experiment should be done in front of teachers and professors in the lab.

5. Diversity Among Plant Samples

Teens can work to find out why certain plants present certain colors. They can also dissect the flowers of the plants and paste the dissected parts of the flowers in their observation notebooks to make a note of the differences between the flowers of the different species of plants.

6. Yeast Experiment

Another simple and easy experiment on the list for high schoolers is the yeaThis experiment is easy because it only involves taking out four different food samples on different plates and a long-time observation of the mold that grows on each sample.

Studying mold is an excellent way to learn more about ecology and biology. This experiment compares how fast mold grows on different types of foods kept in many American homes. Some of the foods are generally kept in refrigerators to extend shelf life, while others are commonly stored at room temperature. This experiment shows that certain foods grow mold faster than others, which is one reason why these foods are often kept in the refrigerator.

Going a step further, the students can also do research inspired by this experiment and find answers to questions such as: what makes a mold grow? And how does one prevent their growth?

7. Look at cell division under the microscope

Cheap digital microscopes with high magnification power that can be directly connected to your laptop or smartphone are easily available in the market nowadays. You can make use of such microscopes to observe every little thing you find at home or outdoors.

A great experiment to do at home with a microscope is to look at how cells divide in different organisms. One of the easiest is baker’s yeast. With a magnification of at least 400x, you can start discerning the shapes of individual yeast cells in water. You will notice that some of them have little buds on them, which is the way they grow and divide.

Taking it one step further, you can also take the tip of the onion’s root and observe them to study the different stages of mitosis as well.

8. Ferment your own food

Bacteria and yeast are practically geniuses in the art of fermentation. Humans have been taking their help for the longest time to make food items such as bread and alcohol. And it is quite easy to ferment your own food at home.

In most cases, you need a starter culture of the bacteria or fungi that make the food you will be fermenting. You can get it from someone already doing fermentation at home or buy it online. Many options range from kombucha, kefir, or mead to yogurt, cheese, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Each fermented food has different requirements, so ensure you have everything you need before starting. After you have everything in place, you are ready to experiment with this fermented food and its varied tastes.

9. Examining Fingerprints

The tips of each finger of your hand have a combination of lines and features in distinctive patterns that we call fingerprints. Fingerprints are one of the fascinating features of the human body. We have been told that each of us is unique in our light, and our fingerprints prove it to be so. You can analyze your own uniqueness by analyzing your very own fingerprints in this project. All you need is paper, magnifying glass, and stamp ink.

First, you need to press a finger against the ink pad and then against a piece of paper. Then, use the magnifying glass to examine the fingerprints and look for arches, whorls, and loops. You can record your finding on your paper. And then take a friend’s fingerprints to analyze the differences.

10. Create A Fall Leaf (Or Signs Of Spring) Journal

Biology is all about studying life and learning more about our natural surroundings. A Fall Leaf journal or a Signs of Spring journal will help your students learn about the trees and bushes that are in your area. This experiment is easy, needs minimal effort, and is fun and exciting as well.

Things To Remember

Science experiments are interesting by nature, but this aspect of their nature shouldn’t keep us from maintaining our share of vigilant caution. Science experiments could sometimes wreak havoc if we do not take enough caution while doing these experiments. Therefore, in order to prevent yourself from ruining your own experiments, you have to follow some safety instructions while doing these experiments.

Wear covered shoes and long pants while performing any experiment, and keep your hair up so it can’t fall into your experiment or a flame. Don’t carelessly sniff or taste any chemicals; don’t just experiment with everything you get your hands on. Make sure you have your full attention in the experiments, and handle everything with care, especially sharp objects like knives or objects that could produce a flame. And at the end of your experiment, you should also know how to dispose of the waste properly.

In the end of it, what matters the most is that we genuinely imbibe the lessons that we learn from our experiments. These biology experiments will get you further into the fascinating world of biology. If you want to further your knowledge, you may also visit science labs, perform science experiments in the lab, attend workshops and seminars, and meet people and learn from their experiences.

Keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep enjoying the process of learning.

Sananda Bhattacharya, Chief Editor of TheHighSchooler, is dedicated to enhancing operations and growth. With degrees in Literature and Asian Studies from Presidency University, Kolkata, she leverages her educational and innovative background to shape TheHighSchooler into a pivotal resource hub. Providing valuable insights, practical activities, and guidance on school life, graduation, scholarships, and more, Sananda’s leadership enriches the journey of high school students.

Explore a plethora of invaluable resources and insights tailored for high schoolers at TheHighSchooler, under the guidance of Sananda Bhattacharya’s expertise. You can follow her on Linkedin

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

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

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

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

Science Experiments at Home that take Less than 1 Hour

1. tie-dye milk.

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

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

Questions to ask beforehand:

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

You’ll need:

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

Procedure/Instructions:

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

2. Saturn’s Glowing Rings

using a flashlight for a Saturn’s Glowing Rings experiment

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

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

3. Breaking Down Colors

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

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

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

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

4. Water Xylophone

Water Xylophone - let kids experiment with sound and liquids

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

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

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

5. Ultimate Bottle Flipping

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

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

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

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

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

6. Rainbow in a Jar

Rainbow in a Jar - a kitchen chemistry experiment for kids

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

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

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

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

7. Write Your Own Secret Messages!

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

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

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

8. Create Your Own Butterfly

Create Your Own Butterfly and learn about capillary action

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

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

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

9. Make A Duck Call

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

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

10. Make Ivory Soap Boats

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

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

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

11. Make Your Own Quicksand

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

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

12. Make Your Own Lava Lamp

Make Your Own Lava Lamp - a cool science experiment

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

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

13. Guess the Smell

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

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

Home Science Experiments that take 1 to Several Hours

14. mangrove bioshield .

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

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

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

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

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

15. A Greater Crater

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

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

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

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

16. Rube Goldberg Chain Reaction Machine

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

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

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

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

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

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

17. Melting

Melting ice - a very easy kitchen science experiment for kids

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

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

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

Other potential experimental examples:

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

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

18. Breathing Leaves

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

A question to ask beforehand:

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

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

19. How Does Sunscreen Work?

Scientific Method - How Does Sunscreen Work?

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

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

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

20. Make A Rubber Egg

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

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

21. Flying Tea Bags

Flying Tea Bags is an easy kitchen science experiment

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

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

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

22. Make Wax Paper Lanterns

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

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

Voila, you’ve created your own lantern!

23. Create an Insect Habitat

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

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

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

Long-Term Science Experiments at Home

24. crystal kingdom.

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

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

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

(Answers can be found here )

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

25. Blow up a Balloon with Yeast

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

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

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

More example experimental setups include:

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

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

26. Seed Germination

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

Seed Germination is an easy science experiment for kids

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

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

Additionally, you could:

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

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

27. Colored Celery

Colored Celery is a simple science experiment for kids

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

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

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

28. Moldy Bread

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

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

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

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

29. Sprouting Beans

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

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

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

30. Begin Composting

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

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

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

31. Turn Grapes Into Raisins

Turn Grapes Into Raisins for an at-home science experiment

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

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

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

32. DIY Science Experiment

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

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

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

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

Editor’s Picks

7 Best LEGO Star Wars Sets | Our Top Picks of All Time!

Best LEGO Creator Sets – Take Your Pick From These 7 Gems!

How to Use a Metal Detector: 8 Essential Tips to Get the Most of It

A Person Holding A Yellow Metal Detector At The Beach

Best Metal Detector for Kids: 5 Top Picks (+ Buying Guide)

Best 2+ Player Cooperative Board Games (Top 6 in 2024)

MEL Chemistry Review: Is Your Child the Next Bill Nye?

Science Fun

Science Experiments for Kids:

Science experiments you can do at home! Explore an ever growing list of hundreds of fun and easy science experiments. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for science fair project ideas. Explore experiments by category, newest experiments, most popular experiments, easy at home experiments, or simply scroll down this page for tons of awesome experiment ideas!

Making A Volcano:

Acids and Bases Can Erupt in Your Faces

Orange Fizz:

Awesome Experiments:

New Experiments:

Check Out Our Newest Experiments

Top Experiments:

Easy Experiments:

Storm In A Glass:

Home Made Play Dough:

Snow Fluff:

Snow Globe:

Squishy Turkeys:

Rainbow in a Glass:

Sizzlin’ Snowballs:

Jello Lenses:

Ice Fishing:

Super Cool Soda:

Jack-O-Cano:

Dancing Hearts:

Marbled Gift Wrap:

Massive Expanding Soap:

Surface Tension Art:

Fizzy Fruit:

Rotting Pumpkin:

Explode A Bag:

Invisible Extinguisher:

Paper Hovercrafts:

Fun Fossil Stamps:

Cool Crystals:

Balloon Pop! Not!

Solar Eclipse Kit:

Moldy Apples:

Cool Off Volcanoes:

Vinegar Pops:

Make It Rain:

Black Light Blue Beverage:

Changing of the Leaves:

Snowflakes:

Water Fireworks:

Mind of a Student:

Balloon Speakers:

Polar Bear Blubber:

Gorgeous Gooey Gobstoppers:

Olympic Medals:

Dyed Flowers:

Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away Gauge:

Blossoming Beans:

Butter Fingers:

Polishing Pennies:

Dancing Liquid:

Floating Egg:

Bendy Bones:

Pot Of Gold:

Layers of Liquids:

Crystal Candy:

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

Welcome, young scientists!

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

The only problem? So many experiments require obscure ingredients that are hard to find or require planning.

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

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

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

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

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

1. Traveling Rainbows

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

What You need:

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

2. Homemade Lava Lamp

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

What You Need:

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

3. Jumping Pepper!

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

black pepper
a plate or bowl
liquid soap

4. Invisible Ink

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

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

5. Mini Volcanos

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

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

Ingredients

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

6. Elephant Toothpaste

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

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

Food coloring

Safety goggles

7. Dry Erase Marker Magic

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

8. Light Refraction Magic

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

Piece of Paper

9. Skittle Heart Experiment

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

10. Dancing Raisins

Home science experiments don’t have to be complicated. In this very easy science experiment that’s perfect for young kids, you’ll need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your household: clear soda, a glass of water, and a handful of raisins. With these simple ingredients, you’ll produce chemical reactions that your kids can watch in real time!

What You’ll Need:

A clear glass of water
Handful of raisins

11. Rainbow Celery

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

What you need:

Glasses of water

12. Homemade Slime

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

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

White school glue
food coloring

13 . Shiny Pennies

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

What You’ll Need

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

14. Orange Fizz

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

Orange or clementine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

15. Exploding Soap

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

16. Sink or Float?

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

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

17. Mixing Impossible

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

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

18. Exploring Colors With Baking Soda / Vinegar

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

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

19. Water Cycle In A Bag

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

Zip lock bag
permanent marker
blue food coloring

20. Tie-Dye

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

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

Here are 10 Easy Tie-Dye Patterns For Kids . To learn how to wash and care for your tie-dye shirt, click here .

21. Static Electricity Hair

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

an inflated balloon
a piece of cloth

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

What’s Happening:

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

22. What’s That Mystery Object?

The process of using your sense of touch is very important to the scientific method. In this experiment, you’ll use your sense of touch to see how many different textures you can recognize.

A grown-up or friend to help
A blindfold
A “feely” bag that you can’t see through

Small objects from around the house that have different textures, such as: a plastic bag, a water bottle, a banana, a piece of paper, a cell phone, a rubber ball, a cotton ball, a tooth brush, a washcloth, etc. Try to find objects of different materials like velvet, wool, cotton, leather, metal objects, wooden spoons or toys, pieces of aluminum foil, and other interesting objects and textures.

First, put on your blindfold. The next step is to have a grown up or friend put a mystery object in the bag for you to fell. Can you guess what each object is?

23. Sugar Water Rainbows

This science experiment is especially meant for older kids, but it can me modified for kids of all ages. Your kids will love this colorful experience about density and buoyancy, and all you need are some common household ingredients.

food colorings (preferably in rainbow colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
a clear straw
salt or sugar

First, fill each of the cups with the same amount of water.

Next, add the food coloring, one color in each cup, preferably in rainbow order.

Line the cups up next to each other.

In the first cup, do not add any sugar at all.

In the second cup, add one tablespoon of sugar.

In the third cup, add two tablespoon of sugar.

In the fourth cup, add three tablepoons of sugar, and so on.

Stir each mixture until all the sugar is dissolved in each glass.

The next step is to make a sugar rainbow by placing the end of the straw in the first cup (the cup with no sugar), only about a half of an inch.

Cover the top of the straw with your thumb before lifting it out of the water so that the water does not fall out of the straw.

Now dip the straw into the second cup (1 tablespoon sugar). This time, insert it deeper so that the end is one inch below the water level. In one quick move, release the thumb and recap again. Now you should have two layers of color.

Keep dipping the straw into each solution from the one with the least sugar to the one with five tablespoons of sugar. Each time, the straw is inserted half an inch deeper.

What’s happening?

Density is the amount of substance (mass) within the volume occupied by the object. If two cups have the same amount of water (i.e. same volume), the one with more sugar is denser than the one with less sugar.

Buoyancy is determined by relative density. The solution with less density floats above the solution with higher density. That is why the color don’t mix.

Sugary water has higher density than plain water. The solution with more sugar has higher density than the one with less sugar. If you have inserted the straw in the solutions from the least sugar to the most sugar, then the color don’t mix and you have a sugar water rainbow.

24. Painted Nature

In this activity, kids will be closely observing natural phenomena, looking for signs of life and growth, and using their senses to experience natural materials. These skills are extremely important scientific foundations.

First, have your child search for natural objects in nature. Fill a bag with interesting sticks, leaves, rocks, twigs, pebbles, and anything else you can find.

Next, bring them into the “classroom” or home to closely observe and paint them.

As you paint, you can discuss the natural colors and features of these objects: What is their texture? What do they notice about each object?

My kids love “melty crayons”. They can’t get enough of them. Gather several rocks and heat them up in the oven. Then, carefully draw on them with crayons. The heat of the rock will melt the crayon wax and the it will go on like paint.

25. Magnet Dump

This activity is a great introductory magnet activity, and for younger kids, they’ll be practicing skills of classifying and sorting.

First, dump out a selection of metal objects onto the table.

Next, ask your kids to help you “clean up” by using the magnets to pick up different objects and sort them into containers.

Discuss which objects are attracted to a magnet and which are not. What patterns do they notice? What other objects would they like to try?

26. Magnet Magic

Clear plastic box (look in your recycling bin)
Pipe cleaners

This super-easy experiment is a really fun way to teach your child about magnets in a colorful, magical way, and it only requires simple materials from around the house.

First, cut up several pipe cleaners and place them in a clear plastic box. The box does not need to be fancy, just see-through.

For your first time through this demonstration, have your child take a magnet and touch it against the surface of the plastic box. They’ll find that the pipe cleaners are lifted up and move with the magnet!

What’s Happening?

Magnets attract certain types of metal. The pipe cleaners have a thin strip of metal, so the magnet is able to attract those pieces and pull it around the box.

Extension: Next time, think of what other objects could you place in the box? What objects do you predict the magnet could move around?

27. LEGO Boats

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

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

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

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

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

28. DIY Parachute

You can learn about gravity by making a DIY parachute for a light-weight toy. The parachute is easily made from materials around your house, and you can experiment with different strategies and objects.

Plastic Bag (i.e. grocery bag)
Yard/String

First, use the scissors to remove the handles from the plastic bag. Next, poke four holes around the plastic bag so that they are the same distance apart and on opposite sides of the bags.

Then, cut four holes into the rim of the paper cut.

You’ll also need to cut four pieces of yarn, 10-12 inches long. Thread one piece of yarn through the hole in the plastic cup and tie the yarn to the cup with a knot. Repeat with all four strands of yarn in the remaining holes.

Next, thread the other end of the pieces of yarn through the hole in the plastic bag and tie a knot.

Finally, personalize and decorate your cup with stickers, paint, crayons or markers.

Now it’s time to find a toy that is going to take a ride in your parachute. Launch your parachute into the air and see what happens!

Experiment with putting different objects into the paper cup and see how it affects the parachute’s effectiveness. Does the parachute flight time increase or decrease?

You can also try creating the parachute with different materials to replace the paper bag, such as a paper towel or napkin, and see how that affects the performance.

29. Magic Milk Experiment

Full Fat Milk
Dawn Dish Soap
Cotton Swabs

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

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

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

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

30. Steel Wool & Vinegar Reaction

This experiment will make abstract concepts like “chemical reaction” and “rusting” become more clear and concrete.

two beakers
something to cover the beaker (paper or a lid)
Thermometer

First, place the steel wool in a beaker. Then, pour vinegar onto the steel wool and let it soak for about a minute.

After a minute or so, take the steel wool out and shake off any excess vinegar.

Next, wrap the steel wool around the base of the thermometer and then place them both in the other beaker.

Then, cover the beaker with paper or a lid. It’s important that you keep the heat in.

You’ll want to make sure that you can still read the temperature on the thermometer. It’s a great idea to poke a hole if possible through the covering so that the thermometer can fit through it, and you can easily read the temperature.

Make a note of the initial temperature, and observe it for about five minutes.

You will see that the temperature on the thermometer gradually rises, and the beaker will likely get foggy. When you soaked the steel wool in vinegar, it removed the protective coating on the steel wool, allowing the iron in the steel to rust.

Rusting is actually a chemical reaction between iron and oxygen (or oxidation). This is the chemical reaction that creates heat, thereby increasing the temperature of the beaker and on the thermometer. This is an examples of an exothermic reaction (a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat).

31. Corn Syrup Viscosity Experiment

This experiment could not be simpler, and it’s the perfect tool for teaching kids of any age about viscosity.

-Corn Syrup

-2 glass containers (one should be smaller than the other)

-cupcake pan or 3 small bowls

-Food coloring

First, fill the larger glass container 1/2 to 3/4 full with corn syrup. Then, add the small glass container to the center. Careful! The corn syrup will rise a bit when you do this.

Next, Use a cupcake pan or 3 small bowls and put in a small amount of corn syrup. Mix each one with a food coloring of your choice. You should have three separate colors of corn syrup.

Then, put some colored corn syrup in the dropper, insert the dropper into the clear corn syrup and add the coloring in different places. Do that for each color as many times as you wish.

Now, you can turn the smaller glass jar while holding the outer glass still. The colored syrup will start to spread a bit. Now, switch direction and turn the small glass jar back to its original place. The colored dots return right back to their original form.

Corn syrup has a viscosity that is 5,000 times that of water, so they don’t mix in the same way.

32. Homemade Play Dough

This is a classic DIY project, and kids of all ages will love it.

3 cups of flour
1.5 cups of salt
6 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 tablespoons of oil
3 cups of water

33. Melting Snowballs

This is another acid and base experiment, and it’s fun on a couple different levels!

First, form snowballs by adding water to the baking soda. You’ll need about a 1/3 cup per snowball.

Then, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Finally, pour drop of vinegar on the snowballs and watch them sizzle and melt.

Variations:

You can also make a snowman and do the same thing!

34. Paper Airplanes

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

35. Flying Ping Pong

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

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

36. Magical Balloon

Your kids won’t believe their eyes when you push a needle through a balloon and it doesn’t pop!

Scotch tape

First, blow up your balloon. Next, take two pieces of scotch tape and make an X on your balloon. Then, with parental supervision, push a needle through the middle of your X.

Leave the needle in and see how long it take for your balloon to finally pop!

The tape slows down the process of the hole in the balloon widening, so it takes longer for the balloon to pop.

37. What’s That Mystery Smell?

Kids of all ages can recognize a lot of different smells, and the process of using your senses is very important to the scientific method.

In this experiment, you’ll use your senses to see how many different smells you can recognize.

Small, lidded containers that you can’t see through
Smelly things from around the house such as bananas, an orange peel, lemons, a cotton ball soaked in perfume, chopped onion, coffee (or a used coffee filter!), rose or flower petals, pencil shavings, vanilla, vinegar, ginger, etc.

First, have a grown up put the smelly items in the containers.

Then, write a number on the side of each container.

The next step is to put your blindfold on and have them help you smell each object.

Write down what you think is inside of each container.

Finally, check your guesses! How many did you guess correctly?

38. Wacky Spoon

This is more of a science trick than an experiment, but it’s super easy to do at home!

Kitchen Spoon

Look at your reflection in a large spoon. It will be upside down!

A regular mirror is flat and sends your reflection straight back into your eyes. The rounded spoon bounces your reflection back at different angles and turns your reflection upside down.

39. Floating Eggs

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

2 tall drinking glasses

First, fill one glass with water. Then, fill another glass with water and add 8 tablespoons of salt. Mix it up.

Next, place an egg in both glasses. One will float and the other will sink.

Adding salt to the water increases the water’s density which causes the egg to float.

40. Jumping Pepper

This simple experiment will demonstrate static electricity right before your eyes.

Place a tablespoon of pepper on a plate. Then, run a hair comb through your hair. While still holding on the comb, hold the comb over the plate and watch the pepper jump!

The plastic comb builds up a negative charge as it moves through you hair. The pepper has a positive charge, so it jumps!

Try it with other spices and powders.

41. Walking on Eggs

Your kids will be astonished to see that they can actually walk on eggs without breaking them!

6 dozen eggs in their cartons-Drop cloth / newspaper

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

Place the open egg cartons next to each other. Take off your sock and shoes and gently step onto the eggs keeping your feet flat. Then bring up your other foot and carefully walk across the eggs.

Your foot is big enough that your weight spreads evenly out across the eggs, keeping them from breaking.

You can also demonstrate this concept with a heavy book.

42. Disappearing Reflection

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

-Aluminum Foil

-Scissors (optional)

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

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

43. Defy Gravity!

When you turn over a cup of water, you expect the water to spill and fall. But not always!

Clear plastic cup

Playing card or notecard

First, fill your clear glass about 3/4 of the way with water.

Next press your playing card or notecard gently on the top of your glass to completely cover the top. Gently rotate the cup upside down. After a few moments, remove the card. The water will stay in place!

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

45. Water Fireworks

This totally safe fireworks experiment will be a hit around the Fourth of July or any time!

Tall water glass

Small water glass

First, fill up your all water glass almost all the way with water. In the small glass, pour two tablespoons of oil. Add 2 drops of food coloring to it and mix it around with a fork until the food coloring is broken up into smaller specks.

Then, pour the oil mixture into the water and see the firework expand!

What’s happening:

Food coloring dissolves in water but not oil, causing it to go different directions.

Try two colors! Try a different size glass!

46. Bird Feeder Fun

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

-Pipe Cleaner

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

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

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

47. Rain Gauge

It’s super simple to make a rain gauge from a soda bottle and track your area’s rain water!

Soda Bottle

X-acto knife (with parental supervision)

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

48. Magic Leak Proof Bag

-Ziplock Back

-Very Sharp Pencils

Fill your bag up halfway with water. Carefully poke the pencil through the bag and out the other side. (Don’t push the pencil all the way through so that it comes out the other side!)

The plastic bag’s molecules form easily around the smooth sides of the pencil forming a seal.

49. Paper Cup Tower

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

8 paper cups

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

50. Rubber Band Guitar

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

Paper or plastic cup

Rubber bands

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

+50 More Science Experiments We Love:

Kids of all ages will love these cool science experiments that you can do together on the weekend or after school.

These science activities all use simple household items and take about 30 minutes to complete.

51. Rock Candy Experiment – Grow colorful rock candy in a glass!

51. Giant Dish Soap Bubbles – Make a giant bubble with household ingredients.

52. Solar Oven S’mores – Cook up a tasty snack in a solar oven.

53. Layering Liquids – See how liquids can stack on top of each other according to density.

54. Human Sundial – Become a human sundial to learn about solar patterns.

55. Windowsill Trash – Demonstrate how the heat of the sun helps trash decompose.

56. Naked Egg Experiment – Dissolve an eggshell with vinegar and see the membrane below!

57. Balloon Magic – Blow up a balloon without blowing, using vinegar and baking soda.

58. Tornado in a Bottle – Create a cyclone in a bottle in this classic, simple experiment.

59. Egg Teeth – Explore how sugar affects teeth in this easy experiment.

60. Step Through an Index Card – Amaze your kids by stepping through an index card that’s been strategically cut.

61. Frozen Bubbles – Find out what happens when you blow bubbles in freezing temperatures.

66. Make Butter – Shake cream and turn it into butter!

67. Ice Cream in a Bag – Turn simple ingredients into delicious ice cream.

68. Moldy Bread Experiment – See how important it is to wash your hands in the viral science experiment.

69. Map Your Taste Buds – Learn about your taste buds in this easy mapping activity.

70. Make a Rainbow – See how you can easily create your own rainbow.

71. Soap Boats – Explore density with this easy DIY boat-making activity.

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

73. Growing Gummy Bears – Watch gummy bears grow before your eyes.

74. Fingerprinting – Dive into the infinite world of fingerprints with a no. 2 pencil and paper.

75. Homemade Bouncy Balls – Make your own bouncy ball toys with household ingredients.

76. Dancing Corn Experiment – Explore and investigate carbon dioxide by making corn dance.

77. Big Stick Balance – This surprising experiment will teach kids about balance.

78. Upside Down Reflection – All you need is a kitchen spoon to learn about the principles of reflection.

79. Make a Sundial – Learn how to tell time with the sun by making a simple sundial.

80. Exploding baggie – Use a simple chemical reaction to explode a plastic zip close baggie.

81. Flame-Proof Balloon – Use cold water to make a balloon resistant to a fire’s flame!

82. Rotten Banana Balloon – Use that rotten banana in your kitchen to blow up a balloon. You can also try it with a lemon. (Here’s the Lemon Balloon Trick .)

83. Mouth-Foaming Fun – Experience a chemical reaction first hand while brushing your teeth.

84. Foot Fat Experiment – Compare the levels of fat in different foods with this simple experiment.

85. Smashing Seashells – Discover how to easily smash seashells with vinegar.

86. Super Bubble Solution – Find out how you can make giant bubbles with an easy homemade solution.

87. Shaving Cream Rain Clouds – learn about the water cycle with shaving cream. The shaving cream represents the rain cloud and the water is the atmosphere.

88. Water Bending Trick – Learn how to bend water with one simple thing you have lying around your house.

89. Dry Paper Experiment – See how you can magically dunk paper in water and not make it wet.

90. Bending Straw Illusion – Learn about light refraction in this quick and simple experiment.

93. Magic Napkin – Learn about inertia with a napkin and a plastic cup filled with water.

94. Water Fireworks – Create fireworks in a glass of water using this simple experiement with household ingredient.

95. Liquid Sandwich – Learn about density with water, oil, and honey.

97. Talking String – Learn about sound waves and make a string “sing” by using one simple button.

98. Noisy Paper – Create a loud vibration noise with just two pieces of computer paper.

99. Sunscreen and Skin – Learn about the human body and how sunscreen works with this simple experiment using sunscreen and construction paper.

100. Taste Bud 101 – Learn about the taste buds with this fun and interactive experiment.

Looking for more at-home fun ideas? Check out our list of 100 Fun Things To Do At Home >>

So, there you have it!

100 kids science experiments that are super easy to do at home.

These simple science projects are meant to spark the curiosity of your child (and the whole family.)

We hope you loved this list of our very favorite science experiments.

Email us at [email protected] to add your idea.

10 Best Cold Weather Science Experiments For Kids

Related Post: 100+ Science Trivia Questions for Kids

25 Best Science Books for Your First Grader

100 Best Outdoor Activities For Kids

100 Best Backyard Games & Activities

100 Fun Activities For Kids Who Are ‘So Bored!’

50 Best Fourth Grade Science Experiments

25 Best Games To Play Over FaceTime With Friends

25 Classic Children’s Books To Read With Your Kids

20 BEST Water Balloon Games For Kids

31 Best Educational Websites You Didn’t Know About

5 Ways To Play Hopscotch + Fun Variations (2021)

25 Simple Shape Activities for Preschoolers

25 Simple Spring Activities Your Kids Will Love

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

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

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

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

5 Milwaukee Family Photographers You’ll Love (2024)

Sandcastle World Championships Coming to Milwaukee This August

10 Places To Watch Fireworks This Year in Milwaukee (2024)

6 Top Weekend Events For Kids (June 6-9, 2024)

You’re Invited! ‘Mornings at Margie’s’ Concert in the Garden

15 Best Outdoor Water Parks & Pools Around Milwaukee (2024)

Biology Science Fair Project Ideas

Hill Street Studios / DigitalVision / Getty Images

Cell Biology
Weather & Climate

How to Find Science Project Ideas

Plant project ideas.

Human Body Project Ideas

Animal Project Ideas

Researching your science project ideas.

B.A., Biology, Emory University
A.S., Nursing, Chattahoochee Technical College

Science fair projects give you the opportunity to experience science and biology through hands-on activities . In order to ensure that you have a great biology project, it is important that you first understand biology and the scientific method . Simply put, biology is the study of life. Life is all around us which means that there are enormous possibilities when considering a biology science project. We use the scientific method as a means of studying science and biology. Scientific inquiry starts with an observation followed by the formulation of a question about what has been observed. Then comes designing a scientific experiment to answer the question posed.

So where do you get ideas for biology science fair projects? The answer is from almost anywhere. The key is to start with a question that you would like to find an answer to and use the scientific method to help you answer it. When choosing a science fair project topic , make sure that you select a topic that you are interested in. Then narrow this topic down to a specific question.

Below you will find science fair project ideas primarily related to biology. Remember that these samples are meant to give direction and ideas. It is important that you do the work yourself and not just copy the material. Also, be sure that you know all of the rules and regulations for your particular science fair before you begin your project.

Plants are important to life as we know it. They provide everything from food, clothing, and shelter to medicine and fuel. Plant projects are popular because plants are abundant, inexpensive, and relatively easy to study during experimentation. These experiments allow you to learn about plant processes and environmental factors that impact plant life.

Plant-based science projects : Find more than 20 ideas for science fair projects involving plants.
Soil chemistry : Learn about soil chemistry with these example projects about plant science and the chemical composition of soil.
Popcorn studies : Enjoy these fun, easy, and interesting experiments with popcorn.

If you have ever wondered how the body works or about all the biological processes that keep the body functioning, then you should consider a science project on the human body. These projects allow you to gain a better knowledge of how the body functions and also provide insight into human behavior.

Human body projects : If your interest is in biological processes and human behavior, this resource has several ideas for projects on the human body, including the study of the effects of music, temperature, and video games on mood.
Kids' neuroscience experiments : This is a nice collection of experiments relating to neuroscience. It includes projects dealing with reflexes, the nervous system , biological rhythms, and more.
Human hair projects : Find several ideas for doing projects about hair. Topics include hair growth rates and hair loss management.

Animal science projects allow us to understand various aspects of animal life. They provide information about animal anatomy, behavior, and even provide insight into human biological processes. Before deciding to do an animal project, be sure that you get permission and avoid animal cruelty. Some science fairs do not allow animal experiments, while others have strict regulations for animal usage.

Animal projects : Find great ideas for projects involving insects, birds, amphibians, fish, and mammals. Discover how light, pollution, and magnetic fields affect animals.

After you have come up with an idea and topic for your science project, you must research your topic. Research involves finding out everything you can about the scientific principles involved with your project idea. There are several resources available for researching your science fair project. Some of these include your local library, science books and magazines, internet science news sources, and teachers or educators. The most helpful thing that you can do when researching for your project is to take excellent notes.

Record references for the books and other materials you have used in your research.
Take notes on simple experiments on which to base your experiment.
Keep notes on diagrams used in similar experiments.
Record observations from other experiments.
Keep notes on samples of logs and other means for collecting data.
Make lists of materials that you might want to order and their suppliers.

It is important that keep track of all the resources used in your research as these source materials will be required for listing in the bibliography for your science fair project report.

The 10 Most Important Lab Safety Rules
Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas
Science Fair Project Help
How to Write a Bibliography For a Science Fair Project
How to Do a Science Fair Project
5 Types of Science Fair Projects
How to Select a Science Fair Project Topic
What Judges Look for in a Science Fair Project
How to Organize Your Science Fair Poster
How to Write a Science Fair Project Report
High School Science Fair Projects
Animal Studies and School Project Ideas
Middle School Science Fair Project Ideas
Animal Science Fair Project Ideas
11th Grade Science Fair Projects

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Biology archive

Course: biology archive > unit 1.

The scientific method

Controlled experiments

The scientific method and experimental design

Introduction

How are hypotheses tested.

One pot of seeds gets watered every afternoon.
The other pot of seeds doesn't get any water at all.

Control and experimental groups

Independent and dependent variables, independent variables, dependent variables, variability and repetition, controlled experiment case study: co 2 ‍ and coral bleaching.

What your control and experimental groups would be
What your independent and dependent variables would be
What results you would predict in each group

Experimental setup

Some corals were grown in tanks of normal seawater, which is not very acidic ( pH ‍ around 8.2 ‍ ). The corals in these tanks served as the control group .
Other corals were grown in tanks of seawater that were more acidic than usual due to addition of CO 2 ‍ . One set of tanks was medium-acidity ( pH ‍ about 7.9 ‍ ), while another set was high-acidity ( pH ‍ about 7.65 ‍ ). Both the medium-acidity and high-acidity groups were experimental groups .
In this experiment, the independent variable was the acidity ( pH ‍ ) of the seawater. The dependent variable was the degree of bleaching of the corals.
The researchers used a large sample size and repeated their experiment. Each tank held 5 ‍ fragments of coral, and there were 5 ‍ identical tanks for each group (control, medium-acidity, and high-acidity). Note: None of these tanks was "acidic" on an absolute scale. That is, the pH ‍ values were all above the neutral pH ‍ of 7.0 ‍ . However, the two groups of experimental tanks were moderately and highly acidic to the corals , that is, relative to their natural habitat of plain seawater.

Analyzing the results

Non-experimental hypothesis tests, case study: coral bleaching and temperature, attribution:, works cited:.

Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (1999). Climate change, coral bleaching, and the future of the world's coral reefs. Mar. Freshwater Res. , 50 , 839-866. Retrieved from www.reef.edu.au/climate/Hoegh-Guldberg%201999.pdf.
Anthony, K. R. N., Kline, D. I., Diaz-Pulido, G., Dove, S., and Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2008). Ocean acidification causes bleaching and productivity loss in coral reef builders. PNAS , 105 (45), 17442-17446. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0804478105 .
University of California Museum of Paleontology. (2016). Misconceptions about science. In Understanding science . Retrieved from http://undsci.berkeley.edu/teaching/misconceptions.php .
Hoegh-Guldberg, O. and Smith, G. J. (1989). The effect of sudden changes in temperature, light and salinity on the density and export of zooxanthellae from the reef corals Stylophora pistillata (Esper, 1797) and Seriatopora hystrix (Dana, 1846). J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. , 129 , 279-303. Retrieved from http://www.reef.edu.au/ohg/res-pic/HG%20papers/HG%20and%20Smith%201989%20BLEACH.pdf .

Additional references:

Want to join the conversation.

Upvote Button navigates to signup page
Downvote Button navigates to signup page
Flag Button navigates to signup page

Grades 6-12
School Leaders

100 Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love!

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

40 Easy Kindergarten Science Experiments for Hands-On Learning

Every day brings a new discovery!

Kindergarten Science Experiments including balloon rockets and a tornado in a jar

Every day is chock-full of new discoveries when you are a kindergartner! These hands-on kindergarten science experiments and activities take advantage of kids’ boundless curiosity. They’ll learn about physics, biology, chemistry, and more basic science concepts, gearing them up to become lifelong learners.

To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these kindergarten science experiments based on difficulty and materials:

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

Food Science Experiments for Kindergarten

Water science experiments for kindergarten, more kindergarten science experiments.

What better way to dive into the world of science than to play with your food? These food science experiments for kindergartners are sure to grab their interest.

Use apples to learn what science is all about

Apple science investigation worksheet for kindergarten science students

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

This apple investigation is a great way to start. It encourages kids to examine an apple using a variety of techniques to learn its properties. Get a free printable worksheet for this activity at the link.

Learn more: Apple Investigation at Preschool Play & Learn

Eat your way through soil layers

Plastic cup with layers of foods representing soil layers, including topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

Layer a variety of foods to represent the soil layers, from bedrock on up. If candy doesn’t fit your school’s nutritional guidelines, use fruits, yogurt, granola, and other healthy options. Either way, the results are scrumptious!

Learn more: Edible Soil Layers at Super Teacher Blog

Dehydrate your own raisins

Kindergarten science student holding a handful of homemade raisins

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Easy

Have students dry grapes in the sun over a period of days to see them turn into raisins. Then talk about the process of dehydration as a method of preserving food.

Learn more: Homemade Raisins at Learn Play Imagine

Cook up edible glass

Child's hands holding a sheet of edible "glass" made of sugar

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

Just like real glass, this edible glass is made from tiny opaque grains, but in this case from sugar instead of sand. Cooked and then cooled, it becomes what’s known as an “amorphous solid.” So cool!

Learn more: Edible Glass at Go Science Kids

Paint with salt

Kindergarten science student using a dropper to add blue water to a lowercase H made from salt and glue

OK, little learners probably won’t remember the word “hygroscopic,” but they’ll enjoy watching the salt absorb and transfer colors in this neat kindergarten science experiment.

Learn more: Salt Painting at A Dab of Glue Will Do

Play with “magic” milk

Sometimes science seems like magic! In this case, dish soap breaks down milk fats and causes a colorful swirling reaction that will mesmerize little learners.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment (With Free Printable Student Recording Sheet)

Explore buoyancy with oranges

Tall glass vase of water with unpeeled orange floating and peeled orange sunk at the bottom

Expand your exploration of buoyancy with this cool demo. Kids will be surprised to learn that even though an orange feels heavy, it floats. That is, until you peel off the skin!

Learn more: Orange Buoyancy at Playdough to Plato

Bounce popcorn with sound waves

Yellow bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap, with popcorn on top, next to a boom box

Sound may be invisible to the naked eye, but you can see the waves in action with this demo. The plastic wrap–covered bowl is the perfect stand-in for an eardrum.

Learn more: Popcorn Sound Waves at Premeditated Leftovers

Build a Three Little Pigs STEM house

House model built of toothpicks and gumdrops, with construction paper pig inside (Kindergarten Science Activities)

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

Can your little engineers create a house that protects a little piggie from the Big Bad Wolf? Try this kindergarten STEM challenge and find out!

Learn more: Three Little Pigs STEM Challenge at Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten

Make egg geodes

Series of photos showing a science experiment using crystallization to turn eggshells into geodes

Engage your students in the steps of the scientific method to create these stunning lab-grown geodes. Compare the results using sea salt, kosher salt, and borax.

Learn more: Egg Geodes at TinkerLab

Water play is a kindergarten favorite, so use it to engage them in these projects and activities. They make science for kindergarten students to much fun!

Change the color of flowers

Clear cups filled with colored water, holding white carnations tinted the colors of the water

This is one of those classic kindergarten science activities everyone should try at least once. Learn how flowers “drink” water using capillary action, and create beautiful blooms while you’re at it!

Learn more: Capillary Action at Fun Learning for Kids

Assemble a lava lamp

Help your students make their very own lava lamp using simple household ingredients. Then personalize the lamps by adding a couple of drops of food coloring to each bottle.

Create a tower of instant ice

White ceramic bowl turned upside-down with ice cubes on top. A person is pouring water onto the ice from a plastic bottle.

Place a water bottle in the freezer for a couple of hours, but don’t let it freeze all the way through. Then, pour some of the water onto a couple of ice cubes perched on top of a ceramic bowl and watch a tower of ice form.

Learn more: Instant Ice at Only Passionate Curiosity

Watch colored water walk

Jars of colored water in a circle, with paper towels running from one to the next

Fill three small jars with red, yellow, and blue food coloring and some water. Then place empty jars in between each. Fold paper towel strips and place them in the jars as shown. Kids will be amazed as the paper towels pull the water from full jars to empty ones, mixing and creating new colors!

Learn more: Walking Water at Messy Little Monster

Create a tornado in a jar

Mason jar of blue water, with a tornado-like shape showing inside

As you fill in the weather during daily calendar time, you might have a chance to talk about severe storms and tornadoes. Show your students how twisters form with this classic tornado jar experiment.

Learn more: Tornado in a Jar at One Little Project

Suspend water inside a jar

Student's hand lifting an upside-down jar from a bowl of green water, with water kept inside the jar by air pressure

Lots of kindergarten science activities involve water, which is terrific because kids love to play in it! In this one, show your students how air pressure keeps water in a jar, even when it’s upside down.

Learn more: Water Pressure Experiment at A Mothership Down

See popcorn kernels dance

Here’s an activity that always feels a bit like magic. Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into a glass of water with popcorn kernels, and watch as the bubbles cling to the kernels and make them rise and fall. So cool!

Learn more: Dancing Popcorn Experiment (With Free Student Printable Recording Sheet)

Find out what sinks and what floats

Child's hand placing items in a bin of water to see if they sink or float

Kids learn about the property of buoyancy and get some practice making predictions and recording the results with this easy experiment. All you need is a container of water to get started.

Learn more: Sink or Float? at Buggy and Buddy

Make it rain with shaving cream

Clear jar filled with water, with shaving cream floating on top and water coloring dripping from the shaving cream

Here’s another neat weather-related science experiment. Make shaving cream “clouds” on top of the water, then drop food coloring in to watch it “rain.”

Learn more: Shaving Cream Clouds at One Little Project

Bend light with water

$Kindergarten Science Activities Refraction$

Light refraction produces some incredible results. Your students will think it’s magic when the arrow on the paper changes direction … until you explain that it’s all due to the way water bends the light.

Learn more: Light Water Play at Go Science Girls

We’ve got even more ideas about teaching science to kindergarten students here, from plant and dirt science to static electricity and more.

Craft some recycled paper

A packet of homemade recycled paper tied with twine

Teach your kindergartners how to transform something old into something new. Use scrap paper, old newspapers, and magazine pages to create beautiful handcrafted paper.

Learn more: Homemade Paper at The Craftaholic Witch

Make their hair stand on end

Kids love to play with balloons! Find out all about the properties of static electricity with these three fun and super-easy balloon experiments. ( Get more fun balloon experiments here. )

Create a model of the human spine

Kindergarten science student holding a model of the spine made from string and egg carton pieces up to their back

Kindergarten science students love to learn through play. Make this simple egg carton spine model to encourage your students’ interest in the human body and how it works.

Learn more: Spine Model at Mombrite

Inflate a balloon without blowing into it

Teach your students the magic of chemical reactions using a plastic bottle, vinegar, and baking soda to inflate a balloon. This classic experiment is a wonderful way to explore science for kindergarten kids.

Learn more: Balloon Experiments

Move a paper butterfly’s wings with static electricity

Student's hand holding a blue balloon over a tissue paper butterfly, with wing attracted to the balloon

Part art project, part science lesson, all fun! Kids make tissue paper butterflies, then use the static electricity from a balloon to flap the wings.

Learn more: Static Electricity Butterfly at I Heart Crafty Things

Race balloon rockets

Students holding the ends of balloons taped to drinking straws on a string

Introduce little ones to the laws of motion with easy-to-make balloon rockets. When the air shoots out one end, the balloons will sail off in the other direction. Whee!

Learn more: Balloon Rockets at Hands On Teaching Ideas

Lift a bag with balloons

Helium balloons floating with a bag attached to the string

You’ll need helium balloons for this one, and kids are gonna love it. Ask them to guess (hypothesize) how many balloons it will take to lift various items in a bag attached to the strings.

Learn more: Helium Balloon Experiment at Mess for Less

Discover how plants breathe

Kids might be surprised when you tell them that trees breathe. This kindergarten science experiment will help prove it’s true.

Learn more: Leaf Transpiration at KC Edventures With Kids

Learn how germs spread

There’s never been a better time to add a handwashing experiment to your list of kindergarten science activities. Use glitter as a stand-in for germs, and learn how important washing your hands with soap really is.

Explore the properties of mystery items

Paper bag and cotton balls with scented items like spices

Mystery bags are always a hit with kids. Tuck a variety of objects inside, then encourage kids to feel, shake, smell, and explore as they try to determine what the items are without looking.

Learn more: Mystery Bags at Raising Lifelong Learners

Play with fizzing ice cubes

Child's hands holding a spray bottle over colorful ice cubes on a wood surface

While kinders may not entirely understand the concept of acid-base reactions, they’ll still get a kick out of spraying these baking soda ice cubes with lemon juice and watching them fizz away!

Learn more: Fizzing Ice at The Play-Based Mom

Sniff scented sensory bottles

Small bottles labeled cherry, almond, cucumber, grapefruit, peppermint

Here’s another way to engage the senses. Drop essential oils onto cotton balls, then seal them inside spice bottles . Kids sniff the bottles and try to identify the smell.

Learn more: Scent Jars at Share and Remember

Play with magnets

Plastic bottles filled with pipe cleaners and metal springs with a large blue mar magnet (Kindergarten Science)

Magnet play is one of our favorite kindergarten science activities. Place a variety of items into small bottles, and ask kids which ones they think will be attracted to the magnets. The answers may surprise them!

Learn more: Magnet Jars at Left Brain Craft Brain

Waterproof a boot

Worksheet showing drawing of a boot, covered with various materials like plastic, foil, and paper

This experiment lets kindergartners try their hand at “waterproofing” a boot with a variety of materials. They use what they already know to predict which materials will protect the paper boot from water, then experiment to see if they’re right.

Learn more: Waterproof a Boot at Science Sparks

Dig into some soil science

Child examining dirt on a white tarp with a magnifying glass (Kindergarten Science Activities)

Ready to get your hands in the dirt? Scoop up some soil and examine it more closely, looking for rocks, seeds, worms, and other items.

Learn more: Dirt Science at Go Science Kids

Mix up some oobleck

Bartholomew and the Oobleck book next to a bowl of thick green liquid

Perhaps no book leads so perfectly into a science lesson as Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck . Just what is oobleck? It’s a non-Newtonian fluid that looks like a liquid but takes on the properties of a solid when squeezed. Weird, messy … and so much fun!

Learn more: Oobleck at ABCs of Literacy

Grow crystal letters

Red pipe cleaner twisted into the shape of a Q, with crystals grown on it (Kindergarten Science Activities)

No list of kindergarten science activities would be complete without a crystal project! Use pipe cleaners to make the letters of the alphabet (numbers are good too), then grow crystals on them using a supersaturated solution.

Learn more: Crystallized Letters at Gift of Curiosity

Blow up your fingerprints

Child holding up a balloon with an enlarged blue fingerprint on it (Kindergarten Science Activities)

You don’t need a microscope to look at fingerprints up close! Instead, have each student make a print on a balloon, then blow it up to see the whorls and ridges in detail.

Learn more: Balloon Fingerprints at The Natural Homeschool

Play a marble maze game

Child using a magnet to move a metal marble through a paper maze

Tell kids they’re going to move a marble without actually touching it, and watch their eyes widen in surprise! They’ll have fun drawing mazes to guide a metal marble through with a magnet from underneath.

Learn more: Magnet Marble Maze at Go Science Girls

Germinate a seed

Jar filled with damp paper towels and a seed growing roots

There’s something about seeing a seed develop roots and shoots with your very eyes that’s just so incredible. Sprout bean seeds in paper towels inside a glass jar to give it a try.

Learn more: Germinate a Seed at How Wee Learn

Keep the learning going with these Kindergarten Math Games That Make Numbers Fun From Day One .

Plus, sign up for our newsletters to get all the latest teaching tips and ideas straight to your inbox.

Teach kindergarten science students to explore the world around them with these hands-on experiments, projects, and activities.

Magic Milk Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet

This classic experiment teaches kids about basic chemistry and physics. Continue Reading

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

50 Easy Science Activities For Preschoolers

Curious kids turn into junior scientists with these fun and easy preschool science experiments . Th ese science activities for preschoolers are doable and use simple supplies for home or in the classroom. Plus, you can scale any of these activities to use with kindergarten through elementary-age students!

Science for Preschoolers Engages the Senses

Preschool science encourages observations of the five senses, including sight, sound, touch, smell, and sometimes taste. The more kids can fully immerse themselves in an activity, the greater their interest will be !

Kids are naturally curious creatures, and once you have piqued their curiosity, you have also activated their observation, critical thinking, and experimentation skills.

These science activities are perfect for the senses, allowing play and exploration without adult-led directions. Kids will naturally start to pick up on the simple science concepts presented just by having a fun conversation about it all with you!

5 Senses Exploration Station
5 Senses Coloring Book (Free)
5 Senses Discovery Bags
Apple Taste Test with the 5 Senses
Pop Rocks and 5 Senses

Awesome Science Activities for Preschoolers

💡 Many of the preschool science projects below can be adapted to your kids’ current level. Also, these are perfect for kids of multiple ages to work together in small groups.

Click on each link below for full instructions. Also, look through our seasonal preschool science activities and grab the free science experiment cards!

Spring Preschool Science Experiments
Fall Preschool Science Experiments: apples and pumpkins
Winter Preschool Science Experiments

Check out how different materials absorb water with this simple what absorbs water activity.

ALKA SELTZER CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Make an Alka Seltzer Rocket , try a simple Alka Seltzer Experiment or a homemade Lava Lamp to check out this neat chemical reaction.

BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR EXPERIMENTS

Who doesn’t like a fizzing, foaming eruption? From an erupting lemon volcano to our simple baking soda balloon experiment. . Check out our list of baking soda science activities to get started!

BALLOON RACE CARS

Explore energy, measure distance, build different cars to explore speed and distance with simple balloon cars. You can use Duplo, LEGO, or build your own car.

BALLOON ROCKETS

Gas, energy, and power! Make Go power! Set up a simple balloon rocket. All you need is a string, a straw, and a balloon!

BURSTING BAGS

Definitely take this bursting bags science activity outside! Will it pop? This science activity will have you on the edge of your seat!

BUTTER IN A JAR

The science you can spread with a tasty homemade butter, after a good workout for the arms anyway!

Butter Battle Homemade Butter Science Activities and Dr. Seuss Science

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE

Explore the butterfly life cycle with a free printable pack and butterfly sensory bin idea. Or create an edible butterfly life cycle instead!

Explore the simple fun of bubbles with these easy bubble experiments ! Can you make a bubble bounce? We have a recipe for the perfect bubble solution too.

Check out even more bubble fun with 2D bubble shapes or 3D bubble shapes , bubble painting , and bubble snakes !

BUILDING BRIDGES

This bridge building activity is an easy engineering project for young kids. It starts with the planning and designing process and ends with the building process. Construct your own bridge from simple supplies.

BUILDING TOWERS

Kids love building, and building structures is a great activity that incorporates many skills and is also frugal. Check out a variety of building activities .

CANDY SCIENCE

Play Willy Wonka for a day and explore candy science with floating m&m’s, chocolate slime, dissolving candy experiments, and more!

CELERY AND FOOD COLORING

Watch how water moves through a plant with a simple celery food coloring science experiment!

CHICK PEA FOAM

Have fun with this taste-safe sensory play foam made with ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen! This edible shaving foam, or aquafaba as it is commonly known, is made from the water chickpeas are cooked in.

COLOR MIXING

Color mixing is a science. Learn colors through play with these preschool color activities .

CRYSTAL GROWING

Growing crystals is simple! You can easily grow your own crystals at home or in the classroom with our simple recipe. Make a rainbow crystal , a snowflake , hearts , crystal eggshells , and even crystal seashells.

DENSITY {LIQUIDS}

Can one liquid be lighter than the other? Find out with this easy liquid density experiment!

DINOSAUR FOSSILS

Be a paleontologist for a day, make homemade dinosaur fossils , and then go on your own dig . Check out all our fun preschool dinosaur activities .

DISCOVERY BOTTLES

Science in a bottle. Explore all kinds of simple science ideas right in a bottle! They are perfect for themes, too, like these Earth Day ones!

Test how strong an egg is with this easy eggshell strength experiment. Find out what happens to an egg in vinegar , and try our mess-free egg drop challenge for young kids.

Have you ever changed the color of a flower? Try this color-changing flower science experiment and learn about how a flower works! Or why not try growing your own flowers with our list of easy flowers to grow .

What goes up must come down. Have young kids explore concepts in gravity around the house or classroom with simple objects you already have.

FIZZING LEMONADE

Explore the senses and a little chemistry with our fizzy lemonade recipe.

ICE CREAM IN A BAG

Homemade ice cream is yummy, edible science with only three ingredients! Don’t forget the winter gloves and sprinkles—this gets cold!

ICE MELT SCIENCE

An ice melt activity is a simple science you can set up in many different ways with many themes. Ice melting is a wonderful introduction to a simple science concept for young kids! Check out our list of ice activities for preschool.

Try the classic expanding ivory soap experiment! One bar of ivory soap can be very exciting! Also see how we experimented with one bar of soap and turned it into either soap foam!

Another must try science experiment using oil and water, a lava lamp experiment is always a favorite!

LETTUCE GROWING ACTIVITY

Set up a lettuce growing station. This is fascinating to watch and pretty quick to do. We watched the new lettuce grow taller each day!

Magic milk is one of our most popular science experiments. It is also just plain fun and mesmerizing!

What’s magnetic? What’s not magnetic? You can set up a magnet science discovery table for your kids to explore and this fun magnet activity !

MIRRORS AND REFLECTIONS

Mirrors are fascinating and have wonderful play and learning possibilities plus it makes for great science!

BOUNCY EGG EXPERIMENT

Ah, the egg in vinegar experiment. You need a little patience for this one {takes 7 days}, but the end result is really cool!

OOBLECK {NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS}

Oobleck is 2 ingredient fun! A simple recipe using kitchen cupboard ingredients, but it is the perfect example of a non-newtonian fluid. Also makes for fun sensory play. Make classic oobleck or colored oobleck.

Take the penny boat challenge and find out how many pennies your tin foil boat will hold before sinking. Learn about buoyancy and how boats float on water.

Make a simple pulley that really works, and test out lifting loads.

Learn about the science of rainbows as well as fun rainbow-themed science experiments. Check out our fun selection of simple-to-set-up r ainbow science experiments .

RAMPS AND FRICTION

We use cars and balls all the time with our rain gutters! Even flat pieces of wood or stiff cardboard work! Newton’s laws of motion really come alive with simple toy cars and homemade ramps.

ROCK CANDY (SUGAR CRYSTALS)

Another tasty science activity as you explore how sugar crystals form!

FOUR SEASONS

What’s the reason for the seasons, perfect for kids?

SEED GERMINATION

Our simple seed jar science activity is one of our most popular science activities for preschoolers. It is an excellent way to see how a seed grows!

THE 5 SENSES

Let’s explore the senses! Young kids are learning to use their senses every day. Set up a simple 5 Senses Science Table for exploring and learning how their senses work! Our candy taste test and senses activity are fun, too.

SHADOW SCIENCE

Explore shadows in several ways! Make shadows with your body (fun outdoor play and learning idea) and animal shadow puppets to check out!

Every kid should build a volcano with a simple chemical reaction, baking soda and vinegar! Build a sandbox volcano or a LEGO volcano ! Learn about fun volcano facts too!

Young kids learn by exploring, observing, and figuring out the way things work with hands-on activities. This volume activity encourages all of the above and is simple to set up.

WATER EXPERIMENTS

There are all kinds of fun science activities you can do with water. Use your STEM design skills to build your own water play wall , observe refraction of light in water , explore what dissolves in water or even try a simple solid liquid gas experiment .

WATER XYLOPHONE

Learn a little bit about the science of sound with a simple water xylophone.

WEATHER SCIENCE

Explore weather with rain clouds and tornados or even make a water cycle in a bottle!

TORNADO BOTTLE

Create a tornado in a bottle and study the weather safely!

We made both an indoor and outdoor zip line this year. Explore science concepts through play.

How to Teach Science to Preschoolers

Teaching science to preschoolers is a wonderful way to spark their curiosity about the world around them. Making the learning process fun, engaging, and age-appropriate is essential.

Make sure to check out…

STEM for Toddlers
STEM for Kindergarten
STEM for Elementary

Begin by incorporating hands-on activities and experiments that encourage exploration and observation. Use simple and relatable examples from their everyday lives, such as observing plants grow, mixing colors, or exploring the properties of water.

Encourage questions and provide simple explanations that align with their level of understanding. Picture books can also be valuable tools for teaching science concepts. Add fun themes and colors for the holidays and seasons!

Additionally, fostering a sense of wonder and excitement about the natural world will lay a strong foundation for their future scientific learning. Remember that patience, repetition, and a nurturing environment are key to helping preschoolers develop a lifelong love for science.

Helpful Resources

Check out the links below to prepare yourself, your family, or your classroom for these easy preschool science experiments and activities. The key to success is in the preparation!

Preschool Science Center Ideas
Sensory Science Activities
Fine Motor Activities
Preschool Math Activities
STEAM Books with Activities for Kids
Make a homemade science kit that’s inexpensive!

Printable Preschool Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle ! Or grab the individual packs.

What’s Included:

There are 12 fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series! You’ll find both seasonal and non-seasonal themes appropriate to preschool learning throughout the year.

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low-cost, and book suggestions add learning time.

22 Comments

Hi, this sounds like a neat activity for young toddlers to explore for texture. Could u please share the ingredients. My profession is in childcare. The children would like this activity I believe. Again, please share your slime recipe. Thank you!! LaTonia Jackson Armstrong

Hi! You simply need to click through the liquid starch slime link or get your recipe here box. However, I would suggest one of our taste safe slime recipes for toddlers as regular slime contains borax, sodium borate, or boric acid. These slimes should not be tasted!

Pingback: Make Homemade Butter Science Activity an Edible Science Recipe
Pingback: Halloween Candy Science Activities And Experiments For Fall STEM
Pingback: Valentines Day Heart Slime Science Activity for Kids
Pingback: STEM Activities That Will Get Your Kids Thinking – More Than a Mommy
Pingback: Quick Water Science Activities for Kindergarten and Preschool Science
Pingback: Magic Milk Classic Science Experiment Kids Science
Pingback: Science Activities for Grade Schoolers (Part 2): A Guide for Kids

It’ fun for kids to experiment and science activities of any kind are a great way to encourage kids to explore. I will encourage my son about this hope so he will enjoy it. Thanks for the sharing such a interesting article.

Pingback: Fizzy Lemonade Science Project for Kids Summer Science
Pingback: Halloween Science Experiments STEM Activities for Kids
Pingback: Christmas Science Experiments, STEM Activities, and Slime Recipes
Pingback: Dissolving Gingerbread Men Cookie Christmas Science
Pingback: Fake Snow Slime Recipe for Winter Science Activities
Pingback: Ice Fishing Winter Science Experiment: Fishing for Ice!
Pingback: Science Valentine Cards In A Test Tube FREE Printable for Kids
Pingback: Walking Water Science Experiment for Kids STEM and Rainbow Science
Pingback: Erupting Lemon Volcano Chemistry for Kids Science Activities
Pingback: Fizzing Moon Rocks Activity | Little Bins for Little Hands
Pingback: Fun Dinosaur Activities for Preschoolers | Little Bins for Little Hands
Pingback: 40 Science Websites to Keep Kids Engaged and Entertained at Home – Educare Info

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts

Abortion United Evangelicals and Republicans. Now That Alliance Is Fraying.

The southern baptist convention, long a bellwether for american evangelicalism, voted to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization..

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Ruth Graham

Produced by Rob Szypko , Sydney Harper , Stella Tan , Asthaa Chaturvedi and Rachelle Bonja

Edited by Marc Georges and Lisa Chow

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest denomination of Protestant Christians in the United States, voted at an annual gathering last week to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization.

Ruth Graham, who covers religion, faith and values for The New York Times, discusses the story behind the vote, the Republican scramble it prompted and what it could eventually mean for the rest of the country.

On today’s episode

Ruth Graham , who covers religion, faith and values for The New York Times.

A room full of people sitting on blue plastic chairs are holding up orange leaflets.

Background reading

How baptists and the Republican Party took different paths on I.V.F.

Here’s what to know about the vote .

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Ruth Graham is a national reporter, based in Dallas, covering religion, faith and values for The Times. More about Ruth Graham

Help | Advanced Search

Computer Science > Machine Learning

Title: transcendence: generative models can outperform the experts that train them.

Abstract: Generative models are trained with the simple objective of imitating the conditional probability distribution induced by the data they are trained on. Therefore, when trained on data generated by humans, we may not expect the artificial model to outperform the humans on their original objectives. In this work, we study the phenomenon of transcendence: when a generative model achieves capabilities that surpass the abilities of the experts generating its data. We demonstrate transcendence by training an autoregressive transformer to play chess from game transcripts, and show that the trained model can sometimes achieve better performance than all players in the dataset. We theoretically prove that transcendence is enabled by low-temperature sampling, and rigorously assess this experimentally. Finally, we discuss other sources of transcendence, laying the groundwork for future investigation of this phenomenon in a broader setting.

Comments:	Code, models, and data at https://transcendence.eddie.win
Subjects:	Machine Learning (cs.LG); Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
Cite as:	[cs.LG]
	(or [cs.LG] for this version)
	Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

Submission history

Access paper:.

HTML (experimental)
Other Formats

References & Citations

Google Scholar
Semantic Scholar

BibTeX formatted citation

Bibliographic and Citation Tools

Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.

Institution

arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .

IMAGES

6 Easy Biology Science Experiments for Kids
Simple Biology Experiment Ideas for Kids to Spur Their Curiosity
easy science experiment for kids
Simple Biology Experiment Ideas for Kids to Spur Their Curiosity
Simple Biology Experiment Ideas for Kids to Spur Their Curiosity
5 DIY Biology Experiments You Can Easily Do at Home

VIDEO

Easy and Mind-Blowing: Try These 5 Amazing Science Experiments at Home
Biology Experiment
The lite Experiment physics experiment chemistry experiment biology experiment science experiment
5 Quick & Easy Science Experiments to do at Home
6 Easy Science Experiments To Do At Home
Home-Based Biology Experiments Part 1| Edible Eukaryotic Cell (Animal)

COMMENTS

6 Easy Biology Science Experiments for Kids
Heat approximately eight cups of water to just steaming. This can be done on the stovetop or the microwave, but a stovetop will give you more control over the heating process. Pour the water into the jar until it is completely full and allow the jar to sit for five minutes. This will heat the jar for the experiment.
Top 30 Biology Experiments for High-School
3. Extracting a DNA. The extraction of DNA is an excellent experiment for high school students to gain a better understanding of the principles of molecular biology and genetics. This experiment helps students to understand the importance of DNA in research and its applications in various fields, such as medicine, biotechnology, and forensics.
70 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have
Go Science Kids. 43. "Flip" a drawing with water. Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to "flip" a drawing; you can also try the famous "disappearing penny" trick.
Experiments
These biology experiments are designed for you to do at home or school using simple equipment. For some experiments, you may need a calculator. Here is a link to an excellent one provided by Web2.0calc. To access experiments, click on one of the experiments listed below. In most cases, it is simplest to copy the experiment into a word processing program, and then print it out.
35 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do Today!
Musical Jars Science Experiment. This super easy experiment is simple as it is fun! Kids make their own musical instruments with clear jars and water then investigate sound waves, pitch, and more. When the experiment is complete, use the colorful new "instrument" for a fun music lesson. Kids can play and take turns to "name that tune"!
20 Fun and Interesting Biology Experiments for High School
Another simple biology experiment involves going into your natural environment, such as a local park, to observe diversity among plant samples. To make the experiment more detailed, students can rub collected samples on filter paper to observe which plants present which colors. Teens can work to find out why certain plants present certain colors.
50 Simple Science Experiments with Supplies You Already Have
Plant Themed Simple Science Experiments. Enjoy learning about seeds, plant parts, and how plants grow with these simple science experiments. Learn about how plants soak up water through their stems with a flower experiment for kids from Growing A Jeweled Rose.; Watch seeds sprout as you grow seeds in a jar as seen on Teaching Mama.; Learn about the parts of the seed with a seed coat experiment ...
20 Hands-on Biology Activities For Kids
Genetics: In simple terms, genetics can be explained as the study of how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Kids can understand basic inheritance patterns and family resemblances. Food Chains and Webs: Biology involves exploring food chains and food webs, showing how energy flows from one organism to another in an ecosystem.
Easy Biology Experiments for Kids
Biology is the study of life and living things, including plants, animals and microorganisms.Biologists refer to living things as organisms. This collection of biology experiments for kids covers some of the most important concepts in biology. There are many different branches of biology, including: Ecology - the relationships between organisms. Zoology - the study of animals
7 Fun Biology Experiments for High School
If you're interested in incorporating this classic experiment into your course, this egg osmosis lab has been vetted by hundreds of high school Biology teachers. 3. Cell Size Diffusion Lab. Topics: cell size, diffusion, cell membrane, surface area to volume ratio. This is a lab that I use as the first of lesson plan in my cell cycle unit, but ...
Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home!
These science experiments you can do at home have been designed to be simple, open-ended and use materials you already have around the house ( mostly paper, scissors, recycled items and kitchen staples ). Click on the experiment image or the link to each science experiment to view full details and instructions for each science investigation.
Easy Science Experiments You Can Do at Home or at School
Here's list of great science experiments with instructions that you can do right at home or at school. In order for your science experiment to be safe and successful, be sure to: Get your parent's or teacher's permission, and their help. Follow the directions as written.
37 Cool Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home
Difficulty Level: Easy. Messiness Level: Medium. In this quick and fun science experiment, kids will mix water, oil, food coloring, and antacid tablets to create their own (temporary) lava lamp. Oil and water don't mix easily, and the antacid tablets will cause the oil to form little globules that are dyed by the food coloring.
Easy Science Experiments
Easy science experiments you can do at home! Click on the experiment image or the view experiment link below for each experiment on this page to see the materials needed and procedure. ... This Simple Experiment Will Surprise You. Upside Down Reflection: This Experiment Will Stand You On Your Head. What Things Rust: Explore Rust And Things That ...
100+ Genius Easy Science Experiments for Kids
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.
10 Awesome Biology Experiments Ideas For High School Aspirants
However, this experiment should be done in front of teachers and professors in the lab. 5. Diversity Among Plant Samples. Another simple biology experiment involves going into your natural environment, such as a local park, to observe diversity among plant samples.
32 Awesome Science Experiments For Kids (Fun AND Easy!)
Along the way, you and your child get a lot of time to learn about momentum, velocity, friction, energy transfer, and interference (e.g., the cat). 17. Melting. This is a simple and fun experiment that can be set up in a short time and then fill-up your day with observations and new experiments.
Science Experiments for Kids:
Science experiments you can do at home! Explore an ever growing list of hundreds of fun and easy science experiments. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for science fair project ideas. Explore experiments by category, newest experiments, most popular experiments, easy at home experiments, or simply scroll down this page for tons of awesome experiment ideas!
100 Easy Science Experiments for Kids to do at Home (2024)
+50 More Science Experiments We Love: Kids of all ages will love these cool science experiments that you can do together on the weekend or after school. These science activities all use simple household items and take about 30 minutes to complete. 51. Rock Candy Experiment - Grow colorful rock candy in a glass! 51.
Science Experiments
Explore Our Science Videos. Build a Bird Feeder to Study Birds - STEM activity. Shrink a Potato with Osmosis - STEM activity. Measure Static Electricity With An Electroscope! Browse our collection of free science experiments which are easy to set up, and perfect for home or school.
Biology Science Fair Project Ideas
Human body projects: If your interest is in biological processes and human behavior, this resource has several ideas for projects on the human body, including the study of the effects of music, temperature, and video games on mood.; Kids' neuroscience experiments: This is a nice collection of experiments relating to neuroscience.It includes projects dealing with reflexes, the nervous system ...
Controlled experiments (article)
Because of this potential for variation, biology experiments need to have a large sample size and, ideally, be repeated several times. Sample size refers to the number of individual items tested in an experiment - in this case, 10 ‍ bean seeds per group. Having more samples and repeating the experiment more times makes it less likely that ...
50 Fun Kids Science Experiments
My son is now 13, and we started with simple science activities around three years of age with simple baking soda science. Here are great tips for making science experiments enjoyable at home or in the classroom. Safety first: Always prioritize safety. Use kid-friendly materials, supervise the experiments, and handle potentially hazardous ...
40 Easy Kindergarten Science Experiments for Hands-On Learning
These hands-on kindergarten science experiments and activities take advantage of kids' boundless curiosity. They'll learn about physics, biology, chemistry, and more basic science concepts, gearing them up to become lifelong learners. ... Make this simple egg carton spine model to encourage your students' interest in the human body and ...
50 Easy Science Activities For Preschoolers
Curious kids turn into junior scientists with these fun and easy preschool science experiments.Th ese science activities for preschoolers are doable and use simple supplies for home or in the classroom. Plus, you can scale any of these activities to use with kindergarten through elementary-age students!
Reading dies in complexity: Online news consumers prefer ...
Over 30,000 field experiments with The Washington Post and Upworthy showed that readers prefer simpler headlines (e.g., more common words and more readable writing) over more complex ones. A follow-up mechanism experiment showed that readers from the general public paid more attention to, and processed more deeply, the simpler headlines compared to the complex headlines.
Abortion United Evangelicals and Republicans. Now That Alliance Is
The Southern Baptist Convention, long a bellwether for American evangelicalism, voted to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization.
Transcendence: Generative Models Can Outperform The Experts That Train Them
Generative models are trained with the simple objective of imitating the conditional probability distribution induced by the data they are trained on. Therefore, when trained on data generated by humans, we may not expect the artificial model to outperform the humans on their original objectives. In this work, we study the phenomenon of transcendence: when a generative model achieves ...

Top 30 Biology Experiments for High-School

1. Grow a Butterfly

2. Dissecting a Flower

3. Extracting a DNA

4. Looking at Fingerprints

5. Cultivate Bacteria on Home Made Agar

6. Make a Bioluminescent Lamp

7. Make Plants Move with Light

8. Test the Five-Second Rule

9. Examine How Antibiotics Affect Bacteria

10. Look for Cell Mitosis in an Onion

11. Test the Effects of Disinfectants

12. Microwave Seed Gardening

13. Water Bottle Bacteria Swab

14. Frog Dissection

15. Witness the Carbon Cycle in Action

16. Investigate the Efficacy of Types of Fertilizer

17. Explore the Impact of Genetic Modification on Seeds

18. Yeast Experiment

19. Taste Perception

20. Pea Plant Genetics

21. Comparing Animal and Plant Cells

22. Testing Bacteria

23. The Effect of Light on Growth

24. Planaria Regeneration

25. Making a Seed Board

26. Design an Owl Pellet

27. Grow an Herbal Cutting

28. Eat a Cell Model

29. Make a Habitat Diorama

30. Create a Fall Leaf (or Signs of Spring) Journal

Similar Posts:

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

A Nervous Experiment

Air Pollution

Birds and Their Songs

Breaking Proteins

Catch and Sketch Plankton

Collecting Ants

Cutting Out Brain Tumors

Dr. Biology's Virtual Pocket Seed Experiment

Be Part of Ask A Biologist

35 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do Today!

Musical Jars Science Experiment

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment

Floating Egg Science Experiment

Paper Towel Dry Under Water Experiment

Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment

Will it Float or Sink Science Experiment

Water Temperature Science Experiment

Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Hair Stand on End Science Experiment

Oil Bubbles in Water Science Experiment

Color Changing Water Science Experiment

Magnetic Paper Clip Chain Science Experiment

Is it Magnetic Science Experiment

Cloud in a Jar Experiment

Magic Milk Science Experiment

Walking Water Science Experiment

Light Refraction Science Experiment

Dancing Raisins Experiment

See Sound Experiment

Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Pick up Ball with a Jar Science Experiment

Will It Melt Science Experiment

Pepper Move Science Experiment

Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

Rainbow in a Jar Science Experiment

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Orange Float Science Experiment

Pick up Ice with String Science Experiment

Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

Reader Interactions

20 Fun and Interesting Biology Experiments for High School