Are you searching for the perfect way to engage your students in the world of science? Look no further! We’re excited to share a collection of the easiest science experiments that are proven to be classroom favorites. These hands-on and visually captivating activities, ranging from candy making to creating lava lamps, transforming eggs into gems, and even making balloons that don’t pop, will revolutionize your lessons. Read on and see which experiments will grab your kiddos’ attention!
1. Making a Magnifying Glass with Ice
Have your kiddos make their very own magnifying glass out of ice! Help them to shape frozen water into handmade lenses that can focus sunlight and let them start a fire with ice. If starting a fire isn’t right for your kiddos, then their homemade magnifying glasses will still work to enlarge tiny details, so there’s still lots of fun to be had.
Learn More: Steamsational
2. Floating Eggs
Shatter your kiddies’ expectations by revealing salt’s hidden talents! Have your young scientists hypothesize whether eggs will sink or float when placed in salty water. They’ll be amazed as the eggs bob to the surface as they add salt to the water, illustrating concepts of density and liquid properties through a classic hands-on experiment.
Learn More: Science Kids
3. Frozen Vegetable Oil Prints
Fuse art and science in this creative experiment! Begin by having your students freeze oil with a drop of food coloring in it overnight. They can then use the semi-solid result to print a colorful masterpiece! Watch how combining STEM and art makes challenging concepts like states of matter beautifully clear.
Learn More: Mini Monets and Mommies
4. Making a Better Bubble
Set the challenge – who can create the best bubble?! You won’t need to give your kiddos much encouragement before they’re researching and tweaking bubble recipes for this idea. Once they’ve found the ultimate formula, challenge them to demonstrate it in action by seeing who can produce the biggest bubble.
Learn More: Red Tricycle
5. Making Rock Candy
Satisfy your kids’ cravings for knowledge by growing sweet crystalline treats! Set them up with water, sugar, and food dye to make rock candy, and let them see crystallization unfold firsthand! Making their own sugary snacks illuminates the scientific process deliciously.
Learn More: Play Learn Grow
6. Capillary Action Experiment
Recreate tiny blood vessels using simple materials from home! Your learners will be amazed as they watch colored water climb through paper towels, visualizing capillary forces firsthand. Needing just paper towels, water, and food dye, you probably already have everything you need for this cool experiment!
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
7. Making a Non-Newtonian Fluid (Oobleck)
Defy intuition with oobleck, an otherworldly goop that’s somehow both solid and liquid! By combining cornstarch and water, your kiddos will be able to explore this non-Newtonian physics phenomenon. They’ll be delighted and baffled as the goo oozes and then stiffens at the slightest force.
Learn more: The Montessori-Minded Mom
8. Making a Leak-Proof Bag
Unlock your students’ ingenuity by challenging them to engineer waterproof bags! Give them simple materials to use and then let their creativity unfold through designing, testing, and refining the ultimate dry bag. Watch perseverance and problem-solving blossom through this hands-on engineering project.
Learn more: Steve Spangler Science
9. Tornado in a Bottle
Summon mesmerizing vortexes and model forces of nature! Have your kiddies layer liquids in bottles, then encourage them to swirl their homemade tornadoes and watch as they come to life! As they observe the dramatic forces in action, concepts of centripetal motion will whirl to life.
Learn More: Cool Science Experiments
10. What Do Sugary Drinks Do To Your Teeth?
Convey the destructive effects of sugary drinks with a simple egg! Have your kiddos place an egg in a beaker and add a sugary soda. They’ll be astounded to observe that over time, the egg becomes bendy and malleable. This shocking demonstration is the perfect way to spotlight the health impacts of sugary drinks on your little learners.
Learn More: Feels Like Home Blog
11. Static Detectives with Homemade Electroscope
Turn your students into static detectives with this homemade electroscope activity. Have your learners use a clear jar, paperclips, aluminum foil, and a balloon to create this simple homemade electroscope, and they’ll embark on a fascinating quest to investigate static electricity and learn about scientific instrumentation.
Learn More: The Homeschool Scientist
12. Making Gummy Bears Grow
The science of diffusion becomes a teddy bear picnic! Captivate your students by having them place gummy bears in a bowl and add water. Let them watch diffusion in action as the gummy bears soak up the water and expand to gigantic sizes!
Learn more: Mama Smiles
13. Inertia Demonstration
Introduce the abstract concept of inertia using simple coins and cards! Have your learners place a piece of card over a glass, then place a coin on the card. Once in place, have them quickly pull the card away and they’ll be amazed as the items fall into the glass, revealing inertia in action!
Learn More: The After School Life
14. Build a Hydraulic Elevator
Guide young engineers by having them build hydraulic elevators! Provide syringes, straws, and plastic bottles, and let your class engage in some creative problem-solving as they create a water-powered elevator. As their prototypes rise, so will your students’ persistence, collaboration, and STEM skills.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
15. Walking on Eggs
Hatch an improbable feat by having your students walk on fragile eggshells! Set up some trays of eggs on the ground, then ask a young volunteer to test the theory by gently standing on the eggs. When the delicate shells unexpectedly support their weight, the concepts of physics and engineering will crack wide open!
Learn More: Steve Spangler Science
16. Magic Milk Experiment
Use simple household ingredients to guide your kiddies through incredible colorful chemical reactions. Set up bowls of milk, then encourage your students to dip cotton swabs in food coloring and dish soap before dipping them into the milk; vivid colors will come alive as the soap reacts with the proteins of the milk
Learn More: Crafts by Amanda
17. Making Fizzing Lemonade
Turn lemons into hands-on learning opportunities by having your kiddos mix up some fizzy lemonade! Have them combine lemon juice and baking soda to create this fun chemical reaction they can see and taste for themselves.
Learn More: Learn with Play at Home
18. Reflecting on Mirror Experiments
Enter a world where light meets mirrors! Using mirrors, you can guide your students to explore the interesting science of light reflection, opening their eyes to how light interacts with different surfaces.
Learn More: Hands On As We Grow
19. Oil and Water Discovery Bottles
Bring the concept of density to life inside these fun discovery bottles! Have your learners layer colorful oils, water, beads, and glue inside a bottle, and then observe the contents separate and shift. This colorful experiment is a super way for them to visualize this intriguing scientific concept.
Learn More: Play Trains
20. Ballooning with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Prepare for liftoff! In this hands-on activity, challenge your kids to inflate a balloon using a classic kitchen chemistry reaction using baking soda and vinegar! As the chemicals react, the gad created will fill the balloons, allowing you to provide an engaging and dynamic lesson on this cool scientific process!
Learn More: Kids Academy
21. Separate Salt and Pepper
Challenge assumptions and defy expectations by having your kiddos attempt the seemingly impossible – separating combined salt and pepper! Give them simple materials like balloons or plastic wrap and let them use the power of static electricity to magically capture the pepper!
Learn More: Science Kiddo
22. Standing on a Pile of Paper Cups
Reveal the surprising strength hiding in everyday items like paper cups! Have your kids stack some paper cups in a pyramid, then invite them to climb on top without crushing them. This demonstration lets them jump feet-first into the world of logic-defying physics principles!
Learn More: Science Sparks
23. Making Ice Grow
Reveal water’s hidden powers by guiding your students in creating their very own icy landscapes! Start by super cooling some bottles of water in the freezer then let them pour to create icy towers before their eyes. Once agitated by the pouring, the supercooled water will freeze, crystallizing concepts about the freezing properties of liquids.
Learn More: Teach Pre-school
24. DIY Cabbage PH Indicator
Empower your young chemists by having them use cabbage to reveal markers of acidity! Show them how to extract the indicator pigments from cabbage, then watch as these change color at different pH levels as you allow them to add drops of lemon. What a flavorful introduction to everyday kitchen chemistry.
Learn More: Science Kiddo
25. Making a Monster Popcorn From Soap
Sculpt slippery hot monsters from soap to model Charles’ Law! As your kiddos heat and mold melting soap into wild creatures, they’ll observe expansion from heat firsthand. Their artistic designs are sure to bring these key physics concepts to life in a super creative way.
Learn More: Techno Eager
26. Turn a Penny Green
Teach your learners patience as they make observations over time in this next idea. Have them submerge pennies in vinegar and salt, then track the gradual chemical reactions, as their pennies turn green. Reactions are the main attraction of this lesson!
Learn More: Mess for Less
27. Make Gummy Worm Dance
Bring chemistry to life by having your students make gummy worms wiggle! Let your learners add worms to baking soda and vinegar and watch as the bubbles created by the chemical reaction make the candy worm dance. The dancing worm is sure to make this challenging science concept simply unforgettable!
Learn More: Playdough to Plato
28. Growing a CD Garden
Repurpose old CD cases into planters overflowing with life! Have your students plant sprouted seeds into soil-filled plastic CD cases and observe growth going on under the soil through the clear sides of the case. As plants flourish, the scientific process unfolds sustainably through reuse and repair.
Learn More: Rookie Parenting Science
29. Egg in a Bottle
Captivate your littles with magic that you can prove! In this experiment, you’ll harness air pressure to magically shove an egg into a bottle! Start by lighting some paper on fire and dropping it into a bottle, then quickly sealing it with the egg on top. The shrinking oxygen inside the bottle forces the egg through the top, showing atmospheric forces at work.
Learn More: Science Sparks
30. Sticky Ice Experiment
Reveal salt’s magical effect on freezing with a sticky ice experiment! Have your kiddos immerse string in icy saltwater then find ice sticking when pulled out. This super practical experiment demonstrates how salt lowers water’s freezing point in a simple, hands-on way for learners.
Learn More: Playdough to Plato
31. DIY Solar Oven
Empower your young engineers by having them harness the sun’s heat to build solar ovens! Guide them in angling mirrors to generate and trap heat in a box to cook food using only sunlight. Let trial and error pave the way for their learning about renewable energy and its uses.
Learn More: I Can Teach My Child
32. Build Your Own Barometer
Unlock air pressure mysteries by having your kiddies construct their own barometers! Let them use everyday materials like a tin can, balloons, a rubber band, a paper clip, and a straw to assemble their own device, and discover how scientific instruments channel the invisible forces shaping our natural world.
Learn More: Edventures with Kids
33. DIY Kinetic Sand
Let your kids get their hands dirty making magical kinetic sand! Encourage them to follow the simple instructions for combining oil and cornstarch to create sand that oozes and bounces unlike anything else. This super sensory activity is a fun way to demonstrate and play with non-Newtonian fluids.
Learn More: Artsy Fartsy Mama
34. Float/Sink Experiment
Spark hands-on predictions by testing classroom items to see if they’ll float or sink! Set up a bucket of water and have your students hypothesize buoyancy outcomes, then put their predictions to the test. This fun exploration is sure to make a splash and will set the stage for deeper scientific understanding.
Learn More: Paper Scissors Crafts
35. No Bursting Balloon
Shatter expectations by having your kiddos pierce balloons with no pops! Have them place tape on the balloon then insert sharpened sticks through the tape without bursting it! This astounding demonstration is sure to leave your learners speechless and will encourage them to be more flexible in their thinking.
Learn More: Crazy Science Show for Kids
36. Making Rain
Create your very own miniature storms to model the science of rain! Have your learners chill metal containers to collect water condensation, then add some heat underneath. As the air in the container heats and begins to circulate, the water evaporates and then condenses into rain, demonstrating this meteorological process beautifully.
Learn More: I Can Teach My Child
37. Egg Shell Geode Crystal
Grow dazzling crystals that reveal the hidden powers of chemistry! Have your kids fill cleaned-out egg shells with solutions of water, food dye, rock salt or borax then watch on as the liquid evaporates and shimmering crystals begin to form inside the hollow shells. What a stunning way to demonstrate the principles of super-saturated solutions and evaporation!
Learn More: Science Bob
38. Liquid Layers Density Experiment
Open young eyes to density by filling jars with brilliantly colored liquid layers! Have your learners add liquids of varying densities and observe the colorful bands that form. The concept of density comes to life in this colorful, visual experiment!
Learn More: Coffee Cups and Crayons
39. Making Butter in a Jar
Explore the science of our food with this next experiment. Let your students get hands-on experience in separating solids and liquids by churning their own butter. Pour heavy cream into a jar and let them shake until it separates, to form butter and buttermilk. After all their hard work, your kids can then use their butter to make themselves a well-earned snack!
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
40. Soda Geyser with Mentos
It’s explosion time! Have your kiddos bring science to life as they place a few Mentos into a bottle of soda and back away before it erupts. The exciting experiment is a classic and unforgettable hands-on way to show a chemical reaction in action!
Learn More: Know Your Meme
41. Skittles Experiment
Roll out the rainbow and let your kids explore diffusion using Skittles. Have them place a few Skittles on a plate and cover them with water before stepping back to watch the reaction that takes place. This colorful experiment will certainly intrigue your pupils and make them eager to learn more about this amazing process!
Learn More: Science Sparks
42. Baking Soda Volcano
Build excitement for chemical reactions by having your students construct fizzy baking soda volcanoes! Allow your students to create playdough or paper mache volcanos with a cup of baking soda and food dye in the center. Add vinegar to the cup and watch as the volcanoes erupt and spring to life! Who knew chemical reactions could be so much fun!?
Learn More: Science Sparks
43. Will it Dissolve?
Grab your learners’ attention with this fantastic inquiry-based learning idea. Have them make hypotheses about the solubility of different items or substances and then set them loose on investigating! As they test their theories, this exploratory learning opportunity fosters their inquisitive spirit and scientific thinking skills.
Learn More: The Picky Apple
44. Colored Celery Experiment
Reveal plants’ hidden highways by creating different colors of celery! Have your kiddos place crisp white celery stalks in cups of dyed water and get ready to observe the excitement as they watch the plants drawing up the pigments in the water. This demonstration creatively showcases plants’ natural capillaries in action!
Learn More: Tinker Lab
45. The Dance of Pepper and Soap
Get your kiddies ready for a captivating performance as they make pepper dance in this next activity! Watch as the wonders of surface tension are put on show as the pepper shoots across the water’s surface as it’s repelled by the soap. It’s a simple yet powerful way to visualize an otherwise invisible concept.
Learn More: Big Bang Education
46. Sprouting Seeds in a Sandwich Bag
Join us on a journey into the world of plant biology! Unleash your learners’ scientific curiosity by encouraging them to sprout seeds in a simple sandwich bag. As they witness the miracle of life, you can start some stimulating discussions about the process of germination and plant growth.
Learn More: Mom Brite
47. DIY Lava Lamp
Together with your eager kiddos, you can create a lava lamp to demonstrate the concept of liquid density. Let them add oil, water, and food coloring into a plastic bottle, before adding an Alka-Seltzer tablet. The chemical reaction of the tablet dissolving will create a cool lava lamp effect. They’ll marvel at the beautiful interplay of colors and bubbles while hypothesizing and learning.
Learn More: Experience Camps
48. Paperclip Pontoons
Welcome to a magical world of science where a simple paperclip defies gravity and floats on water! Use this activity to engage your kiddos in hands-on learning about surface tension, turning an everyday phenomenon into a captivating science experiment.
Learn More: Science Wonder How To
49. Magnetic Labyrinth
Venture into the thrilling world of magnetism with this cool maze idea. Challenge your kids to design their own maze and then use magnets to navigate it! They’ll not only be putting their creativity to the test but also delving deeper into the principles and science behind this force.
Learn More: YouTube
50. Thermometer from Trash
Turn your classroom into a mini weather station and engage your students in understanding how temperature changes can be recorded and measured. The exciting part of this experiment is that they can make it all happen using recycled items – a plastic water bottle, rubbing alcohol and a straw is all you need to bring this science experiment to life.
Learn More: What Do We Do All Day
51. Delicious DNA
Transform your classroom into a vibrant genetics lab! Use colored marshmallows and licorice to replicate a DNA helix. It’s a fun, engaging, and flavorful way to introduce your young scientists to the complex world of genetics. You’ll have them eating out the palm of your hand!
Learn More: Science Project Ideas
52. Vanishing Color Wheel
Have your youngsters dive into an intriguing mix of art and science with the Vanishing Color Wheel! Encourage them to construct their own color wheel, and let them watch in wonder as the colors blend to become white when spun. This activity offers them a firsthand experience of color theory in action.
Learn More: YouTube
53. Hydroponic Wonders
Welcome to the future of farming – right in your classroom! Guide your students to grow plants without soil, introducing them to the intriguing world of hydroponics. This project will allow them to research, build, and record: scientific skills that they will use for years to come.
Learn More: YouTube
54. Purification Through Filtration
Transform your classroom into a mini water purification station with this filtration experiment. In this hands-on activity, your kiddies will make a homemade water filter using a plastic bottle, gravel, and charcoal. What a super way to explore the importance of clean water and the science behind how it’s achieved.
Learn More: Generation Genius
55. Catapulting Marshmallows
Take your class on a fun-filled leap into physics! By setting the challenge of constructing a marshmallow catapult, your kids will investigate the principles of energy and motion, all while enjoying the fun of launching marshmallows across the room.
Learn More: The Gazette
56. Secret Messages with Invisible Ink
Let your kiddos play spies for the day with this cool chemical reaction activity. Using just lemon juice, they can write invisible messages, which reveal themselves under heat. This fun-filled experiment is the perfect introduction to basic chemistry and heat reactions.
Learn More: Popular Science
57. DIY Weather Vane
Welcome your students to the world of meteorology and have them create their own weather vane. Using simple materials they can create their weather vanes, and then use them to monitor and record the direction of the wind. What an engaging and hands-on way to learn about weather patterns and observation.
Learn More: YouTube
58. Crystal Suncatcher Creations
Bring some magic to your classroom with this beautiful crystal-growing activity! Your learners will use simple materials like pipe cleaners and string to grow borax crystals overnight! Creating these sparkling decorations provides your students with a kaleidoscopic lesson about supersaturated solutions and their products.
Learn More: Steve Spangler
59. The Simple Straw Flute
Turn your classroom into a symphony of science with this simple straw flute experiment. By encouraging your kiddos to construct and play their own straw flutes, your class will gain a deeper understanding of sound waves and pitch, all while creating unique melodies. A symphony of science- what’s not to love?
Learn More: Sask Science Centre
60. Plastic Bag Paratroopers
Your class will be eager to launch into this thrilling exploration of gravity and air resistance with this next activity. As they create and test their own parachutes using plastic bags, they’ll gain hands-on experience with these two fundamental forces of physics. Look out below!
Learn More: wikiHow
61. Cartesian Diver Exploration
Pressure and buoyancy come to life in this exceptional experiment. Have your kiddies create a Cartesian diver and submerge them into the fascinating study of physics with pressure and gas. As they put pressure on the outside of the bottle they’ll be amazed that the divers move in response, like magic!
Learn More: Ronyes Tech
62. DIY Compass
Chart a course through the mysteries of Earth’s magnetism with this DIY Compass activity. As your kiddos build their own compasses, they’ll learn about the incredible magnetic forces that shape our world and help us navigate.
Learn More: Science Sparks
63. Slime Science
Allow your littles to get gooey and hands-on with slimy science! Have them create their own batch of slime using one of these simple recipes and let them dive into the world of polymers in a most entertaining and memorable way. Learning about viscosity has never been so sensory!
Learn More: Mini Science
64. Leafy Laboratory
Encourage your learners to step into the vibrant world of plant pigments with this amazing chromatography experiment! Start by collecting and crushing up leaves, before adding some rubbing alcohol. Then add the chromatography paper to the solution and watch as the leaf pigments separate on the paper to give a colorful insight into both botany and chemistry.
Learn More: Playdough To Plato
65. Moldy Sandwich Science
Turn your classroom into a mini biology lab! Encourage your class to grow mold on bread under different conditions, teaching them about fungi, bacteria, and decomposition, and also the importance of washing our hands! What a brilliant way to transform a mundane phenomenon into a captivating learning experience.
Learn More: Mad About Science
66. Yeast Inflation
Blow up your students’ interest in biology next! By using the gas produced by yeast to inflate a balloon, your keen scientists will observe the process of fermentation firsthand, enhancing their understanding of microbiology.
Learn More: YouTube
67. Static Tricks with Balloon and Can
Get your learners ready for a hair-raising exploration of static electricity! They’ll be delighted to observe how a balloon and a can magically attract each other, or roll a can without even touching it! What a fantastic way to illustrate the invisible but powerful force of static electricity.
Learn More: Instructables
68. Cloud in a Bottle
Welcome to the atmospheric science lab! Bring the wonders of weather into your classroom using a plastic bottle, some rubbing alcohol, and a bicycle pump. By creating a cloud inside a jar, your kiddies will gain an up-close understanding of the process of condensation.
Learn More: National Geographic Kids
69. Sponge Soak-up
Dive into the concept of absorption! Through a simple hands-on activity using everyday items like a sponge, paper towels, and plastic bags, your kiddos can investigate absorption. They’ll discover how absorption works by testing different materials, bringing this everyday phenomenon to life.
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
70. Prismatic Rainbow Creation
Step into the vibrant world of light and color! Have your learners explore the concept of light refraction by encouraging them to create their own rainbow with a prism and sunlight, turning your classroom into a mini rainbow factory. Who knew science could be so colorful?
Learn More: YouTube
As you can see, there are tons of science experiments for kids you can do with items you have in your home right now. What fun science activities does your child enjoy?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best science experiments?
The best science experiments are the ones that answer a question your child has. When choosing science experiments for kids, always follow your child’s interests.
How do you do a simple science experiment at home?
When setting up a science experiment to do at home, it’s a good idea to set aside a time wherein there are no distractions. This will ensure that your child gets the most out of the experiments.
It’s also a great idea for parents to read about and practice the experiment ahead of time. This way, you know what’s going to happen and are ready to answer any questions.
What are some fun science experiments?
Fun science activities for kids are in no short supply. The list above is a great resource for kids’ science activities. Pinterest is a great resource, as well!
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