As kids approach school age, it is so important to help them learn their colors, numbers, shapes, and alphabet. Even more important, however, is beginning to teach kids how to think, create, and wonder. These activities for preschoolers include simple science experiments that teach valuable scientific concepts.
There are also STEM crafting activities that kids will love using everyday household items. Here are 37 science for preschool activities kids, teachers, and parents will love.
1. Design Your Own Planet
In this activity for kids, you will need balloons, tape, glue, paint, paintbrushes, and construction paper. Kids will use their imaginations to create their very own planet. Encourage kids to research different textures and ecosystems of planets to build their perfect planet.
Learn more: Education.com
2. Build a Bridge
This engineering activity is a classic science activity that kids will do multiple times throughout their education. All you need are marshmallows, toothpicks, and two surfaces to connect with a bridge. As a bonus, encourage kids to test the strength of their bridge by adding various weighted objects.
Learn more: Education.com
3. Design a Catapult
This science activity encourages kids to develop motor skills and critical thinking skills using common household items. All you need are popsicle sticks, a plastic spoon, and rubber bands. Make the activity even more fun by having kids compete for catapulting items the furthest.
Learn more: Education.com
4. Turn Salt Into Drinking Water
This science activity teaches kids how to create fresh water. All you need is water, salt, plastic wrap, a mixing bowl, and a small rock. Kids will learn basic scientific principles that real scientists use every day. This activity is a hit with preschoolers.
Learn more: Education.com
5. Design a Weather Calendar
Use this charting activity to help your preschooler track weather patterns, collect data, and make weather predictions. They will love tracking the weather on their calendar each day. This is one of the best projects for preschoolers.
Learn more: Education.com
6. Make a Wind Sock
Using colored tissue paper, a wire stem, and yarn, preschoolers can create their own windsock. This fun science activity will help kids learn about wind direction and speed. Pair this activity with the weather calendar for even more fun!
Learn more: Education.com
7. Dissolving Peeps
Preschoolers will love this fun candy experiment, especially around Easter time. Use peeps and different liquids like vinegar, baking soda, milk, soda, etc., to test which liquids dissolve peeps and at which speed.
Learn more: Pre K Printable Fun
8. Dissolving Jelly Beans
Similar to the peep preschool science activity, you can also do the same experiment with jelly beans. For more fun, have your preschoolers compare the two candies to see which dissolves faster and under which conditions!
Learn more: Pre K Printable Fun
9. Frozen Flowers
This simple science activity for preschoolers is great for sensory input. Have preschoolers pick flowers from nature, then put the flowers in an ice cube tray or Tupperware and freeze them. Then give preschoolers tools to break the ice to excavate the flowers!
Learn more: Mombrite
10. Salt Painting
Salt painting is a great way for your preschooler to watch chemical reactions. You will need card stock, watercolors, salt, glue, and a paintbrush. The salt and glue will add texture to the painting, and kids will love seeing their creations come to life.
Learn more: The Best Ideas for Kids
11. Water Refraction Experiment
This is one of the easiest preschool science experiments and kids will be amazed. You will need water, a glass, and paper with a design on it. Place the picture behind the glass, and ask kids to watch what happens to the design as you pour water into the glass.
Learn more: What Do We Do All Day
12. Magic Moon Dough
This magic moon dough will wow your preschooler. The popular science activity of making moon dough becomes more interesting with this recipe because it will change color as kids touch it. You will need potato starch, flour, coconut oil, thermochromatic pigment, and a bowl.
Learn more: STEAM Powered Family
13. Electric Eels
Preschoolers will love learning with this candy science experiment! You will need gummy worms, a cup, baking soda, vinegar, and water. Using these simple ingredients, preschoolers will witness the gummy worms become "electric" during the chemical reaction.
Learn more: Bitz n Giggles
14. Sunscreen Paintings
Teach kids the importance of using sunscreen with this fun and crafty experiment. All you will need is sunscreen, a paintbrush, and black paper. Have preschoolers paint with sunscreen, then leave the painting in the sunlight for several hours. Kids will see how the sunscreen keeps the paper black while the sun lightens the rest of the paper.
Learn more: Team Cartwright
15. Magic Mud
This is a favorite science project. Preschoolers will make magical, glow-in-the-dark mud. Additionally, the texture of the mud is out of this world. The mud will feel like dough while it is moving, but then liquid when it stops. You will need potatoes, hot water, a strainer, a glass, and tonic water.
Learn more: TKOR
16. Straw Rockets
This crafty project teaches preschoolers multiple skills. You can use a printable from the website linked above or create your own rocket template for kids to color. Kids will color the rocket and then you will need 2 straws with different diameters. Kids will use their own breath and the straws to watch the rockets fly!
Learn more: Artsy Fartsy Mama
17. Fireworks in a Jar
This fun activity is perfect for preschoolers who love colors. You will need warm water, different colors of food coloring, and oil. The simple recipe will fascinate kids as the colors slowly separate and mix into the water.
Learn more: I Can Teach My Child
18. Magnetic Slime
This 3-ingredient basic recipe is easy to make and preschoolers will love using magnets to experiment with the slime. You will need liquid starch, iron oxide powder, and glue. You will also need a neodymium magnet. Once kids make the slime, watch them use the magnet to explore the slime's magnetism!
Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls
19. Color Changing Water
This color mixing project is a classic for preschoolers, and it doubles as a sensory bin. You will need water, food coloring, and glitter, as well as kitchen items for kids to use to explore (like eye droppers, measuring spoons, measuring cups, etc.). Kids will enjoy watching the colors mix as they add different food coloring to each bin.
Learn more: My Bored Toddler
20. Dancing Acorns
This Alka-Seltzer science experiment is perfect for preschoolers. You can use any items that you have at home--beads or jewels that will sink, but aren't too heavy are recommended. Kids will predict whether or not the items will sink or float, then they will watch as the items "dance" after adding Alka-seltzer.
Learn more: Teaching Ideas
21. Frozen Bubbles
This frozen bubble activity is so cool and preschoolers will love looking at the 3D bubble shapes. You can either buy a bubble solution or make the solution using glycerin, dish soap, and distilled water. In the winter, blow the bubbles into a bowl with a straw and watch as the bubbles crystallize.
Learn more: Fireflies and Mudpies
22. Ocean Life Experiment
This simple ocean science activity is a great way to help preschoolers visualize density. You will need an empty jar, sand, canola oil, blue food coloring, shaving cream, glitter, and water. You will also need plastic ocean items and/or sea shells for kids to test the density.
Learn more: Natural Beach Living
23. Wax Paper Experiment
This art activity for preschoolers doubles as a fun experiment. You will need wax paper, an iron and ironing board, printer paper, watercolors, and a spray bottle. Kids will spray the watercolors onto the wax paper to watch as the colors spread and adapt to the different patterns that were created.
Learn more: Housing a Forest
24. Making Borax Crystals
This activity allows preschoolers to make a variety of objects out of borax crystals. You will need borax, pipe cleaners, string, craft sticks, jars, food coloring, and boiling water. Kids can make different objects with crystals. Bonus--give their creations as gifts!
Learn more: The Craft Train
25. Skittles Experiment
Kids of all ages love this edible science candy experiment. Kids will learn about colors, stratification, and dissolving. You will need skittles, warm water, and a paper plate. Kids will create a pattern using Skittles on their plates and add warm water. Then, they will watch as the colors stratify and combine.
Learn more: The Soccer Mom Blog
26. Sprouting Sweet Potato
This simple activity leads to cool science investigations for preschoolers. You will need a clear container, water, toothpicks, a knife, a sweet potato, and access to sunlight. Kids will learn how to observe scientific changes over time as they watch the sweet potatoes sprout.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
27. Dancing Corn Experiment
Preschoolers love fizzy baking soda experiments. Specifically, this magical preschool activity explores a simple chemical reaction. You will need a glass, of popping corn, baking soda, vinegar, and water. Kids will love watching the corn dance during the chemical reaction.
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
28. Cranberry Slime
Why make regular slime, when preschoolers can make cranberry slime?! This is the perfect fall-themed activity for preschoolers. Even more of a bonus--the kids can eat the slime when they're done! You will need xanthan gum, fresh cranberries, food coloring, sugar, and a hand mixer. Kids will love the sensory input in this activity!
Learn more: STEAMsational
29. Yeast Science Experiment
This easy science experiment will wow kids. They will be able to blow up a balloon using yeast. You will need squeeze bottles, like those pictured above, water balloons, tape, yeast packets, and 3 types of sugar. Then kids will watch as each concoction blows up the water balloons.
Learn more: Lemon Lime Adventure
30. Tin Foil Boat Challenge
Who doesn't love fun building projects?! Preschoolers will enjoy this creative activity that focuses on density and floating. The goal is to make a boat that will float AND hold supplies. You will need tin foil, clay, bendy straws, card stock, and wooden blocks to represent supplies.
Learn more: JDaniel 4's Mom
31. STEM Snowman
This simple activity doubles as a craft and an easy experiment to test balance. Preschoolers will build a snowman out of a paper towel roll cut into 3 pieces. Kids will decorate and paint the snowman, but the real challenge is balancing each piece to make the snowman stand.
Learn more: How We Learn
32. Turn Milk Into Plastic!
This crazy experiment will leave preschoolers in shock as they make plastic out of milk. All you will need is milk, vinegar, a strainer, food coloring, and cookie cutters (optional). Once the preschoolers turn the milk into plastic, they can create a variety of shapes using different molds.
Learn more: How Wee Learn
33. Earthworm Coding
Computer coding is an invaluable skill in today's world. This activity is a great way to introduce coding to preschoolers. First, you will need the coding activity directions in this resource. You will also need colored beads, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and a hot glue gun. This simple craft will teach kids the importance of patterns.
Learn more: Sixth Bloom
34. Eyedropper Dot Counting
This easy STEM activity is a hands-on way to help preschoolers practice their counting skills. You can use wax paper or a laminated sheet and draw different-sized circles on it. Then, give kids an eye dropper and cups of different-colored water. Have them count how many drops of water they need to fill each circle.
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
35. Geoboard Design
All you need for this tactile science activity are geoboards and rubber bands. Preschoolers will practice making different shapes, patterns, and images using the geoboards. This activity also encourages preschoolers to focus on following directions, an all-important skill for school.
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
36. Pool Noodle Engineering Wall
This STEM activity is so fun and the perfect way to help preschoolers learn cause and effect. Using pool noodles, twine, command strips, tea lights, Tupperware, a ball, and anything else you want to include, help kids create a wall of fun. You can create a pully system, a water system, a ball reaction system, or anything else you and the kids can think of!
Learn more: Left Brain Craft Brain
37. Make a Bouncy Ball
Let's face it--kids LOVE bouncy balls, so let's help them make their own using science and crafting. You will need borax, water, glue, cornstarch, and food coloring. Help kids combine the ingredients to create the perfect bouncy ball.
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
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