Top 20 Easy Science Experiments for Kids

Materials Needed:

• Baking soda

• Vinegar

• A small container (like a plastic bottle)

• Dish soap (optional)

• Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the container on a tray to catch any spills.

2. Fill the container with baking soda.

3. Add a few drops of dish soap and food coloring if desired.

4. Pour vinegar into the container and watch the "volcano" erupt.

Explanation: The reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) produces carbon dioxide gas, which creates the bubbling effect.

Materials Needed:

• Milk

• Food coloring

• Dish soap

• Cotton swabs

• A shallow dish

Instructions:

1. Pour milk into the shallow dish to cover the bottom.

2. Add drops of food coloring to the milk.

3. Dip a cotton swab in dish soap.

4. Touch the milk's surface with the soapy cotton swab and observe the colors swirl.

Explanation: The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the milk and reacts with the fat molecules, causing the colors to move and mix. 

Materials Needed:

• Sugar

• Water

• Food coloring

• 4-5 clear glasses

• A dropper or spoon

Instructions:

1. Fill each glass with water.

2. Add different amounts of sugar to each glass (e.g., 1 tsp, 2 tsp, 3 tsp, 4 tsp).

3. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

4. Add a different food coloring to each glass.

5. Using a dropper or spoon, layer the colored water in a separate glass, starting with the highest sugar concentration at the bottom.

Explanation: The different sugar concentrations create varying densities, allowing the colors to layer without mixing.

Materials Needed:

• A clear bottle or jar

• Water

• Vegetable oil

• Food coloring

• Alka-Seltzer tablets

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle or jar about one-third with water.

2. Add a few drops of food coloring.

3. Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil, leaving some space at the top.

4. Drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet into the bottle and watch the bubbles form.

Explanation: The Alka-Seltzer reacts with the water to produce carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles that rise through the oil, creating a lava lamp effect. 

Materials Needed:

• Tissue paper

• Construction paper

• Scissors

• A balloon

• A piece of wool or a sweater

Instructions:

1. Cut out a butterfly shape from the tissue paper.

2. Cut a slightly larger butterfly shape from the construction paper.

3. Place the tissue paper butterfly on top of the construction paper butterfly.

4. Rub the balloon on the wool or sweater to create static electricity.

5. Hold the balloon above the tissue paper butterfly and watch it move.

Explanation: The static electricity on the balloon attracts the tissue paper butterfly, making it move and "fly." 

Materials Needed:

• Lemon juice or baking soda mixed with water

• Cotton swabs

• White paper

• A heat source (like a lamp or iron)

Instructions:

1. Dip the cotton swab in lemon juice or the baking soda solution.

2. Write a message on the white paper with the swab.

3. Let the paper dry completely.

4. To reveal the message, gently heat the paper with a lamp or iron.

Explanation: The lemon juice or baking soda reacts to the heat, causing the writing to become visible. 

Materials Needed:

• White glue

• Baking soda

• Contact lens solution

• Food coloring (optional)

• A mixing bowl and spoon

Instructions:

1. Pour glue into the mixing bowl.

2. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired.

3. Mix in a small amount of baking soda.

4. Gradually add contact lens solution while stirring until the mixture becomes thick and stretchy.

5. Knead the slime with your hands until it reaches the desired consistency.

Explanation: The contact lens solution contains borate ions, which react with the glue to form a stretchy, slime-like substance. 

Materials Needed:

• A hard-boiled egg (peeled)

• A glass bottle with a narrow neck

• Matches or a small piece of paper

Instructions:

1. Light the match or paper and drop it into the bottle.

2. Quickly place the egg on the neck of the bottle.

3. Watch as the egg gets sucked into the bottle.

Explanation: The burning paper heats the air inside the bottle, causing it to expand. When the flame goes out, the air cools and contracts, creating a vacuum that pulls the egg into the bottle. 

Materials Needed:

• 3 clear cups

• Water

• Food coloring

• Paper towels

Instructions:

1. Fill two cups with water and add food coloring (one color per cup).

2. Place the empty cup between the two filled cups.

3. Cut the paper towels into strips and place one end in the colored water and the other end in the empty cup.

4. Watch as the water "walks" along the paper towels and mixes in the middle cup.

Explanation: Capillary action allows the colored water to travel through the paper towels and mix in the empty cup. 

Materials Needed:

• A balloon

• String

• A straw

• Tape

Instructions:

1. Thread the string through the straw and tie the string between two points (like two chairs).

2. Inflate the balloon without tying it and tape it to the straw.

3. Release the balloon and watch it zoom along the string.

Explanation: The air escaping from the balloon propels it forward, demonstrating the principle of action and reaction. 

Materials Needed:

• A clear plastic bottle

• A ruler

• Scissors

• Tape

Instructions:

1. Cut the top off the plastic bottle.

2. Place the ruler inside the bottle and tape it in place.

3. Set the bottle outside in an open area to collect rain.

4. Measure the amount of rain collected using the ruler.

Explanation: The rain gauge allows kids to measure and track rainfall, learning about weather patterns and precipitation. 

Materials Needed:

• Water

• Salt

• A shallow dish

• Food coloring (optional)

• A piece of sponge or cardboard

Instructions:

1. Dissolve as much salt as possible in warm water.

2. Pour the saltwater into the shallow dish.

3. Add food coloring if desired.

4. Place the sponge or cardboard in the dish.

5. Let the solution sit for a few days and watch the crystals form.

Explanation: As the water evaporates, the salt forms crystals on the sponge or cardboard, demonstrating the process of crystallization. 

Materials Needed:

• A needle

• A small magnet

• A piece of cork or foam

• A bowl of water

Instructions:

1. Magnetize the needle by rubbing it with the magnet in one direction.

2. Push the needle through the cork or foam.

3. Float the cork or foam in the bowl of water.

4. The needle will align itself with the Earth's magnetic field, pointing north.

Explanation: The magnetized needle acts as a compass, demonstrating the Earth's magnetic field. 

Materials Needed:

• Celery stalks with leaves

• Water

• Food coloring

• Clear glasses

Instructions:

1. Fill the glasses with water and add different food coloring to each.

2. Place a celery stalk in each glass.

3. Let the celery sit for a few hours and observe the color change in the leaves.

Explanation: The colored water travels up the celery stalk through capillary action, demonstrating how plants absorb water.

Materials Needed:

• Eggs

• Water

• Salt

• A clear glass

Instructions:

1. Fill the glass with water and place an egg in it. Observe that the egg sinks.

2. Remove the egg and add several tablespoons of salt to the water. Stir until the salt dissolves.

3. Place the egg back in the water and observe that it now floats.

Explanation: The salt increases the water's density, allowing the egg to float. 

Materials Needed:

• Lemon juice

• Cotton swabs

• White paper

• A heat source (like a lamp or iron)

Instructions:

1. Dip a cotton swab in lemon juice and write a message on the white paper.

2. Let the paper dry completely.

3. Gently heat the paper with a lamp or iron to reveal the message.

Explanation: The lemon juice oxidizes and turns brown when heated, making the message visible. 

Materials Needed:

• A clear glass

• Soda water or sparkling water

• Raisins

Instructions:

1. Fill the glass with soda water or sparkling water.

2. Drop a few raisins into the glass and watch them "dance."

Explanation: The carbon dioxide bubbles in the soda water attach to the raisins, making them buoyant and causing them to rise and fall in the glass. 

Materials Needed:

• A balloon

• A piece of wool or a sweater

• Small pieces of paper

Instructions:

1. Inflate the balloon and tie it off.

2. Rub the balloon on the wool or sweater to create static electricity.

3. Hold the balloon above the small pieces of paper and watch them jump up to the balloon.

Explanation: The static electricity on the balloon attracts the paper, demonstrating the principles of static charge. 

Materials Needed:

• A clear bottle with a narrow neck

• Water

• Rubbing alcohol

• Food coloring

• A straw

• Modeling clay

Instructions:

1. Fill the bottle halfway with equal parts water and rubbing alcohol.

2. Add a few drops of food coloring.

3. Insert the straw into the bottle without letting it touch the bottom.

4. Use the modeling clay to seal the bottle around the straw.

5. Place your hands around the bottle and watch the liquid rise in the straw.

Explanation: The heat from your hands causes the liquid to expand and rise in the straw, demonstrating thermal expansion. 

Materials Needed:

• Lemons

• Copper coins

• Zinc nails

• Wires

• An LED light or small bulb

Instructions:

1. Roll the lemons to release the juice inside.

2. Insert a copper coin and a zinc nail into each lemon, making sure they don't touch.

3. Connect the copper of one lemon to the zinc of another lemon with a wire.

4. Attach the remaining copper and zinc terminals to the LED light or bulb.

Explanation: The lemon juice acts as an electrolyte, creating a chemical reaction that produces electricity and powers the light.