A curious child is inherently a scientist because all he wants to do is discover something new and explore the unknown. When learning science, this is what gets all the children excited about it. Understanding the principles of physics and chemistry is definitely necessary. But what keeps their interest going are science fair projects for kids, which allow them to see all those concepts and ideas manifest in real life. And they don’t have to be too difficult or complicated.
Easy Science Projects for Children to Do at School or Home
Here are some simple science projects that kids can create.
1. A Flower that Changes its Colour to Match the Colour of the Water
The basics of flora and fauna are taught pretty early in school. And this project will make them understand it even better.
What You Will Need
- Flowers, preferably white roses or carnations
- Food colours, preferably red, blue, yellow and so on
- A few plastic cups
- A knife or a cutter
- Water
Instructions
- Place all the plastic cups in a straight line on the table. Fill each of them up with water until they are filled halfway.
- Choose a colour for each cup and add 30-35 drops of food colour in the water. Add some more until the colour is properly vivid.
- Take the flowers and help your kid cut the stem of each of them using a knife or a cutter with precaution. If your child is too young, you can carry out this task instead. This cut should be inclined at an angle.
- Now place one flower in each cup. You can make your guesses as to which colour will be picked up by the flower first and in how much time. This is a lengthy experiment so it can take up to a day as well.
- In another variation of the same project, instead of making an inclined angular cut, you can cut the stem right through the middle.
- Once that’s done, place one end of the stem in one colour and the other in a different one.
- This can really make your child wonder as to which colour will be soaked up first, and how the flower will look. This will also help him understand the manner in which plants soak up water.
2. Simulating a Hot Water Geyser with a Bottle of Cola
All that fizz in your favourite beverage can be put to use to understand science better.
What You Will Need
- A couple of large bottles of Cola, preferably without sugar
- A bunch of peppermint tablet rolls
- Paper
Instructions
- Before you begin, it is best to find the right spot to do this since this project is going to make a mess. Find an abandoned area, or a large field, preferably where the coke can be soaked in the sand.
- Open the bottle of Cola and place it properly on the ground or a raised platform. Make sure it is stable and vertical.
- Now comes the difficult part. The key to this project is to make sure all the peppermint tablets are put into the Cola at the same time.
- Take out the tablets and keep them ready aside. Then roll the paper into a tube, such that its diameter is equal to or slightly less than the opening of the bottle, but large enough to put multiple peppermint tablets through it.
- Maintain some distance, stretch your arms and hold the paper over the bottle. Put all the tablets into the Cola and move back immediately.
- What follows will be a magnificent display of Cola exploding upwards like a gas geyser from the earth.
3. Checking if Your Helmet Can Really Protect Your Head
This project not only educates your child in understanding the need for a helmet but trains him in the basics of conducting experiments and noting results.
What You Will Need
- Different helmets, such as a motorbike, cycling helmet, etc.
- Watermelons or muskmelons
- A ladder or a vertical high ground
- A measuring tape
- Camera
- Paper and pen
Instructions
- If you have a balcony that’s not too high or a raised platform on your terrace, those can work for this experiment. Else, it is best to get a ladder and know the height where you will be standing.
- This experiment is more about carrying out tests consistently as a team. One kid could make notes, the other could shoot the experiment, and the third could be the one dropping the melons and helmets.
- Initially, measure the actual height you’d be dropping the objects from. The height needs to be consistent throughout. It should be at least 10 feet.
- Begin by dropping only the fruit from that height. Note how much damage is caused to the fruit.
- Then, put another fruit in the motorbike helmet, secure it properly, and drop the helmet. Note any damage that occurs to it and in which areas.
- Try it out with other helmets and varying heights.
- Once all results and documentation have been obtained, everyone can go through the results and arrive at a conclusion to know the limit up to which a helmet can provide protection.
4. Magical Milk that Moves with its Colours Even Without Touching it
Let your child marvel at the multi-coloured milk and its apparently magical movement, as he understands more about molecules.
What You Will Need
- Whole milk
- Some cotton swabs
- Soap meant for dishwashing
- Food colours, preferably red, blue, green, yellow
- A large plate
Instructions
- Place the dinner plate on a table. Pour milk into it such that it forms a small pool of about 0.25 inches. Let the milk settle down and be still.
- Then, choose a colour and add a single drop to the milk. Add this drop in the centre of the plate. Follow it up by adding other colour drops as well.
- Now take a cotton swab and ask your kid to touch the centre of the milk portion with the swab. You don’t need to stir it or move it at all. Just need to touch it. Increase the curiosity by asking each child what they think might happen.
- Once that is done, then dip the other end of the swab in the dish-washing soap. Place this soapy end of the swab in the centre of the milk for about 15 seconds. Then observe how the colour just spills around.
- Try the same experiment by touching the swab in different areas of the milk and see what happens each time. The fantastic visuals of colours moving by themselves in the milk will be enough to mesmerise everyone.
5. A Carbon Dioxide Sandwich Which Cannot be Eaten
The properties of carbon dioxide are intriguing to be studied in gaseous as well as solid form. This is one of the best ways to teach them to your kid.
What You Will Need
- Plastic goggles
- Plastic bags, preferably the ones with a Ziploc
- Some baking soda
- Vinegar
- A bunch of cups and spoons to measure
Instructions
- Safety first. Ensure you as well your kid is wearing the plastic goggles properly that cover the eyes securely on all sides.
- Take the larger plastic bags with the Ziploc. Add about a tablespoon of baking soda to it. Repeat the same for a couple more bags.
- Take the smaller plastic bags now. Add different quantities of vinegar in each bag. One could have a quarter of a cup, another one-third of the cup, another could have half a cup. Seal these bags securely by locking the zip.
- Now, place these vinegar bags inside the bags with baking soda. While locking these larger bags, make sure you remove all the air that’s inside them.
- Now take these bags outside or in an open area, since it is going to make a mess.
- This is the fun part. Ask your kid to punch the bags such that the vinegar inside breaks out. Once that happens, hold the bag and shake it vigorously to make sure the vinegar and soda mix properly.
- Now observe each bag and see how long it takes for them to start expanding and then finally pops.
6. Baby Diapers are Science Projects by Themselves
With all the poop and pee that they hold, this single quality can help your kid understand science in an interesting way.
What You Will Need
- Diapers
- Ziploc bags
- Scissors
- Newspaper
- Salt
- Spoon
- A plastic cup
- Water
Instructions
- Take a diaper and cut it open to remove all the inner material. Stuff all that material inside a Ziploc bag.
- There might some polymer that comes out as well. Put that in the bag too and blow into it to puff it up. Then seal it.
- Shake the bag vigorously. This will remove the polymer that is a part of the stuffing material. All of it will collect at the bottom of the bag.
- Open the bag and take out the stuffing, keeping the polymer as is. Put it all in the plastic cup.
- Add water to the cup until it’s full and mix it all together until it starts thickening.
- A gel sort of substance will be formed which is nearly solid. Turning the cup upside down will not make it fall either. Remove it from the cup and play around with it.
- Once done, put the gel back in the cup and press it with your fingers. Add some salt to it and stir it together. It will suddenly not be solid anymore and you can pour away the mixture in the drain.
7. Bringing Science for Breakfast by Including Magnets in the Menu
Try serving some cereal along with magnets for breakfast and your kids will wonder what that’s all about.
What You Will Need
- Any cereal that is fortified with iron
- A plastic cup
- Ziploc mag
- A strong magnet
- A plate
- Water
Instructions
- Pour some pieces of cereal on to the breakfast plate and crush them together. Spread them all around so that they form a nice layer.
- Now hold the magnet in your hand and hover it over the pieces. Do not touch them. If while hovering any piece moves, there’s a chance it has iron in it.
- Now press the magnet directly onto the cereal and then lift it up. A few pieces will fall off, and some others will remain to stick to it. It could be static electricity making them hang as well.
- Clean the magnet and the plate. Now pour some water on the plate and then add a few flakes of the cereal to it, so that they float. Just as before, hover the magnet over it and watch if any flake tends to swim across in a direction, or even spin around in its place.
- Now take a cup of cereal and put it in the Ziploc bag. Fill the bag with warm water till it half full and seal it up, leaving some air inside.
- Squeeze and crush the bag to mix all the contents together in a brown soapy substance. Let it sit for about half an hour.
- Now hold the magnet in one hand and the bag in another. Bring the magnet very close to the bag and then switch sides from up to down. Move the bag occasionally to create movement inside.
- With enough moving and alternating of the position, small black coloured dot like specks will be sticking on the inside surface of the bag. This is the cereal’s iron.
8. These Eggs will Not Break Even When You Walk on Them
The brittleness of eggs can be put to test with this simple and exciting science project
What You Will Need
- A bunch of egg cartons with eggs
- Large plastic bags
- Disinfectants
- Bucket
- Soap
- Water
Instructions
- While doing this project, some eggs are bound to break until you get it right. So it is important to lay down plastic bags on the floor and make sure you clean up once you’re done to avoid any infection as well.
- Place the cartons of eggs in two rows. Check them properly to see if any eggs are already broken and replace them. All eggs should have the round side of their facing upwards. This provides a good amount of surface on which you can place your feet.
- The best way to do this is barefoot. Take someone’s support to gently place your first foot on the egg carton. Ensure you don’t put a lot of weight in a single area. Distribute it over as many eggs as possible.
- Once one foot has found its place, gently try keeping the other foot by shifting all the weight on the foot that’s already down there. While you do this, some sounds might make you feel as if the eggs are going to crack, but don’t worry.
- With both legs firmly on the eggs, you are good to begin. Repeat the same process to walk across the row of cartons without breaking any eggs.
9. Water That Never Spills
Surprise everyone by holding a glass of water upside down and no water falls out.
What You Will Need
- A glass
- A card about 6×6 in size
- Water
Instructions
- Fill the glass with water. Let it fill beyond the brim so that it spills over.
- Then place the card over the glass. Press it firmly against the brim of the glass such that it holds the outer brim, and forms a proper seal.
- Now, hold the glass over a sink and hold the card with your other hand. Turn the glass upside down and slowly remove your hand. The card will stay in place and hold the water inside the glass itself.
- The air pressure of the card against the glass due to its sealing counteracts the force of gravity, keeping the water inside the glass.
10. Tornado in a Bottle
Tornados help children understand how air currents work in the real weather phenomena
What You Will Need
- A transparent jar
- Dish-washing soap
- Food colour
- Vinegar
- Water
Instructions
- Add water, food colour, vinegar, and dish-soap drops to the jar and mix it all together. Shake it vigorously to do so.
- Once mixed, twist the bottle such that the water inside starts spinning.
- A mini whirlpool or tornado will form inside which will show how the currents converge towards the vortex.
Learning does not have to be restricted to books and classrooms. With a variety of school science project for kids, they can all understand the basic principles of each aspect of science in a simpler manner and make it a fun-filled activity where their friends can join in as well.
