Science Activities For Kids

The science activities for kids featured below make great classroom activities for teachers or fun projects to do at home with kids.

The Science of Making Rainbows
You’ve probably heard before that light is the presence of all colors, and here’s a fun way to demonstrate it to kids by having them create their own rainbow. Just follow these steps:

  1. Fill a large shallow serving bowl or pan about two-thirds full of water, and place it somewhere directly in the sunlight.
  2. Give the kids a small mirror (portable make-up mirrors work best) and have them place it under the water so that the mirror faces the sun.
  3. Give kids a sturdy piece of paper (card stock works well) and have them hold the paper above the mirror at a slight angle, adjusting both paper and mirror until a rainbow of colors appears from the reflected light. This is also a good activity to work on teamwork skills: Work in pairs and have children take turns holding the paper while the other one adjusts the mirror.

 

How it works: When traveling in a straight line (or wavelength), light appears colorless.  Water acts like a prism in this activity, splitting the light into the seven different colors on the spectrum, which is then reflected back by the mirror.

Baking Soda Bomb

  1. Start by placing 2 tablespoons of baking soda on a paper towel, then fold up the towel to create a sealed packet.
  2. Poor ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup hot water into a quart size plastic zip-lock bag.
  3. Slip the packet of baking soda inside the bag without letting it drop into the liquid.  Seal the bag shut, pinching the packet in the top part of the bag so it doesn’t drop.
  4. Hand it to your child, have them drop the packet into the liquid, then give it a light toss and stand back!  (If you toss it too hard, the bag may come unsealed when it hits the ground.)  It will fizzle and explode.

 

Solid Liquids Science Activity
Mixing water with equal or larger amounts of corn starch will create a type of goopy liquid that is soft to the touch but which becomes hard if you smack it. This makes for an intriguing science activity for kids.

Fill several cake pans with this mixture, and  set them out at a table.  Or , if you prefer, fill up your sensory table instead.  Then have kids put on a smock and experiment with the strange substance. Encourage them to do things like slowly stick their finger in , tap their fingers on the top like they are playing a piano, and smacking the surface as if giving it a spanking.  If you’re willing to use enough corn starch, you could even fill a kiddie pool with the mixture.  Set a small stool on each side, have kids take off their shoes and socks, and give them the experience of walking on water.  So long as they move briskly, they should be able to stroll right across the mixture without sinking in.  It will make for an experience they won’t soon forget.

How it works: When an object with any type of force impacts the mixture it creates friction, causing the corn starch particles to bind together like snow piling up in front of a snowplow.  This reaction pushes back on the object with its own force.  Take away the speed that creates friction and the mixture becomes liquid again, which is why objects will sink like quicksand when moving slowly or standing still.

Anything’s Possible (Group)
All Ages
You’ve probably heard the phrase: Anything’s possible. But is it, and if so, how? Put this idea to the test with this fun activity that will exercise your children’s scientific thinking skills. Give kids a scenario, some crazy and outlandish, some quite plausible, and have them use scientific reasoning to describe how this might be possible and what series of events could lead to such an occurrence. Here are some examples to get you started, but feel free to make up your own:

  • A man walked into an outhouse and the outhouse exploded.
  • A cow got stuck in the chimney of someone’s roof.
  • You place your ball in a specific spot on the lawn, and when you return hours later, it has moved 30 feet.
  • The water in a pond suddenly turns bright red.
  • A little girl sucks on a jawbreaker and it explodes in her mouth, burning her face.
  • A man leans against a giant tree and the tree falls over.
  • A little old lady lifts a car up to free a child trapped underneath.
  • Pigs fly.
  • A mysterious flash lights up the sky.
  • A sewer manhole explodes, sending its heavy steel cover flying through the air.

 

Create A Science Prop Box

A must have for teachers wanting to bring science into the classroom.