Everyday Science Experiments to Do at Home with Kids
May 29, 2017
Childhood is a magical time filled with discovery and exploration. Kids love to explore the world around them, and one of the best ways to discover new and exciting information is through getting dirty experimenting with the materials and substances found in their everyday environment! Exploring science is one way to do this while making learning endlessly fun. Keep reading to find ideas for cool, fun, easy science experiments you can whip together in no time, using materials you already have at home!
Egg Drops
Using this cheap ingredient you probably already have in your fridge, you can create an easy science experiment that lets your preschooler practice problem-solving and logical reasoning skills. Kids will adore thinking of creative ways to drop an egg from pre-determined distance without letting it crack!
What you’ll need:
- Eggs - if you’re afraid of making a mess in your home, or you’d like to salvage an egg even if it cracks, be sure to hard-boil the egg before beginning.
- Anything from around your house you can find to cushion the egg. Small boxes, marshmallows, foam, plastic bags, toilet paper or paper towel rolls, string, cotton balls, etc.
What to do:
- Help your child pick an egg. Feel free to decorate it, or give it a bright smiling face!
- Using the items you selected from your house, help your child to create a way to protect the egg when dropped from a distance. The distance you use is up to you, but for younger kids, start with a distance at only a foot or two.
- With your chosen materials, create a parachute or cushioned container for the egg.
- Drop the egg! Once your child is ready, drop the egg and see if it cracks! If it doesn’t crack, you’ve solved experiment! If you don’t, you can still enjoy the egg if it was hard-boiled, and then try again!
Tornado in a Bottle
Easy science experiments for kids are great for getting your kindergartener prepared to grasp natural phenomena, like weather. Here’s a classic experiment to teach your child about creating a vortex.
What you’ll need:
- 2 - 2 liter soda bottles, empty and cleaned
- 1 metal washer
- Duct tape
- Tap water
What to do:
- Fill one of the bottles 2/3 of the way full with tap water.
- Place the metal washer on top of the bottle you just filled.
- Take the other bottle, and turn it upside down so it the opening meets with the opening of the other bottle, over the metal washer. Duct tape this together tightly so it’s securely in place.
- Quickly turn the bottle over and set it on a table. Start rotating the bottle in a circle, as if you are stirring soup in a pot. In no time, a twister will form in the bottle, mimicking a tornado!
Homemade Lava Lamp
Easy kids’ science experiments can also make for fun art-like decorations that will keep kids in awe over their creations while they learn about substances. This lava lamp will enchant your child with science and beauty!
What you’ll need:
- 1 large plastic bottle
- Vegetable oil
- Food coloring in a color of your child’s choice!
- Water
- 1 Alka-Seltzer tablet
What to do:
- Fill the flask or glass bottle with vegetable oil so it’s about ¾ of the way full.
- In the space remaining, fill the flask with water the rest of the way, and watch as the water sinks to the bottom!
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the flask or bottle. You’ll notice that the water-based food coloring drops will also drop to the bottom!
- Break up the Alka-Seltzer tablet into small pieces. Drop the small pieces, one at a time, into the bottle.
- Watch as the lava lamp fizzes into life. Once the action begins to fizzle out, add another piece of Alka-Seltzer to watch the lava lamp come to life once again!
The awesome thing about the above experiments is that they all allow kids to think in ways that helps them flex their creative and logical thinking as they create solutions, or observe reactions. This will in turn fascinate your child, sparking an interest in the wide world of science, motivating them to try more advanced experiments. Raise a spirited child - ignite their curiosity about the world around them with fun and easy science experiments, sure captivate their imaginations and bring them back for more!
