science experiment at home

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72 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Because science doesn’t have to be complicated.

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to get your students excited, it’s a good science experiment! While some experiments require expensive lab equipment or dangerous chemicals, there are plenty of cool projects you can do with regular household items. We’ve rounded up a big collection of easy science experiments that anybody can try, and kids are going to love them!

Easy Chemistry Science Experiments

Easy physics science experiments, easy biology and environmental science experiments, easy engineering experiments and stem challenges.

1. Taste the Rainbow

Teach your students about diffusion while creating a beautiful and tasty rainbow! Tip: Have extra Skittles on hand so your class can eat a few!

Learn more: Skittles Diffusion

2. Crystallize sweet treats

Crystal science experiments teach kids about supersaturated solutions. This one is easy to do at home, and the results are absolutely delicious!

Learn more: Candy Crystals

3. Make a volcano erupt

This classic experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate.

Learn more: Best Volcano Experiments

4. Make elephant toothpaste

This fun project uses yeast and a hydrogen peroxide solution to create overflowing “elephant toothpaste.” Tip: Add an extra fun layer by having kids create toothpaste wrappers for plastic bottles.

5. Blow the biggest bubbles you can

Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.

Learn more: Giant Soap Bubbles

6. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and water to blow your kids’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.

Learn more: Leakproof Bag

7. Use apple slices to learn about oxidation

Have students make predictions about what will happen to apple slices when immersed in different liquids, then put those predictions to the test. Have them record their observations.

Learn more: Apple Oxidation

8. Float a marker man

Their eyes will pop out of their heads when you “levitate” a stick figure right off the table! This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink.

Learn more: Floating Marker Man

9. Discover density with hot and cold water

There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun.

Learn more: Layered Water

10. Layer more liquids

This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass. Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic (except it is really science).

Learn more: Layered Liquids

11. Grow a carbon sugar snake

Easy science experiments can still have impressive results! This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand.

Learn more: Carbon Sugar Snake

12. Mix up some slime

Tell kids you’re going to make slime at home, and watch their eyes light up! There are a variety of ways to make slime, so try a few different recipes to find the one you like best.

13. Make homemade bouncy balls

These homemade bouncy balls are easy to make since all you need is glue, food coloring, borax powder, cornstarch, and warm water. You’ll want to store them inside a container like a plastic egg because they will flatten out over time.

Learn more: Make Your Own Bouncy Balls

14. Create eggshell chalk

Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk.

Learn more: Eggshell Chalk

15. Make naked eggs

This is so cool! Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium carbonate in an eggshell to discover the membrane underneath that holds the egg together. Then, use the “naked” egg for another easy science experiment that demonstrates osmosis .

Learn more: Naked Egg Experiment

16. Turn milk into plastic

This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. Sculpt them into cool shapes when you’re done!

17. Test pH using cabbage

Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips! Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.

Learn more: Cabbage pH

18. Clean some old coins

Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict (hypothesize) which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results.

Learn more: Cleaning Coins

19. Pull an egg into a bottle

This classic easy science experiment never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar, no hands required.

Learn more: Egg in a Bottle

20. Blow up a balloon (without blowing)

Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school. The baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases when you fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda.

21 Assemble a DIY lava lamp

This 1970s trend is back—as an easy science experiment! This activity combines acid-base reactions with density for a totally groovy result.

22. Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. Use eggs to explore how soda and juice can stain teeth and wear down the enamel. Expand your learning by trying different toothpaste-and-toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.

Learn more: Sugar and Teeth Experiment

23. Mummify a hot dog

If your kids are fascinated by the Egyptians, they’ll love learning to mummify a hot dog! No need for canopic jars , just grab some baking soda and get started.

24. Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide

This is a fiery twist on acid-base experiments. Light a candle and talk about what fire needs in order to survive. Then, create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon dioxide to extinguish the flame. The CO2 gas acts like a liquid, suffocating the fire.

25. Send secret messages with invisible ink

Turn your kids into secret agents! Write messages with a paintbrush dipped in lemon juice, then hold the paper over a heat source and watch the invisible become visible as oxidation goes to work.

Learn more: Invisible Ink

26. Create dancing popcorn

This is a fun version of the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, perfect for the younger crowd. The bubbly mixture causes popcorn to dance around in the water.

27. Shoot a soda geyser sky-high

You’ve always wondered if this really works, so it’s time to find out for yourself! Kids will marvel at the chemical reaction that sends diet soda shooting high in the air when Mentos are added.

Learn more: Soda Explosion

28. Send a teabag flying

Hot air rises, and this experiment can prove it! You’ll want to supervise kids with fire, of course. For more safety, try this one outside.

Learn more: Flying Tea Bags

29. Create magic milk

This fun and easy science experiment demonstrates principles related to surface tension, molecular interactions, and fluid dynamics.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment

30. Watch the water rise

Learn about Charles’s Law with this simple experiment. As the candle burns, using up oxygen and heating the air in the glass, the water rises as if by magic.

Learn more: Rising Water

31. Learn about capillary action

Kids will be amazed as they watch the colored water move from glass to glass, and you’ll love the easy and inexpensive setup. Gather some water, paper towels, and food coloring to teach the scientific magic of capillary action.

Learn more: Capillary Action

32. Give a balloon a beard

Equally educational and fun, this experiment will teach kids about static electricity using everyday materials. Kids will undoubtedly get a kick out of creating beards on their balloon person!

Learn more: Static Electricity

33. Find your way with a DIY compass

Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle, float it on the water’s surface, and it will always point north.

Learn more: DIY Compass

34. Crush a can using air pressure

Sure, it’s easy to crush a soda can with your bare hands, but what if you could do it without touching it at all? That’s the power of air pressure!

35. Tell time using the sun

While people use clocks or even phones to tell time today, there was a time when a sundial was the best means to do that. Kids will certainly get a kick out of creating their own sundials using everyday materials like cardboard and pencils.

Learn more: Make Your Own Sundial

36. Launch a balloon rocket

Grab balloons, string, straws, and tape, and launch rockets to learn about the laws of motion.

37. Make sparks with steel wool

All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.

Learn more: Steel Wool Electricity

38. Levitate a Ping-Pong ball

Kids will get a kick out of this experiment, which is really all about Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and Ping-Pong balls to make the science magic happen.

39. Whip up a tornado in a bottle

There are plenty of versions of this classic experiment out there, but we love this one because it sparkles! Kids learn about a vortex and what it takes to create one.

Learn more: Tornado in a Bottle

40. Monitor air pressure with a DIY barometer

This simple but effective DIY science project teaches kids about air pressure and meteorology. They’ll have fun tracking and predicting the weather with their very own barometer.

Learn more: DIY Barometer

41. Peer through an ice magnifying glass

Students will certainly get a thrill out of seeing how an everyday object like a piece of ice can be used as a magnifying glass. Be sure to use purified or distilled water since tap water will have impurities in it that will cause distortion.

Learn more: Ice Magnifying Glass

42. String up some sticky ice

Can you lift an ice cube using just a piece of string? This quick experiment teaches you how. Use a little salt to melt the ice and then refreeze the ice with the string attached.

Learn more: Sticky Ice

43. “Flip” a drawing with water

Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to “flip” a drawing; you can also try the famous “disappearing penny” trick .

Learn more: Light Refraction With Water

44. Color some flowers

We love how simple this project is to re-create since all you’ll need are some white carnations, food coloring, glasses, and water. The end result is just so beautiful!

45. Use glitter to fight germs

Everyone knows that glitter is just like germs—it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage and show kids how soap fights glitter and germs.

Learn more: Glitter Germs

46. Re-create the water cycle in a bag

You can do so many easy science experiments with a simple zip-top bag. Fill one partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle

47. Learn about plant transpiration

Your backyard is a terrific place for easy science experiments. Grab a plastic bag and rubber band to learn how plants get rid of excess water they don’t need, a process known as transpiration.

Learn more: Plant Transpiration

48. Clean up an oil spill

Before conducting this experiment, teach your students about engineers who solve environmental problems like oil spills. Then, have your students use provided materials to clean the oil spill from their oceans.

Learn more: Oil Spill

49. Construct a pair of model lungs

Kids get a better understanding of the respiratory system when they build model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons. You can modify the experiment to demonstrate the effects of smoking too.

Learn more: Model Lungs

50. Experiment with limestone rocks

Kids  love to collect rocks, and there are plenty of easy science experiments you can do with them. In this one, pour vinegar over a rock to see if it bubbles. If it does, you’ve found limestone!

Learn more: Limestone Experiments

51. Turn a bottle into a rain gauge

All you need is a plastic bottle, a ruler, and a permanent marker to make your own rain gauge. Monitor your measurements and see how they stack up against meteorology reports in your area.

Learn more: DIY Rain Gauge

52. Build up towel mountains

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some landforms are created. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountains

53. Take a play dough core sample

Learn about the layers of the earth by building them out of Play-Doh, then take a core sample with a straw. ( Love Play-Doh? Get more learning ideas here. )

Learn more: Play Dough Core Sampling

54. Project the stars on your ceiling

Use the video lesson in the link below to learn why stars are only visible at night. Then create a DIY star projector to explore the concept hands-on.

Learn more: DIY Star Projector

55. Make it rain

Use shaving cream and food coloring to simulate clouds and rain. This is an easy science experiment little ones will beg to do over and over.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Rain

56. Blow up your fingerprint

This is such a cool (and easy!) way to look at fingerprint patterns. Inflate a balloon a bit, use some ink to put a fingerprint on it, then blow it up big to see your fingerprint in detail.

57. Snack on a DNA model

Twizzlers, gumdrops, and a few toothpicks are all you need to make this super-fun (and yummy!) DNA model.

Learn more: Edible DNA Model

58. Dissect a flower

Take a nature walk and find a flower or two. Then bring them home and take them apart to discover all the different parts of flowers.

59. Craft smartphone speakers

No Bluetooth speaker? No problem! Put together your own from paper cups and toilet paper tubes.

Learn more: Smartphone Speakers

60. Race a balloon-powered car

Kids will be amazed when they learn they can put together this awesome racer using cardboard and bottle-cap wheels. The balloon-powered “engine” is so much fun too.

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car

61. Build a Ferris wheel

You’ve probably ridden on a Ferris wheel, but can you build one? Stock up on wood craft sticks and find out! Play around with different designs to see which one works best.

Learn more: Craft Stick Ferris Wheel

62. Design a phone stand

There are lots of ways to craft a DIY phone stand, which makes this a perfect creative-thinking STEM challenge.

63. Conduct an egg drop

Put all their engineering skills to the test with an egg drop! Challenge kids to build a container from stuff they find around the house that will protect an egg from a long fall (this is especially fun to do from upper-story windows).

Learn more: Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

64. Engineer a drinking-straw roller coaster

STEM challenges are always a hit with kids. We love this one, which only requires basic supplies like drinking straws.

Learn more: Straw Roller Coaster

65. Build a solar oven

Explore the power of the sun when you build your own solar ovens and use them to cook some yummy treats. This experiment takes a little more time and effort, but the results are always impressive. The link below has complete instructions.

Learn more: Solar Oven

66. Build a Da Vinci bridge

There are plenty of bridge-building experiments out there, but this one is unique. It’s inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year-old self-supporting wooden bridge. Learn how to build it at the link, and expand your learning by exploring more about Da Vinci himself.

Learn more: Da Vinci Bridge

67. Step through an index card

This is one easy science experiment that never fails to astonish. With carefully placed scissor cuts on an index card, you can make a loop large enough to fit a (small) human body through! Kids will be wowed as they learn about surface area.

68. Stand on a pile of paper cups

Combine physics and engineering and challenge kids to create a paper cup structure that can support their weight. This is a cool project for aspiring architects.

Learn more: Paper Cup Stack

69. Test out parachutes

Gather a variety of materials (try tissues, handkerchiefs, plastic bags, etc.) and see which ones make the best parachutes. You can also find out how they’re affected by windy days or find out which ones work in the rain.

Learn more: Parachute Drop

70. Recycle newspapers into an engineering challenge

It’s amazing how a stack of newspapers can spark such creative engineering. Challenge kids to build a tower, support a book, or even build a chair using only newspaper and tape!

Learn more: Newspaper STEM Challenge

71. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

Explore the ways that sound waves are affected by what’s around them using a simple rubber band “guitar.” (Kids absolutely love playing with these!)

Learn more: Rubber Band Guitar

72. Assemble a better umbrella

Challenge students to engineer the best possible umbrella from various household supplies. Encourage them to plan, draw blueprints, and test their creations using the scientific method.

Learn more: Umbrella STEM Challenge

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We can all agree that science is awesome. And you can bring that awesomeness into your very own home with these 20 safe DIY experiments you can do right now with ordinary household items.

1. Make Objects Seemingly Disappear Refraction is when light changes direction and speed as it passes from one object to another. Only visible objects reflect light. When two materials with similar reflective properties come into contact, light will pass through both materials at the same speed, rendering the other material invisible. Check out this video from BritLab  on how to turn glass invisible using vegetable oil and pyrex glass.

2. Freeze Water Instantly When purified water is cooled to just below freezing point, a quick nudge or an icecube placed in it is all it takes for the water to instantly freeze. You can finally have the power of Frozone from The Incredibles on a very small scale! Check out the video on this "cool" experiment. 

3. Create Oobleck And Make It Dance To The Music Named after a sticky substance in a children’s book by Dr Seuss , Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it can behave as both a solid and a liquid. And when placed on a sound source, the vibrations causes the mixture to gloopily dance. Check out these instructions from Housing A Forest  on how to make this groovy fluid funk out in every way.

4. Create Your Own Hybrid Rocket Engine With a combination of a solid fuel source and a liquid oxidizer, hybrid rocket engines can propel themselves. And on a small scale, you can create your own hybrid rocket engine, using pasta, mouthwash and yeast. Sadly, it won’t propel much, but who said rocket science ain’t easy? Check out this video from NightHawkInLight on how to make this mini engine.

5. Create "Magic Mud" Another non-Newtonian fluid here, this time from the humble potato. "Magic Mud" is actually starch found in potatoes. It’ll remain hard when handled but leave it alone and it turns into a liquid. Make your own “Magic Mud” with this video.

6. Command The Skies And Create A Cloud In A Bottle Not quite a storm in a teacup, but it is a cloud in a bottle. Clouds up in the sky are formed when water vapor cools and condenses into visible water droplets. Create your own cloud in a bottle using a few household items with these wikiHow instructions .

7. Create An Underwater Magical World First synthesized by Adolf van Baeyer in 1871, fluorescein is a non-toxic powder found in highlighter pens, and used by NASA to find shuttles that land in the sea. Create an underwater magical world with this video from NightHawkInLight .

9. Make Your Own Lava Lamp Inside a lava lamp are colored bubbles of wax suspended in a clear or colorless liquid, which changes density when warmed by a heating element at the base, allowing them to rise and fall hypnotically. Create your own lava lamp with these video instructions.

10. Create Magnetic Fluid A ferrofluid is a liquid that contains nanoscale particles of metal, which can become magnetized. And with oil, toner and a magnet , you can create your own ferrofluid and harness the power of magnetism! 

12. Make Waterproof Sand A hydrophobic substance is one that repels water. When sand is combined with a water-resistant chemical, it becomes hydrophobic. So when it comes into contact with water, the sand will remain dry and reusable. Make your own waterproof sand with this video .

13. Make Elephant's Toothpaste Elephant’s toothpaste is a steaming foamy substance created by the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, which sort of resembles giant-sized toothpaste. Make your own elephant’s toothpaste with these instructions.

14. Make Crystal Bubbles When the temperature falls below 0 o C (32 o F), it’s possible to freeze bubbles into crystals. No instructions needed here, just some bubble mix and chilly weather.

15. Make Moving Liquid Art Mixing dish soap and milk together causes the surface tension of the milk to break down. Throw in different food colorings and create this trippy chemical reaction.

16. Create Colourful Carnations Flowers absorb water through their stems, and if that water has food coloring in it, the flowers will also absorb that color. Create some wonderfully colored flowers with these wikiHow instructions .

17. "Magically" Turn Water Into Wine Turn water into wine with this  video  by experimenter Dave Hax . Because water has a higher density than wine, they can switch places. Amaze your friends with this fun science trick.

18. Release The Energy In Candy (Without Eating It) Dropping a gummy bear into a test tube with potassium chlorate releases the chemical energy inside in an intense chemical reaction. That’s exactly what's happening when you eat candy, kids.

19. Make Water "Mysteriously" Disappear Sodium polyacrylate is a super-absorbent polymer, capable of absorbing up to 300 times its own weight in water. Found in disposable diapers, you can make water disappear in seconds with this video .

20. Create A Rainbow In A Jar Different liquids have different masses and different densities. For example, oil is less dense than water and will float on top of its surface. By combining liquids of different densities and adding food coloring, you can make an entire rainbow in a jar with this video .

There you have it – 20 experiments for you to explore the incredible world of science!

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37 Cool Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home

General Education

Are you looking for cool science experiments for kids at home or for class? We've got you covered! We've compiled a list of 37 of the best science experiments for kids that cover areas of science ranging from outer space to dinosaurs to chemical reactions. By doing these easy science experiments, kids will make their own blubber and see how polar bears stay warm, make a rain cloud in a jar to observe how weather changes, create a potato battery that'll really power a lightbulb, and more.

Below are 37 of the best science projects for kids to try. For each one we include a description of the experiment, which area(s) of science it teaches kids about, how difficult it is (easy/medium/hard), how messy it is (low/medium/high), and the materials you need to do the project. Note that experiments labelled "hard" are definitely still doable; they just require more materials or time than most of these other science experiments for kids.

#1: Insect Hotels

• Teaches Kids About: Zoology
• Difficulty Level: Medium
• Messiness Level: Medium

Insect hotels can be as simple (just a few sticks wrapped in a bundle) or as elaborate as you'd like, and they're a great way for kids to get creative making the hotel and then get rewarded by seeing who has moved into the home they built. After creating a hotel with hiding places for bugs, place it outside (near a garden is often a good spot), wait a few days, then check it to see who has occupied the "rooms." You can also use a bug ID book or app to try and identify the visitors.

• Materials Needed
• Shadow box or other box with multiple compartments
• Hot glue gun with glue
• Sticks, bark, small rocks, dried leaves, bits of yarn/wool, etc.

#2: DIY Lava Lamp

• Teaches Kids About: Chemical reactions
• Difficulty Level: Easy

In this quick and fun science experiment, kids will mix water, oil, food coloring, and antacid tablets to create their own (temporary) lava lamp . Oil and water don't mix easily, and the antacid tablets will cause the oil to form little globules that are dyed by the food coloring. Just add the ingredients together and you'll end up with a homemade lava lamp!

• Vegetable oil
• Food coloring
• Antacid tablets

#3: Magnetic Slime

• Teaches Kids About: Magnets
• Messiness Level: High (The slime is black and will slightly dye your fingers when you play with it, but it washes off easily.)

A step up from silly putty and Play-Doh, magnetic slime is fun to play with but also teaches kids about magnets and how they attract and repel each other. Some of the ingredients you aren't likely to have around the house, but they can all be purchased online. After mixing the ingredients together, you can use the neodymium magnet (regular magnets won't be strong enough) to make the magnetic slime move without touching it!

• Liquid starch
• Adhesive glue
• Iron oxide powder
• Neodymium (rare earth) magnet

#4: Baking Soda Volcanoes

• Teaches Kids About: Chemical reactions, earth science
• Difficulty Level: Easy-medium
• Messiness Level: High

Baking soda volcanoes are one of the classic science projects for kids, and they're also one of the most popular. It's hard to top the excitement of a volcano erupting inside your home. This experiment can also be as simple or in-depth as you like. For the eruption, all you need is baking soda and vinegar (dishwashing detergent adds some extra power to the eruption), but you can make the "volcano" as elaborate and lifelike as you wish.

• Baking soda
• Dishwashing detergent
• Large mason jar or soda bottle
• Playdough or aluminum foil to make the "volcano"
• Additional items to place around the volcano (optional)
• Food coloring (optional)

#5: Tornado in a Jar

• Teaches Kids About: Weather
• Messiness Level: Low

This is one of the quick and easy and science experiments for kids to teach them about weather. It only takes about five minutes and a few materials to set up, but once you have it ready you and your kids can create your own miniature tornado whose vortex you can see and the strength of which you can change depending on how quickly you swirl the jar.

• Glitter (optional)

#6: Colored Celery Experiment

• Teaches Kids About: Plants

This celery science experiment is another classic science experiment that parents and teachers like because it's easy to do and gives kids a great visual understanding of how transpiration works and how plants get water and nutrients. Just place celery stalks in cups of colored water, wait at least a day, and you'll see the celery leaves take on the color of the water. This happens because celery stalks (like other plants) contain small capillaries that they use to transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.

• Celery stalks (can also use white flowers or pale-colored cabbage)

#7: Rain Cloud in a Jar

This experiment teaches kids about weather and lets them learn how clouds form by making their own rain cloud . This is definitely a science project that requires adult supervision since it uses boiling water as one of the ingredients, but once you pour the water into a glass jar, the experiment is fast and easy, and you'll be rewarded with a little cloud forming in the jar due to condensation.

• Glass jar with a lid
• Boiling water
• Aerosol hairspray

#8: Edible Rock Candy

• Teaches Kids About: Crystal formation

It takes about a week for the crystals of this rock candy experiment to form, but once they have you'll be able to eat the results! After creating a sugar solution, you'll fill jars with it and dangle strings in them that'll slowly become covered with the crystals. This experiment involves heating and pouring boiling water, so adult supervision is necessary, once that step is complete, even very young kids will be excited to watch crystals slowly form.

• Large saucepan
• Clothespins
• String or small skewers
• Candy flavoring (optional)

#9: Water Xylophone

• Teaches Kids About: Sound waves

With just some basic materials you can create your own musical instrument to teach kids about sound waves. In this water xylophone experiment , you'll fill glass jars with varying levels of water. Once they're all lined up, kids can hit the sides with wooden sticks and see how the itch differs depending on how much water is in the jar (more water=lower pitch, less water=higher pitch). This is because sound waves travel differently depending on how full the jars are with water.

• Wooden sticks/skewers

#10: Blood Model in a Jar

• Teaches Kids About: Human biology

This blood model experiment is a great way to get kids to visual what their blood looks like and how complicated it really is. Each ingredient represents a different component of blood (plasma, platelets, red blood cells, etc.), so you just add a certain amount of each to the jar, swirl it around a bit, and you have a model of what your blood looks like.

• Empty jar or bottle
• Red cinnamon candies
• Marshmallows or dry white lima beans
• White sprinkles

#11: Potato Battery

• Teaches Kids About: Electricity
• Difficulty Level: Hard

Did you know that a simple potato can produce enough energy to keep a light bulb lit for over a month? You can create a simple potato battery to show kids. There are kits that provide all the necessary materials and how to set it up, but if you don't purchase one of these it can be a bit trickier to gather everything you need and assemble it correctly. Once it's set though, you'll have your own farm grown battery!

• Fresh potato
• Galvanized nail
• Copper coin

#12: Homemade Pulley

• Teaches Kids About: Simple machines

This science activity requires some materials you may not already have, but once you've gotten them, the homemade pulley takes only a few minutes to set up, and you can leave the pulley up for your kids to play with all year round. This pulley is best set up outside, but can also be done indoors.

• Clothesline
• 2 clothesline pulleys

#13: Light Refraction

• Teaches Kids About: Light

This light refraction experiment takes only a few minutes to set up and uses basic materials, but it's a great way to show kids how light travels. You'll draw two arrows on a sticky note, stick it to the wall, then fill a clear water bottle with water. As you move the water bottle in front of the arrows, the arrows will appear to change the direction they're pointing. This is because of the refraction that occurs when light passes through materials like water and plastic.

• Sticky note
• Transparent water bottle

#14: Nature Journaling

• Teaches Kids About: Ecology, scientific observation

A nature journal is a great way to encourage kids to be creative and really pay attention to what's going on around them. All you need is a blank journal (you can buy one or make your own) along with something to write with. Then just go outside and encourage your children to write or draw what they notice. This could include descriptions of animals they see, tracings of leaves, a drawing of a beautiful flower, etc. Encourage your kids to ask questions about what they observe (Why do birds need to build nests? Why is this flower so brightly colored?) and explain to them that scientists collect research by doing exactly what they're doing now.

• Blank journal or notebook
• Pens/pencils/crayons/markers
• Tape or glue for adding items to the journal

#15: DIY Solar Oven

• Teaches Kids About: Solar energy

This homemade solar oven definitely requires some adult help to set up, but after it's ready you'll have your own mini oven that uses energy from the sun to make s'mores or melt cheese on pizza. While the food is cooking, you can explain to kids how the oven uses the sun's rays to heat the food.

• Aluminum foil
• Knife or box cutter
• Permanent marker
• Plastic cling wrap
• Black construction paper

#16: Animal Blubber Simulation

• Teaches Kids About: Ecology, zoology

If your kids are curious about how animals like polar bears and seals stay warm in polar climates, you can go beyond just explaining it to them; you can actually have them make some of their own blubber and test it out. After you've filled up a large bowl with ice water and let it sit for a few minutes to get really cold, have your kids dip a bare hand in and see how many seconds they can last before their hand gets too cold. Next, coat one of their fingers in shortening and repeat the experiment. Your child will notice that, with the shortening acting like a protective layer of blubber, they don't feel the cold water nearly as much.

• Bowl of ice water

#17: Static Electricity Butterfly

This experiment is a great way for young kids to learn about static electricity, and it's more fun and visual than just having them rub balloons against their heads. First you'll create a butterfly, using thick paper (such as cardstock) for the body and tissue paper for the wings. Then, blow up the balloon, have the kids rub it against their head for a few seconds, then move the balloon to just above the butterfly's wings. The wings will move towards the balloon due to static electricity, and it'll look like the butterfly is flying.

• Tissue paper
• Thick paper
• Glue stick/glue

#18: Edible Double Helix

• Teaches Kids About: Genetics

If your kids are learning about genetics, you can do this edible double helix craft to show them how DNA is formed, what its different parts are, and what it looks like. The licorice will form the sides or backbone of the DNA and each color of marshmallow will represent one of the four chemical bases. Kids will be able to see that only certain chemical bases pair with each other.

• 2 pieces of licorice
• 12 toothpicks
• Small marshmallows in 4 colors (9 of each color)
• 5 paperclips

#19: Leak-Proof Bag

• Teaches Kids About: Molecules, plastics

This is an easy experiment that'll appeal to kids of a variety of ages. Just take a zip-lock bag, fill it about ⅔ of the way with water, and close the top. Next, poke a few sharp objects (like bamboo skewers or sharp pencils) through one end and out the other. At this point you may want to dangle the bag above your child's head, but no need to worry about spills because the bag won't leak? Why not? It's because the plastic used to make zip-lock bags is made of polymers, or long chains of molecules that'll quickly join back together when they're forced apart.

• Zip-lock bags
• Objects with sharp ends (pencils, bamboo skewers, etc.)

#20: How Do Leaves Breathe?

• Teaches Kids About: Plant science

It takes a few hours to see the results of this leaf experiment , but it couldn't be easier to set up, and kids will love to see a leaf actually "breathing." Just get a large-ish leaf, place it in a bowl (glass works best so you can see everything) filled with water, place a small rock on the leaf to weigh it down, and leave it somewhere sunny. Come back in a few hours and you'll see little bubbles in the water created when the leaf releases the oxygen it created during photosynthesis.

• Large bowl (preferably glass)
• Magnifying glass (optional)

#21: Popsicle Stick Catapults

Kids will love shooting pom poms out of these homemade popsicle stick catapults . After assembling the catapults out of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons, they're ready to launch pom poms or other lightweight objects. To teach kids about simple machines, you can ask them about how they think the catapults work, what they should do to make the pom poms go a farther/shorter distance, and how the catapult could be made more powerful.

• Popsicle sticks
• Rubber bands
• Plastic spoons
• Paint (optional)

#22: Elephant Toothpaste

You won't want to do this experiment near anything that's difficult to clean (outside may be best), but kids will love seeing this " elephant toothpaste " crazily overflowing the bottle and oozing everywhere. Pour the hydrogen peroxide, food coloring, and dishwashing soap into the bottle, and in the cup mix the yeast packet with some warm water for about 30 seconds. Then, add the yeast mixture to the bottle, stand back, and watch the solution become a massive foamy mixture that pours out of the bottle! The "toothpaste" is formed when the yeast removed the oxygen bubbles from the hydrogen peroxide which created foam. This is an exothermic reaction, and it creates heat as well as foam (you can have kids notice that the bottle became warm as the reaction occurred).

• Clean 16-oz soda bottle
• 6% solution of hydrogen peroxide
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• Dishwashing soap

#23: How Do Penguins Stay Dry?

Penguins, and many other birds, have special oil-producing glands that coat their feathers with a protective layer that causes water to slide right off them, keeping them warm and dry. You can demonstrate this to kids with this penguin craft by having them color a picture of a penguin with crayons, then spraying the picture with water. The wax from the crayons will have created a protective layer like the oil actual birds coat themselves with, and the paper won't absorb the water.

• Penguin image (included in link)
• Spray bottle
• Blue food coloring (optional)

#24: Rock Weathering Experiment

• Teaches Kids About: Geology

This mechanical weathering experiment teaches kids why and how rocks break down or erode. Take two pieces of clay, form them into balls, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then, leave one out while placing the other in the freezer overnight. The next day, unwrap and compare them. You can repeat freezing the one piece of clay every night for several days to see how much more cracked and weathered it gets than the piece of clay that wasn't frozen. It may even begin to crumble. This weathering also happens to rocks when they are subjected to extreme temperatures, and it's one of the causes of erosion.

• Plastic wrap

#25: Saltwater Density

• Teaches Kids About: Water density

For this saltwater density experiment , you'll fill four clear glasses with water, then add salt to one glass, sugar to one glass, and baking soda to one glass, leaving one glass with just water. Then, float small plastic pieces or grapes in each of the glasses and observe whether they float or not. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, which means some objects may float in saltwater that would sink in freshwater. You can use this experiment to teach kids about the ocean and other bodies of saltwater, such as the Dead Sea, which is so salty people can easily float on top of it.

• Four clear glasses
• Lightweight plastic objects or small grapes

#26: Starburst Rock Cycle

With just a package of Starbursts and a few other materials, you can create models of each of the three rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Sedimentary "rocks" will be created by pressing thin layers of Starbursts together, metamorphic by heating and pressing Starbursts, and igneous by applying high levels of heat to the Starbursts. Kids will learn how different types of rocks are forms and how the three rock types look different from each other.

• Toaster oven

#27: Inertia Wagon Experiment

• Teaches Kids About: Inertia

This simple experiment teaches kids about inertia (as well as the importance of seatbelts!). Take a small wagon, fill it with a tall stack of books, then have one of your children pull it around then stop abruptly. They won't be able to suddenly stop the wagon without the stack of books falling. You can have the kids predict which direction they think the books will fall and explain that this happens because of inertia, or Newton's first law.

• Stack of books

#28: Dinosaur Tracks

• Teaches Kids About: Paleontology

How are some dinosaur tracks still visible millions of years later? By mixing together several ingredients, you'll get a claylike mixture you can press your hands/feet or dinosaur models into to make dinosaur track imprints . The mixture will harden and the imprints will remain, showing kids how dinosaur (and early human) tracks can stay in rock for such a long period of time.

• Used coffee grounds
• Wooden spoon
• Rolling pin

#29: Sidewalk Constellations

• Teaches Kids About: Astronomy

If you do this sidewalk constellation craft , you'll be able to see the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt in the daylight. On the sidewalk, have kids draw the lines of constellations (using constellation diagrams for guidance) and place stones where the stars are. You can then look at astronomy charts to see where the constellations they drew will be in the sky.

• Sidewalk chalk
• Small stones
• Diagrams of constellations

#30: Lung Model

By building a lung model , you can teach kids about respiration and how their lungs work. After cutting off the bottom of a plastic bottle, you'll stretch a balloon around the opened end and insert another balloon through the mouth of the bottle. You'll then push a straw through the neck of the bottle and secure it with a rubber band and play dough. By blowing into the straw, the balloons will inflate then deflate, similar to how our lungs work.

• Plastic bottle
• Rubber band

#31: Homemade Dinosaur Bones

By mixing just flour, salt, and water, you'll create a basic salt dough that'll harden when baked. You can use this dough to make homemade dinosaur bones and teach kids about paleontology. You can use books or diagrams to learn how different dinosaur bones were shaped, and you can even bury the bones in a sandpit or something similar and then excavate them the way real paleontologists do.

• Images of dinosaur bones

#32: Clay and Toothpick Molecules

There are many variations on homemade molecule science crafts . This one uses clay and toothpicks, although gumdrops or even small pieces of fruit like grapes can be used in place of clay. Roll the clay into balls and use molecule diagrams to attach the clay to toothpicks in the shape of the molecules. Kids can make numerous types of molecules and learn how atoms bond together to form molecules.

• Clay or gumdrops (in four colors)
• Diagrams of molecules

#33: Articulated Hand Model

By creating an articulated hand model , you can teach kids about bones, joints, and how our hands are able to move in many ways and accomplish so many different tasks. After creating a hand out of thin foam, kids will cut straws to represent the different bones in the hand and glue them to the fingers of the hand models. You'll then thread yarn (which represents tendons) through the straws, stabilize the model with a chopstick or other small stick, and end up with a hand model that moves and bends the way actual human hands do.

• Straws (paper work best)
• Twine or yarn

#34: Solar Energy Experiment

• Teaches Kids About: Solar energy, light rays

This solar energy science experiment will teach kids about solar energy and how different colors absorb different amounts of energy. In a sunny spot outside, place six colored pieces of paper next to each other, and place an ice cube in the middle of each paper. Then, observe how quickly each of the ice cubes melt. The ice cube on the black piece of paper will melt fastest since black absorbs the most light (all the light ray colors), while the ice cube on the white paper will melt slowest since white absorbs the least light (it instead reflects light). You can then explain why certain colors look the way they do. (Colors besides black and white absorb all light except for the one ray color they reflect; this is the color they appear to us.)

• 6 squares of differently colored paper/cardstock (must include black paper and white paper)

#35: How to Make Lightning

• Teaches Kids About: Electricity, weather

You don't need a storm to see lightning; you can actually create your own lightning at home . For younger kids this experiment requires adult help and supervision. You'll stick a thumbtack through the bottom of an aluminum tray, then stick the pencil eraser to the pushpin. You'll then rub the piece of wool over the aluminum tray, and then set the tray on the Styrofoam, where it'll create a small spark/tiny bolt of lightning!

• Pencil with eraser
• Aluminum tray or pie tin
• Styrofoam tray

#36: Tie-Dyed Milk

• Teaches Kids About: Surface tension

For this magic milk experiment , partly fill a shallow dish with milk, then add a one drop of each food coloring color to different parts of the milk. The food coloring will mostly stay where you placed it. Next, carefully add one drop of dish soap to the middle of the milk. It'll cause the food coloring to stream through the milk and away from the dish soap. This is because the dish soap breaks up the surface tension of the milk by dissolving the milk's fat molecules.

• Shallow dish
• Milk (high-fat works best)

#37: How Do Stalactites Form?

Have you ever gone into a cave and seen huge stalactites hanging from the top of the cave? Stalactites are formed by dripping water. The water is filled with particles which slowly accumulate and harden over the years, forming stalactites. You can recreate that process with this stalactite experiment . By mixing a baking soda solution, dipping a piece of wool yarn in the jar and running it to another jar, you'll be able to observe baking soda particles forming and hardening along the yarn, similar to how stalactites grow.

• Safety pins
• 2 glass jars

Summary: Cool Science Experiments for Kids

Any one of these simple science experiments for kids can get children learning and excited about science. You can choose a science experiment based on your child's specific interest or what they're currently learning about, or you can do an experiment on an entirely new topic to expand their learning and teach them about a new area of science. From easy science experiments for kids to the more challenging ones, these will all help kids have fun and learn more about science.

What's Next?

Are you also interested in pipe cleaner crafts for kids? We have a guide to some of the best pipe cleaner crafts to try!

Looking for multiple different slime recipes? We tell you how to make slimes without borax and without glue as well as how to craft the ultimate super slime .

Want to learn more about clouds? Learn how to identify every cloud in the sky with our guide to the 10 types of clouds .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa) .

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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45 Easy Science Experiments for Kids

Hello, STEM! These simple DIY activities can be done at home or in school.

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Imagine blowing the biggest bubbles imaginable — or even making bubbles within bubbles. Or sending vessels — rockets, tea bags, airplanes — soaring through the sky for impossible distances. Now imagine making things explode, or change colors, or reveal hidden messages with just a few simple mixtures.

First off, it's good to start them off with the scientific method. Give them a journal to record their observations, questions, hypotheses, experiments, results and conclusions. As always, safety counts: wear goggles and coats or aprons if need be (sometimes kids get a kick out of how scientific the protective gear makes them look), and always make sure that the kids are supervised when doing them. (Warning: Some of these are messy!)

These experiments are mostly designed for preschoolers through elementary schoolers — with a couple that are either demonstrations or better for older kids — but if you have a younger one, you can check out these 1-year-old learning activities , toddler learning activities and preschool/kindergarten learning activities , some of which also cover STEM subjects.

Floating Fish

Here's another one that deals with solubility and density.

• Draw the outline of a fish on the bottom of a glass plate or tray in dry-erase marker. Retrace your drawing to make sure all the lines are connected. Let dry for a minute or two.
• Fill the measuring cup with tap water. Place the pour spout just inside the corner of the dish and add water very slowly until it just covers the bottom. Be careful not to pour water directly onto your drawing or make splashes near it. The water will move toward your drawing, eventually surrounding it. Observe what happens. If the water splashes or it doesn’t work on your first try, empty the dish, erase the drawing with a paper towel, dry off the dish, and try again.
• Tilt the dish slightly from side to side. What happens? Jot it down.

The ink in dry erase markers is engineered to be slippery. It’s made with a chemical that causes it to easily release from surfaces. (Permanent markers are made with a chemical that makes the ink stick to surfaces, so be sure not to use these in your experiment!)

The easy-release ink lets go from a surface, but why does it float? There are two reasons. First, dry erase ink isn’t soluble, which means it won’t dissolve in water. Second, dry erase ink is less dense than the water, so it becomes buoyant, meaning it can float. When you tilt the dish, the fish moves around on the water’s surface.

From Good Housekeeping Amazing Science: 83 Hands-on S.T.E.A.M Experiments for Curious Kids! See more in the book »

Brush, Brush!

This one will really get them into brushing their teeth once they scientifically prove all the good things that toothpaste can do.

• Write on sticky notes: Soda 1, Soda 2, Juice 1, and Juice 2. Place them in a row on a counter.
• Fill two glasses halfway with brown soda and place behind the Soda 1 and Soda 2 sticky notes. Fill two glasses halfway with lemon juice and place behind the Juice 1 and Juice 2 sticky notes.
• Carefully place one egg in the bowl. Squeeze a big dollop — about one tablespoon — of toothpaste on top of the egg and gently rub the toothpaste all around with your hands until the egg is completely covered in a thick layer of toothpaste. Repeat with a second egg.
• Gently submerge the toothpaste-covered eggs into the liquids: one egg in the glass labeled Soda 1 and the other egg in the glass labeled Juice 1. Wash and dry your hands.
• Gently submerge the remaining eggs, without toothpaste on them, in the remaining glasses: one in the glass labeled Soda 2 and the other in the glass of juice labeled Juice 2. Wash and dry your hands. Leave the eggs in the glasses for 12 hours.
• After 12 hours, remove the eggs from the glasses of soda one at a time. Rinse them in cool water and pat them dry with the towel. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Are the eggs the same or different colors?
• Remove the eggs from the glasses of juice one at a time. Rinse them under the faucet and pat them dry. Place each egg by the sticky note of the glass it was in. Feel the eggs gently. Does one feel stronger or weaker than the other?
• Write down your observations in your science notebook.

The eggshells in this experiment represent the enamel (outer coating) on your teeth. Toothpaste cleans your teeth and prevents stains: it removes food and drink particles that are stuck on your teeth. Teeth can be stained easily by dark-colored liquids like cola, coffee or tea. The egg without toothpaste will be brown and discolored. The egg covered in toothpaste was protected from turning brown.

Toothpaste also protects your pearly whites from decay (breaking down). The egg without toothpaste left in the lemon juice was worn down and soft to the touch, while the egg that was protected with toothpaste is stronger. The lemon juice is acidic, and those acids broke down the shell just as acidic drinks can wear away your tooth enamel. When a tooth is worn down, a cavity can form more easily. But the fluoride in toothpaste mixes with your saliva to create a protective coating around your tooth enamel. It helps keep your teeth strong and cavity-free.

Grow an Avocado Tree

For an easy lesson in Earth Science, your family can grow an avocado tree from a pit. You can buy an AvoSeedo kit , or just peel the seed and suspend it over water with toothpicks.

Get the tutorial »

Milk Bottle Xylophone

No for an experiment in sound!

• Arrange six glass jars or bottles, all the same size with no lids, in a line. What will each jar sound like when you tap it with a spoon? Make a prediction, then tap each jar. Record your observations.
• Next, put water in each of the jars. Pour 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of water into the first jar. Add 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of water to the second jar. Continue in 1⁄4-cup increments, adding 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) of water to the third jar, 1 cup (240 ml) of water to the fourth jar, 11⁄4 cups (300 ml) of water to the fifth jar, and 11⁄2 cups (360 ml) to the sixth jar. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to each jar.
• What will each jar sound like? Will they sound the same or different than when the container was empty? Will they sound the same or different from one another? Record your predictions.
• Tap each jar with a metal spoon. Write down your observations about each jar’s pitch (how high or low a sound is) in your notebook.

Sound waves are created by vibrations, which are back-and-forth movements that are repeated again and again. Pitch depends on the frequency of the waves — how many are created each second. A high pitch is created by high-frequency sound waves, and can sound squeaky. A low pitch is created by low-frequency sound waves, and sounds deep and booming.

When you tapped the jar, it vibrated. The vibrations traveled from the jar to the water to the air and eventually to your ears. The jars with more water had a low pitch. The sound waves vibrated more slowly because they had more water to travel through. The jars with less water had higher pitches. The sound waves vibrated faster because they had less water to travel through. A jar with no water in it makes the highest pitch because it has the least substance to travel through.

"Elephant Toothpaste"

Okay, elephants don't really brush with this stuff, which is made from a chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, dish soap and a few other simple ingredients. But this experiment has a big "wow" factor since, when the substances are mixed, the "toothpaste" foams out of the bottle. You can use it to teach kids about catalysts and exothermic reactions.

Get the tutorial at Babble Dabble Do »

DIY Compass

Explore the way magnetism works, and how it affects everyday objects, by magnetizing a needle and making a DIY compass. You can even spin the compass in the water, and it'll end up pointing the right way again.

Get the tutorial at STEAM Powered Family »

Craft Stick Chain Reaction

Kids can learn about the differences between potential and kinetic energy with this chain reaction. It makes a big impact: Once the tension is released, the pom poms go flying through the air!

Get the the tutorial at Science Sparks »

Color-Changing Invisible Ink

Kids will feel like super-spies when they use this heatless method to reveal pictures or colors written with "invisible ink." You can try different acid/base combinations to see which one makes the most dramatic result.

Get the tutorial at Research Parent »

Paper Bridge

Get the engineering back into STEM with this activity, which challenges kids to create a paper bridge that's strong enough to hold as many pennies as possible. How can they manipulate the paper to make it sturdier? (Hint: Fold it!)

See the paper bridge tutorial at KidsActivities.com »

Challenge your little scientist to lift up an ice cube with just a piece of string. It's possible ... with a little salt to help. Salt melts the ice and lowers the freezing point of the ice cube, which absorbs the heat from the water around it, making the water cold enough to re-freeze around the string.

Get the tutorial at Playdough to Plato »

Marshmallow Catapult

Another lesson in potential and kinetic energy, kids will love sending mini marshmallows flying in the name of science. Change some of the variables and see how that affects the marshmallow's trajectory.

Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful »

Leaf Breathing

It's hard for kids to picture how plants and trees "breathe" through their leaves — until they see the bubbles appear on a leaf that's submerged in water. You can also teach them about photosynthesis by putting different leaves in different spots with varying levels of sunlight.

Get the tutorial at KC EDventures »

Hoop-and-Straw Airplane

We all remember how to fold those classic, triangular paper airplanes, but these hoop-and-straw airplanes fly way better (and straighter). Experiment by changing the length of the straw and the size of the hoops and see how it affects the flight.

Get the tutorial at Mombrite »

Film Canister Rocket

Blast off! You don't need jet fuel to make these rockets go, just Alka-Seltzer tablets and baking soda, but they'll be amazed when they achieve lift-off! (Note: If you can't find old film canisters, tubes of Airborne work, too.)

Get the tutorial at Raising Lifelong Learners »

Coin Inertia

Stack up about five or so coins on a piece of cardboard and place it over a glass of water. Then, flick the cardboard out from on top of the glass. Do the coins drop into the water, or ride with the cardboard? Due to inertia, they drop into the water — a very visual (and fun!) demonstration of Newton's First Law of Motion.

Get the tutorial at Engineering Emily »

Apple Oxidation

What works best for keeping an apple from turning brown? Test to find out! Slice up an apple, and let each slice soak in a different liquid. Then take them out, lay them on a tray, and check the brownness after three minutes, six minutes and so on. Not only does this test the properties of different liquids, it also helps students practice the scientific method if they create hypotheses about which liquids would be most effective.

Get the tutorial at Jennifer Findley »

RELATED: 50 Fun Activities for Kids Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours

Coffee Ground Fossils

By making a salt dough with coffee grounds and pressing various shapes into it (toy dinosaur feet, seashells), kids can get a better understanding of how fossils are made. If you poke a hole in the top before it dries, the kids can hang their "fossils" up in their rooms.

Get the tutorial at Crafts by Amanda »

Chromatography Flowers

Chromatography is the process of separating a solution into different parts — like the pigments in the ink used in markers. If you draw stripes around a coffee filter, then fold it up and dip the tip in water, the water will travel up the filter and separate the marker ink into its different pigments (in cool patterns that you can display as a craft project). This family made the end-result even brighter by adding an LED circuit to the center.

Get the tutorial at Steam Powered Family »

Water Walking

You'll need six containers of water for this one: three with clear water, one with red food coloring, one with blue coloring, and one with yellow coloring. Arrange them in a circle, alternating colored and clear containers, and make bridges between the containers with folded paper towels. Your kids will be amazed to see the colored water "walk" over the bridges and into the clear containers, mixing colors, and giving them a first-hand look at the magic of capillarity.

Get the tutorial at Fun Learning for Kids »

Sunscreen Test

This experiment puts the A (art) in STEAM: Paint different designs on construction paper with different sunscreens, leave the papers out in the sun and compare the results. Then, hang your "conclusions" on your fridge.

Get the tutorial at Tonya Staab »

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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Science Experiments for Kids:

Science experiments you can do at home!  Explore an ever growing list of hundreds of fun and easy science experiments. Have fun trying these experiments at home or use them for science fair project ideas. Explore experiments by category, newest experiments, most popular experiments, easy at home experiments, or simply scroll down this page for tons of awesome experiment ideas!

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Science Experiments

35 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do Today!

Looking for easy science experiments to do at home or in the classroom? You’re in luck because we’ve got over 35 easy science activities for kids that will help you make science fun for all ages. 

Most of these simple science experiments for kids are easy to prepare, quick to perform, and use household items or inexpensive materials you can find almost anywhere. To connect the fun to the “why it works” you’ll find an easy to teach explanation with every experiment!

Musical Jars Science Experiment 

This super easy experiment is simple as it is fun! Kids make their own musical instruments with clear jars and water then investigate sound waves, pitch, and more.

When the experiment is complete, use the colorful new “instrument” for a fun music lesson. Kids can play and take turns to “name that tune”!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Musical Jars Science Experiment

Viscosity of Liquids Science Experiment

Viscosity may be a confusing term for kids at first, but this super easy experiment can help them see viscosity in action!

With marbles, clear jars, and a few household materials, kids will make predictions, record data, and compare the results while they test high and low density liquids.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->   Viscosity Science Experiment

Floating Egg Science Experiment

Can a solid egg float? Kids can find the answer and understand why with this quick science experiment. 

Discover just how easy it can be to make a raw egg float while testing the laws of density. We’ve included additional ideas to try so kids can make predictions and test the concept further.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->   Floating Egg Science Experiment

Paper Towel Dry Under Water Experiment

Is it possible to keep a paper towel dry even when submerging it under water? The answer is a surprising “yes,” if you use science to help!

Start with the properties of your materials, make a prediction, then explore matter, density, volume, and more.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->   Paper Towel Dry Under Water Experiment

Mixing Oil & Water Science Experiment

This simple experiment for kids helps them better understand density and the changes that happen when adding an emulsifier to the mix. 

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->   Mixing Oil & Water Experiment

Will it Float or Sink Science Experiment

Will it sink or will it float? This fun experiment challenges what students think they know about household items!

Students record their hypothesis for each item then test it to compare what they think will happen against their observations.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Float or Sink Science Experiment

Water Temperature Science Experiment

What does thermal energy look like? In this easy science experiment, kids are able to see thermal energy as they explore the concept in action.

With clear jars and food coloring, students can quickly see how molecules move differently through hot and cold water.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Water Temperature Science Experiment

Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Kids will discover how matter reacts when heated and cooled as they watch with surprise as baking soda and vinegar blow the balloon up before their eyes.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Balloon Blow-up Science Experiment

Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Kids will giggle with joy with this super easy experiment. With only a ping pong ball and a hair dryer, students will have a great time while exploring Bernoulli’s Principle in action. 

We’ve included additional ideas to further explore the concept with different objects and observe the change in results.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Hair Stand on End Science Experiment

It’s especially fun for those who’ve never seen static electricity in action before!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Hair Stand on End Science Experiment

Oil Bubbles in Water Science Experiment

Kids explore density and experience some chemistry when creating oil bubbles in water with everyday household items.

This experiment is particularly fun when kids see that they’ve made what looks like a lava lamp!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Oil Bubbles in Water Science Experiment

Color Changing Water Science Experiment

Kids will be surprised as they watch a new color being “created” without mixing! Using only a clear bowl and glass, some food coloring, and water, this super easy science experiment is quick and easy with a huge wow factor. 

Try it with yellow and blue to follow along with our demonstration video then try different primary color combinations and explore the results.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Color Changing Water Science Experiment

Magnetic Paper Clip Chain Science Experiment

It may seem a bit like magic but it’s actually science! It’s not hard to capture your kids’ attention with this quick and easy science experiment as they watch paper clips “stick” together and form a chain!

Perfect for younger children, the experiment only takes a few minutes and is a fun way to explore the concept of magnetic transference.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Magnetic Paper Clip Chain Science Experiment

Is it Magnetic Science Experiment

With only a magnet and a few household items, kids will make and record their predictions, test and observe, then compare what they think is magnetic against the results.

Simple and quick, but some of the results may surprise your students!

Cloud in a Jar Experiment

This simple experiment only requires a few materials but really holds student attention as a cloud forms before their eyes!

Kids will learn new weather vocabulary as they explore how physical changes and reactions happen as clouds begin to take form. We’ve also included a helpful chart on the types of clouds.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment

Magic Milk Science Experiment

Create a dancing rainbow of colors with this easy science experiment for kids!

Using only a few ordinary kitchen items, your students can create a color explosion in ordinary milk when they add our special ingredient. (Hint: The special ingredient (soap!) includes hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules that make the magic happen!)

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Magic Milk Science Experiment

Walking Water Science Experiment

Water can’t really walk upwards against gravity, but this cool science experiment makes it seem like it can! 

Kids are able to see the capillary action process and learn how attraction and adhesive forces in action allow water to move out of one glass into another. 

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Walking Water Science Experiment

Light Refraction Science Experiment

The results of this easy science experiment are so amazing, it makes kids (and adults) think it must be magic!

Young scientists watch in surprise while they see an arrow change directions instantly. Investigating refraction couldn’t be more fun!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Light Refraction Science Experiment

Dancing Raisins Experiment

Learn about the reactions of buoyancy and density in this simple science activity for kids. 

They may not need dancing shoes, but give them a glass of soda pop and the raisins in this fun experiment love to dance!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Dancing Raisins Science Experiment

See Sound Experiment

Kids love this experiment because they are encouraged to drum loudly so they can “see” sound waves in action!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> See Sound Science Experiment

Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Grab some giant brushes and get ready to make elephant toothpaste! Although you might not be able to get an elephant excited by this super easy experiment, kids love it!

The impressive and quick results created by the chemical reaction and the heat released in the process makes an abundant amount of fun and colorful foam!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Elephant Toothpaste Science Experiment

Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

We all know what happens when we turn a glass of water upside down, but what if I told you you can do it without the water spilling out?

The experiment only requires a few common items and you’ll be amazed by the results of air pressure in action!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Upside Down Glass of Water Science Experiment

Pick up Ball with a Jar Science Experiment

It almost seems like magic but with the help of science, you can pick up a ball with an open jar!

Instead of magic, this easy science activity uses centripetal force and practice to do what seems like the impossible. 

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pick up Ball with a Jar Experiment

Will It Melt Science Experiment

Can you guess which items will melt? This easy outside experiment challenges what students think they know about the effects of the sun.

Pepper Move Science Experiment

Can you make pepper move and zoom away with just a light touch of your finger? With science you can!

This experiment only takes a few quick minutes from beginning to end, but the reaction caused by surface tension makes kids want to do it over and over. 

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial ->  Pepper Move Science Experiment

Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

Go for it, crush that bottle, but don’t touch it! Although it usually can’t be seen or touched, air pressure is pushing against all surfaces at all times.

With this easy science activity kids can see air pressure at work when they watch a bottle crushes itself!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Crush a Plastic Bottle Science Experiment

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

This vinegar science experiment will have your eggs and kids bouncing (with excitement!) before you know it!

Kids can watch and explore the results of chemical reactions as the egg changes from something that seems solid into what feels like something bouncy!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

Can you make a normal plastic straw go into a raw, solid potato? It seems like something impossible, but science can easily make it possible!

Pick your potatoes then let kids try their strength as they explore air pressure with this super easy experiment.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Straw Through a Potato Science Experiment

Rainbow in a Jar Science Experiment

With only a few household items, they’ll explore mass, volume, and density with every color layer!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Rainbow in a Jar Experiment

Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

Kids can have fun while learning more about centripetal force with this fun experiment.

With a little muscle and science, kids watch with amazement as they create their own glitter cyclone in a bottle as the centripetal force vortex appears.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Tornado in a Bottle Science Experiment

Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

Can you poke holes in a plastic bag full of water without the water leaking out? With this super easy science activity you can!

Kids are stunned as they learn about polymers and how they can do what seems to be impossible.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Why Doesn’t the Water Leak Science Experiment

Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Is it possible to blow up a balloon with only water and science? 

In this super easy experiment, kids learn more about how matter behaves as they watch a balloon inflate and deflate as a result of matter being heated and cooled.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Use a Bottle to Blow-up a Balloon Experiment

Orange Float Science Experiment

Kids explore buoyancy as they learn about and test density in this sink or float science activity.

While it only takes a few minutes, this super easy experiment invites kids to predict what they think will happen then discuss why the heavier orange floats!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Orange Float Science Experiment

Pick up Ice with String Science Experiment

With only a few household items, kids learn about freezing temperatures and the results they create in saltwater versus freshwater.

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Pick Up Ice with String Science Experiment

Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

Using the concepts explored in our popular Walking Water Science Experiment, kids will see color walk from one glass to another and change colors as it goes!

The quick experiment seems to defy gravity like magic, but don’t worry, kids can find out how science makes it work!

Detailed Instructions & Video Tutorial -> Color Changing Walking Water Experiment

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

50 Amazingly Simple Science Experiments for Kids at Home

Science Kindergartners Preschoolers Experiment Resources 30 Comments

Kids love experimenting , and these 50 simple science experiments for kids at home from Brigitte are perfect for all ages! Plus, you probably already have the basic supplies at home.

My daughters and I have had a lot of fun doing science experiments. Each year when we create our spring and summer list , we make sure to include “science days” which are days filled with science experiments.

Sometimes our science experiments don’t work according to plan, but I have been told that all scientists have failures with experiments from time to time.

It’s okay if they aren’t all successes.

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50 Simple Science Experiments with Supplies You Already Have

I love these 50 simple science experiments for you to try with your little scientists. They all use basic household supplies that you probably already have at home!

Most of these are experiments my daughters and I have done together. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

Get little ones involved with these easy toddler-friendly science experiment ideas!

Simple Science Experiments with Water

Not only can water  be a blast to play in, but water plus a few basic supplies equals a lot of science fun!

• Make an orange sink and float with an orange buoyancy experiment from Playdough to Plato.
• Compare the amount of salt in different types of water with this salty egg experiment  as seen on Uplifting Mayhem.
• Do a little more sinking or floating with a fun sink or float experiment  even toddlers can do from Hands On As We Grow.
• Use the free printable to record what sinks or floats in an outdoor experiment from Buggy and Buddy.
• Create some beautiful pieces of paper with this rainbow paper experiment from Science Kiddo.
• Talk about solutions as you try the “what dissolves in water” experiment  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Learn about water absorption with this simple experiment from Little Bins for Little Hands.
• Mix some fun colors with this oil and water experiment  from Fun Learning for Kids.
• Make your own lava lamp , just like on  Hands On As We Grow.
• Can you keep all the water in the bag? Try it with a  leak-proof bag experiment  as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Learn about surface tension with this  magic finger pepper experiment  found on Hands On As We Grow.
• Make your own  water cycle in a bottle  as seen on A Dab of Glue Will Do.

Simple Science Experiments with Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda + vinegar = a great chemical reaction! This fizzy reaction can fuel a variety of simple science experiments at home.

First of all, we have tested and found out the absolute best combination of baking soda and vinegar to get the best reaction possible. It makes a difference if you add vinegar to baking soda or vice versa! And how much you use!

• Inflate a balloon without blowing into it with a baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment  as seen on Little Bins for Little Hands.
• Practice colors as you do a baking soda and vinegar with color experiment as seen on Hands On As We Grow.
• Have fun outside with an outdoor volcano eruption  as seen on Preschool Inspirations.
• Have more volcano fun by making apple volcanoes as seen on The Resourceful Mama.
• Learn about acids and bases and the chemical reaction that occurs when you make apple seeds dance with a   jumping apple seeds experiment  as seen on JDaniel4s Mom.
• Watch some rice dance with a   dancing rice experiment as seen on Green Kid Crafts.
• Continue your dance party by making raisins dance with a dancing raisin experiment  as seen on 123 Homeschool 4 Me. What other items can you get to dance?
• Learn more about acids and bases by dissolving a sea shell as seen on Teach Beside Me.
• Make an egg shell disappear with this disappearing egg activity  as seen on Premeditated Leftovers.
• See how far you can launch a soda bottle with this baking soda powered boat as seen on Science Sparks.
• Make your own rocks (or eggs) with this fizzy treasure rocks experiment as seen on Living Life and Learning.
• Have some fun this summer with this frozen vinegar experiment as seen on Inspiration Laboratories.

Plant Themed Simple Science Experiments

Enjoy learning about seeds, plant parts, and how plants grow with these simple science experiments.

• Learn about how plants soak up water through their stems with a flower experiment for kids  from Growing A Jeweled Rose.
• Watch seeds sprout as you grow seeds in a jar  as seen on Teaching Mama.
• Learn about the parts of the seed with a seed coat experiment as seen on Gift of Curiosity.
• Build a house out of sponges and then watch it sprout with this sprout house as seen on The Stem Laboratory.
• Learn what liquids allow seeds to grow the best with this seed experiment  as seen on Gift of Curiosity.
• Explore how plants grow towards the light with this shoe-box maze experiment from Plants for Kids.

Animal Themed Simple Science Experiments

Learning about animals can be even more fun with some simple hands-on simple science experiments.

• Find out more about giraffes and create some giraffe spots  as seen on Preschool Powol Packets.
• Learn about how animals in the Arctic keep warm by making an arctic glove  as seen on Steve Spangler Science.
• Discover how penguins stay dry with a penguin feather experiment as seen on Raising Little Superheroes.
• Learn about different bird beaks with a bird beak experiment as seen on Blessed Beyond a Doubt.
• Explore how fish (and hermit crabs) breathe with this gill experiment  as seen on Preschool Powol Packets.
• Learn about sharks with a   shark buoyancy experiment as seen on Little Bins for Little Hands.

Even More Simple Science Experiment for Kids at Home!

If you are still looking for more science fun, you may enjoy the following simple science experiments.

• Find out how sugary drinks hurt teeth with an  eggs-periment  as seen on Feels Like Home Blog.
• Discover geodes (the state rock of Iowa) with this eggshell geode crystal experiment  as seen on Science Bob.
• Learn about air pressure with an egg and bottle experiment  as seen on Science Sparks.
• Find out what causes an apple to brown with this apple science experiment  as seen on Teach Beside Me.
• Make an  edible bubble apple with an experiment as seen on Preschool Powol Packet.
• Learn more about surface tension with a penny and water experiment  as seen on Artful Parent.
• Mix colors like magic with this color changing milk experiment  from Hands On As We Grow.
• Blow up a balloon with this soda and balloon experiment from Learn Play Imagine.
• Practice letters by making beautiful crystal letters as seen on Books and Giggles.
• Make your own indoor hovercraft  as seen on Living Life and Learning.
• Learn about colors with this beautiful butterfly chromatography craft  as seen on Buggy and Buddy.
• Make soap souffle  as seen on Steve Spangler Science.
• After talking about liquids and solids (and finding them in your own home), create oobleck  as seen on Babble Dabble Do. Is it a liquid, or is it a solid?
• Learn about frost by making some indoor frost as seen on Little Bin for Little Hands.
• Make your own homemade butter in a jar as seen on Happy Hooligans.

What scientific experiment will you try first?

About Brigitte Brulz

Brigitte Brulz is a homeschooling mom of two daughters, wife of her high school sweetheart, and author of Jobs of a Preschooler and Pickles, Pickles, I Like Pickles. She offers free coloring pages and activity ideas on her website at BrigitteBrulz.com .

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30 comments.

college brawl says

March 13, 2024 at 1:05 am

Wow, these experiments look like so much fun! I can’t wait to try them out with my kids. We’re always looking for new and creative ways to learn about science at home, and these experiments look like they’ll be perfect for us. Thanks for sharing! 😊

threadsBay says

August 31, 2023 at 3:13 am

I love science experiments! This one is really simple and easy to do.

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100+ Easy Science Experiments for Kids To Do at Home (Using Materials You Already Have!)

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Looking for fun science experiments to do at home with your kids? We’ve compiled the ultimate list of cool science experiments for kids – most of which can be done with materials you already have on hand!

Children are naturally curious about the world around them, but explaining scientific concepts without a physical demonstration can be confusing, and well, just not fun! We’ve found the best way to teach science is with simple science experiments that provide hands-on learning opportunities – making concepts more accessible, and most importantly, extremely fun and memorable for kids.

We’ve scoured the web to pull together an epic list of the best easy science experiments you can do at home with your kids. Whether you have preschoolers starting at square one, or tweens or teens looking for the ultimate Science Fair project idea, this list has it all – ranging from weather, water and physics experiments, to chemical reactions and explosions (always a kid favorite!).

And you won’t have to make a special trip to the craft or hardware store – almost all of these fun science experiments use common household ingredients that you probably already have at home. Score!

So what are you waiting for – dive right in and have some science fun!

PIN for when you’re ready to perform a fun science experiment:

Science Experiments using Chemistry (Hello, Explosions!)

Your kids will have a blast watching how different materials react and change with these simple chemistry experiments – there’s tons of bubbly explosions, fizzy reactions and rainbow creations to choose from!

(1) These Oozing Pumpkins are sure to bring lots of laughs from your young scientists as you create overflowing reactions from baking soda and white vinegar. (via Little Bins for Little Hands)

(2) Or swap the pumpkin for a lemon to create a miniature volcano right in your kitchen with this Lemon Volcano . (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(3) Go big or go home with this incredible Watermelon Volcano experiment where you just need a few simple materials including baking soda, dish soap, vinegar and a little bit of food coloring. (via Preschool Play & Learn)

(4) We love this colorful twist on the classic Baking Soda and Vinegar Reaction . It just never gets old! (via Crafts by Amanda)

(5) Grab a baking sheet and try this Fizzing Colors activity to make a bubbly piece of art! (via Mom Wife Busy Life)

(6) A fun Rainbow variation on the classic Baking Soda and Vinegar experiment that is sure to make kids smile. (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(7) Make these amazing Magical Color Changing Unicorn Noodles with cabbage and then squeeze on some lemon to watch the noodles change color! (via Left Brain Craft Brain)

(8) Learn about reactions on a large scale and turn milk into a work of art with this interactive Giant Magic Milk experiment . (via Hello Wonderful)

(9) Up the ante and make this Vinegar & Baking Soda Rocket – the chemical reaction can make it fly 30-50 feet into the air! (via 123 Homeschool for 4)

(10) Or try this super cool Chemical Reaction Car – it gets a boost from a fizzy reaction from a base (sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda) and an acid (vinegar) which mix together and release carbon dioxide. (via Left Brain Craft Brain)

(11) Kids love this simple experiment about Apple Oxidation where they can predict which liquid will keep the apple slices from browning, then test their hypothesis. (via Jennifer Findley)

(12) Ever wonder why the Statue of Liberty is green? Get the answer to that question and learn a little bit about a famous US landmark with this cool Penny Science Experiment . (via The Keele Deal)

(13) Wow your kids by making raisins dance! This Dancing Raisins chemical experiment requires minimal ingredients (water + baking soda) but gets maximum results. (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(14) What happens if you drop an egg? It cracks, right? But what if you drop a bouncy egg?!  Learn how to make Bouncing Eggs with this fun kitchen experiment. (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(15) It’s an old classic, but it’s still fun to do – try to fit a hardboiled egg into a glass jar with this Egg in a Bottle experiment. (via Left Brain Craft Brain)

(16) Practice fire safety while learning about the relationship between oxygen and fire with this incredibly simple Fire Safety Experiment . (via Mama Smiles)

(17) Impress your kids with this cool Smoking Fingers Trick that makes it look like your fingers are on fire as smoke rises from them! And yes, it’s best to leave this one to the grown-ups for demonstration. (via Left Brain Craft Brain)

(18) Kids will enjoy watching these balloons inflate “on their own” in this fun Balloon experiment . (via All for the Boys)

(19) With a few ingredients from your pantry, you can head outside and try this Exploding Sidewalk Chalk , because who doesn’t love messy explosions?! (via Hess Un-Academy)

(20) How do elephants keep their teeth clean? With Elephant Toothpaste of course! This is one of the best science experiments for kids of all ages – from preschoolers to teens. All it takes is hydrogen peroxide, dry yeast, dish soap and food coloring to make this super cool foamy reaction. (via Teach Beside Me)

(21) Kids (and parents) will enjoy seeing the “lava” flowing in this fun experiment where you can Take a Look Inside of a Volcano ! (via 123 Homeschool 4 Me)

(22) How pretty are these Crystal Flowers ? They’re a craft and science experiment all in one! (via Preschool Play & Learn)

(23) Make your own sweet treat, with this Fizzy Sherbet and learn the science behind why it tickles your tongue. (via Go Science Kids)

(24) Grab all your dull pennies and task your little scientists to try different solutions to determine How to Clean Pennies , then learn why some solutions work better than others. (via Gally Kids)

Weather Science Experiments for Kids

Why is it rainy one day and sunny the next? What causes thunder and lightning? How do clouds form? 

The weather is always changing and easily observable by kids. That makes weather experiments not only super fun, but incredibly relevant for children of all ages. Explore weather-related science with these easy experiments:

(1) Have fun creating your very own rain clouds using shaving cream and food coloring with this Rain Cloud in a Jar activity. (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(2) If you’ve got a marker and a plastic zipper bag, your kids will love getting to watch the water cycle in action by creating their very own Water Cycle in a Bag . (via Playdough to Plato)

(3) Or simply use a glass bowl and some ice cubes for a Water Cycle Experiment on the kitchen counter! (via Taming Little Monsters)

(4) Alternatively, reuse plastic bottles for a hands-on Water Cycle Experiment . (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(5) Now that you know all about the water cycle, why not Build Your Own Rain Gauge ? (via Nurture Store)

(6) Learn what happens when warm air rises and cool air sinks with this colorful simple experiment. (via Mom Brite)

(7) Kids will love watching a cloud form and escape when you Create a Cloud in a Water Bottle . (via Playing with Rain)

(8) If you don’t have an empty water bottle lying around, you can check out this post to create another billowing cloud using a mason jar . It is so exciting to watch the clouds roll out of the jars! (via Little Bins for Little Hands)

(9) This Tornado in a Jar is one of the most classic science experiments and is always a hit with kids. (via Natural Beach Living)

(10) Light a fire and learn about how heat moves from the Earth in this Observing Conduction experiment. (via Learn, Play, Imagine)

(11) If it’s too cold to go out and play, make the most of your time inside with this Snowstorm in a Jar . (via Taming Little Monsters)

(12) You can create your own lightning spark at home with static electricity by using just a balloon and a metal spoon! (via Learn, Play, Imagine)

(13) Have you ever wondered how hail forms? Well, you’re in luck! Grab your hair dryer for this Understanding Hail activity . (via Playing with Rain)

(14) Watch wind create energy by Making a Pinwheel.  (via Science Sparks)

(15) Your kids will love learning about ice caps and polar regions with this fun sensory Melting Polar Ice Caps science activity. (via Science Sparks)

(16) And if that’s not enough snow, you can kick it up a notch with this Avalanche Experiment . (via A Dab of Glue Will Do)

(17) Grab some sidewalk chalk on a sunny day for a Human Sundial Experiment . (via Rhythms of Play)

(18) Make your own Rainbow and learn about refraction and dispersion of light. (via Rookie Parenting)

Easy Science Experiments with Candy

Adding candy makes anything more exciting for kids (or at least more sweet!), and these cool candy science experiments are no exception.

These experiments are easy, fun, and a great way to use up any extra candy that might be hanging around after the holidays! 

(1) Create a rainbow on your plate with this stunning Easy Skittles Experiment . (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(2) Now this is an experiment that kids will get excited about! Make your own Homemade Rock Candy while learning about the crystallization process. (via Better Life Blog)

(3) Explore chromatography, a technique for separating difference substances (in this case, candy and dye), with this cool Candy Chromatography kid-friendly experiment. (via Mama Miss)

(4) Learn about osmosis and watch gummy candy magically grow with this simple Gummy Bear Science Experiment . (via Playdough to Plato)

(5) Does your child like to collect rocks? Why not let them dig deeper by making these Edible Sedimentary Rocks . (via Rainy Day Mum)

(6) Watch your kids get excited as you make Pop Rocks blow up a balloon in this epic Pop Rock Science Experiment . (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(7) While many people either love or do not love bright marshmallow Peeps, everyone will love learning what makes them dissolve in this Dissolving Peeps experiment. (via A Dab of Glue Will Do)

(8) If your candy has transparent colored wrappers, you can save them to learn about color mixing in with this fun color science project . (via Kids’ Craft Room)

(9) There are many ways to learn about the human body, but we’re pretty sure that the sweetest way is with candy. Kids of all ages will love making this Candy DNA Model . (via Science Sparks)

(10) Your kids won’t be the only wiggle worms in the house with these fun Dancing Frankenworms . (via Playdough to Plato)

(11) Learn how powerful the sun can be with these DIY Solar Oven S’mores . We bet you can’t eat just one! (via Desert Chica)

(12) Your little scientists will LOVE this Mentos Geyser which will teach them what happens when carbon dioxide in Soda meets a Mentos candy, while putting on quite the display! (via I Can Teach My Child)

(13) Usually we’d advise that kids stay far away from broken glass – unless, this is, it’s this yummy Edible Glass ! (via Go Science Kids)

(14) This is a simple science experiment and a magic trick! Find out what happens to sugar when emerged in warm water with this cool Disappearing Candy Cane Stripes experiment. (via Playdough to Plato)

Science Experiments Using Water

If there is anything that is almost universally fun for kids, it’s playing with water. Try one of these fun water science experiments that are perfect for a rainy day indoors, or for keeping cool on a sunny day!

(1) If your little one enjoys all things colorful, they will love this incredible Walking Water Science Experiment – and all you need are paper towels, water and food coloring to get started. (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(2) Your kids won’t believe their eyes when they see cabbage changing colors in this fun Rainbow Cabbage experiment . (via Growing a Jeweled Rose)

(3) Discover how different liquids react together with this easy experiment that creates a colorful Layered Density Column . (via Steve Spangler Science)

(4) Or learn how water travels upward through vines and stems all while creating a beautiful bouquet with these Color Changing Flowers . (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(5) Observe how different liquids do or do not mix by creating Fireworks in a Jar . (via Hands on Teaching Ideas)

(6) Find out how temperature affects the density of water with this colorful Hot and Cold Water Density experiment. (via STEAMsational)

(7) “Grow” your own Rainbow with this colorful science experiment that highlights chromatography. (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(8) Keep exploring the concept of absorption, diffusion and solubility while bringing out your creative side with this Coffee Filter Process Art . (via Babble Dabble Do)

(9) See how quickly you can move water from one container to the next using sponges in this fun Water Transfer Activity.  (via Live Well Play Together)

(10) Play with water and Bubbles while learning about surface tension and evaporation. (via Hello Wonderful)

(11) Who else had a lava lamp growing up? This DIY Frozen Lava Lamp experiment is not only simple and fun, but brings back the lava lamp nostalgia! (via Hello Wonderful)

(12) Explore the relationship between gas, pressure, and volume in this easy Rising Water Experiment . (via Team Cartwright)

(13) Explore the power of water pressure with this low-prep, big fun Water Suspension Science activity. (via A Mothership Down)

(14) If you are looking for an activity that you can do almost anywhere, take a couple of minutes for this Water Light Refraction Experiment . (via Go Science Kids)

(15) Learn about absorption and expansion by Measuring Water Beads. (via Blue Bear Wood)

(16) Kids will love watching their drawings come to life with these Floating Dry Erase Figures . So cool! (via Go Science Girls)

(17) What will happen if you poke a hole in a bag full of water? Will it leak? Not with this Leak Proof Bag experiment. (via Montessori from the Heart)

Life Science Experiments for Kids

One of our favorite things to learn about is how living things (ourselves included) work. These life science experiments and activities will spark your child’s curiosity about the world around them!

Life Science Experiments about the Human Body:

(1) Learn how our heart pumps blood to our bodies with this Heart Pump Model . (via Science Sparks)

(2) Your child can learn how our lungs work by making a Model Lung with simple materials you probably have around the house: a plastic bottle, straw, elastic band, balloons and play dough! (via Science Sparks)

(3) These printable life-sized organs allow kids to study their body anatomy in a hands-on way. (via Adventure in a Box)

(4) Learn all about scabs – what causes them (and why they’re so important not to pick!) by making a Fake Jelly Scab that can then be eaten! (via Science Sparks)

(5) If you’re willing to brave glitter, this Glitter Germs Hand Washing Activity teaches children the importance of thorough hand washing while talking about how germs spread. (via The Soccer Mom Blog)

(6) Or, try this Growing Germs easy science experiment which uses an apple and your own child’s germs to not only teach kids to wash their hands, but all about controls and variables too! (via Playdough to Plato)

(7) Demonstrate how tooth decay happens and how to prevent it by soaking eggshells in various liquids in this Tooth Decay experiment. Is sugar a culprit? A great lesson for kids. (via Sciencing)

(8) This super easy Heart Rate Investigation will teach your kids about their heart, blood circulation and pulse, but also get them moving! (via Science Sparks)

(9) Your budding artists will love this Magic Heart Painting activity. Watch the cardiovascular system appear before their eyes! (via Taming Little Monsters)

Life Science Experiments with Plants:

(10) How do different liquids affect plant growth? Find out with this Plant Growth experiment – it’s one of our favorite science experiments and makes a great Science Fair Project! (via Lemon Lime Adventures)

(11) Discuss how plants grow and what they need to thrive by growing a Bean in a Jar . (via Growling a Jeweled Rose)

(12) Or use a plastic bag instead! All you need is a Ziploc baggie, a few beans and a damp paper towel to Grow Beans in a Bag . (via Community Playthings)

(13) Combine engineering and science while learning all about germination with this DIY Sprout House . (via The STEM Laboratory)

(14) Observe plant growth both above and beneath the “ground” by planting bulbs in a clear cup . (via Buggy and Buddy)

(15) Watch how plants respond to sunlight in this super easy Plant and Sunlight Experiment . (via Mama Smiles)

(16) Kids will love learning How Leaves Breathe with this simple plant experiment. (via Edventures with Kids)

(17) Did you know that you can grow vegetables with scraps? Watch your scrap veggies grow new life with a Scrap Garden . (via Hess UnAcademy)

Easy Physics Science Experiments for Kids

Learn how things move with these simple physics experiments for kids. Physics is the branch of science that studies matter, how it moves, and how it interacts – it encompasses the study of motion, light, electricity, magnetism, aerodynamics, and sound.

We’ve found that the best way to explain physics to kids is to skip the explanation and do a hands-on demonstration instead. Use these fun experiments to jump feet first into the world of Physics:

(1) First off, a classic Craft Stick Catapult ! This simple activity is a great way to teach about energy cause and effect, as well as simple machines…and you thought you were just going to be launching marshmallows across the room! (via Team Cartwright)

(2) Explore physics and play at the same time with these awesome Pom Pom Shooters . (via Left Brain Craft Brain)

(3) This classic science fair project will teach your kids how to use chemistry to generate an electric current by making a Lemon/Lime Battery ! (via Babble Dabble Do)

(4) Explore the science of sound with this pretty Rainbow Water Xylophone . (via Mama Papa Bubba)

(5) Make a simple Newton’s Cradle out of popsicle sticks, string and marbles to demonstration the conservation of momentum – kids loooove this one! (via Babble Dabble Do)

(6) Send a balloon blasting off and introduce simple physics with these neat Balloon Straw Rockets . (via Preschool Play & Learn)

(7) Grab some plastic bottles and string to make this fun Inertia Zoom Ball – a project kids can learn and play with! (via What Do We Do All Day)

(8) Popsicle sticks, rubber bands and some blocks are all you need to make a Stixplosion – demonstrating chain reactions which you can use to teach about kinetic and potential energy. (via Babble Dabble Do)

(9) Make a Salty Circuit to introduce your kids to electricity and how it moves from a battery through a circuit to power an LED. (via Babble Dabble Do)

(10) Demonstrate work and energy with this super cool Paper Airplane Launcher . (via Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls)

(11) Visually show the concept of gravity with this easy Gravity Activity with Paperclips . (via Buggy and Buddy)

(12) If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can create your own Light Bulb Experiment to see how electricity travels through a circuit. (via 123 Homeschool for Me)

(13) Discover what things are magnetic and vice versa with this fun Magnet Fishing Game . Great for preschoolers! (via Rhythms of Play)

(14) Baseball fans will enjoy this Frozen Baseball Experiment to observe how temperature affects how a baseball travels. (via Our Family Code)

(15) Learn more about inertia with these easy Inertia Science Experiments with Pennies . (via Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls)

(16) This awesome Rollback Can is a simple physics project that will amaze your kids and demonstrate potential and kinetic energy. (via Babble Dabble Do)

(17) These 4 Magical Magnet Projects will teach your kids about magnetism, and they’ll be mesmerized by its power! (via Babble Dabble Do)

States of Matter Science Experiments for Kids

All matter is either a solid, liquid, or gas, right? Or is it? And what happens to make some matter change states more easily than others? Kids will love these easy States of Matter science activities where they will get to learn the answers to those questions and more! 

(1) This Simple Balloon experiment will teach young kids all about the 3 states of matter with a Hands-on Density test. (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(2) Watch as liquid cream becomes a solid by making your own Homemade Butter . Make sure you taste test it too! (via Playdough to Plato)

(3) And because it’s always a good time for ice cream, see how simple ingredients come together and change state when you make this Ice Cream in a Bag . It’s also a great activity to discuss an exothermic reaction, a chemical reaction that releases light or heat. In this instance, heat is released from the shaking, yet it freezes the cream – science sure is amazing! (via House of Nash Eats)

(4) Fill up balloons with different types of liquid in this fun Water Balloon Science Experiment and then try and predict if they will float or sink in water. (via 123 Homeschool 4 ME)

(5) A messy project that is universally loved by kids – Oobleck ! This Non-Newtonian fluid can act like a solid and a liquid. And you can make it at home as long as you’ve got cornstarch in your pantry. (via The Best Ideas for Kids)

(6) Task your kids to create an insulated box for an ice cube using materials from around the house in this Don’t Melt the Ice experiment. (via Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls)

We hope this list of easy science experiments for kids proves that science doesn’t have to be complicated…or boring! With materials you already have at home, you can create a memorable learning experience, and you definitely don’t need a lab coat to watch science come alive!

RELATED: Looking for more fun indoor activities to keep your kids busy? Check out 87 Energy-Busting Indoor Games & Activities for Kids (because cabin fever is no joke!)

What’s your favorite science experiment? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!

Mary Leigh is a stay-at-home mom to 3 fun and active boys. She started her blog,  Live Well Play Together , as a creative way to encourage moms to celebrate the simple, everyday moments in motherhood.  You can most often find her writing about kids’ activities, thoughts on motherhood, and simple ideas for family fun.  Follow her on  Pinterest ,  Instagram ,  Facebook , and  Twitter for fun ideas to bring a little fun to your everyday!

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20 Best Science Experiments At Home

Whether you are homeschooling or just stuck at home looking for something educational and fun to do with the kids, science experiments are a fantastic choice! Not only do kids love doing these science experiments, but they are learning valuable scientific methods, vocabulary and processes that can help them throughout their lives.

Science Experiments To Do At Home

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

Lately this has become a very common theme.

Kids are bored. They really want something to do. Something interesting, exciting and fun!

Parents are trying to find ways to entertain and educate their children.

Homeschooling has become incredibly popular, but parents are struggling to find cool science experiments to do at home. Something that is suitable without breaking the bank when it comes to supplies, won’t destroy their home, and that will actually teach their kids about chemistry, biology and physics.

So with that in mind, here are the top 20 Science Experiments to do at home as chosen by not only me, but the readers here at STEAM Powered Family!

The Best At Home Science Experiments

In selecting which experiments ranked as the absolute BEST science experiments to do with your kids at home we had a few different criteria.

• They needed to be popular! These experiments are tried and true, and have loyal following of readers that LOVE doing them. Once you try them, you will know why STEAM Powered Family readers voted these as their favourite science experiments!
• Supplies must be relatively easy to source. In most cases you will likely have all the materials you need at home right now. Where you need to order or purchase a few supplies, they are readily accessible and links to purchase are included.
• They must be easy to do, with logical, easy follow directions. We are all overwhelmed. No one wants an experiment that is complex and confusing.
• The experiments need to be adaptable to wide variety of ages, grades, abilities and interests.
• The lessons need to be interesting! In all of our science experiments and STEM activities, we include a scientific explanation that either your children can read themselves, or you can read and use to help explain the experiment.
• They need to be FUN!

With that in mind, here are our top 20 picks for the BEST science experiments to do at home with your kids!

Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiments

There are so many cool experiments you can do with these pantry staples. Yes, you can do a standard volcano, but you can also hatch dino eggs, create fireworks, set off explosive bottle rockets and more! You can keep your kids busy experimenting for a ages with all of our baking soda and vinegar ideas. Get your hands on some bulk vinegar and baking soda and get experimenting!

Oobleck is like slime, but much more fascinating and sciencey! Oobleck is a non-Newtonian Fluid that becomes solid under pressure, and liquifies when pressure is removed. It is fascinating, and we have a number of different recipes, so you can find the one that uses whatever you have available in the house.

Make a Compass

This science experiment is really cool and a wonderful tie into geography and social studies lessons. Kids learn how to make a compass with materials from around the house.

Make a Lava Lamp

With 5 different ways to make a Lava Lamp, it’s no wonder our readers rate this as one of their favourite activities! Kids are fascinated by the chemical reaction that causes the mesmerizing bubbles to bob up and down in a science driven lava lamp experiment.

Grow Crystals

This is one of the most beautiful experiments we have done and always gets rave reviews from readers. Growing crystals is a wonderful science experiment that has fantastic ties to studies in geology. You can also grow edible crystals. Plus the results… STUNNING!

Ready for a fun, giggle-fest science experiment? In this science experiment we are removing the shell of a raw egg! The result is a bouncy, colourful egg. This science experiment is the perfect compliment to a study of biology and reproduction as you can also use this experiment to teach the parts of the cell and egg.

Lemon Battery

You could make a battery with lemons, squash, pumpkins, potatoes, there are lots of options! But the lemons are by far the most popular battery project. You will need some supplies, but once you have those supplies you can reuse them in lots of circuit building activities. Plus, once you are finished making your lemon battery, you can make lemon volcanoes!

Wingardium Leviosar

Whether you are a fan of Harry Potter or not, this experiment with magnets is a hit with kids. It’s like magic as they make a feather levitate!

Walking Rainbow

This classic experiment is a beautiful demonstration of primary and secondary colours, while also learning about the fascinating science behind capillary action. All you need to start your rainbow walking is cups/jars, water, food colouring and paper towels!

Make Bioplastics

Making bioplastics is an experiment that is a HUGE hit with older kids as part of their studies in polymers and environmental sciences. We have made bioplastics with both milk and gelatin, so you can pick which one to tackle based on the supplies you have on hand. Wonderful for helping kids understand how we can make plastics, and the challenges of making plastics, without fossil fuels.

Build a Heart Model

This engineering project is a fantastic way to do some studies into biology and how the heart functions. Using recycled bottles, straws, a bit of playdough and water, you can have your model pumping in no time!

Skittles Experiment

A simple, yet timeless experiment. Kids of all ages love making these gorgeous images using nothing but candy, water and the magic of science. We also used this as a chance to explore van Gogh and fluid dynamics.

So easy, yet so amazing! Magic Milk is another classic experiment that is as simple or as complex as you want to make it. I did this with my middle school kids and we had a blast exploring how the fat content of our milk affected the explosion of colours!

Slurpee Science

Heat transfer is a fascinating science to explore with your kids. If you want to make this a more serious scientific study, you can focus on the effects of salt on ice, but we like to up the fun, so we turned it into a slurpee making science project. Kids love that delicious treat made with science!

Elephant Toothpaste

Elephant Toothpaste classic experiment creating a fantastic foamy fountain that can be done safely at home using easy to source supplies and has massive wow factor for students.

Make Water Rise

Another science experiment that is a little bit like magic! Kids will learn how to create a vacuum and make water magically rise into a container. So cool!

Balloon Races

Kids got ants in their pants? Need something that is educational and will help them burn energy? Balloon races are the answer! Kids will explore physics while having a blast running about and cheering on their balloon races!

Build a Water Clock or a Windmill

Both of these projects involve some engineering and of course science but they also have some fantastic book tie ins. I LOVE projects inspired by great books!

Build a Salt Circuit

Salt circuits are a great way to introduce kids to experiments with electricity and circuitry. The supplies are minimal, and it teaches kids excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills. Plus you can make it extra fun with a glow circuit option!

Build a Catapult

A favourite that captures the excitement of every generation, and was a MUST do in our top 20 science experiments is… building catapults! We work in a little extra physics and math by turning ours into games where we need to hit targets. A definite must do for all kids.

These are 20 of our BEST picks for science experiments to do at home with your kids. This list though is far from exhaustive. Once you find something that interests your kids, search our site and see what other fun experiments you uncover. We have hundreds of experiment ideas all just waiting to inspire your kids!

Join our mailing list and we will send you even more ideas to inspire your learning!

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Easy Ideas for Science at Home

December 28, 2020 By Emma Vanstone 2 Comments

If you’re searching for child-friendly science experiments, look no further! Most of the science experiments on Science Sparks are perfect for science at home. I try to use materials that are either easy to find or that you probably already have around the house. All my science investigations and activities are simple, easy to explain, and just great science for kids of all ages.

We’ve got fairy tale science experiments , explosive science experiments , space experiments and lots more super science for kids . I’d love you to take a look around and let me know what you think. If you share photos of your science at home on social media, we’d love to see them.

Science experiments for kids at home

A good place to start is my FREE science resources page, where you can find experiment instructions, science activities and more.

Learn about famous scientists with my collection of famous scientist activity ideas .

Make your own weather station to track wind speed, direction and rainfall over a period of time.

My collection of science activities linked to books is full of inspiration for kids of all ages, with activities linked to Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and lots more.

Be inspired by my Wonderful Women in STEM series. The free fact files include a science activity linked to each scientist.

Take an adventure around the world with my Around the World in 50 Experiments series. Learn about red crabs for Christmas Island, mummification for Egypt, Chichen Itza for Mexico and more!

More easy science for kids at home

My super simple Tray A Day ideas ( basically a tray or box or materials that can be used in an activity are perfect for primary school-age children at home or school.

The idea is to set the tray up the night before and do the activity the next day.

Preschool Science Ideas

Check out my collection of easy preschool science experiments , including fruity boats, painting on ice, fizzy rocks and Dr Seuss experiments.

Experiments for 5-7 Year Olds

My Key Stage 1 experiments are perfect for children aged between around 5-7. Children of this age might also enjoy our Fairy Tale and book themed science experiments too!

Don’t forget to check out my other science printable instruction sheets , too!

Science Books for Kids from Science Sparks

I also have a couple of science books available from Amazon that you might like. This IS Rocket Science is full of fun space themed science experiments and activities and Snackable Science contains 60 edible experiments and tests! Science and snacks, what’s not to love?

Contains affiliate links

Last Updated on June 10, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

May 11, 2020 at 6:13 am

Thanks for sharing. These tips are useful especially during COVID-19

June 18, 2020 at 8:36 pm

I love those fun science trays for kids. Thanks for all the great ideas for science fun at home.

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12 ways to make science fun for your kids at home

The vinegar and baking soda volcano is a science fair classic, but making science fun for your kids can mean a lot more than making a mess of your kitchen.

If you're looking for a way to bring more science into your home, there are plenty of fun and even delicious ways to get kids excited about biology, chemistry, and physics — without a single worksheet.

Check out these 11 science projects for kids that are perfect for hands-on learning.

1. Make 'quicksand' with cornstarch

What kids will learn about: non-Newtonian fluids

While this might seem like a big task, you've likely done this before. When you slowly mix about 10 parts cornstarch to one part water, you create a liquid with the consistency of honey, and the properties of quicksand.

This is how it works: When you mix the cornstarch into the water, you create a suspension, which is when one substance is dispersed inside another. This makes the mixture act like a solid when pressure is applied, and a liquid when it's allowed to flow freely.

If you smack, slap, or scoop the mixture, it will feel solid since you'll be pushing the cornstarch particles closer together. Slowly run your fingers through it or pour it out, and it will flow like a liquid.

These mixtures are called non-Newtonian fluids, referring to Isaac Newton's observation that substances typically become more fluid when they're heated and viscous when they're cooled. Those substances, like honey, are Newtonian fluids.

Since the cornstarch goop's consistency is affected by pressure as well, it's considered a non-Newtonian fluid. Quicksand — a suspension of sand in water — works the same way.

2. Bake a paleontology cake

What kids will learn about: dinosaurs

There are plenty of cool ways to use science to create food — and we'll get to one later — but sometimes all you need is a cake to start an appetite for knowledge.

These paleontology-themed pastries don't automatically teach your children anything about dinosaurs, but it can be a delicious way to get them interested in learning more. Use them as a way to keep their attention as you teach them about the lizards that once ruled the Earth.

The above video shows how to make a very cool cake which lets kids brush aside cookie crumbs to reveal a dinosaur fossil. If you're after something a bit simpler with less potential for mess, you can also decorate a cake with a few fossil toys .

3. Create an electromagnet

What kids will learn about: electromagnetism

Making an electromagnet is a middle school science-class staple, and it's an easy project to do with a few small items from a hardware store. Simply wrap copper wire around a nail, connect the ends of the wire to a battery, and watch the magnetic magic unfold.

The magnetic field gets amplified with each additional loop around the wire, and your kids can test out different wire gauges, lengths, and materials to see which will make the strongest magnets.

4. Make pepper swim with dish soap

What kids will learn about: surface tension

Surface tension is a tricky concept to explain to younger children, but an easy and engaging thing to show them.

Here's how to do the pepper soap trick you've probably seen all over the internet:

Sprinkle a bunch of pepper on the surface of a bowl of water,

Then have a kid dip her finger in dish soap

Next, gently touch the surface of the water.

The pepper will jet to the edge of the bowl because the soap broke the surface tension of the water. Tah-dah!

Surface tension is the result of the surface-level molecules of water being pulled downward by attraction to other molecules. This holds them in place and allows particles like pepper to float on them.

Because soap is another highly attractive substance, it will pull the water molecules near it and break the surface tension. This flings the pepper particles out to the edges of the bowl, where the surface tension remains.

You can also do the same experiment with milk and food coloring .

5. Extract DNA from split peas

What kids will learn about: what DNA looks like

This might sound deceptively tricky, but with some household supplies and a little bit of lab equipment, you can help show your kids what DNA looks like. The video above walks you through the whole process, which involves breaking down the subject, using salt and meat tenderizer to release the DNA, and extracting it with alcohol.

An individual DNA molecule would be too small to see with the naked eye, but this experiment makes the long, sticky stands visibly tangle together.

6. Suck an egg into a bottle with fire

What kids will learn about: air pressure and vacuums

This is a surefire way to wow your kids with nothing more than a hard-boiled egg, a glass bottle, a lighter, and some paper. Take strip of paper, light it on fire, put it inside a glass bottle, and let the smoke reach the brim. As soon as it does, place the egg narrow-side down at the mouth of the bottle, and it will slowly get sucked into the bottle.

As the smoke fills the bottle and it heats up, the air inside expands. Once the flame is cut off by the egg's seal of the bottle, the air begins to cool and contract, creating a vacuum that sucks the egg in.

If you can't stand the smell of hard-boiled eggs or can't find the right size bottle, you can use balloons instead.

7. Make a carnation change colors

What kids will learn about: the vascular system of flowers

It's not the quickest science experiment, but it might be one of the coolest. Take a few white carnations, vases and different types of food coloring. Dye the water, then place the flowers in the different vases to watch them change color day by day.

You can even split stems to color one side of the carnation and not the other, or color it two different colors.

8. Make hot maple ice cream

What kids will learn about: molecular gastronomy

At its core, molecular gastronomy is using chemicals and creative cooking methods to create food that flips its usual form and function on its head. More home chefs have been trying out these techniques over the past few years, and you can join them by using a little bit of methyl cellulose to make a hot ice cream that melts as it cools.

Methyl cellulose is a derivative of plant cell walls, and creates gels only when it heats up. The recipe in the video above shows you how to make it yourself, and you can get the key ingredient for as cheap as $7.99 .

9. Build Heron's Fountain

What kids will learn about: air and pneumatic pressure

This modern adaptation of a first-century Alexandrian fountain is a great way to introduce kids to air and pneumatic pressure. Water and air pressure are moved through a series of tubes, which draw water down from the top, through the bottom, and up to the top again.

10. Explain why the sky is blue with milk, water, and a flashlight

What kids will learn about: rayleigh scattering.

Rayleigh scattering is what happens to light when it passes through the atmosphere. As light travels from the sun to Earth, it's absorbed and emitted by tiny particles, which scatter white light into different colors. Blue and violet are scattered the most, and because the sun emits more energy as blue light (which our eyes pick up better), our sky looks blue.

You can replicate this effect with a glass of water, milk, and a flashlight. Shine the light into the glass of water as you slowly add drops of milk. Once there are enough protein and fat particulates from the milk in the glass, the water will look blue.

11. Make your own rock candy

What kids will learn about: crystallization

If the dino cake and hot ice cream weren't enough, you can teach your kids all about crystallization with some rock candy. Simply mix sugar into water until the sugar stops dissolving. Then, tie a clean string to a butter knife laying across the top of a glass and pour in the solution.

Keep the glass covered with a paper towel or plastic wrap to keep out bacteria, and watch the crystals grow each day.

12. Bend chicken bones

What kids will learn about: calcium in bones

Like the carnation experiment, this science experiment takes a bit of time. However it's also incredibly simple — and a great excuse to order some fried chicken.

Simply immerse a clean, dry chicken bone in a jar of vinegar and leave it to soak for a week. Take the bone out, and you should be able to bend it fairly easily. This is due to the vinegar dissolving the calcium, which is what makes bones rigid. It's a great way to demonstrate to kids why they need to drink their milk or eat other calcium-rich foods.

And remember: all these science experiments for kids should be fun. They don't need to know they're learning something amazing and new.

And if you're looking for even more ways to keep your kids entertained at home:

STEM toys for kids

20 DIY projects to help you (or the kids) stay sharp while at home

BONUS: 5 Fun Science Experiments for Kids (w/ Grover!)

This story was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2020. Additional reporting by Amanda Yeo.

Amanda Yeo is an Assistant Editor at Mashable, covering entertainment, culture, tech, science, and social good. Based in Australia, she writes about everything from video games and K-pop to movies and gadgets.

Science Connected Magazine

Science Literacy, Education, Communication

8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily Do at Home

Looking for a science project to do with kids? These experiments go beyond the trivial and incorporate real-world scientific research.

SciStarter Blog

Around the world, millions of kids are headed back to school in a totally different way. Classes are online. Teachers talk to students in virtual classrooms. And parents are often left looking for new, hands-on science learning opportunities.

We’ve got your back. Here are eight fun and easy science experiments that you can do at home with kids of all ages. What’s more, each of these science projects ties into real-life research efforts through citizen science, where volunteers help experts collect and analyze data.

RELATED: VIRTUAL DISSECTION: ANIMALEARNING FROM HOME

Make Wild Sourdough

It seems like the whole world is baking homemade sourdough bread right now. Sourdough took on broad appeal when the baker’s yeast disappeared from store shelves. Unlike other baking projects, sourdough doesn’t need store bought yeast. Instead, it’s made with sourdough starter.

RELATED: FREE SCIENCE EDUCATION E-BOOKS

If you have flour, you can easily experiment with making your own sourdough starter.  Wild sourdough starters  tap into the abundant yeast in our homes and puts them to work making delicious bread. When it comes to science experiments you can do at home, few could be more delicious and rewarding than this one. You’ll also be helping scientists out along the way.

RELATED: BACK TO SCHOOL WITH CITIZEN SCIENCE

The Wild Sourdough Project is a global science experiment that hopes to discover how sourdough starter communities form over time. The team behind the effort is hoping to unravel how factors like geography and different kinds of flour affect the yeast communities. Best of all, the effort has a step-by-step guide that lets you learn how to make your own sourdough starter.

Take Part: Make Your Own Sourdough for Science

Create a Cloud in a Jar

Clouds are an important and often overlooked driver of Earth’s temperature. They trap sunlight in, but they also reflect it back into space. That role has climate scientists rushing to study our planet’s clouds, and how they’re changing.  NASA’s GLOBE Observer: Clouds  project taps citizen scientists to provide pictures of the sky, plus observations of cloud cover, type, sky conditions and visibility. That data helps info real science research and verify what satellites are seeing from space.

You can get involved with your kids and enrich the experience by adding lessons about clouds. For example, NASA has added a number of fun and easy ways to learn about climate science and clouds, including science experiments. One of the best related projects is to make a cloud in a jar. This simple science experiment is a powerful way to demonstrate how clouds work. You only need water, ice, a jar, and a few minutes of time.

Take Part: Join NASA’s Globe Observer Clouds

Measure Rain and Snow with CoCoRaHS

Fall is approaching fast, which means many of us will soon be at home watching rain and snow out the window. Instead of succumbing to the gloom, why not make that weather into a fun science experiment for your kids?

The CoCoRaHS weather monitoring program, or Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network, is a network of volunteers who measure and report on precipitation. CoCoRaHS emphasizes training and education, and they even have an interactive website rich in educational resources and even National Weather Service lesson plans you can use at home.

RELATED: Getting Creative with Remote Science Learning

As a volunteer, you’ll use the same low-cost weather gauges that meteorologists and cities use. Then, when it rains, snows or hails, you’ll submit your precipitation data to the website where you can compare it to others in real-time. That information also helps out the National Weather Service, as well as researchers, farmers, emergency managers — and curious people everywhere.

Take Part: Join the CoCoRaHS Weather Monitoring Network

Plant a Pollinator Garden

Pollinators play a vital role in Earth’s ecosystems, and yet they’re threatened by pesticides, disease, habitat loss and even climate change. That has many people searching for  ways to help save bees and other pollinators .

There are many options to chip in, but one of the most impactful things you and your kids can do at home is  plant a pollinator garden .

Not only will this serve to help struggling pollinators, it can also serve as a long-term science laboratory at home. SciStarter, the citizen-science group behind this blog post, has compiled an entire group of at-home science projects that can be done from your pollinator garden. You can watch moths, butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and more, then help scientists track their migration across the country.

Take Part: Plant a Pollinator Garden

Build a Bee Condo

If you already have a bumper garden at home, or it’s getting too cold to think about planting just yet, you can still stay indoors and help pollinators. The group behind National Pollinator Week has put together instructions for how you can build a home for native bees, called a bee condo. Unlike domesticated honey bees that live in apiaries, most native, wild bees you find in your backyard actually burrow their homes into the soil or a tree.

By building a bee condo, you can encourage bees to live nearby and also get a fun, DIY science experiment to do at home. Once it’s up, you can watch what kinds of critters take up residence there and report back on the results for science.

Take Part: Build a Bee Condo

Scan the Night Sky

Around the world, light pollution from buildings and street lamps is blocking our view of the night sky. Most people who live in cities have never seen a truly dark sky, or the Milky Way. That’s not just bad for humans, it’s also bad for the plants, animals and insects who are disrupted by light pollution.

If you have a budding astronomy-lover in the house, you can participate in a science project called  Globe at Night  that aims to create a world-wide measure of light pollution in our night sky.

For this science experiment, you can start making observations using only a smartphone. You’ll mark the sky’s darkness by how many stars you can see. And you can get a sky quality meter through the project to help record even better data.

Take Part: Measure Light Pollution in Your Community

Measure Water Quality

More than 1.5 million volunteers from across the planet are already taking part in a science experiment to track — and protect — Earth’s waterways. The citizen science effort is called the  EarthEcho Water Challenge , and it has users buy a water test kit for about $25, then start collecting basic water data.

Volunteers record things like water clarity, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. That data gets plugged into a large database, where it’s used for real science research and to help protect waterways.

Take Part: Join the Earth Echo Water Challenge

Study the Vitamin C in Your Juice

Back in the golden age of sailing, sailors worried that they’d get scurvy. A lack of vitamin C during long voyages can cause a host of health problems. Scurvy leaves you weak, causes skin problems and gum disease, and makes it harder to heal. Scurvy can even kill you. This isn’t just an old-timey concern, either. Future space explorers will have to worry about vitamin C as they head off to explore the solar system. And that’s the angle utilized by a fun citizen science project called  Space Scurvy .

The project asks students to use household items to test the vitamin C content of juices from their schools and homes. The necessary tools for this science experiment should be easy to come by, and the site has fun and simple directions for you to follow.

Take Part: Measure Vitamin C for the Space Scurvy Project

Note: Some of these projects are SciStarter Affiliates. You can use your SciStarter account email to join and earn credit for your participation in your SciStarter dashboard.

Citizen Science Lessons During the Pandemic

About the Author

Eric Betz is a science and tech writer for Discover Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and others. He is a lover of #darkskies and pale blue dots.

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Modern Mom Life

Where food and family fun collide.

25 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home

This post may contain affiliate links.  Read my full disclosure.

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Many of us are homeschooling and on the hunt for easy science experiments that we can do at home. What I love about these kids activities is that they are hands-on and super fun. I call it learning in disguise because they are having so much fun they don’t realize that it’s school. 

Simple Science Experiments Kids Love

Teaching kids at home is already challenging enough. Let’s not overcomplicate things by conducting super challenging science lessons. These science activities are perfect for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids.  Many of these ideas are science experiments with water, a rainbow in a glass, and a fun tornado in a bottle your kids will awe over. Let me know which ones are your favorites! 

Easy Science Experiments You Can Do At Home

Discover fun and easy indoor science experiments your kids will enjoy!

Rain Cloud in a Jar 

Teach your kids about the weather with this simple and fun lesson using shaving cream and food coloring.

Skittles Science Experiment

Grab some candy and watch it transform into a rainbow before your very eyes!

Ocean Science

Start teaching your children about the beach and ocean life by setting up this fun summer science activity. Kids will love learning about density with an exciting hands-on ocean activity. 

Magic Milk 

The  Magic Milk Science Experiment  is a fun and simple experiment for children of all ages. It’s a great Science idea for preschoolers and Kindergarten as an introduction to learning about chemical reactions and colors.

Rainbow Rain Cloud in a Jar

Rainbow Rain also known as Shaving Cream Rain Cloud or Rain Clouds in a Jar, is a simple demonstration that will add some gorgeous color and WOW factor to your lesson.

Working Lung Model for Kids

Dancing Worms Activity

With this experiment candy and science collide in a fun and simple way.

Pencil Through a Bag

The Pencil Through a Bag experiment is super easy and perfect for Elementary to Middle school-aged children.

Invisible Ink

Ask your kids if they want to write a secret message, and I guarantee they’re going to be all for it! 

Grow a Rainbow Experiment

Watch a rainbow grow before your eyes. Perfect activity for improving fine motor skills.

Color Changing Celery Experiment

Color changing celery observation sheet included!

What Seeds Need To Grow: A Seed Inquiry 

Seeds are a fascinating lens through which a huge amount of curriculum can be explored. From mathematical routines like ‘ which one doesn’t belong’  to sorting by attribute, to understanding adaptations and the needs of living things, a seed inquiry provides an entry to complex understandings, and a bridge to meaningful cross-curricular learning

Floating Egg Experiment

Learn about salinity and floating with a simple  floating egg experiment .

Toddler Science Experiment 

This  toddler science experiment  teaches how baking soda and vinegar react, while making a colorful art project. Your toddler won’t believe their eyes!

Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Check out this easy way to teach kids about light with this  simple light refraction experiment !

Dry Ice Experiments with Bubbles

Super fun experiment for kids - Adult supervision required!

Ice Balloons

Take your snow play up a notch with colorful ice balloons. They’re fun to play with and an easy science experiment for teaching kids how water turns to ice.

Tornado in a Jar 

A classic science experiment that everyone loves!

Sugar Rainbow Density Tower 

It’s a fun way to learn about liquid density for kids!

Galaxy Oobleck

With galaxy oobleck, you can learn all about density, fluids, states of matter, and non-Newtonian fluids right in your own backyard.

Coloured Ice Cube Surprise

Are you looking for an outdoor activity that entertains kids while also strengthening hands to improve fine motor skills? This colourful fizzing ice cubes experiment is perfect for kids of all ages!

Spooky Expanding Ghost 

This  Spooky  Expanding Ghost experiment isn’t really spooky at all! It’s cute, hilarious and so much fun!

Magic Crystals

These crystals are made with only three ingredients! 

Ice Melt Experiment

This ice melt experiment is a great way for kids to get outside and do a fun activity. Not only will they have fun but they will also do some critical thinking! 

How to make a Volcano 

Learn  how to make a volcano  in just a few simple steps. This  cool volcano experiment for kids  will leave everyone amazed.

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Looking for more  kids’ activities ? Check out our  50+ Fun Indoor Activities for Kids . Make sure to follow us on  Instagram  and  Pinterest  for more family fun!

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Shannon Gauger says

May 13, 2020 at 4:06 pm

These are so neat! I am always looking for fun science ideas. This will give us something to do this summer!! Thanks for sharing my ice melt activity.

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8 awesome and simple science experiments you can do at home

• Science can feel intimidating, but you don't need to go through formal schooling to do it.
• You can easily conduct science experiments at home with just a few materials and items. 
• From creating a tornado in a bottle to a homemade lava lamp, here are eight simple experiments.

Tornado in a bottle

You can create your own tornado in a bottle. All you need are two bottles, a tube to connect the bottles, and some water.

By swirling the liquid in the top bottle, you can create a vortex as it drains into the bottom bottle. That's because as the water flows down, air must flow up, creating a spiraling tornado.

You can even add glitter, food dye, or lamp oil to the bottle to make the tornado even cooler.

Rainbow in a glass

This experiment takes advantage of density to create a rainbow in a glass. When you add sugar to a liquid, it causes the solution to become more dense. The more sugar you add, the denser the solution becomes.

If you have four different solutions that are all different colors and densities, the colors will layer on top of each other — the denser, more sugary solutions will sit on the bottom and the lightest will sit on the top.

Gooey slime

Mix glue, water, and some food coloring together. Then add some borax and a gooey slime forms. That's because the glue contains polyvinyl acetate, a liquid polymer. The borax links the polyvinyl acetate molecules to one another, creating one large, flexible polymer: slime.

Pasta rocket

Believe it or not, you can create a very simple hybrid rocket engine using nothing but some yeast, hydrogen peroxide, a jar, fire, and ... a piece of uncooked pasta.

When you mix the yeast and hydrogen peroxide together, they react and create pure oxygen gas. When this gas is funneled through a piece of pasta, all you need is a little bit of fire and you've got yourself a pasta rocket.

Homemade lava lamp

Alka-seltzer is great if you're suffering from heartburn or an upset stomach. But you probably didn't know it's also great if you're looking to create your own homemade lava lamp.

Because oil and water have different densities and polarities, when you mix them together, the water sinks to the bottom. When you add food coloring, which is water-based, it will sink to the bottom as well.

If you pop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet, it reacts with the water, causing colored droplets of water to rise to the top. As they rise, they pop, release air, and sink back to the bottom.

This creates a similar effect as what you'd see in a lava lamp.

Instant ice

In order for water to become ice, it needs a nucleus for solid crystals to form. Usually, water is loaded with particles and impurities that enables ice to form. But purified water isn't, which means it can reach an even colder temperature before becoming solid.

If you throw an unopened bottle of purified water into the freezer for a little less than three hours, the bottle will be chilled well below the temperature at which regular water freezes.

When you pour this super-cooled water onto a piece of ice, it provides the water with nuclei, causing it to freeze instantly.

Ferromagnetic fluid

This experiment makes it easy to see magnetic fields in action . All you need is some iron oxide, some water, and a jar.

When you place a powerful magnet along the outside of the jar, the iron filings are attracted to it. They pile up and follow the magnet as you move it around.

Baking soda volcano

In this experiment, a chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar creates "lava" that bursts out of a model volcano.

As the reaction produces carbon dioxide gas, pressure builds up inside a plastic bottle hidden inside the volcano until the gas bubbles and erupts.

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Summer holiday science: turn your home into a lab with these three easy experiments

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Audrey O'Grady receives funding from Science Foundation Ireland. She is affiliated with Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick.

University of Limerick provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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Many people think science is difficult and needs special equipment, but that’s not true.

Science can be explored at home using everyday materials. Everyone, especially children, naturally ask questions about the world around them, and science offers a structured way to find answers.

Misconceptions about the difficulty of science often stem from a lack of exposure to its fun and engaging side. Science can be as simple as observing nature, mixing ingredients or exploring the properties of objects. It’s not just for experts in white coats, but for everyone.

Don’t take my word for it. Below are three experiments that can be done at home with children who are primary school age and older.

Extract DNA from bananas

DNA is all the genetic information inside cells. Every living thing has DNA, including bananas.

Did you know you can extract DNA from banana cells?

What you need: ¼ ripe banana, Ziploc bag, salt, water, washing-up liquid, rubbing alcohol (from a pharmacy), coffee filter paper, stirrer.

What you do:

Place a pinch of salt into about 20ml of water in a cup.

Add the salty water to the Ziploc bag with a quarter of a banana and mash the banana up with the salty water inside the bag, using your hands. Mashing the banana separates out the banana cells. The salty water helps clump the DNA together.

Once the banana is mashed up well, pour the banana and salty water into a coffee filter (you can lay the filter in the cup you used to make the salty water). Filtering removes the big clumps of banana cells.

Once a few ml have filtered out, add a drop of washing-up liquid and swirl gently. Washing-up liquid breaks down the fats in the cell membranes which makes the DNA separate from the other parts of the cell.

Slowly add some rubbing alcohol (about 10ml) to the filtered solution. DNA is insoluble in alcohol, therefore the DNA will clump together away from the alcohol and float, making it easy to see.

DNA will start to precipitate out looking slightly cloudy and stringy. What you’re seeing is thousands of DNA strands – the strands are too small to be seen even with a normal microscope. Scientists use powerful equipment to see individual strands.

Learn how plants ‘drink’ water

What you need: celery stalks (with their leaves), glass or clear cup, water, food dye, camera.

• Fill the glass ¾ full with water and add 10 drops of food dye.
• Place a celery stalk into the glass of coloured water. Take a photograph of the celery.
• For two to three days, photograph the celery at the same time every day. Make sure you take a photograph at the very start of the experiment.

What happens and why?

All plants, such as celery, have vertical tubes that act like a transport system. These narrow tubes draw up water using a phenomenon known as capillarity.

Imagine you have a thin straw and you dip it into a glass of water. Have you ever noticed how the water climbs up the straw a little bit, even though you didn’t suck on it? This is because of capillarity.

In plants, capillarity helps move water from the roots to the leaves. Plants have tiny tubes inside them, like thin straws, called capillaries. The water sticks to the sides of these tubes and climbs up. In your experiment, you will see the food dye in the water make its way to the leaves.

Build a balloon-powered racecar

What you need: tape, scissors, two skewers, cardboard, four bottle caps, one straw, one balloon.

• Cut the cardboard to about 10cm long and 5cm wide. This will form the base of your car.
• Make holes in the centre of four bottle caps. These are your wheels.
• To make the axles insert the wooden skewers through the holes in the cap. You will need to cut the skewers to fit the width of the cardboard base, but leave room for the wheels.
• Secure the wheels to the skewers with tape.
• Attach the axles to the underside of the car base with tape, ensuring the wheels can spin freely.
• Insert a straw into the opening of a balloon and secure it with tape, ensuring there are no air leaks.
• Attach the other end of the straw to the top of the car base, positioning it so the balloon can inflate and deflate towards the back of the car. Secure the straw with tape.
• Inflate the balloon through the straw, pinch the straw to hold the air, place the car on a flat surface, then release the straw.

The inflated balloon stores potential energy when blown up. When the air is released, Newton’s third law of motion kicks into gear: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

As the air rushes out of the balloon (action), it pushes the car in the opposite direction (reaction). The escaping air propels the car forward, making it move across the surface.

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NEW in FY25: An expansion of STARS Residencies, this program offers grants of $5,000 for school-based projects that foster creative learning experiences in the arts, sciences, and humanities for K-12 students. More information to come in September 2024.

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Archaeologists Remarkably Discovered 2 Missing Masterpieces From a Legendary Playwright

Hidden for thousands of years, these ancient texts bring Euripides’ genius back to life.

When you’re a mega-fan of a particular artist, waiting for their next release can be a grueling experience. Die-hard Rihanna fans have been holding out since 2016 for a follow-up to her last album, Anti . Fans of George R.R. Martin ’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series (the basis for Game of Thrones ), meanwhile, have been biding their time for The Winds of Winter since 2011.

But fans of one famous playwright have been waiting more than a millennium for his latest works—and they’re finally here.

As reported in La Brujula Verde magazine , two scholars from the University of Colorado Boulder recently made a remarkable discovery in the field, not just of Ancient Greek studies, but of the entirety of the humanities: fragments from two plays long considered lost, penned by one of the ancient world’s most celebrated dramatists, Euripides.

Euripides is one of the three most celebrated tragedians of Ancient Greece , alongside Aeschylus, author of the influential revenge trilogy Oresteia , and Sophocles, best known for the foundational drama of fate, Oedipus Rex . Unlike many of the tragedians of ancient times, these three authors had complete scripts that survived antiquity and exist for people to read and perform in the modern day.

Of those three, it’s Euripides who has the most surviving full-length scripts with 19 (though one, Rhesus , has disputed authorship). Among those fully extant titles are the landmark female-led plays Medea , Electra , and the Homeric satyr play Cyclops , the only play of its kind to still exist.

Even more of Euripides’ plays exist today only in fragments, leaving scholars to speculate what fills in the gaps. And thanks to this recent discovery, future academics will have to do a little less guessing.

Back in November 2022, Yvona Trnka-Amrhein, an assistant professor of classics at the University of Colorado Boulder, was sent a set of high-resolution photos of a papyrus. The photos were sent by Basem Gehad, an archaeologist with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and captured a 98-line, 10.5 square inch papyrus that had recently been discovered in the ancient site of Philadelphia in Egypt .

Trnka-Amrhein had to rely on photos, rather than the papyrus itself, as Egyptian law forbid the removal of any artifacts out of the country. But those photos were enough to indicate to Trnka-Amrhein that this may be a remarkable discovery. As La Brujula Verde notes:

“Upon examining the papyrus, Trnka-Amrhein realized that it contained fragments of a tragedy. To confirm her suspicions, she used the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, a comprehensive digital database of ancient Greek texts maintained by the University of California, Irvine. Her findings indicated that these were previously unknown fragments of works by Euripides, a playwright whose lost plays have long intrigued scholars.”

Consulting with Euripidean expert John Gibert, the two put the papyrus images through heavy analysis and even more intense scrutiny to be sure they were right before they declared that they had found new, previously unknown fragments of two of Euripides’ plays.

After ensuring that “the text aligned with the tragic and metrical style characteristic of Euripides,” it was revealed that this papyrus contained portions from two of the Euripidean plays that exist only in fragments, Polyidus and Ino. 22 of the lines on the papyrus were previously known to scholars, but as La Brujula Verde notes, “80 percent of the material was entirely new.”

“We don’t believe there’s been a discovery of this magnitude since the 1960s” John Gibert said of the discovery. Gibert and Trnka-Amrhein presented their findings in June of this year to a panel of 13 experts in Washington D.C. and had their first edition of the fragment accepted for publication in August.

Michael Natale is the news editor for Best Products , covering a wide range of topics like gifting, lifestyle, pop culture, and more. He has covered pop culture and commerce professionally for over a decade. His past journalistic writing can be found on sites such as Yahoo! and Comic Book Resources , his podcast appearances can be found wherever you get your podcasts, and his fiction can’t be found anywhere, because it’s not particularly good. 

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