100+ Easy & FUN Science Fair Project Ideas
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Looking for FUN science projects for kids ? Science is one of our favorite subjects around here. I have a huge list of over 100 easy science experiments for kids. You can use these classic science fair ideas when helping your child create their next science fair project. Kids will love these fun projects and experiments!
See my Scientific Method Worksheets and Posters to help teach the process of the scientific method including these 6 steps:
- Ask a question
- Make a hypothesis
- Record Data
These science fair project ideas can be used for may grade levels including elementary school aged kids, middle school aged kids and some would even work for high school. Many of these science activities are quick and easy to put together and will not break the bank either.
I divided the science fair project ideas out the best I could by topic and category for you. That way if there is a certain interest, you can find just what you are looking for. You will find science fair experiment ideas in biology, physics, chemistry, electricity, magnetism, earth science, and more!
All of these simple experiment ideas can be used in some way to create an awesome science fair project. Most are from my site, but many are from some other great bloggers! Click the links to get instructions and demonstrations on how these projects work.
Want more ideas? See also my post with 200 + Elementary STEM Projects .
Easy Energy and Physics Science Fair Projects
Kinetic Energy with Rubber Band Boats – this science project is a blast to create with kids!
Kinetic Energy- Shooting Star Spinner – This is a fun one on kinetic and potential energy
Kinetic Energy Gravity Spinner – Do this experiment to show gravity!
Perpetual Motion Candle See Saw – This is a cool way to learn about motion!
How Does a String Telephone Work? ~Raising Life Long Learners
Which Cup Will Keep Water Cold the Longest? ~ Really, Are you Serious?
Light Refraction Science Experiment ~ Look We’re Learning
Heat Conduction Experiment ~ Look We’re Learning
Color Changing Sensory Bottle ~ The Science Kiddo
Exploring Magnetic Fields
Magnet Pendulum
Levitating Magnets
Train Chain Reactions
Static Electricity Slime
What are Electrolytes?
Color and Light Reflection and Refraction Experiments
Simple Machines- Gears
Light Box Magic ~ True Aim Education
Balloon Air Pressure Experiment ~ Darcy and Brian
Make A Giant Catapult
Technology & Mechanical Science Projects for Kids
Is it Conductive? – test different objects to see if they conduct electricity.
How to Make a Coin Battery – use coins to power a light!
How to Make a Lemon Battery – the power of lemon juice is pretty amazing.
What to Make a Dirt Battery – a battery out of dirt? yup!
How do you Make a Potato Battery? ~from STEAM Powered Family
How to Make a Hydraulic Elevator ~ Make a water powered elevator
How to Make a Bubble Blower Machine
Paper Circuits – learn about circuits and electricity with this simple project.
Solar Powered Lego Car – harness the power of the sun!
Make an EASY Water Pump Sprinkler
Chemistry Science Projects for Kids With Chemical Reactions
Cabbage Juice pH Experiment – test different chemicals and substances to see their pH levels.
How too Make an Erupting Volcano (with salt dough)
How Do you Clean Pennies?
Why Do Baking Soda and Vinegar React?
How to Make Dry Ice Bubbles
Does it Dissolve?
How Do you Grow Crystals? (borax crystals)
Elephant Toothpaste with Two Types of Peroxide
What is Non-Newtonian Fluid? (Oobleck Experiments)
Does it Rust? Oxidation Experiment
Rainbow Absorption
Film Canister Rockets
Blooming Paper Flowers
Dancing Acorns ~ Hands-on Teaching Ideas
States of Matter Experiments – solids, liquids and gases
Rubber Bouncing Egg Experiment
Color Changing Flowers Experiment ~ Messy Little Monster
Paper Burning Experiment ~ Preschool Powol Packets
How to Make a Paper Mache Erupting Volcano ~ Red Ted Art
Mentos and Soda Geysers
Anatomy Science Fair Projects
How Do Ears Work?
Play Dough Anatomy
Animal Digestion Experiment ~ Schooling a Monkey
Why We Need Muscles & Bones ~ I Can Teach My Child
How Do Lungs Work? ~ Sciene Sparks
DNA Experiment
Earth Science and Nature Science Fair Projects
How do Earthquakes Happen ?
Can You Build a House to Resist an Earthquake?
Make your Own Crystal Rock Candy Geodes
What are Convection Currents?
Study surface tension with Water Strider Insects
How are Rainbows made?
How to Clean Dirty Water
Geology Experiment: Stalactites and Stalagmites Formation
What’s In My Water?
What are Shells Made of?
How Can We Stay Dry During the Rain ~ Pink Stripey Socks
What Surfaces in my House are the Dirtiest? Mold Science
Density Experiment with different liquids, also tests buoyancy!
Why Do Leaves Change Colors? Leaf Chromatography Experiment
Rising Tide Experiment
Soda Bottle Compost ~ Busy Mommy Media
Build a Sun Shelter ~ Buggy and Buddy
Hurricane Model Experiment ~Preschool Powol Packets
Easy Condensation Experiment – Look We’re Learning
Salt Water Density Experiment ~ The Science Kiddo
Plant Science- Observing Bulb Growth ~Buggy and Buddy
How to Make a Compass ~ Parenting Chaos
Why do Pinecones Open & Close? ~ Parenting Chaos
Leaf Transpiration Experiment – how leaves breathe, use a plastic bag to collect the moisture from a tree.
Pumpkin Petri Dishes ~ Hands-on Teaching Ideas
Rainy Day Science – learn about filtering rain water
Making a Solar Still – harness the power of the sun with this cool science experiment!
Make Your Own Human Sun Dial
How are Sedimentary Rocks & Fossils Made?
How Do Sharks Float? ~ Preschool Powol Packets
How to Make Square Bubbles
What Soil is Best for Growing Seeds? ~ Schooling a Monkey
Simple Food Science Fair Project Ideas
Want a food-based science fair project? These ideas are fun and edible, too! Who doesn’t love learning with food?
Food Science: Make a Loaf of Bread in a Bag
Why Does Gelatin Not Set with Certain Fruits ?
What Foods will Grow the most Mold?
Cake Chemistry Experiment
Popcorn and Salt Science Experiment ~ Awe Filled Homemaker
What Prevents Apples from Browning?
How to Make Plastic with Gelatin ~ STEAM Powered Family
Melting Ice Science Experiment ~ The Chaos and the Clutter
Pie Crust Experiment
Food Chemistry~ Turn Juice into Noodles !
Green Eggs Food Chemistry (no food coloring required!)
How Strong are Eggs? ~ Hands-On Teaching Ideas
Make Solar S’mores
Hot Chocolate Science Experiment ~ Creative Family Fun
Bread Mold Science Project ~ Schooling a Monkey
Other Fun & Easy Science Project Ideas
Toilet Paper Comparisons ~ Pink Stripey Socks
Egg Drop Challenge
Press n’ Seal vs. Saran Wrap
Hockey Science Experiment ~ Creative Family Fun
I hope you found an idea that will work for your little scientists next science fair project. I’d love to hear what you did and see pictures of the finished project!
Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!
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25 Science Projects Ideas From Easy to Hard
By Alex Yang
Graduate student at Southern Methodist University
14 minute read
Science fairs can be invaluable experiences that help you explore a specific topic and also teach you the principles of scientific discovery. Science experiments also offer opportunities for you to showcase your creativity and can be a great springboard to further academic or career pursuits in STEM. An added bonus is that you usually have a finished product that you can proudly showcase to others and put on your resume.
However, it’s easy to get stuck on what science fair project to do as there are so many ideas to choose from. In this article we’ll go over 25 science fair project ideas that can hopefully provide some inspiration and also don’t require fancy or expensive materials. Want even more inspiration, explore our Project Ideas Generator and find the project idea perfect for you.
1. How Different Types of Light Affect Vitamin C Content in Fruits
This easy science fair project involves studying how different light sources affect the vitamin C content of fruits. You can expose samples of different fruits to varied light conditions, including natural sunlight, LED, and fluorescent light. Then, using some potassium iodide and a sheet of watercolor paper, you can measure the vitamin C content of the fruits. Here’s an article and video to help you with the vitamin C test .
Difficulty: Easy
Topic: Chemistry
Materials Needed: Fruits, light sources, 3% aqueous solution of iodine in potassium iodide, a sheet of watercolor paper, a cotton ball, a disposable plastic cup.
2. The Effects of Exercise on Heart Rate
This project investigates how different types of exercise impact heart rate. By measuring heart rate before, during, and after activities such as running, cycling, and jumping jacks, you can analyze how the heart and body respond to exercise and which movements push your heart rate the most. You can then do further research into the health sciences behind why certain exercises lead to a higher heart rate than others.
Topic: Kinesiology
Materials Needed: Stopwatch, heart rate monitor, or pulse oximeter if you have one (if not, you can just count your heartbeats)
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3. The Aerodynamics of Paper Airplanes
Learn about aerodynamic principles by observing the flight of paper airplanes. By constructing paper airplanes with different designs, including variations in wing shape, size, and folding techniques, you can analyze their flight performance and see what design flies the farthest or is airborne for the longest. After testing, you can explore further by presenting why the top design did well based on the science concept of aerodynamics, and how you would make the design even better.
Topics: Aerodynamics, Physics
Materials Needed: Paper, ruler, tape, stopwatch.
4. How Sleep Impacts Academic Performance
You can use yourself or your friends as test subjects for this experiment, where you analyze the correlation between sleep duration and academic performance. You can collect sleep data through your phone or a smart watch, and then have all test subjects take a test the next morning, and to repeat that for several days potentially. What’s important for this kind of project idea is that there are many other factors that could potentially impact test performance besides sleep, so in your experimental design you’ll have to use critical thinking to control other variables without jeopardizing the scientific method.
Difficulty: Medium
Topics: Psychology, neuroscience
Materials Needed: Phone or smartwatch, tests that you can give to subjects
5. How Urban Green Spaces Impact Mental Well-being
Conduct surveys or interviews in a city near you to assess the perceived benefits of urban green spaces (parks, gardens, etc.) on residents' mental health and well-being. Try to gain an understanding for why these spaces matter and how residents view them. How do parks and gardens impact the day to day life of city dwellers?
Topics: Psychology, urban planning
Materials Needed: Phone to record interviews
6. Design Your Own Hydroponic System
Construct a homemade hydroponic system using recycled materials and test its effectiveness. Hydroponics is soilless gardening that can be done either indoors or outdoors. Once you’ve made your hydroponic system you can then compare the growth rates and yields of the plants with traditional soil-based cultivation methods. Here’s an article on how to build a simple hydroponic , but we encourage you to also do your own earth science research while building!
Difficulty: Hard
Topics: Biology
Materials Needed: Recycled materials, twine, soda bottle, other inexpensive materials
7. Mindfulness to Reduce Smartphone Addiction
Investigate whether mindfulness exercises such as meditation can help reduce smartphone addiction. You can choose to focus on a particular mindfulness exercise and/or participant demographic. You can then lead these mindfulness exercises for participants and also measure participants' smartphone usage over a certain period of time. There are a ton of different choices you can make in terms of testing your hypothesis, so feel free to be creative with it!
Topics: Psychology
Materials Needed: Smartphones
8. Memory Enhancement Techniques
Compare the effectiveness of various memory enhancement techniques. You can start by researching popular techniques such as mnemonics, spaced repetition, and mind mapping so that you develop an understanding of how these techniques work. Then you can begin experimenting by gathering a group of subjects and creating a memory test. Remember to control other variables that could impact your data and carefully think through your experimental design to ensure it follows the scientific method.
Materials Needed: None
9. Build a Model Roller Coaster
If you’re a big fan of amusement parks this could be a great idea for you. Design and construct a model roller coaster using different materials like cardboard, foam tubes, and marbles. You can experiment with factors like height and angles to see what creates the most velocity for the coaster. Be sure to document how specific changes in factors affect the outcome of the roller coaster ride!
Topics: Physics
Materials Needed: Cardboard, foam tubes, marbles
10. Build a Model Suspension Bridge
Start out by sketching your bridge design on paper and looking up images of real suspension bridges for inspiration. From there you can begin to use your popsicle sticks and glue to construct the bridge. If you’re a bit stuck on how to prepare and construct the bridge, check out this Youtube video on how to build a suspension bridge . Once you’re done building your bridge you can then begin to test its stability and how it holds under pressure!
Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks or craft sticks (for the bridge deck and towers), string or thin wire (for the suspension cables), glue (such as wood glue or hot glue) scissors or craft knife, ruler or measuring tape, cardboard or sturdy base for the bridge foundation (optional)
11. Build a Wind Turbine to Generate Electricity
Through this engineering project you’ll gain hands-on experience with learning about renewable energy. You’ll start out by designing the turbine blades and frame, then install the generator and wire the generator. Once you’ve built your wind turbine you’ll want to test it in an environment with sufficient wind speed and observe how much electricity you’re able to generate! You can also experiment with the shape of the frame and blades to see if that changes the electrical output.
Topics: Physics, engineering, renewable energy
Materials Needed: PVC pipes or wooden dowels (for the turbine blades), DC motor or small generator, magnets, copper wire, bearings or bushings, PVC fittings or other materials for constructing the turbine, wire connectors, multimeter (for measuring voltage and current)
12. Analyzing Different Water Purification Methods
What would be the safest way to purify water if you were out in the wild? Evaluate the effectiveness of different water purification methods (filtration, boiling, chemical treatment, etc.) and discover which method performs the best. To test the initial quality of the water samples, use pH strips to find the initial pH of the water. Then perform the water purification method and measure the pH after to see if there’s a considerable change.
Topics: Chemistry
Materials Needed: Water source, containers to hold water, filtration materials like coffee filters, boiling apparatus, pH test strips
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13. How Soil Moisture Affects Plant Growth
Experiment with soil moisture levels to see how it affects the growth and development of plants. An easy way to do this would be to buy a lot of the same plant and grow them all at the same time but vary the soil moisture for each plant. You can decide the increments for how much you want to vary the soil by and from there measure plant growth to see if you can find a correlation. This is also a great idea to apply statistical analysis of your data.
Materials Needed: Plants, soil, water
14. The Impact of Light Pollution on Nocturnal Insect Populations
In this project you can first explore the concept of light pollution and what its effects are. From there you can research nocturnal insects and learn about their behaviors. The second part of the project involves conducting an experiment to see how nocturnal insect populations vary based on artificial light intensity. You can go to several different locations that have different artificial light intensities to see whether certain locations have a greater abundance of insects or a greater diversity. Keep in mind the tricky part of this experiment is how to collect the insects - there are various methods such as light traps or sticky traps that you can try.
Topics: Biology, zoology
15. Build a Solar Oven
Construct a solar oven using reflective materials such as aluminum foil. You can explore this article that explains step by step how to build the oven, but the basic idea is that you want to line the inner flap with aluminum foil so that the sun's rays reflect off of it and also create a small opening so that sunlight can come through. You can try heating up food in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead to see what happens!
Topics: Chemistry, Food Science
Materials Needed: Reflective material like aluminum foil, insulation (foam board, newspapers), heat-absorbing container, thermometer, food items for cooking.
16. How Temperature Affects Battery Performance
Explore how temperature affects the voltage output and lifespan of batteries. Select a variety of different batteries and expose them to different temperature conditions. You can also vary the length of time that the batteries are left in a given temperature. After, use a voltage meter to measure the output of the batteries. How does temperature impact the voltage output?
Topics: Electrochemistry, energy storage
Materials Needed: Multiple types of batteries, thermometer or temperature sensor, voltage meter or multimeter.
17. Testing the Strength of Different Types of Paper
Compare the strength of various types of paper (printer paper, construction paper, tissue paper). To do this you can either measure the force required to tear each type of paper ( tensile strength ) or just observe how difficult it is to tear. Record observations and also analyze the different materials used in each type of paper to hypothesize why the paper might be difficult or easy to tear.
Materials Needed: Different types of paper, ruler or measuring tape, weights or force gauge, clamps or clips.
18. Pendulums
In this easy science fair project, construct your own basic pendulum with string and a weight, and see how the length of a pendulum affects its period (the time it takes to complete one full swing). You can also conduct trials where pendulums of varying lengths are released from the same angle, or vary the angle from which the pendulum is released.
Materials Needed: Pendulum apparatus (can be as simple as a string and weight), stopwatch or timer, protractor for measuring angles.
19. DIY Catapults
In this project you’ll explore the principles of projectile motion and trajectory. Build a simple catapult or trebuchet and investigate how launch angle and projectile mass affect the trajectory of a launched object. If you want to take the project a step further and add a history component to it, explore a few various catapults that were used in ancient or medieval times and observe the differences in their launch angles and typical projectile masses. Were these catapults effective?
Materials Needed: Catapult or trebuchet construction materials (wood, rubber bands, etc.), objects that the catapult can launch, measuring tape or ruler.
20. Friction
Explore the concept of friction by pulling objects across different surfaces and measuring the frictional force. You can investigate how different surface textures impact how easy it is to pull the object across the surface. To take the science fair experiment to the next level you can share your findings about one real world application where the concept of friction is very important (think things like sports or transportation).
Materials Needed: Objects of different weights, various surfaces (e.g., wood, metal, sandpaper), force sensor or spring scale, ruler
21. Studying the Effects of Music on Stress Reduction
We all have our playlists or songs that help us relax, but how can we actually confirm that music actually plays a role in reducing stress? In this project you can conduct experiments where participants listen to different types of music (e.g., classical, jazz, nature sounds) and their physiological stress responses (e.g., heart rate, cortisol levels) are measured before and after listening to the music. Before conducting the experiment see if you can do some preliminary research on the topic and what other experiments have been done.
Materials Needed: A device to play, physiological monitoring equipment, stress assessment scales.
22. Ocean Acidification and Coral Bleaching
Study how ocean acidification, driven by increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, impacts coral reef ecosystems. You can also look into coral bleaching and learn how it’s also related to ocean acidification. This science activity can be a bit more focused on research rather than actual experimentation, but if you’d like to develop a model to demonstrate ocean acidification and see how carbon dioxide affects water we encourage you to do that as well.
Topic: Chemistry, marine biology
Materials Needed: Cups, water, acid base indicator, baking soda, vinegar
23. Studying the Effects of Deforestation on Local Climate Patterns
Learn how deforestation affects regional climate conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity. Specifically, you can analyze satellite imagery to assess changes in land cover in deforested areas over time. To get you started, check out this article on how scientists have been tracking deforestation in the Amazon for decades .
Topic: Climate, environmental science
Materials Needed: Satellite imagery or aerial photographs
24. Investigating Sinkholes
Sinkholes may seem like a chaotic once in a lifetime phenomenon but there are actually geological processes involved in the formation of sinkholes. Explore these processes and their potential hazards to human settlements. To learn further you can research specific areas that are known to have a lot of sinkholes and try to understand why this occurs from a geological perspective.
Topic: Geology
25. How Color Affects Mood and Emotion Description
Explore whether different colors influence people's mood and emotional state. You can design experiments where participants are exposed to different colors through images or objects and their mood responses are measured with self-reported scales or surveys. Analyze data and see if you can find any patterns. The more subjects you have in your experiment the better!
Topic: Psychology
Materials Needed: Images or objects that show mainly one color
How to Showcase Your Science Fair Project
Once you’ve completed your science fair project you can obviously present it at your local or school science fair, but we highly encourage you to also enter your project and findings for a bigger competition. There are so many great regional and national competitions where you can submit your work, and we’ve compiled the ultimate guide below based on science topic. Keep in mind that many of these competitions have very specific submission guidelines, so you might have to adjust the format of your project slightly to fit the rules
Top 8 Neuroscience Competitions for High School and Middle School Students
Top 9 Physics Competitions for High School Students
The 10 Best Chemistry Competitions for High School Students
10 Best Engineering Competitions for High School Students
Top Psychology Competitions For High School and Middle School Students
Still Stuck On What Idea to Choose?
Work with a Polygence research program mentor who can help you brainstorm the right idea for you. From there they can help you with executing your project and making sure you’re on track to finish by your deadline. If you’re interested, apply for our flagship mentorship program !
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30+ Science Fair Projects That Will Wow The Crowd
February 20, 2022 by Ana Dziengel Leave a Comment
Are your children signing up for the science fair this year? Have you begun the arduous task of looking for science fair projects that might pique your child’s interest? Or do you have a child who already has ten ideas they have been dying to try?
The science fair is a great school tradition and a memorable experience for many children (I still remember the life size plaster penguin I made in 5th grade), and if your school doesn’t conduct one, consider starting it!
This year if you are on the lookout for science fair projects I challenge you to think beyond the vinegar volcano (we have “Volcano Alley” at our school because there are so many volcano projects every year). I know, vinegar volcanoes are like a rite of childhood passage, but there are so many other amazing science ideas out there! I have compiled a list of 30+ science fair projects for kids based on their grade level below. Before we get started I wanted to share some tips for getting the most out of the science fair.
This post contains affiliate links.
Science Fair Tips
- Don’t do the project for your child! This is my number one tip. Many parents have a tendency to jump in and make children’s work “more presentable” or to assist their child so much in the project that it’s hard to know who actually did it. Listen I get it, science is fun and you want your child to have a wonderful presentation…but that’s not really what the science fair is about. It’s about your child learning how to do scientific research and present their findings in their own way. Think of yourself as a helpful guide NOT an assistant, and definitely not the boss.
- Choose something age appropriate When your child is choosing the science fair idea they want to try, make sure it’s age appropriate. Sure we’d all love to make a working robot but there’s nothing more frustrating than trying a project that may be too advanced for the skills of your child. And that’s when a lot of parents resort to doing the project instead. Not a good solution. So make sure your child is capable of completing the steps them self.
- Make a list of three ideas Have your child select three science fair project ideas and then go over the choices with them. Make sure they understand the steps involved in each project and wether or not they feel comfortable in executing those steps on their own with your guidance.
- Follow your child’s interests Encourage your children to explore some ideas based on interests they already have. Here’s a list of science books with projects based on things your child already loves!
- STEAM it up! STEAM projects rock the science fair!!! A great way to get kids to become more familiar with STEAM concepts it to pick science projects that crossover into art, math, engineering and more! Two STEAM books to consider are STEAM Kids Play and Learn (my book!) and STEAM Kids ebook. Both books will get you started with some great ideas!
- Read our Science Fair Mini Guide I created this mini guide to walk kids through all the steps for completing their science fair project. You can check out the full guide here:
Speak like a scientist! Science Vocabulary to use in your presentation
We’re almost ready to get to the projects! Before we begin, let’s review some science terms. In fact, using these terms in your science fair presentation will be sure to impress your friends and adults!
- When you watch, see, or notice something you are making an observation
- When you ask who, what, when, where, why, or how, you are forming a question
- When you read a book or an article about your observation, you are doing research
- When you make a guess based on your observation, question, and research, you are forming a hypothesis
- When you test your hypothesis, you are conducting an experiment
- When you change one factor in your experiment at a time while keeping everything else the same, you are changing a variable
- When you take notes in your journal and write down what you see happening in your experiment, you are logging data
- When you examine, or look at, your data, you are analyzing it
- When you are able answer your question, you are coming to a conclusion
30+ Science Fair Projects for Kids
Now let’s get on with the science fair projects! I have organized the projects by age/grade level. Click the titles to be taken to the project instructions, unless the instructions follow below.
If you’d rather have the science fair projects list organized by subject you can download our hyperlinked PDF by subscribing to our email list here .
Kindergarten-1st Grade Science Fair Projects
1. lemon volcano.
Skip the vinegar volcano and try lemon juice! Kids will learn about the chemical reaction between citric acid and baking soda.
2. DIY Bouncy Balls
Learn about polymers while making a DIY toy! This variation on slime uses a few simple ingredients. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>
3. Shiny Pennies
A classic experiment that kids love is Shiny Pennies . Collect dirty tarnished pennies and have kids soak them for a minimum of 5 minutes in different acidic liquids. We used vinegar, salsa, lime juice, and lemon juice. After soaking, remove them from the solution and rinse in soapy water then compare which ones are shiniest. Take notes on which acid worked best to shine the pennies. Variation: Don’t rinse all the pennies after removing them from the different liquids. Can you see a difference in the rinsed vs. non-rinsed pennies? Leave them overnight and see if any of the copper oxidizes (turns green) on the non-rinsed pennies.
pictured above: Regrowing vegetable scraps, DIY Stethoscope, Simple Circuit
4. Regrow Vegetable Scraps
Did you know you can start an entire garden from vegetable scraps? It works indoors too!
5. DIY Stethoscope
Make your own stethoscope from a few hardware store parts.
6. Simple Circuit
For all tech centered kids: Learn how to make a very simple circuit from easy to find items.
pictured above: Chromatography Butterflies, Rainbow Rubber Eggs, Exploring Density with Salt
7. Chromatography 3 Ways
Chromatography is the process of separating mixtures, in this case we will be separating ink into different colors.
- How to do the Classic Chromatography Project The simplest kids chromatography project using paper towels
- Chromatography Art Turn chromatography strips into a woven paper art project!
- Chromatography Butterflies Learn how to separate colors and create a sweet science based craft!
8. Exploring Density with Salt
Why don’t oil and water mix? Find out with this density experiment inspired by Lava Lamps!
9. Rainbow Rubber Eggs
Rubber eggs are another classic science project that kids love. And it’s so easy! I mean does dropping an egg in vinegar and coming back in a few days sound do-able?
2nd-4th grade Science Fair Projects
10. magic rollback can.
You just can’t get rid of this physics project! This project explores the difference between potential and kinetic energy. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>
pictured above: Bleeding Blossoms, Teleidoscopes, Density Tower
11. Absorption 2 Ways
- Bleeding Blossoms Explore capillary action and absorption in this science meets art project.
- Magical Water Blossoms Make beautiful blossoming paper flowers with the help of absorption. This project has a simple wow moment that everyone enjoys watching.
12. Teleidoscopes
A teleidoscope is a kaliedoscpe without an end. This means you can use it to view anything and everything. Look through one of these and you will be amazed!
13. Density Towers 2 Ways:
Yes, you can layer liquids on top of each other without them mixing! This is a classic project and kids can customize the liquids they choose to layer.
- Simple Layered Liquids Learn how to make a simple density tower out of kitchen ingredients and then turn it into a lava lamp!
- Glowing Density Tower This density tower has a bonus science surprise: it glows under UV light!
14. Magnet Magic
Make a simple hanging magnet structure and explore the magic of magnetism.
pictured above: Chromatography Art, Dry Erase Figure, Overnight Crystals
15. Make a Lemon Battery and a Lime Light
Did you know that a chemical reaction can generate electricity?
16. Electric Playdough
AKA Squishy Circuits, this project will demonstrate that salt and water conduct electricity!
17. Simple Sound Science
Explore the science of sound with these 4 experiments, then use your knowledge to make your own DIY instrument!
pictured above: Magnetic Sensory Bottle, Magical Plastic Bag, Cartesian Divers
18. Magnetic Field Sensory Bottle
This will surely be a hit at the Science Fair! Watch metal particles dance and move under the influence of powerful magnets!
19. Magical Plastic Bag Experiment
It’s not magic, it’s polymers! This easy science fair project uses a minimum of materials but demonstrates how everyday polymers work.
20. Cartesian Divers
A classic science experiment exploring buoyancy. Make “diver” swim up and down in a bottle using science.
21. Water Drop Microscope
Did you know you can make simple microscope from a plastic bottle and water? This project teaches kids to turn trash into a science tool!
22. Spinning Tops
Learn about centrifugal force and friction with one of these three spinning tops ideas!
- Spin Art Tops
- Spin-finite Tops
- Perler Bead Tops
23. Kinetic Sculpture
Make you own moving sculpture while learning about cams and gears!
<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>
Science Fair Projects for 5th Grade and up
pictured above: Crystal landscapes, Tiny Dancers, Coffee Can Camera Obscura
24. Crystals 3 Ways:
- Overnight Crystals Grow Epsom salt crystals overnight in your refrigerator.
- Crystal Wind Catchers Borax crystals are SUPER easy to grow! Turn them into a lovely dangling wind catcher.
- Crystal Landscapes A more advanced crystal growing experiment using bluing and salt but WOW, these are gorgeous!
25. Tiny Dancers
These are actually a very simple motor! Kids will learn about electromagnetism by building this motor that can “dance.”
26. Coffee Can Camera Obscura
Make a simple camera obscura out of an old coffee can.
pictured above: Heat Sensitive Slime, Levitating Pen
27. Heat Sensitive Slime
Click your slime chemistry up a notch by adding in thermochromic paint!
28. Levitating Pen
Make a pen appear to levitate using a magnet!
29. Newton’s Cradle
Featured on Dude Perfect! I made one of these for the science fair back in the 1980’s…This science “toy” is mesmerizing for kids and adults alike!
pictured above: Electromagnetic Train, Fake Lung, Articulated Hand
30. Electromagnetic Train
Incredible display of electricity and magnetism!
31. Fake Lung
For kids interested in life science and biology, make a model of how our lungs work for the science fair.
32. Articulated Hand
Another one for biology oriented kids, explore how our joints move by creating an articulated hand.
33. Salty Circuits
In this simple circuit project, kids will create an electrical circuit using salt to conduct electricity and power a light emitting diode (LED).
Are you ready for the science fair?
Whether your child has never participated in the science fair or is an old pro, I hope the science fair projects here will inspire them to have fun, explore science, and get creative the same time.
And if you still need MORE ideas I also have a giant list of chemistry projects for kids that would make amazing science fair starter projects!
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Okay, this is the hardest part of the whole project…picking your topic. But here are some ideas to get you started. Even if you don’t like any, they may inspire you to come up with one of your own. Remember, check all project ideas with your teacher and parents, and don’t do any project that would hurt or scare people or animals. Good luck!
- Does music affect on animal behavior?
- Does the color of food or drinks affect whether or not we like them?
- Where are the most germs in your school? ( CLICK for more info. )
- Does music have an affect on plant growth?
- Which kind of food do dogs (or any animal) prefer best?
- Which paper towel brand is the strongest?
- What is the best way to keep an ice cube from melting?
- What level of salt works best to hatch brine shrimp?
- Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?
- How effective are child-proof containers and locks.
- Can background noise levels affect how well we concentrate?
- Does acid rain affect the growth of aquatic plants?
- What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest?
- Does the color of light used on plants affect how well they grow?
- What plant fertilizer works best?
- Does the color of a room affect human behavior?
- Do athletic students have better lung capacity?
- What brand of battery lasts the longest?
- Does the type of potting soil used in planting affect how fast the plant grows?
- What type of food allow mold to grow the fastest?
- Does having worms in soil help plants grow faster?
- Can plants grow in pots if they are sideways or upside down?
- Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can carry? (test with balloons)
- How much weight can the surface tension of water hold?
- Can some people really read someone else’s thoughts?
- Which soda decays fallen out teeth the most?
- What light brightness makes plants grow the best?
- Does the color of birdseed affect how much birds will eat it?
- Do natural or chemical fertilizers work best?
- Can mice learn? (you can pick any animal)
- Can people tell artificial smells from real ones?
- What brands of bubble gum produce the biggest bubbles?
- Does age affect human reaction times?
- What is the effect of salt on the boiling temperature of water?
- Does shoe design really affect an athlete’s jumping height?
- What type of grass seed grows the fastest?
- Can animals see in the dark better than humans?
Didn’t see one you like? Don’t worry…look over them again and see if they give you an idea for your own project that will work for you. Remember, find something that interests you, and have fun with it.
To download and print this list of ideas CLICK HERE .
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Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics. The 'Ultimate' Science Fair Project: Frisbee Aerodynamics. Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics. The Paper Plate Hovercraft. Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics. The Science of Launching an Airplane by Catapult. Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics. The Swimming Secrets of Duck Feet. Aerodynamics & Hydrodynamics.
Let’s look at soil erosion in a really cool way! Experiment with soil erosion and learn about the importance of vegetation via Life is a Garden. This is one of my favorite simple science fair ideas. It is visually so impactful and would make a great science fair poster! 19. Environmental science fair projects.
Rainbow Absorption. Film Canister Rockets. Blooming Paper Flowers. Dancing Acorns ~ Hands-on Teaching Ideas. States of Matter Experiments – solids, liquids and gases. Rubber Bouncing Egg Experiment. Color Changing Flowers Experiment ~ Messy Little Monster. Paper Burning Experiment ~ Preschool Powol Packets.
Want even more inspiration, explore our Project Ideas Generator and find the project idea perfect for you. 1. How Different Types of Light Affect Vitamin C Content in Fruits. This easy science fair project involves studying how different light sources affect the vitamin C content of fruits. You can expose samples of different fruits to varied ...
Absorption 2 Ways. Bleeding Blossoms Explore capillary action and absorption in this science meets art project. Magical Water Blossoms Make beautiful blossoming paper flowers with the help of absorption. This project has a simple wow moment that everyone enjoys watching.
Remember, find something that interests you, and have fun with it. To download and print this list of ideas CLICK HERE. Here's a list of over 30 Science Fair ideas to get you started. Then download science experiments, and watch experiment videos to inspire your project.