15 best science experiments for kids to do at home

If you have children at home, this is a proposal for them to learn science and be entertained. Fifteen simple science experiments that will make you the hero of your children.

Learning with children is always a great idea to make their curiosity in study and faith in education. Children learn so fast by experiments than that of reading books. Also playing with children that can help their mental growth as well as physical is best idea for every parents. Today we have listed 15 science experiments for kids to do at home by the guidenc of parents. General Scientific experiments can be easily be done at home that don’t have any problems.

THE BILL THAT BURNS … AND DOES NOT BURN!

Because it’s fun

Father! Mom is burning money! fire! money!

Teaches

This fun experiment illustrates the combustion process and the flammability of alcohol.

What do you need

• 1 glass with water
• 1 glass with ethanol (pharmacy alcohol)
• 1 empty glass to make the mixture
• 3 pieces of paper the size of a bill
• 1 € 5 ticket (not going to be…)
• a pinch of salt
• Some kitchen tongs (or laboratory if you are more ‘pro’, the purpose is not to burn yourself when lighting the bill)
• Cigarette lighter
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. With the help of the tweezers, take a piece of paper and place it first in the glass of water. Take the lighter and try to set it on fire. As you will see, there is no combustion. This is because the water prevents the paper from reaching the ignition temperature necessary to burn. But what happens if we add a flammable substance to the game?
2. Repeat the previous step, inserting the paper first in the glass of water and then in the glass of alcohol (with the tweezers, eh !, we know each other). When you set it on fire you will see that this time it does burn. The first thing that ignites is ethanol (ignition at 78ºC) which is flammable. The water is the one in charge of ‘protecting’ the paper (it prevents it from reaching a temperature higher than 100ºC and burning).
3. To give more excitement to the matter, now use the empty glass and the € 5 note. Make a 50% mixture of water and alcohol and add a pinch of salt (to make the flare more orange and more attractive). Impregnate the paper with this liquid, take it with the tweezers and fire! The bill should burn until the alcohol is consumed and then remain intact.

WALK ON EGGS… WITHOUT BREAKING THEM!

Because it’s fun

Children giggle at the thought of getting on and dumping their weight on an object they think is so fragile. Proof.

Teaches

A question of structure. No matter how fragile an eggshell may seem, its ovoid shape contains a ‘super power’ that makes it tremendously strong. If the weight is distributed properly over them, the ‘fragile’ structure can support our weight.

What do you need

• 6 dozen eggs in a carton
• Large garbage bags
• A bucket of soap and water (just in case the flies)
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Understand it. The reason the egg does not break apart, apart from the weight distribution, is its shape. It can be compared to one of the strongest architectural forms: a three-dimensional arch. That is, the egg is stronger at the top (the tip) and the bottom (the rounder base). If we exert firm pressure on these points, the egg does not break, but as soon as we hit it unevenly, it cracks.
2. Spread the garbage bags on the kitchen floor. Once you have protected the area (it does not always work out the first time), place the egg cartons in two rows (one for each foot).
3. Thoroughly inspect the eggs to make sure there are none cracked (typical spoiler).
4. See if all the eggs are oriented the same way inside the boxes. What the force does in this case is that, so be thorough with this point. In this way, our foot without a sock will have a more regular surface to lean on.
5. Volunteer as a guinea pig to walk first and ask someone to help you. Remind your children that “when you are a father, you will break eggs.”
6. With help, place your foot as flat as possible on top of the first cardboard. The aim is that the weight is distributed evenly over the eggs.
7. It is time to launch the other foot into adventure. Shift your weight onto your leg and put your foot on the egg box that you have prepared right next to it. Don’t be nervous if you hear a creak, possibly the cardboard box.
8. Ask your helper to walk away and let you walk by yourself. Remember that the secret is to distribute the weight as evenly as possible.
9. If you notice that one foot has crushed all the eggs in a box, try to balance on the other foot even though… it may be late. You will end up with your feet covered in eggs.
10. Repeat until it comes out.

WATCHING THE SOUND WAVES DANCE

Because it’s fun

Sound waves are no longer invisible! We cannot see them but they are there. And they like to party.

Teaches

The effect of Faraday waves on a mixture of water and cornstarch. Furthermore, this kind of resulting cornstarch explains the behaviour of non-Newtonian fluids, substances whose viscosity varies with temperature and the shear stress applied to it.

What do you need

• A few tablespoons of cornstarch (for example, cornstarch )
• Water to make the mixture
• A subwoofer
• MP3 or similar to connect to the subwoofer with your favourite song (ballads or similar are not worth it, give it rhythm!)
• Dyes of various shades
• A tray to place the ‘pastiche’
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Put a few tablespoons of cornstarch in a bowl and add water to make a porridge that, at first, seems quite liquid.
2. You will notice that it is increasingly difficult for you to move the spoon, it is as if the cornstarch is being transformed into cement. Even more so if you increase the speed at which you are mixing.
3. As you can see in this video, the behaviour of the mix is ​​quite spectacular. Children hit it without splashing or ‘moving’ in the slightest. It behaves more like a solid than a liquid. Although if they introduce their hands slowly into the bowl, they do impregnate it.
4. Get it: this unusual behaviour places this liquid among the so-called non-Newtonian fluids. This, in particular, within the dilating fluids (the viscosity of the fluid decreases when shaken, promoting the movement of the molecules among themselves -solid-, but after spending a few minutes still, the viscosity increases again -it now behaves like a liquid – since the molecules separate if pressure is not exerted on them). An example to explain this system would be quicksand: a mixture of sand and water in which animals or little cautious people can be trapped.
5. Connect the MP3 or similar to the subwoofer with the chosen song. The more gear it has, the better the better (do several tests). The experiment works well connecting the loudspeaker at 40 Hz, 50 Hz, and 63 Hz.
6. Put the tray on the speaker and pour some mix on top.
7. Add several drops of food coloring of different colors spread over the pasta (scattered throughout the tray) so that the children can see the sound waves. The vibration of the sound waves makes the mixture move, the mountains are the reflection of those waves. If you vary the volume, at different Hz, the waves are different, and if you add color to the mix, then more cool. It is clear that the more colors, the more fun.
8. It is time to hit Play. The sound waves come out to dance.

MAKE GEODES OUT OF EGGS

Because it’s fun

Turning an egg into a ‘jewel’ for which a ‘tiny pirate’ would fight.

Teaches

Observe the simulated crystallization process of a geode. The geodes are rock cavities which have crystallized minerals. They reach these rocks dissolved in groundwater. The crystals are normally large as a result of the low pressure at which they have been produced.

What do you need

• A dozen raw eggs or plastic eggs.
• 900 gr of powdered potassium alum (available in pharmacies)
• Food coloring
• Glue or white glue
• A pin to prick and empty the raw eggs
• Cutter
• Brush
• Tissues
• Boxes to store the eggs
• Hot water
• Latex gloves
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Pierce the eggs at their base and tip. Make the contents come out through the holes very carefully until the egg is completely empty. Thus, one by one. You can also choose to buy plastic eggs and snip them down the middle. To choose.
2. Draw a line in the middle of the egg with a pencil to follow it with the utility knife.
3. Very carefully cut the egg so that you have two more or less equal halves.
4. With the help of a brush, spread the glue or white glue inside the egg.
5. Even with the glue wet, sprinkle the powdered potassium alum on top. Mark the glue a little around the edges of the egg with the brush and put it upside down in the bowl of alum powder so that it soaks in well.
6. Let the eggs dry for 24 hours.
7. Heat the water in a saucepan until it almost comes to a boil and turn off the heat. Add 3/4 cup of powdered potassium alum and stir for a long time. If crystals remain on the bottom, you will need to continue stirring or reheating the solution. If it has lumps, it is better to strain it. It has to be homogeneous.
8. As the mixture cools, you will notice that crystals form at the bottom of the bowl. If you are satisfied with the appearance of your mixture, distribute it in different bowls and add different colorants to each one.
9. Without it having cooled down completely, dip the eggs (hollow side up) into the mixture with your chosen colors.
10. We leave the eggs submerged in the different bowls for approximately 15 hours. The crystals will grow during the time it is resting.
11. After those 15 hours, we will have an almost perfect geode. With the help of latex gloves (so as not to get dye stained), carefully remove the eggs from the bowl (they are very fragile). If you want more crystals you can reheat the mixture and introduce them again.
12. Place on a paper to dry and voilà ! you already have your ‘jewel’ of precious stones.

TURN A BAR OF IVORY SOAP INTO A MONSTER POPCORN

Because it’s fun

Explode, something else to add?

Teaches

You can clearly explain Charles’s Law, which is one of the gas laws. This theory states that “for a certain amount of gas at constant pressure, as the temperature increases, the volume of the gas increases and as the temperature decreases, the volume of the gas decreases.”

What do you need

• A bar of Ivory Soap or ivory soap (no, no other type of soap will do)
• A microwave
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Microwave the Ivory bar of soap (on a plate, preferably).
2. Put two minutes at maximum temperature.
3. Watch the white ‘monster’ grow.
4. Open the microwave and wait for it to cool down – it can be very hot! Take out the soap turned into a giant popcorn.
5. When it has cooled down a bit, you can make sculptures, soaps in different ways… in this link you can see some ideas.

PLANTS CHANGE COLOR!

Because it’s fun

plants change color with a little trick.

Teaches

Demonstrate how plants transport water up the stem, through the xylem, to reach the leaves and hydrate the petals.

What do you need

• Empty glass jars (jam type)
• Vegetable dyes
• Water
• Carnations, chrysanthemums, gerberas or any type of white flower (like the ones in the photo)
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow:

1. Pour water into each of the jars.
2. Color each jar with the food coloring. Preferably each of a different color.
3. Put the flowers you want in each jar.
4. Observe them and let nature do its work. In a couple of hours, the results should be more than visible, although the process could take a couple of days depending on environmental conditions and other factors.

MAKING GUMMY BEARS FAT (AND WORSE THINGS…)

Because it’s fun

But man, that is not asked… they are gummy bears! the holy grail of the smallest (and oldest).

Teaches

How gummy bears react when they are submerged Gremlin style in different liquids: salted water, vinegar, bicarbonate water… You can take this opportunity to explain the osmosis of water.

What do you need

• Two bags of gummy bears, one to eat and one to donate to ‘science’.
• A glass with only water.
• A glass of vinegar.
• A glass of salty water.
• A glass of water mixed with baking soda.
• Pencil and paper to record the physical changes of each bear.
• The proportion is: 50 ml of water and a teaspoon of salt or bicarbonate.

Steps to follow

1. Before putting the bear into each liquid, measure each one of them and weigh it. Write down their color and make a card with each one of them. You can even name them. It is a scientific experiment, you have to take it seriously! You can do it as they propose in THIS LINK (it has a downloadable 12-page PDF and everything).
2. After recording all the data, he introduces each spongy subject in its corresponding glass.
3. Let them soak gremlin style overnight.
4. The next morning take them out of the glass and let them dry on a sheet of paper. You can put another one directly from the bag next to it to see the changes. Yes, we also feel sorry for the bear that swam in vinegar, but being the subject of an experiment… is not easy.

HOMEMADE ROCK CANDY… AND WITH A STICK!

Because it’s fun

A stick! A stick! (and with sugar)

Teaches

The kids see how the sugar crystallizes on a surface (stick). The crystals take about six to seven days to form. You can take this opportunity to explain nucleation.

What do you need

• Glass jars (jam style)
• Ice cream sticks (see in photo)
• Clothes pegs
• 1 cup of water
• 2 or 3 cups of sugar
• Food colorings
• Flavors (optional)

Steps to follow

1. Mix equal parts of water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until dissolved. Then add sugar until there is at least a 2: 1 ratio. You can also do a 3: 1 ratio. There will come a point where it will no longer dissolve.
2. It is important that the proportion of sugar is quite high. If after a few days there are no crystals in the bottom, it is because it lacks sugar. You can reheat it and increase the proportion.
3. After making the mixture, distribute it in the jars and add the coloring and flavor if you have decided to incorporate it.
4. Dip the sticks in the solution and let them dry for a day.
5. Once dry, put at most a couple of sticks in each jar and hold them at the top with a clamp so that they weigh and do not float.
6. Leave them a week for nucleation to occur. If the mixture has the correct proportion of sugar, you will get a very rich rock sugar and stick!
7. They should be placed in a place with little light and not moved for a week or two.

A PLANT THAT GROWS ON A CD

Because it’s fun

It’s really cool, isn’t it?

Teaches

The life cycle of plants and their structure.

What do you need

• Empty plastic CD cases.
• Seeds (beans are the most used in these things)
• Water
• Marker to write on plastic

Steps to follow

1. Open the CD case. The hinges should be at the top. The hole next to these hinges will allow for dropper watering.
2. Add soil and plant your beans, lentils… more or less in half. If you plant it too low, the roots will end up coming out.
3. Seal the bottom with tape or similar to prevent prying fingers and roots from sticking out.
4. In a week, (without forgetting to water it with a dropper through the upper hole) we will have one like the one in the photo ready to label.

PIERCE THE BAG WITHOUT THE WATER LEAKING OUT

Because it’s fun

Boring things is cool. And if there is a risk of getting wet, more.

Teaches

Density, atmospheric pressure and surface of materials.

What do you need

• Zip-up bags (any other would have a different result)
• Sharp, circular section pencils (not hexagonal or otherwise)
• Water

Steps to follow

1. Understand it: plastic bags are made of polymers, chains of flexible molecules that give the bag its elasticity. The plastic in this type of bag is a bit special, it is designed to withstand high and, above all, low temperatures and is made of a very resistant polymer. If I have the bag full of water, the plastic is subjected to a certain pressure and under these conditions if I make a hole with something, the polymer tries to recreate its chain of monomers around that hole, it maintains the surface tension between the different ones. points and then leaves almost no gap between the pen and the bag itself.
2. Fill the water bag about half full and close it.
3. Insert the sharpened circular pencil as straight as possible to prevent the hole from getting too big.
4. Obviously if you take the pencil out again, you are going to get wet. The hole is still there.

BUILD YOUR OWN SPECTROSCOPE

Because it’s fun

We are going to break down white light into different colors!

Teaches

The experiment shows that not all light sources are the same, the secret is in its spectrum: the colors that compose it form its “fingerprint”

What do you need

• 1 cardboard box (cereal, for example)
• 1 old CD or DVD
• 1 utility knife or scissors
• 1 conveyor
• Opaque adhesive tape
• Different light sources: incandescent bulb, low consumption, halogen, colored flashlights. LED, etc.
• 1 ruler
• 1 pencil or pen
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow:

1. Close the box and its openings tightly with the adhesive tape. The idea is to avoid having grooves or holes through which light can enter.
2. It is time to place the CD (or DVD). To do this, make two cuts (about 5-6 cm in length) on the side faces of the box, at an angle of about 60º with respect to the vertical. You can help yourself with the protractor and the ruler, marking with a pen or pencil the areas you need to cut. In the oblique grooves that have been formed, place the CD, reflective side up (towards the short side of the case). You may need to lengthen the grooves a bit with scissors or a utility knife to get the disc to fit properly. You can fix it with adhesive tape so that it does not move.
3. Now cut a small square on the other side of the box (the short side), so that you can see the CD.
4. On the opposite side to the disk (long side of the case) cut a slot a few mm long as straight as possible at the same height as the CD, so that the light enters the spectroscope.
5. Check if you can see the CD well from the rectangular opening on the short side. If you need it, cut a little more.
6. Your spectroscope is ready! Point the small slot towards the different light sources you are going to study and observe through the hole the spectrum that is reflected on the CD. Adjust the angle to see it better.

BECOME EDISON FOR A DAY!

Because it’s fun

If Edison could, so could you! Do you dare to make your own light bulb? It is much simpler than it seems.

Teaches

It helps you understand the operation of an incandescent bulb and recreate one similar to the first ones that were marketed. The principle is basic: it is about passing an electric current to heat a material, and make it emit visible light.

What do you need

• Glass jar with airtight lid
• Graphite leads (1.4 mm) and aluminum foil
• 2 batteries of 6V type 4R25 or lead-acid battery of 12V and 8Ah.
• Alligator switch, cable and connectors
• 2 pliers
• Metallic paper clips (uncoated)
• Sanitary silicone
• Small candle or small piece of large candle
• 2 bolts, 4 washers and 8 nuts (4 of them “security”). The diameter must be greater than or equal to 4 mm
• Plastic adhesive / hot glue gun
• Work gloves
• Hand drill and metal drill bits
• Cork
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Find an airtight glass jar (if it’s not airtight, it won’t work).
2. Mark and drill the position of the holes for the cork pieces in the lid of the jar. Make sure that they are well separated from each other and that they are not too big.
3. Divide the cork stopper in half and drill the hole that will guide the screws in each piece. Important note: try to drill them with a smaller diameter so that the screws are tight. Now you can insert the corks into the holes in the lid and seal them with hot melt glue or sanitary silicone.
4. Strip, braid, and wrap a piece of wire around the head of each of the screws. If someone who knows helps you, you can solder them for a stronger bond. If not, leave them rolled up. Then screw them onto the cork pieces on the lid of the jar.
5. Now remove the lead from the pencil carefully, so as not to break it or hurt yourself. Important: Wear gloves! They are essential both to protect you and to avoid impregnating the lead with grease with your fingers.
6. Attach the lead to the screws. To do this, you can use the metal piece of two creams and a piece of wire or a paper clip. If you don’t have it, you can also use bare and braided cable (and, don’t forget, do it with your gloves on).
7. Carefully run a lighter flame through the mine to burn off any debris that may be on the surface.
8. Glue a small piece of candle to the bottom of the jar. Turn it on and carefully close the entire set.
9. Once the candle goes out and the jar is cool… your bulb is ready to use!
10. Connect the screw heads on the jar lid to the switch and to the battery using the alligator clip leads.

CREATE MICROLENSES ON YOUR MOBILE SCREEN!

Because it’s fun

We are going to create liquid water lenses to observe the pixels on the mobile screen.

Teaches

The drops of water on a screen act as lenses that allow you to visualize the light-emitting pixels of a screen of a mobile, tablet, etc.

What do you need

• Water
• Water sprayer
• Mobile phone or tablet (if it is old and you do not use it too much, much better, since we are going to get it wet)
• Adult supervision

Steps to follow

1. Important! Water can damage the electronic device you use, so try to use small amounts of water. You can use a spray bottle for this, and avoid getting the headset wet.
2. Spray some water on the unlocked screen and with a luminous wallpaper.
3. If the drops are too big, quickly move the mobile horizontally while blowing the screen.
4. Notice that in the places where the small droplets are, the colors green, blue and red appear. If the droplet is small enough, you will distinguish that these colors are grouped in different squares, each one occupying a rear rectangular part.

BUILD GALILEO’S TELESCOPE!

Because it’s fun

Let’s become little astronomers!

Teaches

With some cardboard tubes and a pair of lenses we are going to build a refractor telescope in the style of Galileo to be able to observe distant objects in much more detail.

What do you need

• A small concave lens
• A large convex lens
• Recycling cardboard tubes
• Glue
• Felt strips
• Rule
• Scissors and cutter

Steps to follow

1. The first thing is to know the diameter and focal length of your lenses. If you are not sure how to do it, this VIDEO can help you.
2. Glue each lens onto the end of a tube. Remember that the diameter of the tubes should be similar to that of the lenses, if the lens is larger, you can stick it carefully not to get it dirty. If it is small, you can fill the gap with a strip of felt.
3. Place one tube inside the other, so that the lenses are on opposite ends of the tubes. The smaller tube must be able to slide smoothly in and out of the larger tube.
4. Glue the felt strips around the outside of the smaller tube to fill in the gap that forms between the tubes. Adjust it by putting several layers, but remember that it should always be able to slide. If not, you won’t be able to focus.
5. Important! You have to calculate the length of the telescope. To do this, do not forget the key: the sum of the focal lengths of both lenses is equal to the distance between them, this being the case when the telescope is focused at infinity. The larger diameter tube will be longer than the smaller diameter tube. The latter must be in the middle position according to the total length. This will give you enough travel to increase or decrease the distance when approaching.

FROM SHOEBOX TO CAMERA… WAY TO GO!

Because it’s fun

Today we are playing at being photographers! And, for this, we are going to create our own analog camera (the old camera obscura) from a shoebox. You do not believe it?

Teaches

The experiment helps us understand how a camera works and how images are created in the retina of our eye, since it is based on the same procedure.

What do you need

• A lens with a focal length of 12-17 cm (6-8 diopter equivalent)
• A shoe box
• Pieces of cardboard or cardstock
• A pair of scissors, utility knife, ruler, and stapler
• Glue for cardboard
• A brush
• A translucent paper or a thin sheet of paper
• A photographic film
• Development liquid

Steps to follow

1. Cut the shoe box without cutting the lid. To do this, draw two lines parallel to the narrower walls of the box. The first will be at a distance equal to the focal length of the lens from one end. The second will be 2 cm longer from the opposite end. Cut along these lines to get parts 1 and 2 of your homemade camera.
2. Slightly reduce the height of part 2 to fit the fixed part.
3. Drill a hole , slightly smaller than the lens, in the wall in part 1.
4. Place the lens on a piece of cardboard and fix it with glue or staples over the hole.
5. Glue or staple this part 1 to the lid of the shoe box.
6. Take part 2 and cut out a small window in the back area. In this window you must place the translucent paper.
7. Place the object you want to photograph and illuminate it. Aim the camera and focus on the object by moving part 2. Finally, see how the image is formed on the translucent paper.
8. To create your home photo, the following is to cover the lens of your camera and work with maximum darkness.
9. Place the photo paper on the clear plastic and close the camera.
10. Turn on the light and, with the lens covered, aim and focus the object to be photographed.
11. Uncover the camera and let the light enter it for about 20 seconds.
12. Re-cover the camera (again working in the dark), remove the photographic paper and apply the development liquids to make the image appear on the paper. Voila! You already have your first home photo.

In Technoeager | The quantum origin of the universe; what the science says