Science is a really fascinating subject and in fact, some scientific experiments can be done in your own home! Imagine teaching your child chemical reactions using an erupting “volcano” in the comfort of your own home.
Some children find science to be a little intimidating because let’s face it, it can make your head spin. But there are plenty of easy and fun experiments that children of all ages (adults even!) can try themselves using items they can find at home.
10 Fun Scientific Experiments Children Can Try At Home
Credit: Enlighted Hand Learning Hub
Ready to get started? Here are some fun and engaging activities you can try with your children. Be careful though, some might just explode to your face so keep an eye on them all the time!
1# Erupting Volcano
What You Need:
- 1 empty mineral bottle
- Plasticine
- Warm water
- 6 drops of Detergent
- 2 tablespoons of Baking Soda
- Vinegar
How:
- Model the plasticine around the mineral bottle and shape it so that it looks like a volcano. Make sure that the mineral bottle is in the middle of the “volcano”.
- Fill ¾ of the bottle with warm water.
- Add 6 drops of detergent to the bottle contents. The detergent helps trap the bubbles produced by the reaction so you get better lava.
- Add 2 tablespoons baking soda to the liquid.
- Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle.
- Eruption time!
2# Scientific experiments children can try: Magic Mud
“Magic Mud” is a non Newtonian “mud” made from potato starch that remains hard when handled and turns into liquid when not in use. However, parents have to beware that it can get messy! But it’s pretty cool because it’s glow in the dark!
What You Need:
- A bag of normal potatoes (washed, cleaned and chopped to tiny bits)
- 1 bottle of tonic water that contains quinine
How:
- Put the chopped potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Cover your tiny potato bits with hot water.
- Stir for a few minutes until the water turns red/muddy.
- Strain the potatoes out of the potato water. Into another large bowl.
- Leave it for about 10 minutes OR until you see a white layer at the bottom of the bowl.
- Remove the dirty water. The white layer won’t move.
- To “clean” the white layer, mix it with some water and pour it into a glass jar.
- Shake it and let it rest for about 10 minutes again.
- You will see the layers again and throw the water away.
- Leave the white layer for 2 days until it turns into powder.
- Put 3 tablespoons of the white powder into the bowl.
- Mix in some tonic water.
- You can play with it now!
3# Pasta Hybrid Rocket Engine
For those budding rocket scientist, you can make a “hybrid engine” using only pasta, yeast and hydrogen peroxide which you can get at most pharmacists. It is also a chemical reaction experiment like the erupting volcano.
What You Need:
- A canning jar with a ring lid. Punch a hole on the lid. DO NOT USE THE SCREW ON RING.
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Yeast
- Pasta with a hole in the centre.
How:
- Fill the jar with Hydrogen Peroxide.
- Stir in a teaspoon of yeast.
- Put the lid in place and the pasta over the hole.
- Light the end of the pasta.
Did you know that some of the most advanced rocket engines share the same concept?
4#Scientific experiments children can try: Freezing Water
For those children who loves Elsa’s freezing power or Frozone’s freezing power from The Incredibles, this is for you. You can now make instant slushies of your favourite soft drinks! Plus, it’s super easy!
What you Need:
- 500ml Room temperature soda (Shake it until it foams)
How:
- Put the shaken bottle of soda into the freezer for approx. 3 hours and 15 minutes.
- Do not open the shaken bottle.
- Now, twist the cap (but do not open), tighten the cap back, turn the bottle upside down and you have a soda slushie in 3 seconds.
5# Clouds in a bottle
Create your own clouds in a bottle. Perfect to teach your child about temperature and the formation of clouds.
What You Need:
- Large glass jar (one gallon size) with lid
- Aerosol (hairspray or air freshener)
- Flashlight or lamp
- Water
- Dark-colored paper and flashlight
How:
- Pour boiling water into a glass jar.
- Swirl the water around so that the jar heats up.
- The jar will be very hot. Be sure to use oven mitts to hold the jar.
- Place 2 ice cube in jar lid.
- Spray aerosol into the jar.
- Place a dark-colored piece of paper behind the jar.
- You can also use a flashlight to shine into the jar.
Enjoy your little cloud!
6# Scientific experiments children can try: Lava Lamp
A lava lamp that can be made with ingredients from your kitchen! Trust me, you’ll be the coolest parent around!
What You Need:
- Plastic soda bottle with cap (big)
- Vegetable oil
- Food colouring
- Effervescent tablet (Shortcut for parents: You can use those Vitamin C tablets and orange colouring)
Optional:
- Sequins
- Glitter
- Salt
- Flashlight
How:
- Pour vegetable oil into a clean soda bottle till ¾ full.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
- Add 3-5 drops of the food colouring.
- Optional: Add in your glitter/sequins.
- Break the effervescent tablet into small pieces.
- Drop it into the mixture.
- No effervescent tablet? Use salt instead!
- Put the cap back on.
- Slowly move the bottle back and forth.
- Enjoy the show!
7# Colourful Carnations
Turn white flowers into colourful flowers! This experiment is important to illustrate the diagram of a flower.
What You Need:
- 4 glasses
- 4 white carnations
- 4 types of food colouring
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
How:
- Fill ½ of the glasses with water.
- Add in the food colouring until you get a nice, strong colour.
- Cut the stem of your flowers with the knife.
- Cut it slanting.
- Put one flower in each glass of water.
- Place them in a bright, sunny spot.
- Keep it there for 4-6 hours.
- Keep checking as they change colours!
8# Scientific experiments children can try: Rainbow In A Jar
Who doesn’t love rainbows? Better yet, your own rainbow in a jar!
What You Need:
- 1 jar
- 1/2 cup blue dishwashing liquid
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- Food coloring
- 5 spoons
- 5 bowls for mixing
How:
- Make your purple layer by mixing 1/2 cup of the light corn syrup with 1 drop of blue and 1 drop of red food coloring.
- Carefully pour it into the bottom of your jar.
- Carefully pour the blue dish soap down the side of the jar.
- Mix 1/2 cup of water with 2 drops of green food coloring.
- Carefully pour in your green water down the side of the jar.
- Gently pour 1/2 cup olive oil down the side of your jar.
- Mix 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol with 2 drops of red food coloring.
- Carefully pour the red rubbing alcohol down the inside of your jar.
- Being careful not to disturb your liquids, set your jar down on the table and enjoy your rainbow!
9# Crazy Slime
Perfect for sensory play and also, makes you feel like the Professor in Flubber.
What You Need:
- White wood glue
- Borax powder (can be bought from most Chinese Medicine halls)
- Food colouring (any colour of your preference)
- Water
- Measuring spoon
- Two containers
- Airtight container where you can store your slime
How:
- In one container, put one tablespoon of glue in it and mix it with another tablespoon of water and a tiny drop of the food colouring.
- Stir it with a stick or another spoon.
- In another container, put one teaspoon of borax powder and mix it with one tablespoon of water.
- Stir the mixture until the borax powder dissolves, creating a borax solution.
- Pour the borax solution into the other container, and mix it with your coloured glue mixture.
- Mix the two solutions together. You can do this using your hands.
- Less than 10 minutes, you have your very own slime!
10# Naked Egg
This is a fascinating experiment to strip the egg off it’s shell!
What You Need:
- Egg
- Vinegar
How:
- Place the egg in a tall glass or jar and cover the egg with vinegar.
- Leave the egg in the vinegar for a full 24 hours.
- Change the vinegar on the second day.
- Carefully pour the old vinegar down the drain and cover the egg with fresh vinegar.
- Place the glass with the vinegar and egg in a safe place for a week
These scientific experiments sound exactly what you needed at the moment with your children stuck at home doing online learning. Good luck parents! We know you really need it.
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