Inspiring Young Scientists: 10 Easy Experiments to Try at Home
Educational and Fun Activities
Written by George Hall
1 January 2024
🕓 13 min
Introducing children to science at an early age is an excellent way to nurture their curiosity and problem-solving skills. Engaging in simple, hands-on experiments at home can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary learning experience. Below are 10 easy experiments that inspire young scientists to explore, question, and discover the fascinating world around them. Each activity is designed to be safe, educational, and incredibly fun.
1. Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano
The classic baking soda and vinegar volcano remains one of the most exciting experiments for young scientists. This activity demonstrates a chemical reaction between an acid (vinegar) and a base (baking soda), which produces carbon dioxide gas. The foamy eruption is both visually stimulating and a great opportunity to explain basic chemical reactions.
What You’ll Need: Baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, food colouring, and a small container (or make a clay volcano structure).
Instructions:
- Place the small container in the centre of a tray to catch any overflow.
- Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda to the container.
- Mix a few drops of food colouring and dish soap into a cup of vinegar.
- Pour the vinegar mixture into the container with the baking soda and watch the reaction!
To create the volcano, start by forming a small mound of modelling clay or dough around a plastic bottle to resemble a volcano. Fill the bottle halfway with baking soda and add a few drops of food colouring for dramatic effect. When your child is ready, pour vinegar into the bottle and watch the "lava" flow. Encourage your child to hypothesise what will happen before the vinegar is added and discuss the results afterward.
Extend the activity by experimenting with different amounts of vinegar and baking soda to observe how the eruption changes. You can also try adding dish soap to create thicker, more dramatic foam. To make the learning more immersive, discuss natural volcanic activity and the role of gases in real-world eruptions. Explain how pressure builds beneath the Earth’s crust, causing magma to erupt and form a volcano.
2. Homemade Slime
Making slime is a sensory delight that combines chemistry and fun. This activity helps children understand the concept of polymers—substances made of long, repeating chains of molecules. Slime’s stretchy, gooey texture offers an exciting way to explore non-Newtonian fluids, which behave differently than liquids or solids. To make slime, mix equal parts of white glue and water in a bowl. Add food colouring or glitter for customisation. Slowly stir in a small amount of borax solution (a teaspoon of borax dissolved in a cup of water) until the mixture thickens. Encourage children to experiment with different proportions to observe how the texture changes.
Discuss why slime behaves the way it does and introduce the idea of cross-linking, where the borax connects the glue molecules to create a new, stretchy material. Extend the activity by comparing different recipes, such as using liquid starch or contact lens solution instead of borax. You can also explore temperature changes by placing slime in the refrigerator or warming it slightly to see how its consistency changes. To make the activity more educational, explain how polymers are used in everyday life, from plastic bags to rubber bands. Highlight how scientists study these materials to develop new products, sparking curiosity about the role of chemistry in innovation. Ensure that your child handles the slime safely, washes their hands after play, and avoids putting it near their mouth or eyes.
Additionally, connect the experiment to geography by showing your child pictures of famous volcanoes, such as Mount Vesuvius or Mount St. Helens. This adds context to the scientific concepts and helps them see how the simple experiment mirrors real-life natural events. By combining hands-on play with educational discussion, this activity becomes a multi-faceted learning experience.
3. Walking Water Experiment
The walking water experiment is a simple and visually captivating activity that demonstrates capillary action and colour mixing. It’s ideal for introducing concepts in physics and chemistry while developing observational skills. To set up, place three clear glasses in a row. Fill the first and third glasses with water and leave the middle one empty. Add a few drops of different food colouring to the glasses with water. Roll up two paper towels and place one end in the coloured water and the other end in the empty glass. Over the next few hours, children will observe the coloured water "walking" along the paper towel into the empty glass, creating a new colour as the liquids mix.
Encourage your child to make predictions about what will happen and ask why the water moves upward against gravity. Explain the concept of capillary action, where water molecules are pulled upward through tiny spaces in the paper towel due to cohesion and adhesion. Relate this to real-life examples, such as how plants draw water from their roots to their leaves. Enhance the learning by experimenting with different types of paper towels or liquids, such as saltwater or sugar water, to see how they affect the process. This experiment is a great introduction to the scientific method as children observe, hypothesise, and draw conclusions from their findings. Extend the activity by creating patterns with multiple glasses and colours, turning the experiment into a creative art project.
4. Balloon Rocket
The balloon rocket experiment is a fun way to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This activity involves launching a balloon across a room using string and a straw, offering an engaging way to explore physics concepts. To create the balloon rocket, thread a long piece of string through a straw and tie the string between two chairs. Inflate a balloon but do not tie it off; instead, tape it to the straw. When released, the air rushing out propels the balloon forward along the string. Ask your child to experiment with variables, such as changing the size of the balloon or the angle of the string, to see how these affect the rocket’s speed and distance. Discuss the principles of thrust and force, and relate the activity to real-world rockets and space exploration. For an added challenge, create a target or obstacle course for the balloon rocket to navigate.
Extend the learning by discussing how engineers design rockets to overcome gravity and reach space. Show videos or images of real rocket launches to inspire curiosity about space science. This activity combines hands-on play with fundamental physics, making it an ideal introduction to motion and force.
5. Floating Egg Experiment
This experiment uses common kitchen ingredients to explore density and buoyancy. By adding salt to water, children can make an egg float, showcasing how the density of a liquid can affect the objects within it. Fill a glass with plain water and gently drop in an egg, noting how it sinks. Then, gradually stir in salt and observe as the egg begins to float. Explain that adding salt increases the water’s density, making it possible for the egg to stay afloat.
Extend the learning by encouraging your child to measure the amount of salt needed to make the egg float and to try the experiment with other small objects. Discuss how this concept applies to the Dead Sea, where the high salt content makes it easy for people to float. To add more complexity, try layering liquids with different densities, such as oil, water, and syrup, and observe how objects behave in each layer.
This activity is a simple yet effective way to introduce concepts of density and buoyancy, fostering curiosity about the properties of different materials and their interactions.
6. Growing Crystals
Introduce children to the fascinating world of geology by growing crystals at home. This is not just a fun craft; it's also a great way to explore the science behind crystallisation and solutions.
What You’ll Need: Borax powder, hot water, a jar, a pipe cleaner, a string, and food colouring (optional).
Instructions:
- Shape the pipe cleaner into a fun design, such as a star, a heart, or a spiral. This will act as the base on which the crystals will grow.
- Heat water until it is very warm but not boiling. Mix three tablespoons of borax powder for every cup of water until fully dissolved. If desired, add a few drops of food colouring to the solution for colourful crystals.
- Suspend the pipe cleaner in the jar using the string, ensuring it doesn’t touch the sides or bottom of the jar.
- Leave the setup overnight in a safe location. The next day, observe how beautiful crystals have formed on the pipe cleaner.
This activity introduces children to the concept of supersaturation, where a solution holds more solute than it typically can, leading to crystallisation. They also learn about geometric patterns in nature, making this an engaging and educational experiment.
7. Balloon Rocket Race
This thrilling physics experiment is ideal for exploring the concepts of force, thrust, and motion. It’s also a great way to teach children about Newton’s Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
What You’ll Need: Balloons, string, tape, a straw, and markers (optional for decoration).
Instructions:
- Thread the string through the straw and tie it tightly between two stationary points, like the backs of chairs or door handles.
- Inflate a balloon but do not tie it off. Tape the balloon to the straw, ensuring it’s secure.
- Let go of the balloon and watch it zoom along the string as air escapes.
To make the activity even more engaging, set up multiple strings and organise a balloon race. Children can decorate their balloons as "rockets" or "spaceships" and compete to see whose design travels fastest. This experiment reinforces the principles of propulsion and gives young learners hands-on experience with the basics of physics.
8. Density Rainbow Jar
A density rainbow jar combines vibrant visuals with scientific learning, teaching children about density and how different liquids interact. It’s a fantastic mix of art and science that captivates children and adults alike.
What You’ll Need: A tall, clear jar, honey, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, food colouring, and a spoon.
Instructions:
- Begin by pouring a thick layer of honey into the jar. This will form the base of the density gradient.
- Slowly add each liquid in the following order: dish soap, coloured water, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol mixed with a different food colouring. Pour each layer carefully to maintain separation, using the back of a spoon to control the flow if necessary.
- Observe how the liquids layer on top of one another without mixing.
This activity provides a hands-on way to explore the concept of density. Children can test how small objects, like beads or coins, float or sink depending on the layer they’re in, adding an interactive dimension to the experiment.
9. Static Electricity Butterflies
Static electricity is all around us, but it can feel like magic to children. This simple activity uses basic materials to demonstrate how static electricity can cause objects to move without direct contact.
What You’ll Need: Tissue paper, a balloon, tape, scissors, and a wool sweater (or your hair).
Instructions:
- Cut tissue paper into butterfly shapes. You can also use other shapes like stars or flowers for variety.
- Tape the butterflies lightly to a table or flat surface so they can still move freely.
- Inflate a balloon and rub it against a wool sweater or your hair to generate static electricity.
- Hold the balloon close to the tissue shapes and watch as they lift and “dance.”
Children can experiment with different materials, like aluminium foil or feathers, to see which respond to static electricity. Discuss how charged particles interact, making this a perfect segue into explaining concepts like electrons and attraction.
10. Mentos and Soda Geyser
Few experiments are as exhilarating as the Mentos and soda geyser. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that illustrates gas expansion and reaction rates in a memorable way.
What You’ll Need: A 2-litre bottle of diet soda, a roll of Mentos mints, and an outdoor space.
Instructions:
- Take the bottle of soda outside, as this experiment can get messy.
- Quickly drop several Mentos into the soda bottle using a funnel or a homemade Mentos launcher (easily made from paper or a tube).
- Step back and watch the soda erupt in a spectacular geyser!
This activity provides an exciting way to learn about surface area and how carbon dioxide gas escapes from the liquid. You can even turn it into a science project by experimenting with different types of soda or candies to see which combinations create the biggest reaction.
Conclusion
Inspiring young scientists doesn’t require expensive equipment or complex experiments. These 10 easy, engaging activities are perfect for nurturing curiosity, creativity, and a love for science in children. Whether you’re exploring chemical reactions, physics principles, or natural phenomena, each experiment provides a hands-on learning opportunity that can spark a lifelong passion for discovery. Try these experiments at home and watch as your child’s scientific imagination soars!
For parents and educators looking to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators, incorporating hands-on science into education is a must. Whether through classroom experiments, after-school clubs, or holiday workshops, these activities offer an unparalleled opportunity to ignite curiosity and nurture talent. To learn more about how hands-on science can transform your child’s learning experience, consider exploring the programmes offered by Science of Sound. Together, we can make science fun, accessible, and inspiring for all.
