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Create an Exciting Marble Maze with this STEM Challenge for Kids!

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Engage your kids in a hands-on learning experience with this open-ended paper plate maze STEM challenge. Watch as their creativity and problem-solving skills shine through while they build their very own marble maze. Get ready for hours of fun and learning! #Stem #science #handsonlearning #learningfun #STEMactivity

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https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/make-a-lava-lamp

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https://pin.it/8uss0iBry (Pom Pom Shooters)

https://www.generationgenius.com/activities/five-senses-activity-for-kids/

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Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws- such a great way for kids to explore science!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post was originally published on June 14, 2015 and has since been updated.
Here's an easy way to make straw rockets using just a few materials. This project makes a great addition to a unit on physics, space, the night sky, or things that fly and is also just fun to do on a rainy day!

A reader, Lisa, suggested a great children's book to go with this activity: The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield. Be sure to check it out!

The kids and I designed our own rockets and launched them using straws! This activity was definitely a hit with both Lucy (age 7) and Theo (age 3 1/2).

The kids loved seeing how far they could get their straw rockets to go and had fun trying them out at all different angles.

This activity makes a great science exploration and is perfect for the classroom. Kids can compare how different angles of the straw affect the distance the rocket travels or how adding fins or folding the rocket in different ways can affect its flight.

See the straw rockets in action!

Materials for Making Straw Rockets

Directions for Making Straw Rockets

1. Print out the free rocket template. Color the rockets and cut them out.

2. Cut the bottom off a plastic pipette and attach it to the back of a rocket using tape or glue dots. (We love having a stash of plastic pipettes at home. They're so fun to use with painting and often come in handy for various science activities- like with our color arrays. And they're super inexpensive!)

If you don't have any plastic pipettes handy, you can use a straw instead. (Just make sure this straw is wider than the other straw you'll be using for launching.) Cut the straw to fit the length of the rocket and tape one end shut so it's completely sealed. Attach it to your rocket with glue dots or tape.

3. Slip a straw into your pipette, and you're ready to launch!

4. Give your straw a big puff of air, and watch it take off!

Extending the Straw Rockets Science Activity

How does the angle you launch your rocket affect the distance it travels? Try out different angles and record the results.

Can you design your own rockets to attach to the pipette or straw? Which designs work better?

Try adding another fin to your rocket with tape. How does it affect the flight of your rocket?

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STEM for Kids: Straw Rockets (with Free Rocket Template) - Buggy and Buddy

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Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws- such a great way for kids to explore science! This post contains affiliate links. This post was originally published on June 14, 2015 and has since been updated.

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Construct a perch for the stuffed animal 

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Construct a perch for the stuffed animal 

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Create a perch for the stuffed animal to sit on and not fall off.

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Our Ideas for STEAM Night (Shae/Matthew)

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Our Ideas for STEAM Night (Shae/Matthew)

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Marshmallow Shooters

Stacking Cups w/ string - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-MTuGSTJR8

Cup Stack with paper - Newton's first law. - https://youtu.be/j8iHvdDOrDk?si=6z53YcRq1El4PR_O

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Whew! I needed a blogging break. Keeping up with this blog and my classroom blog for parents was stretching me thin. But I'm back with some fun science activities to teach force and motion!

This week we are learning about push and pull, friction, and how to measure movement. When I saw this idea from Real Simple magazine (my FAVE!), I knew it would be the perfect fun for this unit!

So after I had these made, I gave all of the students a few marshmallows to eat....just to get that out of the way! The rest were STRICTLY used for Science!

We discussed and demonstrated that little force won't move an object very far (or very fast), but if you use BIG force, it will move faster and travel farther. Wow, they had fun practicing that with their marshmallows!

We also discussed how we can measure how far things move. We went outside and each student had a turn to see how far they could launch their marshmallow. We used a tape measure to record the results.

Push and pull....force....measurement.....what a fun way to teach these concepts!!

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Force and Motion -- Marshmallow Shooters!

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Whew! I needed a blogging break. Keeping up with this blog and my classroom blog for parents was stretching me thin. But I'm back with some ...

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Have them choose from a few designs of paper airplains and have them build the one they think will go the farthest. They can compete (leaderboard)

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The Floor Is Lava Stem Challenge for kindergarten | Stem activities preschool, Kindergarten stem, Kindergarten stem challenges

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Dec 2, 2022 - The best kind of kindergarten STEM challenge is one that has children working together to find a solution to a fun, engaging problem using simple supplies that don't take lots of prep time. Enter The Floor is Lava STEM activity for kindergarteners. It's so simple, you can do it with preschoolers too! Don't forget to

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https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/5-fun-stem-crafts-for-kids/

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This toothpick towers challenge, with only two materials, is the best ever.

Yes, you have heard me say that many times, but this time I mean it.

It is fun. It is hard. Really hard. And the kids want it to work so much. They persevere. They start over. They never give up. It's pretty perfect.

It's the great Toothpick Tower Challenge!

You really only need two materials!

Now, having said that, I also do this one in two different ways. Both use toothpicks and I have some tips about those!

Isn't that fabulous?

Now, for the truth about the photo. The young man that made that little creation was not building anything. He was just playing. I snapped the picture and then fussed a little.

THE FIRST VERSION OF TOOTHPICK TOWERS

For toothpick towers version number 1 - we use toothpicks and modeling dough. I have a couple of tips or you about this!

TIP: Round toothpicks work best, but they are very sharp. They can stab into your fingers if you are not careful. So, I always warn the kids about this. Flat toothpicks are less likely to stab you but they are a little flimsy.

TIP: Modeling dough can be tricky. Kids love it and they love to make those long skinny worms out of the dough. But, the more you play with dough the warmer it gets, and the warmer it gets, the more flimsy it is as a building material. So, hands-off!

BUILDING TECHNIQUES FOR TOOTHPICK TOWERS

Kids try all sorts of ways to connect with toothpicks. I love watching them!

In the above photos (on the left) one team member builds the pieces while another connects them! Great way to learn about an assembly line! On the right are several more ways to connect!

Invariably, the toothpick towers that succeed are the ones with a great base and not much dough at the top. Modeling dough is heavy!

TOOTHPICK TOWERS VERSION #2

TIP: Marshmallows are completely different than modeling dough. They can be very sticky so keep some wet washcloths on hand. This will help clean sticky fingers and your tabletops.

TIP: Open the fresh bag of marshmallows and let them dry out a little before you use them. They can be very flimsy when too fresh!

Whichever version you try with this toothpick towers challenge, I promise, your kids will love it!

Two materials = win-win!

You might also like these tower challenges:

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Toothpick Towers Tips and Tricks - Teachers are Terrific

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This toothpick towers challenge, with only two materials, is the best ever. Yes, you have heard me say that many times, but this time I mean it. It is fun. It is hard. Really hard. And the kids want it to work so much. They persevere. They start over.

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Hot summer fun with super cool and colorful ice cube painting! Kiddos of all ages will enjoy this neat art process using ice cubes! If you're looking for a new art project at any time of the year, why not try ice painting! All you need is an ice cube tray, water, food coloring, and paper for an easy to set up art project for kids!

ICE PAINTING FOR PRESCHOOLERS

PAINTING WITH ICE

Painting with ice is a MUST try art project for kids. It works as well for toddlers as it does with teens so you can include the whole family in the fun. Ice cube painting is also budget-friendly making it perfect for large groups and classroom projects!

Make your own colorful ice paints which are easy to use outside and just as easy to clean up. You can even lay down a plastic shower curtain underneath the project for clean up in a snap. Art is all about getting a little messy anyway!

ICE CUBE ART

Are you ready to try painting with ice cubes? Ice paints glide so smoothly over the paper like watercolors once they get going. Perfect for a hot day!
Make sure to explore color mixing too!

Food coloring - primary colors (red, yellow, blue)

11 in. X 14 in. white Posterboard

Plastic Spoon

Craft sticks (optional to freeze one into each cube as a handle)

NOTE: Food coloring can stain! Dress in your best artist smock and be prepared for a bit of mess.

STEP 1: Pour water into the ice tray. Do not overfill or colors may run into other sections. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each section. Place the ice tray in the freezer and freeze the ice completely.

STEP 2: Place the poster board into the large tray, and e mpty the ice tray onto the poster.

STEP 3: Use the spoon to spread the ice around. The ice will start to melt and leave colors on the poster board.

Color the whole poster with your ice paints until until no white space is left.

STEP 4. When finished pour the melted ice water into the sink or large container if indoors. Run water over the poster board to get all of the excess water off.

STEP 5. Hang your ice cube art up to dry.

MORE FUN ART PROJECTS FOR KIDS

SUMMER FUN WITH ICE CUBE ART

Click on the image below or on the link for more homemade paint recipes for kids.

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Hot summer fun with super cool and colorful ice cube painting! Kiddos of all ages will enjoy this neat art process using ice cubes! If you're looking for a new art project at any time of the year, why not try ice painting!

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https://scienceandliteracy.org/stem-activities-for-elementary-students/#2

-Toothpicks and jellybeans/gumdrops

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19 STEM Activities for Elementary Students: Budget-Friendly & Fun

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19 Best STEM Activities for Elementary Students: 1. Crystal Sun Catchers 2. Jellybean Building 3. Pipe Cleaner Counting 4. Testing Air Resistance with Parachuts

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Give them a collection of objects, and have them list what they think will sink or float. When they have their ideas, they drop the objects in water and see if they were right!

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The catapult with the Popsicle sticks and rubber bands

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This is pretty much the prettiest science experiment we've ever done. Through the magical chemistry of polymers, you can turn recycled plastic into a beautiful flower garden or bouquet. So save your plastic cups and plates from that party or snacktime at school and make someone just as happy as real flowers do. This is the Recycled Plastic Flowers Art and Science Project and it's part of 28 Days of Hands-On STEM Activities for Kids, a fun blog series in February. This post contains affiliate links.

Recycled Plastic Flowers Supplies Needed

Make Your Flowers

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.

2. Color your plates, cups & bowls with Sharpie marker. I found that it helps to color them as completely as possible, especially in the very center because that's where the glue to hold the stem goes. The glue shows if you don't color that part.

3. Cut slits in the sides of each using scissors. Careful as sometimes plastic pieces go flying.

4. Place plastic pieces on foil covered baking sheet and bake for 2-5 minutes. Be sure to watch your pieces in the oven, both because it's cool to see them melt and curl up, but also to make sure you don't leave them in too long. Also, it's a good idea to put the fan on or open a window for ventilation because melting plastic can get a little smelly.

Let cool and hot glue gun your covered floral stem to the back center of the flower. You can also glue on an additional pieces of plastic that you want to add to the flower. I used one of the shot glasses to make a center petal trumpet like a daffodil's.

We made a few different flowers. And by a few, I mean, we do this project almost daily because it's so fun! Good thing you can find the cups at the dollar store!! I suppose it's not really a recycled project if you have to keep going out to get more plastic, but my house is now really colorful...

What's the Science Behind These Flowers?

This flower forming works because of the characteristics of the plastic in the cups & plates. The heat of the oven changes the alignment of the polymer chains within the plastic. In the cup and plate manufacturing process, a polymer resin is heated, extruded, rolled into flat sheets and then molded. This process aligns the polymers into an orderly pattern, but the heat of the oven returns them to their naturally disordered, clumped state. Gravity and the placement of the cuts define how they crumple. #6 plastic works well in this project because its melting point is low enough for the oven to reach. Want to learn more about polymers? Try some edible ones with these Homemade Fruit Gummies.

This project is a great way to learn some scientific method stuff, too. Here are a few discussion points:

What do you think impacts the final shape of the flower? Form a hypothesis, then try varying the number and size of the cuts as well as the time in the oven. Did the results match your hypothesis? Form your conclusion.

What would happen if you changed the temperature of the oven? The type of plastic?

Would this work with other kinds of markers? Why or why not? Test it to be sure.

Group Projects, Gifts and Cheer Me Ups

There are so many things you could do with these flowers. I love the idea of a community art & science project. Everyone can cut and color their own flowers and just like snowflakes, no two will be the same. Then you can "plant" them in terracotta pots or in floral foam. They make a beautiful bouquet, too. I love that the addition of art to STEM makes this project really shine.

28 Days of Hands-On STEM

This post is a part of an amazing series of hands-on STEM activities for kids. I've joined up with 28 other bloggers and we're creating 60+ fun science, technology, engineering & math activities. Each week is a different topic: STEM Goes Green, STEM Challenges, Coding for Kids & STEM On the Cheap. Click here for the full list of activities.

Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that you can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out, STEAM Explorers!! The coolest new creative experience for kids is here! Think digital magazine meets online project portal in a safe, kid-friendly environment. (No more worrying about what might be hidden in that YouTube vid!) All engineer, teacher, and mom-approved. And most definitely KID APPROVED!⁣

What's included?⁣

A monthly digital magazine with cool themes that's fun to read

Hands-on, exciting projects the kids will love.⁣

Science, tech, engineering, art, and math learning YOU'LL love.⁣

Delicious recipes the kids can make.⁣

Fun printables and games⁣

All packed up in an easy-to-do package, ready for kids ages 6-12 to have fun.
This month we're exploring the world of insects with hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

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Recycled Plastic Flowers Art and Science Project

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This is pretty much the prettiest science experiment we've ever done. Through the magical chemistry of polymers, you can turn recycled plastic into a beautiful flower garden or bouquet. So save your plastic cups and plates from that party or snacktime at school and make someone just as happy as real flowers do.

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https://www.thoughtco.com/make-a-dry-ice-balloon-606411

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Summary

Introduction

Can you name the bestselling musical instrument in the world? If you said harmonica, you are right! The harmonica was said to be patented in 1821 by Christian Buschmann, a 16-year-old German boy. Since then, it has become the top-selling instrument in the world and a household item in many places. Luckily, creating beautiful noise is not just an art-it is also a science! In this activity, you will design and explore your own harmonica-like instrument made from household items. Time to tune up!

This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

Materials

Prep Work

1. Stretch the wide rubber band over one of the craft sticks lengthwise.

2. Use your scissors to cut four pieces of straw, each one to one-and-a-half inches long.

3. Place one of the pieces of straw under the rubber band perpendicular to the craft stick, about two inches from the left side of the craft stick. This is Straw 1.

4. Place another piece of straw on top of the rubber band to the right of Straw 1. This is Straw 2.

5. Place the third piece about two inches from the right side of the craft stick, under the rubber band. This is Straw 3.

6. Straws 1 and 4 should be closest to the ends of the craft stick, while Straws 2 and 3 should be in the middle.

7. With an adult to help you hold the straws in place, put the second craft stick on top of the first one, creating a sandwich with the pieces of straw between the craft sticks.

8. Use your paper and pencil to draw a table with two columns and five rows. Label the first column "distance between middle straws" and fill in each space below with: "2.5 inches," "2 inches," "1.5 inches" and "1 inch." Label the second column "tone of sound."

Instructions

1. To start, move Straws 1 and 4 as close to the ends of the craft stick as possible. You can move the straws by gently sliding them back and forth, but be careful not to pull them out of the sandwich!

2. Again, move Straws 2 and 3 closer together, so that there is a distance of 1.5 inches between them.

3. Finally, move Straws 2 and 3 closer together again, so that there is a distance of 1 inch between them.

4. Return Straws 2 and 3 to their original position, with 2.5 inches between them. Repeat the above steps, this time recording your observations about the tone of the sound in your table. To help you compare the sounds, rate the pitch (highness or lowness) of the sound. Score the lowest pitch sound as a 1, and the highest pitch sound as a 4.

What Happened?

The sound made by your instrument is actually the sound created by the large rubber band vibrating as you blow through it, just as a violin string vibrates when played by a violinist. As you blew through your instrument, you might have noticed that you could feel the vibrations through the craft stick. When you rebuilt the instrument without the large rubber band, you probably found that you could not produce any sound when you blew through it. From this you can observe that the large rubber band was essential to creating sound, and that vibrations accompanied the sound.

In addition, you might have noticed that you could change the tone of the sound by moving the straws. When you moved Straws 2 and 3 closer together, the vibrating section of the rubber band got shorter and the tone of the sound got higher. The shorter section of rubber band vibrates more quickly, and our ears pick this up as a higher-pitch sound.

When you removed all but one straw, you probably found that the pitch of the instrument became lower. With only one straw, the vibrating part of the rubber band was probably longer, vibrated slower, and generated a lower-pitch sound. As you moved the remaining straw, you could change the tone as the vibrating part of the rubber band became shorter or longer.

Digging Deeper

The sounds we hear every day are sound waves traveling through the air and reaching our ears. Much like a wave in a pool is created by a disturbance (e.g. a person jumping in), sound waves are generated by the vibration or rapid back-and-forth motion of an object. Waves in the pool travel through water, while sound waves most commonly travel through air. The vibrating object, such as a vocal cord or a violin string, bumps into air particles around it. The air particles then bump into nearby air particles, and the sound wave travels through the air.

Blowing air through your harmonica causes the rubber band to vibrate. The vibrating rubber band bumps against the air particles and as such, generates a sound wave. The vibration happens at a specific rate and generates a sound of the same frequency. The frequency is commonly measured in Hertz (Hz), where one Hertz equals one vibration per second. Humans typically hear sounds with a frequency between 20 and 20,000 Hz.

To understand the frequency or number of vibrations per second, imagine two people holding a rope between them. If one person gently shakes the rope up and down once per second, a wave will travel through the rope with a frequency of 1 Hz, or one vibration per second. If the person increases the speed and moves the rope up and down twice per second, a wave will travel through the rope at a frequency of 2 Hz.

We perceive the frequency of a sound wave by the pitch of the tone: a high frequency wave is perceived as high pitch tone and a low frequency wave sounds low. When you shortened the vibrating part of the rubber band, it vibrated more quickly or at a higher frequency and thus, produced a higher pitch tone. Similarly, men tend to have longer vocal chords than women and therefore their voices are generally lower than women's voices. You could also use a thinner rubber band or stretch the vibrating section tighter to create a higher pitch.

Ask an Expert

For Further Exploration

Make a second harmonica similar to the first one, but replace the wide rubber band by thinner or shorter rubber bands. Do these two harmonicas sound the same? Make sure the straw placements are identical when comparing the sound created by the two harmonicas.

Test larger and/or smaller craft sticks and materials other than the straws. How many different instruments can you make?

Can you find other vibrating objects and make tones of different pitch with them?

Use your smartphone or tablet and learn to use the Google Science Journal app to measure the pitch of your harmonica. The app exists for your Android and iOS devices.

Project Ideas

Activities

Lesson Plans

Links

Careers

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Make Your Own Harmonica! | STEM Activity

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Build a harmonica and make sounds of different pitch.

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https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/5-fun-stem-crafts-for-kids/

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Blow Art Trees

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Secret Messages With Invisible Ink! | STEM Activity

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This fun science activity will show you how to write secret messages with invisible ink -and how to reveal them again!

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Egg drop

Boomwhackers playalong (https://youtu.be/bmnnpU3SkJU?si=7H53ZXEy7aDHspuW)

DIY Anemometer (https://capriplus3.com/easy-anemometer-kids-can-make/)

Pan Flutes (https://buggyandbuddy.com/homemade-straw-pan-flutes/)

Paper Eiffel Tower (https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/paper-eiffel-tower/)

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Shake It Off from Sing | Steady Beat Boomwhackers

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DIY Homemade Lava Lamp: DIY/Homemade Lava Lamps are great fun for families to do together. It can be mesmerizing and calming to watch the lava lamp in action. This activity always keeps my kids busy for a good amount of time.

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Try something a little different by making your own colorful marbled paper with a few simple supplies. Mix up homemade oil paint from kitchen supplies and make DIY marbled paper at home or in the classroom. Art doesn't have to be difficult or overly messy to share with children, and it doesn't have to cost a lot either. Make this fun and colorful marble paper for do-able art projects for kids.

HOW TO MAKE MARBLED PAPER

THE SCIENCE OF PAPER MARBLING

Why don't oil and water mix? Do you notice the oil and water separate to make the fun marbling pattern? The water molecules attract each other, and the oil molecules stick together. That causes oil and water to form two separate layers.

Water molecules pack closer together so they sink to the bottom, leaving the oil sitting on top of the water. That's because water is heavier than oil. Making a density tower is another great way to observe how not all liquids weigh the same.

Liquids are made up of different numbers of atoms and molecules. In some liquids, these atoms and molecules are packed together more tightly resulting in a denser or heavier liquid.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Marbled Easter Eggs
WHY DO ART WITH KIDS?

Children are naturally curious. They observe, explore, and imitate, trying to figure out how things work and how to control themselves and their environments. This freedom of exploration helps children form connections in their brain, it helps them learn-and it's also fun!

Art is a natural activity to support this essential interaction with the world. Kids need the freedom to explore and experiment creatively.

Art allows children to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life but also for learning. These include the aesthetic, scientific, interpersonal, and practical interactions that can be discovered through the senses, intellect, and emotions.
Making and appreciating art involves emotional and mental faculties!
Art, whether making it, learning about it, or simply looking at it - offers a wide range of important experiences.
In other words, it's good for them!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Paper Marbling with Shaving Cream
MARBLING PAPER

2 tablespoons vegetable oil per color

5 to 10 drops liquid food coloring

1 to 2 cups water, depending on the size of your container

Thick paper, like cardstock

Shallow dish, like a casserole dish or dish pan

Jars with lids

Eye droppers

HOW TO MARBLED PAPER

STEP 1. Pour water into the shallow dish.

STEP 2. In a jar, pour the vegetable oil. Add food coloring to the vegetable oil. Close the lid and shake until the color is blended with the oil. Repeat to make different colors.

STEP 3. Ask your child to use eye droppers to drip colored oil onto the water in the dish.

Be aware that adding too much color will leave a grey mess. Also, allowing the oil to rest too long will cause the food coloring to sink into the water. If the water becomes muddy, pour it out and start again.

STEP 4. Place a sheet of thick paper onto the colored oil and water. Gently press until the paper has come in contact with the water. Immediately remove the paper, allowing the excess water to drip back into the dish.

STEP 5. Allow the marbled paper to dry completely before displaying.

MORE FUN ART ACTIVITIES TO TRY

DIY PAPER MARBLING FOR KIDS

Click on the image below or on the link for more fun and simple art projects for kids.

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Make marbled paper at home or in the classroom with your own homemade oil paint. DIY paper marbling is fun for kids to do.

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Did you know you can grow your own lollipop? In this activity, you'll learn how to grow your very own rock candy. It is an easy process and not labor-intensive. So, what are you waiting for? See how large you can grow your sugar crystals before temptation takes over.

This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.

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Grow Rock Candy Crystals | STEM Activity

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Did you know you can grow your own lollipop? In this activity, you'll learn how to grow your very own rock candy. It is an easy process and not labor-intensive. So, what are you waiting for? See how large you can grow your sugar crystals before temptation takes over.

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Science + Craft = Fun Learning Experience! Learn How to make Bouncy Balls with your kids. Great for homeschoolers or just rainy day fun!
The kids and I are on a mission to make 1 fun science project every Friday all summer long. This last week we decided to try our hands at Homemade Bouncy Balls. I originally saw these on Pinterest and thought I would give learning how to make bouncy balls a shot.

PS. You can follow me on Pinterest, I am always pinning something fun 🙂

How to Make Bouncy Balls

So we got out the supplies...

These amounts make 1 ball.

Add the borax to the warm water and stir.

In a second container mix cornstarch, glue, and food coloring.

After mixed carefully scoop the glue mixture into the borax mix while stirring. Use a fork or other utensil to scoop up the glue mix after stirring. Start to form it into a ball with your hands. It will be moist. I had the best results by drying my hands well with a paper towel and dabbing the outside of the ball.

Just keep rolling it around in your hands to shape it like a ball. This is when I handed it over the kids and let them do the rolling.

The more you work with it the firmer it becomes.
*UPDATE* we have since learned that it works much better to add 1 tbsp of the borax mixture to the glue mixture and stir.
The Verdict: Learning how to make bouncy balls is a fun afternoon project. They do bounce and the kids had fun. These are the consistency of a very thick silly putty so they do lose their shape and need to be reformed. I also suggest keeping them in a Ziploc so they don't dry out completely and crumble.

Of course, if you are going to get crafty you should try this DIY Slime Recipe too!

Watch How to Make Bouncy Balls

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Science + Craft = Fun Learning Experience! Learn How to make Bouncy Balls with your kids. Great for homeschoolers or just rainy day fun!

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May 12, 2020 - Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest.

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paper tower challenge https://www.lewislatimerhouse.org/tinkerlab/blog-post-title-one-438e7-j8slm-4htze-ahect-t72ng-8m396-hgsfe-ys82a-y9sjr-m4525

Balance Sculpture

https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/5-fun-stem-crafts-for-kids/

Inviable Ink Art

https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/5-fun-stem-crafts-for-kids/

Balance Buddy

https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/5-fun-stem-crafts-for-kids/

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Introduction:
Using three pieces of 8.5x11 sheets of paper, scissors, and no glue, tape, or any other adhesive, try to make the tallest freestanding structure you can! Freestanding means that the structure does not lean on a wall or any other object.

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Paper Tower Challenge - Lewis Latimer House Museum

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Using three pieces of 8.5×11 sheets of paper, scissors, and no glue, tape, or any other adhesive, try to make the tallest freestanding structure you can!

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ice cream in a bag

lemon volcano

make your own harmonica

build a mini LED lightsaber

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How to Make Steve Spangler's Hydrogen Peroxide and Soapy Yeast Foaming Reaction Elephant Toothpaste Experiment Recipe at Steve Spangler Science
Looking for the elephant toothpaste formula recipe? You've come to the right place! Here is where you'll get our easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions about how to make the world-famous Steve Spangler's hydrogen peroxide and soapy yeast foaming reaction formula - also known as the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment!
Elephant Toothpaste Formula: A Steve Spangler Science Exclusive
Learn how to make Steve Spangler's Elephant Toothpaste recipe using safe and easy materials you can find at home. Only a few ingredients are necessary to make a BIG impression on your kids or your students. For variables, use different percentages of hydrogen peroxide to see how this single ingredient affects the overall foam-tastic explosion! You can also add food coloring for multi-color elephant's toothpaste foam that is guaranteed to WOW your kids. For a fabulous, Halloween-inspired twist on this experiment, check out our Oozing Pumpkin Elephant's Toothpaste Experiment for this memorable hands-on experiment that was featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show! Kids: Go get a great adult helper, grab your ingredients (be sure to put on your safety glasses - we always should practice safe science) and watch the explosions begin!

Experiment Materials

1-liter plastic soda bottle

Hydrogen peroxide (12%) (This is found at a store that sells hair care products. Ask for hydrogen peroxide that is labeled 40-volume. This is the same as a 12% solution.)

Liquid dish soap

Food coloring

Package of dry yeast (found at the grocery store)

Measuring spoons

Funnel

Construction paper, markers, and some creativity

Safety glasses

Plastic tarp to cover the demonstration table

Rubber gloves

Experiment

How Does It Work

Similar to what happened in the adult version of Exploding Toothpaste, the yeast works as a catalyst to release the oxygen molecules from the hydrogen peroxide solution. The oxygen-filled bubbles, which make up the foam, are actually the remainder of what happens when the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water (H ₂O) and oxygen (O ₂). The bottle will feel warm to the touch because this is an exothermic reaction in which energy, in the form of heat, is given off.

Steve Spangler Science

Love our Elephant Toothpaste Experiment? Don't miss our other experiments in our HUGE online experiment library. For all-in-one kits, check out our science kits and our at-home science experiments. For over 25 years, Steve Spangler Science has been on a mission to inspire kids and get them excited about STEM subjects. Our experiments and science-themed products are fantastic for after-school activities, activities for summer break or classroom activities that will amaze kids of all ages!

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Elephant Toothpaste Experiment Recipe Formula

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How to Make Steve Spangler's Hydrogen Peroxide and Soapy Yeast Foaming Reaction Elephant Toothpaste Experiment Recipe at Steve Spangler Science Looking for the elephant toothpaste formula recipe? You've come to the right place! Here is where you'll get our easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions about how to make the world-famous Steve Spangler's hydrogen peroxide and soapy yeast foaming reaction formula - also known as the Elephant Toothpaste Experiment!

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Science for Kids: DIY Crystal Landscapes is the fifth and final project in our collaborative series STEAM POWER: Empowering Kids to Explore The World Through Creative Projects. Today's topic is GROW and I couldn't help but want to revisit growing crystals. I've been kind of hooked on crystals ever since we did this project well over a year ago.
STEAM POWER: Empowering kids to explore the world through creative projects. This post contains affiliate links to products I love and recommend to my readers, plus it keeps this little blog o'mine afloat! Thank you!
DIY Crystal Landscapes are a relatively involved project so all you short attention span crystal enthusiasts might want to start with Overnight Crystal Gardens ...But of you have a few days patience, salt and bluing crystals are pretty dazzling to watch! We have done this experiment many times before and the one thing I love about it is that it's a very forgiving process. I have seen many many variations to growing bluing and salt crystals online and tried different methods myself and they always yielded a result, some better than others but definitely you will see some crystal grow!

Our crystal landscapes are a modified version of the classic project found on Mrs. Stewart's Bluing website. We "supersized" the project to create a large "landscape" and used liquid watercolors in lieu of food coloring, which made the crystals particularly colorful!

NOTE: These are probably the most delicate crystals you can grow. They look like cauliflower and are so soft that the slightest touch can crumble them. I recommend picking a suitable spot in your home to grow them where they can be observed but not disturbed much by movement.
Note: This is how we did the project and in what order but is by no means the only way to go about this project. You can look up bluing crystals for a host of variations on the basic recipe.
Materials

Instructions

Before you start: The great thing about the recipe is that you add all main ingredients (salt, water, bluing, and ammonia) in equal amounts. If you want to make a smaller version of the project simply downsize using a 1:1 ratio. Be sure to watch our video to see the process in action.

First Day

Step One Cut your sponges into chucks and spread them around your tray.

Step Two Measure out 1 cup of each of the following: Salt, Water, Bluing

Step Three Sprinkle each of the ingredients over the sponges. We did item this order: ½ salt, ½ water, all the bluing, ½ salt, ½ water. Some recipes like this call for mixing the ingredients first before pouring over the substrate.

Second Day

Step Four Add 1 cup of ammonia. Sprinkle an additional cup of salt on the sponges.

Third Day

You should see some crystals growing! The next steps will crumble some of the crystals but it's okay, more will grow in their place!

Step Five Sprinkle 1 cup of each of the following onto your garden: salt, bluing, water. When possible, pour the next batch of ingredients into the pan rather than directly on top of the crystals. With the landscape set-up however we ended up pouring a fair amount of liquid on our sponges/crystals in order to saturate everything.

Step Six Using an eyedropper drop a tablespoon of each color of undiluted liquid watercolors on the sponges/crystals.

Fourth Day

Observe!

Fifth Day

Observe again, the crystals should be larger and less vibrant as the watercolors dissipate. If you want to keep your landscape growing add small amount of water, bluing and salt.

Tips

Allow for plenty of air circulation to foster the crystal growth.

Don't do this outside unless you have unusually warm nights. We tried growing them outside but the cool nighttime air took a toll on the crystals. I recommend a nice warm spot in your home.

Ammonia is not necessary but speeds up the evaporation and crystal growth. You can purchase it at your local hardware store with the cleaning supplies. It smells awful just so you know, but the smell quickly dissipates! I have to say it brought memories of blueprints back to me....If you choose to add ammonia an adult should supervise.

Make sure the sides of your tray are high enough to contain the liquid! We learned the hard way when our bluing started overflowing onto the table!

Looks Like

Al Stewart. All Stewart was traveling salesman who in the late 1800s carried around a bottle of his homemade bluing; it had an image of his mother-in-law on it which is why it's named Mrs. Stewarts. Bluing is used to make white fabrics whiter. In 1883 Mr. Stewart sold his recipe for bluing and the buyer, Luther Ford, began manufacturing it. It was widely used in doing household laundry before modern laundry products contained additives to accomplish the same thing. The amazing thing about bluing is that it is non-toxic.

Conclusion

Ready for more projects that explore growth with kids?

Hop over and see these posts:

Crystal Landscapes is featured in the new STEAM Kids Book.

For more awesome STEAM ideas to try with your family check it out HERE!

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Science Fair Project Idea: DIY Salt Crystals

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Science for Kids: DIY Crystal Landscapes is the fifth and final project in our collaborative series STEAM POWER: Empowering Kids to Explore The World Through Creative Projects. Today's topic is GROW and I couldn't help but want to revisit growing crystals. I've been kind of hooked on crystals ever since we did this project well over a year ago.

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Erupting Lemon Volcano Experiment - Little Bins for Little Hands

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An erupting lemon volcano is the perfect kitchen science activity or chemistry experiment to try with the kids.

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1st one!

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STEM + Art = STEAM! When kids combine STEM and art, they can really explore their creative side from painting to sculpture! These easy STEAM projects incorporate art and science for a truly fun experience. Great for preschoolers to elementary kids who may not be keen on art and crafts. Explore STEAM with the kids this year!

FUN AND EASY STEAM PROJECTS FOR KIDS

STEAM ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY

Get ready to add these simple STEAM activities to your STEM lesson plans this year. If you want to learn more about combining art and science for easy art and craft projects, let's grab the supplies. While you're at it, make sure to check out these other fun science activities.

Our STEAM activities below are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind. Easy to set up, quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are heaps of fun. Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home.

STEAM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Let's get right to these fun STEAM activities for kids. Head to the kitchen, open the pantry and get prepared to explore science theme art. Be prepared, this might get a little messy! Also, download and print our free bonus STEAM project guide below.

You can still take art outside on a rainy day and explore how rainwater creates a fantastic masterpiece! This is fun process art project mixed with science is an easy to do STEAM activity. Hint: you don't even need a rainy day!

Try a simple STEAM activity with everyone's favorite baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction. Instead of making a baking soda volcano, let's make baking soda paint!

Turn simple coffee filters into a gorgeous bouquet of coffee filter flowers. Make sure to learn about solubility in the process!

ALSO TRY THESE OTHER COFFEE FILTER CRAFTS...

Whip up a batch of fizzing baking soda paint and use the opportunity to learn about the different phases of the moon and what causes us to see only part of the moon! This fun moon craft lets kids get creative and learn some simple astronomy in the process.

We all love a sunny day and it makes a perfect day to try some outdoor STEAM with these LEGO construction paper sun prints. Quick and easy to set up, this is a fun science activity with an added art bonus.

Combine a popular kitchen tool and a bit of physics for cool art and science that everyone is sure to love! Even take this STEAM activity outside on a lovely day.

Three common household or classroom supplies and you have a fun art project. Make an abstract picture, make a tye-dye, or make a masterpiece with this fun STEAM activity!

While you are it, why not try this fun science experiment with paper towels - Walking Water!

This cool salad spinner art is very easy to make with just a few simple materials. Combine art with science, and learn about forces. Gather a few simple items for this STEAM activity and let's get started!

Try this simple to set up water droplet painting activity for kids. Combine science and art for fun, hands-on STEAM.

I looked over one afternoon and saw my son sitting at the kitchen table drawing shadows with his latest LEGO building ideas. So I snapped a few photos to show just what a little boredom, observation, and creativity can do for an afternoon. This drawing shadows STEAM activity is perfect for unplugged play!

Why do jellyfish glow? Make your own glow in the dark jellyfish from simple materials and hang it in a dark room!

3D PAPERCRAFT

Try one or both of these fun 3D papercrafts! Learn about how three dimensional craft explores height, width, and depth in the space that it occupies. These processes are called additive and subtractive (there's a bit of math for your STEAM)!

This may be Halloween themed but think about how you can take the elements and change it to any theme!

What is it about the properties of salt that makes it awesome for using with watercolor painting? Find out how to make your own raised salt painting.
ALSO CHECK OUT: How To Make Watercolor Paints
Explore simple soluble science and learn about the colors of the rainbow with these easy coffee filter STEAM activity.

Find out how to melt crayons in the oven and make these cute and colorful recycled crayons from old bits. Plus, its a great example of reversible change for kids!
Also check out... LEGO Crayons
Explore process art with this easy to set up and hands-on magnet painting activity. Learn about magnetism while creating your own unique artwork.
We also used magnet painting to make these colorful marbled Christmas ornaments.
Make your own DIY marble paper with a few simple kitchen supplies. See what happens when you add paper to a colored oil and water mix.

Explore the science of tie dye with this simple tie dye paper art activity.

Have fun with math with our Tangram heart card for Mother's Day. Express your love and appreciation for Mom using tangram shapes. It's not quite as easy at it looks, but it definitely encourages kids to get thinking!

EASY STEAM ACTIVITIES FOR SCIENCE AND ART!

Click on the image below or on the link for more awesome STEM activities for kids.

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STEM + Art = STEAM! When kids combine STEM and art, they can really explore their creative side from painting to sculpture! These easy STEAM projects incorporate art and science for a truly fun experience. Great for preschoolers to elementary kids who may not be keen on art and crafts.

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empty water bottles, vegetable oil, water, food coloring, alka seltzer

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STEM activities are a great way to engage elementary students and introduce them to the wonderful world around them. These activities are very visual in nature and provide great opportunities for students to learn by doing and directly interacting with materials.

Because there are so many great classroom activities available, we've compiled a list of some of our favorites below for you to try out in your classroom! Looking for recurring activities you use over and over again? Then be sure to check out our post on STEM teaching tools for your classroom.

1. Create a circuit using conductive playdough

Materials needed:

Activity overview:

To get started with this STEM activity, create two shapes out of playdough. Then connect the positive and negative ends of a 9V battery to each of the shapes before inserting the longer leg of the LED light into the same playdough shape that the positive current is connected to.

This will cause the LED light to turn on and show how the circuit is working. Then use the circuit breaking, or not turning the LED lights on, to demonstrate instances where the current flow stops. Examples include when the playdough shapes are touching or when the long end of the LED light is inserted into the shape with the negative current.

Make this experiment more interactive for your elementary students by having them predict whether or not the light is going to turn on. After students successfully demonstrate an understanding of circuits, introduce modeling clay as an insulator in your circuit to increase the difficulty. Depending on grade level and number of supplies, students can make their own shapes and reproduce this experiment on their own in small groups.

2. Learn about the properties of magnets with a magnetic maze

Materials needed:

Cardboard or paper plates

Crayons or markers

Magnet

Paperclip

Activity overview:

Magnets are magical and great for visual demonstrations of magnetic fields. Using a piece of cardboard or a paper plate, draw a maze with a starting point and an ending point. Then place a paperclip on the starting point of the maze and hold your magnet underneath the maze to guide the paperclip along the maze to the finish line.

Show your students how even though you aren't touching the paperclip, the magnet is pulling the paperclip along through the cardboard or paper. If you have magnets of varying strengths you can show students how stronger magnets can pull the paperclip from farther away.

Depending on supplies, students can watch you demonstrate this classroom activity before designing and testing their own interactive magnet maze. Bonus points for students with the most creative maze design!

Interested in more maze related activities? See Kodable's make your own maze activity.

3. See how computers work with a conditionals board game

Materials needed:

Activity overview:

This STEM activity can help introduce students to the concept of conditions. These IF this - THEN that statements and logic are used in the world all around us and are crucial to how technology and computers operate.

To get started use the game guide to have students cut and color one of their own Fuzz characters to use as their player piece. Then have students cut out their board game and dice, if needed, before using legos and tape or popsicle sticks and playdough to make their player piece stand up on its own. Next, depending on grade level, students can either write their own condition rules for their game or use the preset rules included in the game guide.

After playing the game for a few rounds and once students are more familiar with the idea of conditions you can introduce them to the concept of conditions in everyday life like stop lights, water facets, and computers.

If you're looking for more educational classroom activities around computer science and programming, learn more about how teachers use Kodable in the classroom.

4. Make homemade slime

Materials needed:

Glue

Water

Baking soda

Contact lens solution

Measuring spoons, cups, and bowls

Spatula

Storage containers

Food coloring (optional)

Activity overview:

Want to have fun with slime without all the mess? Then this activity is for you!

In a mixing blow, mix ½ cup water and glue together with a few drops of food coloring. Then add in ½ tsp of baking soda and mix in before adding 2 tbsp of contact lens solution and stir until the slime starts coming away from the edge of the bowl.

Start by demonstrating the normal properties of glue, water, baking soda and contact lens solution as a baseline. Then, after the slime is made, use its texture and consistency to demonstrate how chemical reactions between the ingredients create a brand new substance that doesn't match any of the ingredients that you started with.

5. Create a DIY thermometer

Materials needed:

Activity overview:

DIY thermometers are a great way to introduce students to how temperature affects the speed of molecules.

To get started, fill your glass bottle with ⅓ water and ⅓ rubbing alcohol so the bottle is only ⅔ of the way filled. Then add in a few drops of food coloring to make it easier to see the rise and fall of the thermometer. Next put the straw in the bottle and use the modeling clay to make an airtight seal around the straw.

Now that the thermometer is made, place it in the bowl of warm water and after a few minutes mark where the liquid has risen to in the straw. Then take the thermometer out and place it in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes before marking where the liquid in the straw has fallen to.

Bring in real world thermometers to show how the science works in the real world for everyone to know the temperature.

6. Create a lemon battery

Materials needed:

3-4 lemons

LED Light

Zinc covered nails

Alligator clips

Copper wire

Small calculator (optional)

Activity overview:

This STEM activity will help students understand how batteries work by using lemons to create a working battery for an LED light and a small calculator.

To get started, insert a zinc covered nail and copper wire into each of your lemons. The wire will act as the positive end of the battery and the nail will act as the negative end. Connect the positive and negative ends of lemons to each other while having one lemon with a positive end free and another lemon with a negative end free. Use these free ends to connect alligator clips to your LED light to power it, with the positive end connected to the longer leg of the LED light.

You can also repeat this experiment with a small calculator for a similar effect. For older elementary students, you can also add math to the equation by using the number of volts required to power the LED light to calculate the average voltage of each lemon.

7. Construct a DIY lava lamp

Materials needed:

Empty water bottle or clear glass

Vegetable oil

Water

Food coloring

Alka-seltzer

Activity overview:

This STEM activity can introduce elementary students to the concepts of density through an interactive lava lamp experiment.

First fill your empty water bottle most of the way with vegetable oil. Then fill the rest of the bottle with water and add a few drops of food coloring in. Finally, break an Alka-seltzer tablet into small pieces and drop a small piece at a time into the bottle to see a fizzy and fun reaction take place.

Looking for more classroom STEM resources?

Check out all of our blog posts about STEM activities to see which engaging opportunities you want to bring into your classroom!

Kodable also offers a free plan for teachers to help you introduce students to the basics of programming in a fun and engaging way. More than 45,000 schools use Kodable as a trusted classroom resource and now you can too. Create your free Kodable account today to get started!

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7 Interactive STEM activities for elementary students | Kodable

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STEM activities are a great way to engage elementary students and introduce them to the wonderful world around them. Because there are so many great classroom activities available, we've compiled a list of some of our favorites here.

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CD Hovercraft!
https://theresjustonemommy.com/cd-hovercraft-stem/

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https://elementalscience.com/blogs/science-activities/kitchen-science-secret-message

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought it was a perfect time to share with you a kitchen science activity you can use to send secret messages to your loved one!

This is one of our kids' favorite things to do - there's nothing like getting a blank piece of paper and making a secret message appear!

What you need

To make your secret message you will need the following:

A blank piece of paper

Lemon juice

A Q-tip

A heat source (Adults only: A burner in your kitchen or a candle will work well for this).

What to do to make your secret message

Here is how you make your secret message

1. Have the students dip the Q-tip in the lemon juice and use it to write a message on the paper.

2. Let the paper dry thoroughly.

3. Then, let the students watch as you reveal the message. (Adult Only)Hold the paper over the heat source until the message appears. Remove quickly or the paper will burn.

(Safety Notice: Be sure to take the necessary precautions, such as a hot mat, to make sure that you don't get burned.)
What should happen

After the paper has been heated up, the message on the paper will turn brown, making it possible to read.

The acid in the lemon juice breaks down the paper a bit, thus weakening it. The weakened paper burns before the rest of the paper, which is why you must remove it from the heat source just after the message appears or the entire paper will burn.

A few more kitchen science ideas

You can try the experiment again using water, which is neutral. It should not degrade the paper the way the lemon juice does, so the message won't appear. You can also try writing messages with vinegar, orange juice or white wine, which will degrade the paper the same way the lemon juice did.

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How you can use kitchen science to send a secret message on Valentine's Day

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought it was a perfect time to share with you a kitchen science activity you can use to send secret messages to your loved one! This is one of our kids' favorite things to do - there's nothing like getting a blank piece of paper and making a secret message appear!

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https://buggyandbuddy.com/paper-plate-marble-maze/

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades!

Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!
This post contains affiliate links.
This post was originally published May 24, 2016 and has since been updated.
In our most recent science club, I challenged my students to create a pinball-like marble maze game using a paper plate, some basic craft supplies, and marbles. Kids created all kinds of cool structures on their paper plates for their marbles to go through as they tilted the plate different directions using their hands.

See it in action here:

Materials for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge

Directions for Paper Plate Pinball Challenge
If your students are not familiar with pinball machines (yes, we're that old!), watch some pinball machine YouTube videos together. Notice the different ramps, bumpers, and other pinball machine parts.
1. Provide each child with one paper plate and access to various craft supplies. I demonstrated how to create some simple arches using strips of construction paper. I also provided each student with their own individual pack of Wikki Stix. (You can also buy them in large quantities.) You can do this activity with just construction paper and tape, or try other materials as well, like pipe cleaners or straws.

2. Let the kids get busy creating and testing out their pinball machines with marbles.

The kids loved using Wikki Stix to create paths for their marbles.

Some kids used construction paper to create ramps and pockets in their pinball games and even designated point values for different arches!

The kids had a blast with this science project and even got so excited about the activity, they were trading finished pinball plates for their friends to try!

Be sure to check out STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

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STEM Challenge for Kids: Design a Paper Plate Marble Maze - Buggy and Buddy

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In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades! Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!

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-Parachute (Drop parachutes to test air resistance)
-Testing Different Water Qualities or Purple Cabbage Indicator
-Hovering on a Cushion of Air (includes balloon, water bottle cap, cd's, tape)

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Did you know that it's possible to make slime that is magnetic? Magnetic slime has iron in it and is attracted to a strong magnet. It is super stretchy and so much fun. When you hold a magnet near the slime, it oozes toward it, and the slime will "swallow" up a magnet if you let it go! SO COOL.
Magnetic slime is easy to make with our 3 ingredient recipe!
This post was originally written in March 2014 and updated in April 2019. Our updated recipe is easier to follow and is much less messy! Slime has a bad reputation for being messy, and you may be afraid of a "slime fail." I can assure you, however, that this project will be fun and successful! I do recommend reading the instructions carefully, and you'll want to try out this project first before doing it with a group.

We love making slime - you'll also want to check out our recipes for lemonade slime (scented!) and sparkly gold slime. Floam slime is another of my favorites.
What can magnetic slime do?
Magnetic slime is really fun to play with on its own. It stretches and squishes. If you hold it up, it oozes down to the floor in a long strand! Adding the element of magnet play makes it even more awesome. This is a great project to put on your to-do list for a rainy day, spring break, or summer! It would also make a great group activity for a science club or scouting group.

There's just something about watching a liquid move without touching it... So fascinating!

You can get the slime to move faster if you let the magnet touch it. It's also cool to feel the magnet stick to the slime.

We also had fun putting the magnet on top of the slime and watching the slime swallow it up!
Supplies Needed for Making Magnetic Slime These links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase through the links, I will earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Liquid starch - We used Sta-flo Liquid Starch.

Elmer's glue - we used white glue, but the clear might also look cool! This is PVA glue.

Iron Oxide powder

A bowl for mixing - it does wash out.

Plastic spoons for stirring

A 1/4 cup measuring cup

A 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon

A neodymium (rare earth) magnet - A regular magnet won't be strong enough. Here's a set on Amazon with two Neodymium Barr Magnets. We ordered ours awhile back, but our Amazon history says we used this link, although the magnets look slightly different.

How to Make Magnetic Slime:
Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup of white PVA glue into your mixing bowl. You may have to use the spoon to scrape all the glue out of the measuring cup.

Step 2: Add 2 Tablespoons of iron oxide powder. Stir well.

You'll be expecting the mixture to look solid black, like my photo of the slime above. However, it will look more like Oreo cookie crumbs! Don't worry - it will look solid black in a minute.

Step 3: Pour in 1/8 cup of liquid starch.

Step 4: Stir the glue and starch mixture really well to make sure that it's all mixed. As soon as you begin to stir, the starch will react with the glue and the slime will start to form.

I ended up with a little bit too much starch. The way I could tell is that there was some unmixed starch in the bowl and on the slime after I had stirred it well. To fix this, I rinsed the slime for just a few seconds under cold water.

Step 5: Knead the slime with your hands.

This is how the slime looked after a quick rinse and a little bit of kneading. I find that it helps to wash my hands after kneading the slime and before playing with it. This helps to make the slime less sticky.
Troubleshooting:

If your slime is too sticky (glue-y), knead in a tiny bit more starch. If it's too stringy, knead in a little more glue.

If your slime does not respond to your magnet, the problem is the strength of your magnet. We ordered some new cylinder neodymium magnets which did not turn out to be strong enough!

Here are a couple more important notes:

Neodymium magnets are extremely strong! Fingers can easily get pinched when trying to separate the magnets. Be sure to keep the magnets away from cell phones, computer, and other electronics. If you order the smaller disc magnets, make sure that no one puts them in their mouth - these would be very dangerous if swallowed. Overall, this is not a project for kids who still put things in their mouths.

Iron oxide powder is not good to breathe. This is why we mixed our iron in with the glue. I have seen some recipes on the internet that recommend kneading the iron oxide powder into the finished slime. We tried that approach, and besides being super messy, I think it's much more likely to stir up the iron oxide dust.

If making magnetic slime seems like too much of a hassle, you can actually purchase magnetic silly putty - Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty which comes with a magnet and does the same thing. (Although judging by the reviews, I think the homemade slime responds better to the magnet!)

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How to Make Magnetic Slime - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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Did you know that it's possible to make slime that is magnetic? Magnetic slime has iron in it and is attracted to a strong magnet. It is super stretchy and so much fun. When you hold a magnet near the slime, it oozes toward it, and the slime will "swallow" up a magnet if you let it go!

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Flying Pumpkins: A Force and Motion Activity

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Sep 2, 2019 - Check out this fun force and motion activity with a freebie for Halloween, where students learn the relationship between force, speed, and distance!

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We all love a sunny day and it makes a perfect day to try some outdoor STEAM with these LEGO construction paper sun prints. Quick and easy to set up, this is a fun science activity with an added art bonus. Join us for week 4 of the 31 Days of Outdoor STEM where we add an "A" for STEAM! Our solar prints on construction paper make a cool art activity plus we get use LEGO. We have tons of simple science experiments and STEM ideas to share.

Take learning outdoors this summer with neat STEM ideas that feel much more like play than learning! We and this week's 31 Days Of Outdoor STEM theme was more arty than we are used too. I thought it might be fun to design LEGO pictures on our construction paper and see what happened. When I originally checked out solar sun print activities, they use a special solar paper. Well, this mama had plain old construction paper and a pretty impatient six year old.
SUPPLIES This post contains Amazon affiliate links LEGO Minifigures and Cool pieces
Construction Paper or Solar Paper

Trays {optional but useful for transporting}

NOTE: If you want frame-able art, you will want to go with this sun print kit instead of construction paper.

EASY LEGO CONSTRUCTION PAPER SUN PRINTS SET UP

We used blue, black, and purple construction paper. I ended up tearing the sheets in half, but you an use full ones. Depending on how creative and inspired your kids are feeling, this is a terrific open ended design activity. My son just wanted to get them out in the sun. He was eager to see what the different color papers would look like. We picked out neat pieces and added minifigures to see what would happen with the different holes and openings of the bricks.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: DIY Outdoor Science Table

Place the papers out in the sun! Take care if it is a windy day and make sure they are secure. We made these before the school bus came and I put them out after he was off to school. We checked them when he got home at 3 pm, so they were out in full sun for about six and a half hours. I can't quite say if they would have been done sooner since I promised to wait for him.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: LEGO Week Summer STEM Challenge

Final result? Cool LEGO construction paper sun prints that anyone can do! He was so excited to check out what each piece looked like after he lifted it up. Turn the paper over and you can see how much difference in color there is. The sun is powerful, and it's a good reminder to wear sunscreen. See the science below.

Where's the science? The sun is made up of ultraviolet rays. These ultraviolet rays can break down the chemical bonds in different materials and some much more so than others. Our construction paper was high on the list. A fun experiment would be to try different types of paper and compare the results. Some paper might reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays more making it less likely to fade as much.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 25 classic Science Experiments You Must Try

What else can you use besides LEGO? Take a walk around the backyard or open up the junk drawer! This super simple sun prints science and art activity is a great anytime activity with very little set up. Just don't turn the sprinkler on where you have placed them! We found out the hard way with a different science project!

LEGO CONSTRUCTION PAPER SUN PRINTS FOR KIDS

Make sure to check out week 1: outdoor science, week 2: outdoor engineering, and week 3: outdoor technology as well as the other week 4: outdoor STEAM ideas! or on the picture below.
COOL LEGO PLAY IDEAS ALL YEAR ROUND 100 DAYS OF SUMMER STEM FOR KIDS WITH WEEKLY THEMES
My Publication and Favorite Items from Amazon {see disclosure}

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LEGO Construction Paper Sun Prints for Kids

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We all love a sunny day and it makes a perfect day to try some outdoor STEAM with these LEGO construction paper sun prints. Quick and easy to set up, this is a fun science activity with an added art bonus.

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https://www.3plearning.com/blog/simple-chemistry-experiments-kids-home/

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Here are 8 hands on science experiments for kids over the school holiday. These experiments are great for older children, or with assistance from Mum or Dad. So why not pick an experiment together to help engage your kids in science and prepare them for the year ahead.

Cabbage chemistry

Follow these instructions to learn about acids and bases using red cabbage.

Safety: This activity requires the use of a knife, poisonous chemicals and hot water. Ask an adult to assist you. Always follow the safety advice on the products you are using.

You will need

fresh red cabbage

sharp knife

cutting board

hot tap water

7 clear plastic disposable cups

7 plastic spoons

large plastic bottle

range of the household substances which may include:

strongly acidic, e.g. powdered toilet cleaner

acidic, e.g. vinegar, lemon juice, white wine, lemonade or citric acid

weakly acidic, e.g. cream of tartar

neutral, e.g. pure water, shampoo or baby shampoo

slightly basic, e.g. bicarbonate of soda

basic, e.g. milk of magnesia, washing soda or floor cleaner

strongly basic, e.g. dishwasher liquid or powder

What to do

1. Using a sharp knife and cutting board, finely slice three or four red cabbage leaves.

2. Place the cabbage leaves in the plastic bottle, half fill the bottle with hot water and screw the lid on tightly.

3. Shake the bottle for a few minutes until the water becomes a deep purple colour. Leave the solution to cool.

4. Strain the solution and add sufficient water to the solution to make about 1 L.

5. In each of the cups, place a small amount of one of the above household substances in the following order: strongly acidic; acidic; slightly acidic; neutral; slightly basic; basic and strongly basic.

6. Now half fill each cup with the red cabbage water and stir the solution. If arranged in order, the jars should display a spectrum of colours from cherry red (strongly acidic), pink-red (acidic), lilac (slightly acidic), purple (neutral), blue (slightly basic), green (basic) and yellow (strongly basic).

What's happening

The things we eat and drink are all acidic, and the things we use for cleaning are basic. This is because basic substances taste unpleasant, but a cleaning agent usually needs to be basic to remove dirt and grease.

Substances that are acidic or basic make the eyes sting, so baby shampoo is made neutral.
Acids
Acids are a very common group of chemical compounds, many of which occur naturally. Acids can be strong or weak.

Citric acid, which occurs naturally in lemons, is a weak acid. Hydrochloric acid (used for soldering) and sulfuric acid (battery acid) are very strong acids.
Bases
Bases (often called alkalis) are another group of chemical compounds that have different chemical properties from acids. When bases and acids are added together, they will neutralise each other's properties.

We describe whether things are acidic, basic or neutral by using a scale called the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from zero to 14. A substance with a pH of:

0 is a very strong acid

3 - 5 is a weak acid

7 is neutral

8 - 9 is a weak base

13 - 14 is a very strong base.

Pure water has a pH of seven and is regarded as neutral.

Acids and bases can be detected by a group of chemical compounds called acid-base indicators. One of the first known naturally occurring indicators was a type of lichen called litmus. (Lichens are plant-like growths that are often found on rocks and tree bark.) Litmus turns red in the presence of an acid or blue with a base.

Most indicators used today to detect acids and bases are man-made. However, many plant pigments, such as the red cabbage you used, contain chemicals that act as acid-base indicators.

Lolly fountain

Learn more about gases by creating a soft drink fountain using lollies. What a sweet way to find out more about chemistry!

You will need

Roll of lollies (mint flavoured lollies work well)

2 L bottle of soft drink

Piece of paper or a tube for the lollies

Outdoor area

What to do

Do this activity in an outdoor area.

1. Open the bottle of soft drink and place the bottle on the ground so it will not tip over.

2. Roll up the paper into a cylinder that's just wide enough for the lollies to slide through.

3. Put your finger over the bottom of the roll and ask your friend to put the lollies into the paper tube.

4. Hold the tube of lollies just above the bottle and remove your finger so all the lollies drop straight in. You need to drop all the lollies into the bottle at the same time.

5. As soon as you have done that, move away from the bottle as quickly as possible.

Hints

1. Diet soft drink works just as well and is less sticky to clean up as it contains no sugar.

2. Orange soft drink doesn't always work. Neither does Solo as it is light on fizz.

3. Experiment with different types of lollies - Kool Mints were used in this activity. Try Mentos or other sugar coated lollies.

4. Experiment with the soft drink at room temperature or from the fridge.

What's happening?

Soft drink is bubbly because carbon dioxide gas has been forced into the bottle under pressure.

Until you open the bottle, the gas mostly stays dissolved in the liquid and cannot expand to form bubbles, which the gas will do when not under pressure.

If you shake the bottle and then open it, the gas escapes with a whoosh, taking some of the soft drink along with it. Adding anything to a soft drink enables more bubbles to form and escape.

Try stirring soft drink with a spoon - it gets less fizzy.

The lollies provide lots of surface area very quickly, which means the bubbles of gas form very rapidly in huge numbers.

You need non-smooth surfaces to enable the gas to form.

Both sand and sugar have the same effect when dropped in soft drink.

When you look at a glass of soft drink, there are normally just a few streams of bubbles coming off specific points on the glass where the surface is uneven.

Sometimes you see a stream of bubbles coming from the middle and if you look carefully you can often see a piece of dust with bubbles coming off its end.

The place where the bubbles start to form is called the centre of nucleation.

As the lolly dissolves, it forms hundreds of nucleation points which are tiny pits on the surface of the lolly where more carbon dioxide bubbles can form.

When all this gas is released, it thrusts the entire contents of the bottle skyward, in an incredible soft drink blast.

Make your own bath bombs

Follow these instructions to make your own bath bombs and learn about science while having fun in the bath!

You will need

What to do

1. Grease the sides and bases of a large muffin tray with a small amount of almond oil.

2. Place the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together well, to form the base mixture.

3. Scoop out about half a cup of this mixture and put it in into another bowl. This will make about one or two bath bombs (depending on the size of the holes in your muffin tray). You could also use old plastic containers or anything that will hold a shape.

4. Add the flower petals or body glitter to the base mixture.

5. In the small glass jar, mix together 6 drops of your scented oil, 5 teaspoons of sweet almond oil and about 10 drops of food colouring.

6. Gradually pour the oil mixture into the half cup of the base mixture. While wearing rubber gloves, quickly mix it all together. The mixture is ready when it stays together in your hands without crumbling too much.

7. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray. Press it down firmly.

8. You can use the rest of the mixture with other types of scented oil or food colouring to make more bath bombs.

9. Leave the bombs in the tray to set for a few days.

10. Carefully up-end your bath bombs to remove them from the moulds.

11. Run a bath, hop in and drop a bomb. Watch it fizzzzzz!

What's happening?

When the bath bomb dissolves in water, there is a chemical reaction between the citric acid and the sodium bicarbonate. The result is called sodium citrate. During the reaction, carbon dioxide is released. This causes the 'fizzing' that you see, similar to that in carbonated water.

The sweet almond oil is released during this reaction. It will form a thin layer on your skin which can help to moisturise it. The lavender oil is for fragrance.

How to make sherbet

Follow these instructions to create an acid-base reaction in your mouth!

You will need

To do this activity you will need:

icing sugar

citric acid

bicarbonate soda

flavoured jelly crystals

teaspoon

dessert spoon

small mixing bowl

small snap lock bag.

What to do

To make sherbet you will need to:

1. add 1 level teaspoon of citric acid crystals to the bowl

2. add 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the bowl

3. now add 3 heaped dessert spoons of icing sugar

4. add at least 2 level dessert spoons of jelly crystals (or more to taste)

5. place a small amount, about half a teaspoon on your tongue

6. after tasting you may need to vary the ingredients. If it is too bitter add more sugar, if there isn't enough fizz you may need to add either bicarbonate soda or citric acid. Make sure you add only in small amounts, remember you can always add more but it is very hard to remove some.

What's happening?

You have just created an acid-base reaction in your mouth. When you combine an acid (in this activity the citric acid) and an alkaline (the bicarbonate soda) with saliva they mix together to create a gas in the form of lots of tiny bubbles.

This is called an acid-based reaction and it's what gives sherbet its fizz. You are actually feeling the sensation of carbon dioxide bubbles on your tongue. These are the same bubbles that are in fizzy drinks.

The icing sugar is needed to add sweetness as the citric acid and bicarbonate soda are quite sour. Citric acid is one of the acids found in lemons, oranges and limes. That is why they are called 'citric fruit'.

The other acid in lemons and other citric fruit is called ascorbic acid. This is commonly known as vitamin C. The jelly crystals simply add flavour.

Rubber egg

Follow these instructions to make an egg bounce while learning about chemical reactions.

You will need

Equipment needed for this activity includes:

hard-boiled egg, with shell on

glass of vinegar.

What to do

To make your eggs bounce you will need to:

1. Put the egg into the vinegar - you should see bubbles start to form on the egg.

2. Leave the egg undisturbed for at least a day. You should see some wonderful scum form.

3. Take the egg out of the vinegar and rinse it with water. The shell will rub off.

4. Give the egg a poke with your finger and squeeze it gently.

What's happening

Vinegar, or dilute acetic acid, 'eats up' the calcium carbonate in the egg shell, just leaving the inner membrane, or skin, of the egg behind. As the calcium carbonate is responsible for making the shell hard, the vinegar soaked egg feels soft and rubbery.

When calcium carbonate (the egg shell) and acetic acid (the vinegar) combine, a chemical reaction takes place and carbon dioxide gas is released. That's why you see the bubbles.

The chemical reaction keeps happening for about a day until all of the calcium carbonate in the egg is used up. Calcium carbonate is in eggshells, seashells, limestone, and many other materials.

Let's have a closer look at the chemical reaction. Calcium carbonate's formula is CaCO and acetic acid is CHCOOH.

The calcium ions (Ca) float free in the solution. Ions are atoms or molecules that have an electric charge due to the loss or gain of electrons.

Applications

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is largely made of calcium carbonate. It is ordinarily white, but may be coloured by impurities; iron oxide making it brown, yellow, or red and carbon making it blue, black, or grey. The texture varies from coarse to fine.

Most limestones are formed over thousands of years from the skeletons of marine invertebrates. Among the important varieties of limestone are marl, chalk, oolite, travertine, dolomite, and marble.

Acid rain causes reactions like the ones in this activity. One kind of acid rain can come from air pollution caused by burning fuels that have sulfur atoms, which when burnt produce sulphur dioxide gas.

When the sulfur dioxide mixes in with rain, it turns to weak sulfuric acid. When the acid rain hits the limestone it slowly makes it fall apart, like the egg shell did. People use limestone in buildings and statues.

This is why over time, buildings and statues are being damaged by acid rain.

If you collect small rock samples and drop them in vinegar, you may see bubbles appear, like they did on the egg. The presence of bubbles indicates that calcium carbonate may be present in the sample.

Calcium carbonate reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas, which we observe as bubbles. This is called the 'acid test'. The 'acid test' is one of many tests that geologists use to determine the identity of a rock sample.

Creating Crystals

You will need

What to do

1. Label the containers 'sugar', 'salt' and 'bi-carb'.

2. Pour half a cup of warm water into the container labelled 'sugar'.

3. Add a spoonful of sugar to the water and stir until dissolved. Keep adding sugar until no more will dissolve.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3, but with the salt instead of sugar.

5. Again repeat Steps 2 and 3, but this time with bi-carb soda instead of sugar or salt.

6. Label the small plastic cups 'sugar', 'salt' and 'bi-carb'.

7. Use separate eye-droppers to put a few drops of each container's solution into the matching cup.

8. Place the cups in a warm, sunny place and leave them until the liquid has evaporated. What do you see?

You can try this activity with other crystalline substances as well.

What's happening?

When a solid (or 'solute') is dissolved in the water until no more dissolves, the solution is 'saturated'. The amount of substance that dissolves in water increases with temperature. As the solution cools back down to room temperature, there is now more solute in the water than would normally be the case - the solution is 'supersaturated'.

As the water evaporates, the solute precipitates out of solution in the form of crystals. This is an example of crystallisation. You will notice that each precipitate forms slightly different crystals: they might be different in size and shape. The size and shape of a crystal depend on a number of factors including chemical formula, temperature and pressure. In general, crystals that form slowly tend to be larger than crystals that form quickly.

Slime

You will need

What to do

1. Pour some cornflour into a mixing bowl.

2. Stir in small amounts of water until the cornflour has become a very thick paste.

3. To make the slime the colour of your choice, thoroughly stir about five drops of food colouring into the mixture.

4. Stir your slime REALLY slowly. This shouldn't be hard to do.

5. Stir your slime REALLY fast. This should be almost impossible.

6. Now punch your slime REALLY hard and fast. It should feel like you're punching a solid.

You can keep your cornflour and water mixture covered in a fridge for several days. If the cornflour settles, you need to stir it to make it work well again.

What's happening

Anything that flows is called a fluid. This means that both gases and liquids are fluids.

Fluids like water which flow easily are said to have low viscosity, whereas fluids like cold honey which do not flow so easily are said to have a high viscosity.

Cornflour slime is a special type of fluid that doesn't follow the usual rules of fluid behaviour. When a pressure is applied to slime, its viscosity increases and the cornflour slime becomes thicker.

At a certain point, slime actually seems to lose its flow and behave like a solid. Cornflour slime is an example of a shear-thickening fluid.

The opposite happens in shear-thinning fluids; they get runnier when you stir them or shake them up. For example, when toothpaste is sitting on a toothbrush it is pretty thick, so you can turn the toothbrush upside down and the toothpaste doesn't fall off.

But if it was that thick when you tried to squeeze it out of the tube, there is no way you could manage it. Fortunately, toothpaste gets runnier when you are squeezing it out of the tube. Other shear-thinning fluids include:

Although there are lots of shear-thinning and shear-thickening fluids, nobody has a really good idea why they behave the way they do.

The interactions between atoms in the fluids are so complicated that even the world's most powerful supercomputers can not model what is happening. This can be a real problem for people who design machinery that involves shear-thinning fluids, because it makes it hard to be sure if they will work.

Snot Slime

You will need

1 tablespoon of unflavoured gelatine (from supermarkets)

½ cup golden syrup or glucose

1 tablespoon of salt

Hot water

Food colouring

Heat-proof bowl

What to do

1. Place the gelatine and salt in your bowl.

2. Add ½ cup of syrup.

3. Add ½ cup of hot water. Now is the time to add food colouring if you want icky green or yellow coloured snot.

4. Mix every thing together and cool in a fridge for 30 minutes.

5. Run a fork through the snotty mixture to see what it looks like. Your mucus will get thicker and thicker as it cools, if it is too thick, you can add more water.

What's happening?

You have just made a realistic model of your very own snot. Mucus is composed of water, epithelial (surface) cells, dead leukocytes (white blood cells), mucins (large proteins), and inorganic salts. Your home made mucus contains water, salt and proteins (gelatine is animal protein, usually made from beef or pig skin and hooves), almost like real mucus.

The gelatine dissolves in hot water making a thick solution, but is insoluble (won't dissolve) in cold water. When cooled, the particles swell to make jelly-like goo.

Applications

Mucus has an important role to play in your body. In your nose it traps dust and anything else unwanted in the air. Mucus dries around particles which harden and this means it can take a quick exit out of your body when you blow your nose.

It's your mucous membrane that makes snot, and this lines the inside of your nose and respiratory system. The outermost cells of this membrane produce the thick mucus fluid.

You may think that mucus is only found in your nose, but did you know that you also find it in your mouth, lungs, stomach and intestines!

When you get a common cold, an infection in your upper respiratory tract, your body produces loads more mucus than normal to carry away waste material. When sick, your mucus can change colour to yellow or green because of trapped bacteria, virus particles and white blood cells - the causalities of your body fighting the viral or bacterial infection.
Reference:
These experiments are from our partners at CSIRO.

http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Education/Programs/Do-it-yourself-science/Chemical-sciences-activities.aspx

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8 simple chemistry experiments that your kids can do at home

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8 simple chemistry experiments that your kids can do at home Here are 8 hands on science experiments for kids over the school holiday. These experiments are great for older children, or with assistance from Mum or Dad.

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- Glitter sensory bottles
- Lava lamp
- Balloon-powered car
- Can you fit through an index card?
- design a maze (hexbugs)

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Hands- on Science Fun: Learning About DNA with Candy! | Science projects for kids, Science projects, Science activities for kids

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Jun 28, 2021 - This Pin was created by Rock Your Homeschool | Fun Activities, Ideas, & Printables on Pinterest. Hands- on Science Fun: Learning About DNA with Candy!..

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For this experiment, the PH cabbage indicator changes the color of an acid or base to a different color and you can investigate what colors the liquids turn into.

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I recently had another opportunity to observe a science program in an after school setting, this time at Greenleaf Elementary School in Oakland, CA. The rising fifth graders have an hour and a half of STEM programming after lunch every afternoon, and the day I visited they did an activity about cleaning up oil in the ocean. They worked with trays filled a few inches with water, feathers, straws, cotton balls and sponges.

I think it's especially challenging to lead activities like this, where the materials you have to work with are analogies of what really happens in the real world. I was impressed with the ways the facilitator drew connections between the activity they were doing and what happens in the real world.

The facilitator started the activity by asking the kids what they already knew about oil spills. I was struck by how many hands went in the air, and details the kids knew including the catastrophic spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

The group discussed what kinds of engineers help solve the environmental problems caused by oil spills - chemical and environmental engineers.

In groups, the kids examined their 'oceans' of water, with oil floating on top. They discussed and wrote observations in their science notebooks.

The facilitator introduced some terms and definitions and then passed out materials the kids would use to try to clean up the oil.

As kids formulated their plans for working together to get the oil off the feathers and out of the 'ocean', the facilitator passed around photos of actual oil spills and the effects they have on wildlife. Then it was time to work together to figure out how to use materials to clean up the oil.

During the discussion after the activity, the kids all said that they enjoyed this activity even though it was very difficult to get all the oil out of the water and off of the feathers.

In order to help kids make connections between the science activities we do after school and science in the real world, here are some things we see quality programs doing:

Ask kids what they already know about related issues

Show kids pictures, news articles or videos

Introduce kids to a scientist who works on the problem in the field

Take a field trip

Participate in a citizen science project to help a scientist conduct a study on a related issue

Let us know some ways that your after school science program connects kids to real world science!

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Oil Spill! Connecting STEM activities to real world problems

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I recently had another opportunity to observe a science program in an after school setting, this time at Greenleaf Elementary School in Oakl...

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STEM Challenge for Kids: Design a Paper Plate Marble Maze

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May 25, 2016 - In this STEM challenge for kids, children will create a paper plate marble maze game inspired by pinball machines using a paper plate and a marble. This engineering activity is great for kids from kindergarten age up through 4th, 5th and 6th grades! Follow our STEM for Kids Pinterest board!   This post contains affilia…

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Building a Tower out of Marshmallows and toothpicks

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Building a Tower out of Marshmallows and toothpicks

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fizzy lemonade: lemonade + baking soda

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https://frugalfun4boys.com/magnetic-pac-man-game/

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Here's a fun craft for kids - build a classic Pac-Man game out of a cardboard box! This game has a cool magnetic twist - kids can "play" the game by moving the game pieces with a magnet wand.
This project uses materials from around the house, and it's a great boredom buster for an afternoon at home.

I think that it would be fun to do a cardboard box video game challenge with a STEM club, class, or scouting group. It would be fun to see what different video games the kids can create!

The idea for this cardboard box Pac-Man game came from a reader named Isaiah. He sent us photos of his magnetic Pac-Man game and offered for us to use the idea on our site. Thank you so much, Isaiah! This is a brilliant idea that we had a lot of fun with!

Video Demonstration! Here's a peek at our Pac-Man game in action! Click the play button in the center of the video screen to start the video.

Supplies Needed:

Cardboard Box

Black paint OR black construction paper

Yellow paint

Yellow duct tape

Popsicle sticks - we used both regular length and short length, but if you don't have the short ones, you can just cut them with scissors.

Card stock or a file folder

Scissors

Paper clips

Markers

Hot glue or another type of craft glue

Magnet wand - or, make your own magnet wand with a craft stick and a magnet

A utility knife (for an adult to use!)

How to Make a Cardboard Box Pac-Man Game
Start by taping your box closed. But before you do, cut away the interior cardboard flaps on the top of your box. (We used the bottom as the top because it was in better condition.) You want the magnet wand to go through just one layer of cardboard to make the game pieces move, not two.

Paint the top of your box black to be the screen. We used acrylic paint.

Once the paint has dried, add a border of yellow duct tape around the screen.

Then, go ahead and make some Pac-Man guys. We used card stock for extra durability, but paper will work just fine too!

Tip: Trace a plastic bottle cap to get a nice round circle. Then draw the mouth. Outline the whole thing in black, and color it yellow.

Build the maze course on your game by gluing down craft sticks. If you use a low temp glue gun, kids can do the gluing. We use our low temp glue fun for everything, ha ha.

As you make the maze, you'll want to check to make sure that your Pac-Man can fit through all of the passageways.

Kids can design their game to look like the real Pac-Man video game, or they can get creative and make their own layout!

Once you have your maze complete, add some yellow dots to make it look more like the video game. The dots won't actually disappear, but it's still fun to make Pac-Man run through the course and pretend to eat the dots!

I made the dots with yellow acrylic paint and a small paintbrush. It doesn't matter if the dots are not as neat as what I did. Kids can have fun with this!

Make some ghosts and to add paper clips to both the ghosts and the Pac-Man guys. The paper clips will allow the magnet wand to move the characters around.

Before playing with your game, you'll need to cut a large slit in the side of the box so that you can insert the magnetic wand. This is best done with a utility knife - adult job only!

Then it's time to play! Make Pac-Man travel through the maze without getting attacked by the ghosts!

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Cardboard Box Magnetic Pac-Man Game - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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Here's a fun craft for kids - build a classic Pac-Man game out of a cardboard box! This game has a cool magnetic twist - kids can "play" the game by moving the game pieces with a magnet wand. This project uses materials from around the house, and it's a great boredom buster for an [...]

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https://buggyandbuddy.com/chromatography-butterflies-separating-colors-in-markers/

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Looking for some spring themed science for kids? You'll definitely want to explore chromatography using coffee filters and markers. The results from this science experiment can even be used to create a colorful butterfly craft for kids!
This post was originally posted February 26, 2014 and has since been updated.
Most kids are used to mixing colors with paints or play dough, but have your children had the chance to try separating color mixtures? In this science experiment for kids we'll be exploring chromatography (separating mixtures). We'll use coffee filters to separate the various pigments in markers to see how each color was created! (This post contains affiliate links.)

Materials for Science Experiment & Butterfly Craft

Procedure to Chromatography Science Experiment

1. Choose one marker to experiment with first. (Hint~ black and brown are the most exciting!)
2. Take one coffee filter. Put it on a newspaper or some kind of material to protect your table. Draw a thick circle around the center of the coffee filter where the ridged part meets the flat center. Use a pencil to write the color of the marker being used right in the center. (You'll want to know what the original color was being used, and the pencil won't smear and will remain intact after the experiment.)

3. Fold the coffee filter in half and then in half again, resulting in a cone shape.
4. Get a short glass of water. Pull apart the cone shaped coffee filter so it balances right on the glass with the tip of the cone just touching the water. (Be sure NOT to let the marker circle go in the water, just the uncolored tip of the coffee filter cone.)

5. Let it sit and watch what happens as the water begins to flow up the paper.

6. Repeat with different colored markers. Here are ours starting out...

... and just about done!

7. After the water has reached the outer edge of the coffee filter, place it on a newspaper to dry. (Lucy and her friend enjoyed illustrating their predictions on paper while waiting for each color to finish separating.)

8. Once the coffee filters are dry you can observe the results.

Directions for Using Coffee Filters to Make the Butterfly Craft

1. Cut your black pipe cleaners in half.

2. Take one coffee filter and scrunch it up in the middle.

3. Wrap a black pipe cleaner around the center.

4. Shape the ends to form antennae.

5. Tie a string to the center and hang!

Question to Spark More Curiosity & Critical Thinking
What colors do you see? How many colors do you see? Which one do you find most interesting? Why?
Don't forget to follow your child's lead and let your him/her explore some more! Lucy and her friend wanted to try all the different colors to see if they'd separate. They wondered if the marker would separate on just regular paper and came up with a way to try it out.

After the experiment was complete, the thinking continued! Lucy's friend was determined to have the butterflies balance just right when tied on the string. We tried different placements of the string to see the different ways we could get the butterflies to hang.

Want to go even further?
Even more activities to inspire creativity and critical thinking for various ages.

Collect black markers from different brands. Complete the experiment with each. Compare the results.

Record your observations by creating a picture or chart showing what you discovered.

Make a list of more questions you came up with as you completed this experiment.

Some related books: White Rabbit's Color Book, Little Blue and Little Yellow, Mouse Paint

Be sure to check out our STEAM Kids book and ebook for even more creative STEM and STEAM ideas!

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Science for Kids: Chromatography Butterfly Craft

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Looking for some spring themed science for kids? You'll definitely want to explore chromatography using coffee filters and markers. The results from this science experiment can even be used to create a colorful butterfly craft for kids! This post was originally posted February 26, 2014 and has since been updated.

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https://buggyandbuddy.com/science-kids-balancing-robot-free-printable/

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Here's a super fun science activity that really gets kids thinking! Children will explore balance and center of gravity by creating a balancing robot!

This balancing robot science exploration has always been a huge favorite among my students! In this science activity kids will place two pennies in various locations on a paper robot until they've discovered how to make the robot balance. This post contains affiliate links.

See it in action here!

Materials for Balancing Robot Science Activity

Print out the free printable on a sheet of white card stock, and color the robots if you'd like. Cut out the robots.

To make the robot balance you'll want to stick two pennies onto the hands of the robot. (You can use tape to do this, but removable poster putty gives kids a chance to explore balance by moving the pennies to various locations on the robot.)
Here's how we did it:
Flip your robot over to the back. Place a small piece of poster putty on the hands of the robot.

Press a penny onto each hand. (You can leave it just like this, but we like to attach the second robot to the back so you can't see the pennies!)

Stick some more poster putty on the pennies.

Press the second robot onto the back. (To keep the top part of the robot from opening up, you can also place a small piece of putty between the two robot bodies to hold them together.)

Now you've got your balancing robot!

Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity

Here's the fun part! Show the students a balancing robot in action on your finger, but don't let them know how to make it just yet.

Now, give each student one of their cut out robots (they can attach the second robot to the back once they've figured out how to make it balance), 2 pennies, and some removable poster putty.

Give them time to try out sticking the pennies to different parts of the robot to try to get the robot to balance on their fingers. I love watching them explore and discuss with their friends all the various ideas they come up with! Many will figure it out on their own. For those that don't, you can show them the correct placement of the pennies or invite other students to help them.

Once all the students have their balancing robots built correctly, let them explore balancing the robot in different places. We tried ours out on our nature table.

Lucy's favorite place was her nose!

This is a such a fun science activity for kids to do any time of the year! Hope you enjoy it, and please let me know how it goes!

Other Resources for Exploring Balance and Center of Gravity

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Science for Kids: Balancing Robot (FREE Printable) - Buggy and Buddy

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Here's a super fun science activity that really gets kids thinking! Children will explore balance and center of gravity by creating a balancing robot! Follow our Science for Kids Pinterest board! This balancing robot science exploration has always been a huge favorite among my students! In this science activity kids will place two pennies ...

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Turing Tumble
Code your name

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trying to build a paper airplane that will go the furthest distance

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https://ourfamilycode.com/pretty-penny-chemistry-steam-activity/

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Do you know how to clean pennies? What liquids can clean a penny? Use household liquids to explore oxidation with this penny cleaning chemistry experiment for kids and figure out the best way to clean a penny!

What's better than a shiny, new penny? Not much for a 5-year old! My Kindergartner thinks that pennies are amazing and I love her for it!

Unfortunately, we have a bunch of dull, old pennies hanging around that aren't very pretty. We wanted to determine if there were liquids we had around the house that would remove the copper oxide on our pennies and reveal shiny, pretty pennies underneath!

We set out to explore more about oxidation and why our pennies were so dull and learn how to clean pennies!

I did this activity with my Kindergartner and my 5th grader and adapted it to their different learning levels. For younger learners, you can focus more on the difference between old and new pennies and identify the physical properties of each penny before and after the experiment.

For older learners, you can incorporate questions about acids and bases and discuss the pH scale and observe a chemical reaction. They should be able to explain how to clean pennies after completing the activity.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Our Family Code earns from qualifying purchases. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more details.

Why STEAM Activities?

STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

STEAM, like STEM, is an integrated approach to learning that encourages learners to make connections between the concepts they are learning and how they apply them to real-world problems.

STEAM helps students ask questions, problem solve, think creatively, and produce innovative solutions. Many schools have adopted STEAM learning activities into their curriculum, but it's never too early to start building critical thinking skills.

We love to learn through play at our house and have a blast doing activities for toddlers all the way to tweens!

You might also enjoy: Ogre Slime: Oozing Slime Sensory Fun!

Key Penny Cleaning Chemistry Terms

Physical Properties are properties of a substance that can be observed through our senses like smelling, touching, or seeing. A chemical property is a property of a substance that is revealed by the way it interacts with other substances.

Physical Change is a change that alters the appearance of a substance that can be observed by our senses. A chemical reaction is a change in the molecular structure of a substance.

Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs when oxygen interacts with other substances. In pennies, copper and oxygen react to form copper oxides, which leaves a dull coating on pennies. This is also the chemical reaction that gave us the green color of the Statue of Liberty.

An acid is a solution that has a higher amount of hydrogen ions than water. Vinegar is an acid. A base is a solution that has a lower amount of hydrogen ions than water. Baking soda is an example of a base. When a solution is neutral, it has a concentration of hydrogen ions equal to water.

Penny Cleaning Chemistry Experiment Supplies

How to Clean Pennies Chemistry Experiment

Compare an older penny with a newer penny. Discuss the physical properties of each (for example, the newer penny is shiny). Write down your observations.

Label your cups to match the liquids that you will be using. We used water, lemon juice, soda (Pepsi), ketchup, and vinegar.

Next, hypothesize what substance might be the most effective and why?

Place a penny in each of your liquids. Set your control penny aside. You'll use this to compare physical change. Make sure that your pennies are covered.

Set a timer for 10 minutes. During that time, discuss oxidation and chemical reactions. Name some chemical reactions that happen every day.

After 10 minutes has passed, remove your pennies one by one. Wipe each penny well with a paper towel.
Discuss the physical change for each of the pennies? What substance worked best? Is your hypothesis valid? Why or why not?
Connect this Penny Chemistry Experiment with other STEAM Buckets

Check out this STEAM extensions!

Science

This activity is primarily science related. In this chemistry STEAM activity, we discussed chemical reactions, made a hypothesis, conducted experiment, and recorded observations.

Technology

Take before and after pictures of your pennies for each liquid. Use the pictures to compare physical changes for each penny. Make a short presentation about your pennies and the physical changes you observed.

Engineering

Try a different way of doing this experiment like using eye droppers to put the liquid on one side of the penny and letting it sit there. What method works best?

Art

Draw pictures to show the oxidation of your pennies and the physical change after your experiment.

Math

Use a measuring cup to measure out each liquid. Do the experiment again and use different amounts for each.

Looking for more chemistry activities? Check these out!

31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activities for Kids

This activity is part of our 31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activities for Kids. Every activity focuses on each of the buckets of STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) although these integrated projects fit in more than one bucket.

You and your kiddos are going to love all of the activities that we have in store! Visit the 31 Days of Low-Prep STEAM Activity hub and pin it, so you can come back and visit it daily!

PIN THIS IMAGE TO SHARE THIS LOW-PREP STEAM ACTIVITY!

Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code

I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!

You can also find out more about me by visiting ToniGardner.com!

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How to Clean Pennies Chemistry Experiment - Our Family Code

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Do you know how to clean pennies? What liquids can clean a penny? Use household liquids to explore oxidation with this penny cleaning chemistry experiment for kids and figure out the best way to clean a penny! What's better than a shiny, new penny? Not much for a 5-year old!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OjPXS2OKP8&feature=emb_logo

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DIY Lava Lamp | Crafts for Kids | PBS KIDS for Parents

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https://leftbraincraftbrain.com/how-to-make-diy-stomp-rockets/

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There are some epic STEM projects that make lasting memories for kids. DIY Stomp Rockets are definitely one of those projects. From the building phase that builds confidence in kids to the flying stage that makes kids yell "wow!" "so cool!" stomp rockets are a project for the memory books. Our family had a super-fun afternoon building and flying them! These easy to follow instructions are a sneak peek into the STEAM Explorers Superhero Activity Ebook, too!

Please note, I have provided links for supplies for your convenience and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you.

What is a Stomp Rocket?

A stomp rocket is a paper rocket that take flight due to pressurized air. They use an air bladder (in this one it's a 2L bottle) to supply the air. When you stomp on the bottle, the air inside is compressed. The compressed air escapes to an area of lower pressure down the pipe and into the body of the rocket. But the rocket has a closed end and the air cannot escape and pushes downwards against the pipe, too. This causes the rocket to fly off the launcher and into the air.

Check out the DIY Stomp Rockets in action here!

How Do Rockets Fly?

Real rockets also rely upon air flow to make them fly. Their engines burn fuel which converts into hot gas. The hot gas is pushed out of the end of the engine. The rocket then relies upon Newton's Third Law of Motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the hot gas is pushed downwards out of the rocket, the rocket itself flies upwards.

DIY Stomp Rocket Supplies

Build the Stomp Rocket Launcher

First you need to build the contraption that gives the rockets their air-powered "engines."
SAFETY NOTE: Cutting PVC pipe should be done by adults or with adult supervision due to the sharp tools.

1. Cut PVC pipe into the following length sections:

1. 1 x 4 foot

2. 4 x 1 foot

2. Insert three 1 foot sections of pipe into the ends of a 3-way fitting. You now have a t-shape of pipe.

1. Insert the part of the T that is at a right angle from the other to pieces from step 2 into another three-way fitting.

2. Insert the 4-foot section of pipe into the opposite opening of the 3 way fitting from step 3 to make a long length of pipe.

3. Insert the last 1-foot section of pipe into the remaining opening in the three-way fitting and rotate the fitting so the pipe points towards the sky. This is where your paper rocket will go.

4. Insert the other end of the 4-foot pipe section into the neck of the 2L bottle about 1" and secure with duct tape. NOTE: If you have a PVC pipe to 3/4″ hose attachment piece, you can use this instead of the duct tape.)

At the end of the T opposite to the bottle, there are open ends of pipe. Cover each with duct tape so air cannot escape.

Make the Paper Rockets

The next part of the DIY stomp rockets is to make the paper rocket. For best results, be sure that the rocket is sealed as air-tight as possible except for the part that goes onto the launcher.

Take one of the one foot sections of pipe and wrap a piece of paper around it snugly, but not so tight it can't be removed.

Tape the paper cylinder to secure it.

Close one end of the rocket by folding over the end and taping it or another preferred method.

How to Optimize Your DIY Stomp Rocket

To optimize your rocket, you have to minimize the air drag against the rocket. Real rockets use fins and nose cones to help the rocket cut through the air better. What can you add to your rocket to make it more aerodynamic?

How to Fire the DIY Stomp Rockets

Now comes the really fun part!!! These rockets go really high (ours went almost 100 feet in the air!), so be sure to pick a good location to fire them.
SAFETY NOTE: Always stay away from the rocket and ensure no one else is near the rocket when firing. Adult supervision recommended.

1. To launch a rocket, place the open end of the rocket over the vertical pipe section of the launcher.

2. Ensure that no one is near the rocket and step or jump onto the 2L bottle to fire.

3. To inflate the bottle after each launch, place your hand around the vertical pipe piece and blow into your hand. Do not blow directly into the pipe to reduce spreading germs.

Stomp Rocket Dueling

To have a rocket battle, estimate how high your rocket flies by comparing it to landmarks. Continue to optimize your rocket for the highest flight and battle against friends and their rockets.

More Superhero STEAM Activities for Kids

These DIY Stomp Rockets are a sneak peek into our superfun Superhero-themed activity ebook for kids. This activity ebook is packed with four fun themes: Superpowers, Gadgets, Epic Battles, and Super Stories. Kids will love making a light-up superpower ring, snacking on superfood smoothies, exploring Gotham through art, creating their own comic book, and more! You'll love the helpful standards-based learning, printables, and tools that make STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) exploration easy!

Inside every STEAM Explorers ebook are:

Projects: Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects

Printables: Fun printables for independent learning and fun

Recipes: Delicious recipes that have a learning spin

Learning: Interesting reading that helps kids learn about our planet on every page

Activity Calendar: A helpful calendar to make adding STEAM to your day simple and fun.

Supplies List: A handy supplies list for the month that makes prep easy.

BONUS! A coupon to save 25% on a monthly STEAM Explorers subscription. That's where you'll find a kid-safe online portal filled with helpful activity videos, teacher lesson plans, and more.

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DIY Stomp Rockets are a really fun STEM project for kids and the whole family. Build, stomp, and fly and learn what makes real rockets fly. Perfect for school or scouts, too!

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https://scruitskyan.wixsite.com/buildit/slowcoaster

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These are the materials we used for this project. Rubber bands (left picture), 2' by 2' pegboard, 1/4" x 3" carriage bolts with a 1/4" hex nut (middle picture) and a 1/4" wing nut (right picture)

We wanted to be slower than Mr. Goodmans mom!

​

Mr. Goodmans moms stats:

5 meters in 20 seconds =

1/4m per second= 25 cm/ sec. It would take her 400 seconds to go 100 meters

Click here to view how fast she was going!

​

​

Stats of "The Bolt"

Coaster Length : 138cm

Ride Time : 5.45 seconds

Coaster Speed : 25cm/sec

​

We divided our length by our time, and we found that we are the same speed at Ms. Goodman!

Video of our Slow Coaster!

The Science Behind our Slow Coaster:

Gravity: a force that tends to speed things up when they are falling. Gravity is working on our Slow Coaster when the ball is rolling down it! The gravity is pulling the ball down, which is why the slow coaster works!

Friction : a force that tends to slow things down that are moving down or change their direction. There is friction in our slow coaster when using the rubber bands to slow down our ball by using more or larger ones. There is also friction when we space out the rubber band a certain length from the board

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These are the materials we used for this project. Rubber bands (left picture), 2' by 2' pegboard, 1/4" x 3" carriage bolts with a 1/4" hex nut (middle picture) and a 1/4" wing nut (right picture) We wanted to be slower than Mr. Goodmans mom!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=pnyEQeFok6U&feature=emb_logo

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hair dryer and ping pong balls!!
use paper and coins to make a paper air plane that's weighted

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Jun 7, 2018 - Print out our free rocket printable and have fun making some straw rockets! The kids loved designing their own rockets and then launching them using straws.

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Drop parachutes to test air resistance. Use different materials to try and find the best parachute!
https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/how-do-materials-affect-air-resistance/

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Eggs! Sounds delicious, right!? But eggs are not only used to show our culinary skills in the kitchen or to satisfy our taste buds but to our surprise, they work great to do science experiments that every young and little scientists in your home needs to try. Many simple, easy, and fun experiments are possible to do with eggs.

Here in this post, we would like to help you find various easy, simple, and fun egg science experiments by compiling an exhaustive list of 'Egg Science Experiments'. You just need to follow our Easy-to-Follow directions given below and explain to your little ones who begs you to repeat these experiments once they get to know the magical transform of the egg, which is done in the below mentioned egg science experiments. So, have look and enjoy!!
1. Colorful Rainbow Rubber Eggs
Simple yet awesome colorful Rainbow Rubber Eggs. You can make this with available household items like eggs & vinegar - a must try experiment for kids at home. Check out this egg experiment here.
2. Egg in a Bottle
Description: The title puts a big question mark on your face but believe, it is so easy and simple to perform and enjoy the magical results of this experiment.Egg in the bottle is a pretty cool experiment to the kids of all ages. Kids below 5 years can enjoy the experiment by watching the fascinating results but the kids above five years can actually understand the science behind the experiment. Though the experiment sounds simple and easy but it is absolutely not ideal to choose for any kind of science fairs.

You can find the complete and detailed description about the Egg Science Experiment by clicking on the link attached to the tittle in the same sentence.
3. Make an Egg float
Description: We knew that the eggs sink to the bottom and our kids also might have observed this. But do the eggs float? Want to know the answer!? Then you must perform this easy and very simple experiment to show your little ones that the eggs do float. Kids below 6 years will be more excited to watch the exciting results of floating egg and would definitely ask to repeat the experiment. Whereas kids above 7 years can enjoy as well as understand the simple science behind the magic trick which makes the egg float.

Click here to find a detailed explanation of ' Make an Egg Float ' experiment.
4. Egg Shells as Teeth
Have you ever imagined of an experiment with an egg shell? Most of you says, 'NO'! Hope I am correct!! In the same way, we never thought of an experiment with eggshells and our tooth. Eggshells represent human teeth since these shells are made from the chemicals that form tooth enamel. This experiment help kids of all ages learn about importance of maintaining tooth health which is a common dental issue among now-a-days generation children. In addition, this experiment is best suitable for early year's children because they learn why it is important to brush their teeth and after the experiment they find brushing activity fun and interesting!!

Here is the source for this easy and fun experiment: Tooth Decay Experiment with Egg Shells
5. Egg Science Experiment with Vinegar
Make your children surprise with this magical experiment of Egg in Vinegar solution. This experiment does not take much time of your child's leisure time. In fact, this neat activity helps your child to learn simple science with few ingredients either at home or at school. Sounds exciting right, I believe you and your child would have a nice learning time with this amazing experiment with egg.

You can find the detailed experiment here, just click here: Egg in Vinegar
6. Egg in Coke Science Experiment
Coke is the highly consumed drink among children of all ages who prefer so much junk over healthy drinks and food. So far, you may have heard and performed many experiments with coke but this simple and fun experiment is more interesting!! Want to know why!? Just gather your children and perform this simple activity at your home, so that your children will also get to know about the surprising results of this experiment. Have a try!!

Have a look at the complete experiment and observe the results here: Egg in Coke Science Experiment
7. Eggs and Salt Water Science Experiment
This is the best experiment to tell your children about the egg's density and also helps you to demonstrate your kids about what happens when an egg is added to the salt solution. Does an egg float or sink in salt water!? Get the answer to this question by performing this easy and fun experiment!! Happy experiment!

How does the Egg and Salt Water Science experiment works? Just click here to find the complete experiment details, directions, and results: Eggs and Salt Water Science Experiment
8. Science Experiment with hard boiled eggs
Experimenting with hardboiled egg sounds silly but there is a bit of interesting and simple science involved in this experiment. Do it with your kid and know the interesting results of this experiment. Pre-schoolers mostly enjoy this experiment which improves their motor skills.

Here the source link to find the detailed experiment description: Science Experiment with hard boiled eggs
9. Egg Drop Science Experiment
This experiment is involved with a lot of fun and a simple science! Kids of all ages find it as a magic trick but it is actually a super fun STEM activity for students and pre-schoolers as well. Check out the link here to find how exactly the experiment works with your students or children. Click here for Egg Drop Science Experiment
10. The Shrinking Egg Science Experiment
This super fun experiment is considered as another continuous and further step experiment to the 'Egg in Vinegar experiment'. This experiment would be so informative and perfect to show preschool class kids. Kids would definitely be amazed to the fascinating reactions of the egg at the end of the experiment! Just give it a try.

Browse the link here to get the complete information on experiment with the egg. Click here.
11. Dinosaur Eggs Fizzy Science Experiment
Pre-schoolers are always in love with tiny animal toys and among them dinosaurs will always be their fun topic and toy. In this experiment your little ones will definitely become more excited and interested to explore dinosaur egg science experiment.

Get the detailed information about the super-fun experiment, just click here: Dinosaur Eggs Fizzy Science Experiment
12. How strong is an egg shell?
There are many shapes in this world and the shape of a structure defines how strong it is!! Does eggs, which actually seem fragile, hide any such shape inside it!? This would be a great experiment to show your kids about shapes and their strengths. Find out why shapes are taking the priority in this experiment by trying this at your home or school or science fair projects.

You can find the experiment complete guide at this source, just click here: How strong is an egg shell?
13. Oobleck Egg Science Experiment
Have you ever came across the word 'Oobleck'!? Hopefully not!! This is a magical ingredient to do an awesome and super fun experiment with eggs. This experiment would be a great classic student challenge to perform this activity. Does an Oobleck protects egg from breaking!? For the results, just click here to know the complete details of this simple Oobleck Eggscience experiment.
14. Crystal Egg Geode Science Experiment
Want to bring a fun twist to your experiments with egg science!? Then this is the perfect one that makes your egg science experiment wonderful and beautiful. Also this is a safe and fun experiment for the pre-schoolers since this is a non-toxic and can be done in very little time. So, go ahead with the fun and kid-friendly egg science experiment.

Check out the fun Crystal Egg Geode Science Experiment here!!
15. Walking on Eggs Science Experiment
Walk on eggs!? Yes, it is a bit surprising!! With this experiment, kids will get to know the eggs a bit more including little science magic, interesting investigations, and many more. This is another fun egg science experiment that keeps children engaged for hours. Pre-schoolers will definitely enjoy the egg science activity whereas the older kids will spend a quality time while performing the experiment and analyses the display of the results. So, why don't we give it a try!

Here is the link attached to know the complete instructions about the experiment, walking on Eggs

16. Comparing Eggs- Floating Eggs Science Experiment

Do you want your kid to involve, discover, and explore more about egg experiments!? Then, this is the perfect one to set up at your home. Also, you will find this experiment is a great way to get your children involved and analyses their findings to the situations in reality. Great experiment! Try it with your kiddos.

Find the instructions and other complete details of the experiment here: Comparing Eggs- Floating Eggs Science Experiment
17. Experiment with eggs in different liquids
Another egg science experiment that allows children to learn about three concepts at once. This experiment takes 24 hours' time to see the end results but definitely it is worth to wait for the results because it makes a great visual experience. Also, adults can make use of this experiment to explain their kids a few things about the ingredients used in the experiment as well as works as a good science fair project. "DISSOLVING, EXPANDING, BOUNCING EGG SCIENCE EXPERIMENT" is the alternative name to this experiment.

Do you want to know how the experiment works!? Then, you must definitely find click here to get the details of the experiment: Experiment with eggs in different liquids
18. Silver Egg Science Experiment
This is such a beautiful simple science project or experiment and best suits to practice Easter Science Experiments and Easter STEM activities. Children can perform this experiment anywhere like schools classes, home, etc. since it requires less time with a very less ingredients. Lower grade kids must be supervised by an adult while performing this activity.

Click here to see how to do the Silver Egg Science Experiment
19. Egg STEM Zip Line Science Experiment
Many kids out there have had the experience of zip line travelling's!! But do they ever think of egg parachutes or eggs travelling using zip lines? For children this would be a great experiment where kids learn how to set up an investigation for a fair test and also enjoys this fun experiment. Easy to perform and perfect for experiencing some EASTER fun.

Egg STEM Zip Line Science Experiment Consider this source to get the complete details of the experiment.
20. Volcano Egg Science
Fun science suitable for all ages!! Kids experience an awesome science and craft in one experiment. With a very few ingredients in your kitchen, kids can enjoy lots of fun and this fun science and craft activity is perfect for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and older.

Want to try this experiment with your kids!? Then get to know about Volcano Science Experiment here.
21. Growing Seeds in Eggshells for Spring Science!
Children of all ages, Grab your eggs, empty it, and make the eggshells ready for growing seeds in eggshells!! This is a great experiment through which you can make your children know about earth science and different stages of seed growth.

Explore the cool science of ' Planting Seeds in Eggshells ' by clicking on the link attached here and make your kids engaged in learning plant science.

Kids of all ages can do these simple science egg experiments either at home or school while enjoying the magical results. For the egg-citing results, kids use a very few ingredients from the kitchen in addition to an egg. Kids also love to complete the experiments with egg since they are simple, easy, and fun. Learning simple science while performing these activities with eggs is an added bonus to their little brains.

By performing the above mentioned experiments kids will completely get the simple science hidden in the eggs in an excellent way!! In addition, most of the above mentioned projects are simple, easy to perform, super fun, and quick. Hope you all have got enough information on the list of simple and super fun Egg Science Experiments. Give it a try to enjoy super cool egg science experiments.

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20+ Fun Science Experiments with Eggs - Go Science Girls

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Eggs! Sounds delicious, right!? But eggs are not only used to show our culinary skills in the kitchen or to satisfy our taste buds but to our surprise, they work great to do science experiments that every young and little scientists in your home needs to try.

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-nature walk
-ice cream in a bag
-apple on card tower
-bubble painting
-shadow art
-rainbow skittles with baking soda

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make slime

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Gear Board Snowflakes: Use a gear board and rubber bands to create snowflake designs!
Parachute guy: Use coffee filters and pipe cleaners to create a little guy floating down with a parachute!
Jenga station: Use jenga blocks to take a closer look at gravity!

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Introduction: Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment

Oobleck is a classic science experiment that's perfect for entertaining both kids and adults. If you haven't seen it in action it's very fascinating stuff and before too long you'll have your hands covered with it, happily making a mess that can be washed away with water.

Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid. That is, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when a force is acting on it. You can grab it and then it will ooze out of your hands. Make enough Oobleck and you can even walk on it!

Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom. Here the Oobleck will be made in a bowl and will likely make a mess, but only because you can get carried away playing with it.

Step 1: Materials

All you need is corn starch and food coloring and the food coloring is optional.

Recipe:
- 1 cup water
- 1.5-2 cups corn starch
- a few drops of food coloring of your choice

Step 2: Mix It Up!

Start with the water in a bowl and start adding the corn starch to it. You can use a spoon at first, but pretty quickly you'll be moving on to using your hand to stir it up.

When you're getting close to adding 1.5 cups of the corn starch, start adding it in more slowly and mixing it in with your hand. The goal is to get a consistency where the Oobleck reaches a state that is the liquid and yet solid.

Sometimes you will need more cornstarch. If so, keep adding more than the initial 1.5 cups. If you add too much, just add some water back into it. You will have to play with it to see what feels appropriately weird.

Step 3: Add Food Coloring

Now that the Oobleck is just right, it's time to add some color. We save this step for later because it's a fun challenge to stir in the food coloring. You will have to slowly mix the Oobleck around to get it thoroughly mixed.

Step 4: Play With It!

No go ahead and play with the Oobleck. That's the point of all this and you can find lots of tricks to try out. Here's a short list:

- Grab a handful, squeeze it, and let it ooze out your fingers.
- Make a puddle and quickly drag your fingers through it.
- Put it into a plastic container and shake it or quickly bump it against a table.
- Jab at the Oobleck and then slowly let your finger sink in.
- Put it on top of a subwoofer and play some low frequencies at high volume (tough to set up, but worth it)

Have fun and be sure to wash it all off in the end.

Step 5: Oobleck Videos

Still not convinced you want to make it? Play this video to see it in action.

6 People Made This Project!

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Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment

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Oobleck: the Dr. Seuss Science Experiment: Oobleck is a classic science experiment that's perfect for entertaining both kids and adults. If you haven't seen it in action it's very fascinating stuff and before too long you'll have your hands covered with it, happily making a mess that can be ...

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build a boat out of aluminum foil to hold as much weight as possible

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I have materials for this! To build a big one!
https://www.instructables.com/Da-Vinci-Popsicle-Stick-Bridge/

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Introduction: Da Vinci Popsicle Stick Bridge

Make a self supporting bridge with no mechanical fasteners or adhesives based on one of Leonardo Da Vinci's designs. You will be weaving the sticks together so that the tension between the sticks keeps the bridge together and lifts it off of the ground. You need:

Jumbo popsicle sticks (colorful ones may be easier)

Stable working platform

Patience

The bridge is strong when it comes to downward force but lateral force (from the sides) may cause it to topple. Moving the bridge while it stands (even slightly) could cause it to fall apart, so be careful.

Step 2: Add Sticks 5 & 6

Add two additional sticks (red) by weaving them under the green stick and over the orange stick. You may need to hold the orange stick in place while doing this. Notice the bridge starts to lift off the surface at this point. You will continually hold the bridge flat while you add new sticks, this will allow you to more easily add sticks without worry of your bridge tipping over/falling apart. TIP: It often helps to slide the new stick in at an angle to start with.

Step 4: Add Sticks 8 & 9

Weave sticks 8 & 9 (red sticks) under the orange stick and on top of the green stick. If you slowly let go of your bridge after you get these sticks into place, if will raise itself up so that the red sticks make a platform parallel to the ground. You can stop here or keep going to make your bridge longer...

Step 11: Ta Da!

Gently release the pressure on the bridge and it will rise up. Congratulations! Still want more bridge building excitement? Make your bridge longer, the more sticks you add the more the bridge will curve. How far can you build and still have a stable bridge. Remember: the bridge is strong when it comes to downward force but lateral force (from the sides) may cause it to topple. Moving the bridge while it stands (even slightly) could cause it to fall apart, so be careful. We've found the most successful way to move your bridge is to press it flat and slide it onto a tray/piece of cardboard. Have fun exploring engineering with this activity.

Check out all the neat things we're doing each week in Science City @ sciencecity.com.

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Da Vinci Popsicle Stick Bridge: Make a self supporting bridge with no mechanical fasteners or adhesives based on one of Leonardo Da Vinci's designs. You will be weaving the sticks together so that the tension between the sticks keeps the bridge together and lifts it off of the gr...

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make a bouncy ball!!!!!!! out of borax glue and cornstarch

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Build a boat out of aluminum foil to hold as much weight as possible

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magnets
floating and sinking
light
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