The mere mention of word “science” is enough to make most adults scatter. But science is nothing to be scared of – in fact, conducting simple science experiments at home is the perfect way to nurture a child’s natural curiosity about how the things around him work. Listed below are some easy projects for children to conduct at home.
Bending Water
Materials needed:
- water faucet
- comb or inflated balloon
Turn the faucet on a slow stream. Let the child run a comb through her hair several times to generate static electricity. Hold the comb about an inch from the slow running water. The static electricity from the comb will cause the water to pull in one direction (bend). This simple science experiment for kids can also be conducted by rubbing an inflated balloon through long hair a few times and holding it next to the running water.
Restoring Pennies
Materials needed:
- plastic cup
- lemon juice
- small towel
- dull pennies
Put a few dull pennies in a plastic cup and pour lemon juice over them until they are completely covered. Let the pennies sit in the lemon juice for five to eight minutes. Remove the pennies from the lemon juice and polish them with a clean cloth. The acid in the lemon juice will break down and remove the oxide that dulls pennies over time and restore them to their shiny luster. This easy project for children can also be done using other acidic liquids such as soda or lime juice.
Color Changing Flowers
Materials needed:
- cup
- food coloring
- a white flower
- scissors
Fill a cup with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Use a pair of scissors to cut the tip of the stem off a light colored flower. Put the flower in the water and allow kids to monitor how the flower changes colors.This simple science experiment for children involves a little bit of waiting, as it takes a couple of days for the vessels in the flower to absorb the colored water.
Rubber Egg
Materials needed:
- hard boiled egg
- vinegar
- cup
Take a hard boiled egg and submerge it in a cup of vinegar. Let the egg sit in the vinegar overnight. The acid in the vinegar will cause the calcium carbonate (makes the shell hard) in the eggshell to be released leaving it soft and rubbery.
Bending water, restoring pennies, color changing flowers, and rubber eggs are simple science experiments that can be used to nurture kids’ natural thirst for learning and draw them into the wacky world of science.
Charlina Stewart - Charlina has dedicated more than a decade of her life making a positive difference in the lives of children. During her time as an early ...
