20 Best Science Activities for Kids at Home and School
Kids love to try new things, experiment and test out ideas. Science experiments are so fun to do with friends and family members both at school in the classroom and at home. Here of some of the best science experiments – perfect for doing at home with kids – using ingredients you probably already have! There are some free printables too so that is a bonus, right? We have done ALL of these in our home. The best science activities for kids can be done all year round.
Okay, let’s jump in to some experimenting!
Dinosaur Toothpaste (also known as Elephant Toothpaste)
Materials
- Empty 20-ounce container
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
- Packet of active yeast
- Liquid dishwashing detergent (Dawn works great)
- Warm water
- Food coloring (optional, but makes it lots more fun)
Make Dinosaur Toothpaste
- Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide solution, 1/4 cup soap, and a few drops of food coloring into the bottle. Swirl the bottle around to mix the ingredients all up together. Set the bottle in a sink or outdoors or some other place where you won’t mind a mess being made!
- In a separate container, mix a packet of active yeast with a little warm water. Give the yeast about five minutes to activate before proceeding to the next step.
- When you are ready to do the demo, pour the yeast mixture into the bottle. The reaction occurs immediately upon the addition of the yeast.
Here is a link to a post that is filled with more dinosaur fun!
Color Changing Explosion in Milk
Materials
- Dinner Plate or Wide Cup
- Milk
- Liquid Dish Detergent
- Cotton Swab
- Liquid Food Coloring (4 Colors)
Do the Color Changing Milk Experiment
- Pour enough milk on to the dinner plate to completely cover the bottom to the depth of about 1/4 inch. Give it a few minutes to settle.
- Add one drop of each of the four colors of food coloring (red, yellow, green, and blue to the milk. Try to put the drops towards the center but not touching.
- Pace a drop of liquid dish soap on the other end of a cotton swab. Place the soapy end of the cotton swab in the middle of the milk and hold it there for a few seconds There will be a burst of color!
Baggie and Pencil Magic – The Leak Proof Bag
Materials
- plastic baggie
- sharp pencil
- water
Make the Magic Happen
- Fill a zipper baggie about 3/4 of the way full with water and seal it completely closed.
- Make sure your pencil is totally SHARP!
- Hold the baggie firmly with one hand and use the other hand to push the pointy end of the pencil through the side of the bag. Continue pushing it until the point is also coming out the other side of the bag.
- It is like magic, right!?
Make Your Own Fossils
Materials
- 1 1/4 C Salt
- 5 C Flour
- 2 C Water
- Drop or Two of Food Coloring If Desired
Directions to Make Fossils
This is one of my all time favorites. It is definitely one of the best science activities for kids.
- Mix dough by hand and separate into 10 balls.
- Flatten balls.
- Press plastic dinosaur (or any toys) into dough and remove.
- Let dough dry.
If you like this project, you might also like make leaf resists. The details for this project are in this blog post!
Homemade Lava Lamps
Materials
- Baby Oil
- Jar or Bottle with Tight Lid
- Water
- Food Coloring
- Glitter
Directions to Make a Lava Lamp
This is another awesome one of the best science activities for kids.
Fill the jar up 7/8 of the way with water. Add a few drops of food coloring, 2 TBSP of baby oil and a dash of glitter. Put the lid on tightly (maybe even glue it closed) and turn the jar up and down to watch the magic.
Here is a link to a post that shares more ways to use baby oil to experiment in making sensory sand and slime.
There are LOTS of science projects mixed in my educational themed activities and they are all FREE! Get them in the Printable Library.
MORE of the BEST Science Ideas for Kids
There are more of the Best Science Activities at Home With Kids scattered around my blog. One of my favorite experiments is making a hurricane in a jar. You can get all of the directions for that experiment RIGHT here along with great information about how to prepare for the natural disaster of a hurricane.
Science With Baby Oil
These are all super fun too. Who knew that baby oil was such a great ingredient for learning about science?
Happy Experimenting,
Laura