10 Easy & Fun Science Experiments for Kids to Do at Home

What better way to encourage kids to take an interest in science, then with an awesome hands-on experiment? Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping science fair experiment, or just a fun and educational boredom-buster, these science experiments for kids definitely fit the bill.

Best of all, they’re simple and safe to conduct with children, and use items you likely already have at home, or can easily find at any grocery and/or hardware store.

Happy experimenting!

1. Grow rock candy crystals

Learn how crystals grow with a science experiment you can eat! As the crystals grow over the course of a week, kids get an up close look at sugar crystals on a giant scale. Then, taste the results of your experiment. Did you know rock candy is one of the oldest forms of candy in the world?

Recipe via Exploratorium, image via Flickr

2. Make a CO₂ fire extinguisher

If you’ve ever tried the classic volcano experiment with your kids, you know what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar. This experiment uses that same chemical reaction to create CO₂. Pour the gas on a flame and watch what happens!

via Steve Spangler Science

3. Blow up a balloon with baking soda and vinegar

But wait; don’t put away that baking soda and vinegar just yet! Use those same two amazing ingredients to try this simple trick.

via Mom to 2 Posh Little Divas

4. Discover how osmosis works

Osmosis is defined as the passage of material (as a solvent) through a membrane (as of a plant or animal cell) that will not allow all kinds of molecules to pass. This fun shrinking egg experiment uses just a few items you already have in your kitchen to explore this concept.

via Science Sparks

5. Build a lemon battery

Did you know you can power a light with just a couple of lemons? Wow your kids with this cool experiment that demonstrates how a battery works in a simple, hands-on way.

via Kids Activities Blog

6.Learn about density

This experiment gives kids a great visual for understanding density (the concept that different liquids have different masses, and therefore, different weights). And it looks cool too!

via Steve Spangler Science

7. Create a self-sustaining tabletop biosphere

You can complete this experiment in a weekend, but the results can last for months! Watching the plants grow and the shrimp survive in a glass jar habitat is sure to fascinate kids and adults alike.

via Make

8. Make elephant toothpaste

When hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and dish soap combine, the result is an exothermic reaction that looks awesome. The resulting foam is completely safe to touch and play with too, making this a great experiment for little ones.

via Preschool Powol Packets

9. Watch a volcano erupt in a cup

With just sand, wax, and water, you can create a realistic volcanic eruption in a mug! The way your mug volcano is formed is much the same volcanos in real life.

[embedvideo id=”kCO_AiWQBAA” website=”youtube”]

10. Make a balloon hovercraft

This site features lots of fun, kid-friendly science experiments, all illustrated with easy-to-follow instructions in comic-strip form. We especially like this cool activity for making a hovercraft that really flies!

via Physics.org

What are your favorite science experiments for kids? Let us know in the comments! And if you try one of the experiments we shared here, we’d love to hear how it goes!