10 science experiments to
try at home:
Science is a key learning area and it is great to give children
the opportunity to conduct a variety of science experiments
which will then help them form a strong understanding
about the world around them.
Here are 10 inexpensive science experiments that can be
conducted at home by children from the ages of 3 – 12
years old. Try one or all of them with your child and see
your child develop their knowledge about a specific scientific
concept.
1. Water movement experiment
Materials needed: Cabbage leaves, containers,
water, food dye
Concept taught: Osmosis (diffusion of water
through cells) Plants rely on osmosis to move
water from the roots to the tallest part of
the plant.
1. Pour an equal amount of water into a few containers
2. Put a few drops of different coloured food dye in each
container
3. Put a large cabbage leaf in each container
4. Observe cabbage leaves over a 2 week period
2. Rock Candy experiment
Materials needed: 2-3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, jars,
candy flavouring, food colouring, skewers, large saucepan,
pegs
Concepts taught: Learning about solutes and solvents. The
solute (sugar) is mixed with a solvent (water) to make a
super saturated solution. After taking the solution off the
heat, the sugar will begin to crystallise.
1. Dissolve a cup of sugar in a cup of water over heat in a
saucepan.
2. Slowly add more and more sugar until no more will
dissolve. (the water will look cloudy)
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the candy
flavouring if desired and allow solution to cool.
4. Cut the skewers to the right length, soak the end in water
and roll the end of the skewer in sugar. Allow the sticks to
dry completely.
5. Pour sugar solution equally into jars. You can add a few
drops of different food colouring dyes to each jar.
6. Put a dried sugar coated skewer in each jar and secure
with a peg. Make sure that the skewer is not touching any
part of the jar.
7. Observe skewers over 2 weeks (The children can eat the
rock candy when the experiment is over).
3. Plant maze experiment
Materials needed: shoe box, extra cardboard,
scissors, broad bean plant
Concept taught: Plants need light to grow.
Plants grow towards the light.
1. Cut a small hole at one end of the shoe box. Ensure that all
other holes are taped up so only the hole you made will let
light in.
2. Cut two pieces of cardboard and stick one on the left (a
third of the way up and one on the right (two thirds of the
way up).
3. Stand the shoe box up ensuring the hole is up the top. Put
the broad bean plant down the bottom sidewards (ensure
the broad bean plant is well watered).
4. Put the shoe box lid back on and secure with tape. Put
shoe box in a sunny position near a window.
5. Open the shoe box in 4 to 5 days and observe the results.
4. Elephant toothpaste experiment
Materials needed: 1/2 a cup of 6% hydrogen
peroxide, empty soft drink bottle, tray, food
colouring, dishwashing liquid, warm water,
yeast
Concept taught: Chemical reactions using a catalyst. The
hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water. The
large volume of oxygen quickly explodes out of the bottle.
1. Put an empty soft drink bottle in the middle of a tray.
2. Mix the hydrogen peroxide, 3 drops of food colouring and a
squirt of dishwashing liquid in the soft drink bottle.
3. In a separate container, mix 1 tsp of yeast and 2 tbsp of
warm water.
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the soft drink bottle and
watch the chemical reaction.
5. Dissolving egg shells experiment
Materials needed: 4 clear cups, 4 eggs,
vinegar, water
Concept taught: Acid base reactions. The vinegar is an acid
and dissolves the eggshell which is made up of calcium
carbonate (a base). When the acid and base react carbon
dioxide is formed (seen as bubbles in the experiment).
1. Put 1 egg in each clear cup.
2. Add vinegar to two of the cups and water to the other two
cups. (ensure each egg is submerged by the liquid in their
cup)
3. Observe the results over 7 days and compare the eggs that
were covered in vinegar to the eggs covered in water.
6. Walking on eggs experiment
Materials needed: many large trays of eggs,
plastic sheet
Concept taught: Shapes of objects effect
how pressure is distributed.
1. Put down a plastic sheet and lay a few trays of eggs
together on it
2. Walk over the trays of eggs ensuring your feet are flat
when walking
3. Walk over the eggs on heels or toes to see if it makes any
difference
7. Lava lamp experiment
Materials needed: One soft drink bottle,
water, vegetable oil, food colouring, AlkaSeltzer tablet broken up
Concept taught: Oil and water do not mix. Oil is less dense and
will stay above the water. The food colouring will drop
through the oil and mix with the water. The tablet (citric acid
and baking soda) releases carbon dioxide gas and the
bubbles rise to the top, taking coloured water with it. When
the gas is released at the top the coloured water will drop
down again.
1. Fill the soft drink bottle a third of the way with water.
2. Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil.
3. Add a couple of drops of food colouring into the soft drink
bottle.
4. Add the broken Alka-Seltzer tablet into the soft drink
bottle.
5. Observe results. When the experiment has finished, you
can add another tablet to watch it again.
8. Make a thermometer
Materials needed: 500ml jar, straw, clay,
water, rubbing alcohol, food colouring,
marker
Concept taught: Convection (the process of liquid expanding
and contracting as a result of temperature) When a liquid is
heated, it becomes less dense and expands. It will rise up on
the thermometer (the straw). When the liquid is cooled, it
contracts, becomes dense and goes down on the
thermometer (the straw).
1. Fill up the empty jar with equal amounts of water and
rubbing alcohol until it is ¼ of the way up the jar.
2. Put a few drops of food colouring in the liquid to make it
easier to see.
3. Put the cap back on the jar and secure it with tape.
4. Mix up the liquid
5. Put a hole in the centre of the cap so a clear straw can fit
through. (try to make the hole a similar size to the straw)
6. Make sure the straw is in the liquid but does not touch the
bottom of the jar.
7. Use clay around the straw to ensure the jar is air tight
and to hold the straw in position.
8. Draw a line on the jar with a marker to indicate room
temperature.
9. Put the thermometer in different places to see what
happens (e.g. direct sunlight, fridge)
9. Liquid explosion experiment
Materials needed: One bottle of diet coke, roll
of mentos
Concept taught: The effect of carbon
dioxide. Each mentos candy has lots of little pits
over it, which means they have lots of great
places for carbon dioxide bubbles to form. After
all of the gas is released, the liquid is pushed out
of the bottle at a great speed to form a big soft
drink blast.
1. Stand the bottle of diet coke upright with the lid off in the
middle of a large area.
2. Ensure everyone is standing clear
3. Unwrap the mentos roll and put all of them into the diet
coke at the same time. (This can be quite tricky as you need
them to go in very quickly)
4. Run into the safety zone and watch the reaction.
10. Bacteria/germs experiment
Materials needed: two potatoes, zip lock
bags, a variety of surfaces
Concept taught: The best surfaces for
bacteria to grow. Bacteria are microscopic
organisms that live everywhere. Certain
conditions cause bacteria to be more
prevalent than others. The importance of
hygiene can be discussed after observing the
results.
1. Wash hands with warm soapy water before commencing
experiment.
2. Cut two potatoes into slices using a clean knife.
3. Label 8 zip lock bags with the surfaces: hands, mouth,
toilet, dirt, floor, sink, bin lid, bench
4. Take one potato slice and rub it all over your hands. Once
done put it in the corresponding bag and zip it up.
5. Repeat process with the other 7 surfaces.
6. Put bags in a dark warm spot for 1 – 2 weeks.
7. Observe which potato slice had the most mould as
bacteria helps mould grow.
Science gets children to ask questions and clarify their own
understanding of how our world works. For older children,
encourage them to try and explain the science behind each
experiment.