7 Easy Science Experiments You Can Do With Your Kids At Home
Learning isn’t contained within the four walls of the classroom. For kids, they can continue learning even at home. Doing science experiments can help them explore how things work and deepen their knowledge. There are a variety of science experiments that you and your child can do at home. Let's look at some easy ones you can try with your kiddos!
Water Cycle Experiment
This water experiment will teach your kid about the water cycle. To do this, let your child place some water inside a bucket. Put some saran wrap on top of the bucket then leave it out under the sun for a few hours. After a few hours, condensation should also happen and you will see small droplets of water on the saran wrap. Observe what happens to the water inside the bucket.
This simple experiment teaches kids about the process of evaporation and condensation. It helps them understand the concept of temperature and pressure and why water evaporates into the air when it gets heated up by the sun. This is an important lesson in understanding nature because without knowing how natural processes like evaporation works, we would not be able to predict weather patterns.
Glass Jar Xylophones
The glass jar xylophone is a fun experiment that teaches kids about sound waves and vibrations. This experiment requires only materials that you can find around the house. You will need glass jars, a metal spoon, and some water. Fill up around 5-6 glass jars with different amounts of water. For instance, add 1/4 cup of water to the first jar, 1/2 cup of water to the second jar, then increase the amount of water until all the jars have been filled.
Once all the jars are filled, strike the metal spoon on the glass jar's rims and observe the difference in sounds. They should all make different sounds depending on the volume of water in each jar. Jars with more water should produce a lower pitch than those containing less water.
This experiment shows kids how sound waves and vibrations work. The results from this experiment could be used to explain to kids the difference between high notes and low notes in music. They might observe the differences in pitches of musical instruments as well.
Homemade Volcano
This fun science activity is a great way to learn about acids and bases. (Remember to do this outside since it can get messy!) You'll need vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, water, and bottles for this experiment. For added fun, you and your child can even make a volcano out of clay around the bottle.
To start with, add vinegar, water, and dish soap inside one bottle and mix it. This will serve as your volcano. Afterward, create a baking soda slurry using equal parts of baking soda and water. Add this mixture to another bottle and shake it vigorously. Once both mixtures are mixed together, pour the baking soda slurry into the vinegar mixture and see what happens.
The volcano should "erupt" as soon as the two liquids meet due to the reaction of the baking soda with the acid in the vinegar. You and your child can observe what happens when the two liquids react. This will help your child learn more about how acids and bases interact with each other. Try mixing other types of acidic solutions with baking soda to discover their own reactions.
Lava Lamp
A lava lamp experiment is a lesson on density. To demonstrate density, fill a tall glass with 1-2 inches of water. Then, add some color to the water with some food coloring. Fill up the rest of the glass with some cooking oil (but leave some space on top so it doesn't overflow).
As you and your child observe what happens, you should see that the oil and water don't mix inside the glass. This is because they have different densities: oil floats on top while the water sinks to the bottom.
Static Electricity Balloon
This experiment is an easy demonstration of static electricity. All you need is a balloon and a piece of cloth. Take a balloon and inflate it by blowing air into it. Next, take a piece of cloth and rub it along the balloon's surface. Afterward, place the balloon on top of your head and see what happens to your hair. Your hair should stand up or stick to the balloon's surface.
This experiment teaches children how static electricity works. When a balloon is rubbed against a piece of fabric, the balloon gets charged with a negative charge. As a result, the balloon sticks to your hair, which is positively charged. Positive charges repel each other, but negative charges attract each other.
Homemade Sundial
Sundials were used centuries ago to measure time. They use the angle of the sun to determine the time of day. Kids can use this project to show their friends how sundials work. It's simple to construct and requires only a few basic materials. To begin, get a paper plate and place a stick or pencil in the middle of it. You can use a permanent marker to draw lines at different angles across the center of the plate.
Place the homemade sundial outside and wait until the sunlight hits it from different directions. Observe the shadow cast onto the plate. You can even ask your kid to predict where the shadow will fall after observing how the shadow moves for several minutes. This experiment teaches kids about shadows, light, and time.
Colored Leaves
This experiment shows children how plants get water. During this experiment, you will need to cut a bunch of fresh celery stems. Fill up a few bottles with some water and add food coloring to them. Make sure that each bottle of water has a different color. Afterward, place the celery stems in the water and watch what happens.
As time passes, the celery stems should change colors. This demonstrates how plants absorb water from the soil through their roots and then move the water throughout their body via their vascular system. It also teaches kids that the water's condition affects a plant's health.
Final Words
Science experiments don't have to be difficult. You and your kid can enjoy tons of activities that can teach kids about science. With a few tools, there are plenty of fun ways to learn more about the world around us.
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