25 Easy Science Experiments for Kids

These are the most mind blowing (but easy!) science experiments your kids can do at home.

By Stacey Feintuch October 14, 2021

How many times has your child asked “Why?” Kids are born inquisitive and you should do all you can to nurture that trait. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be Bill Nye the Science Guy to help promote that sense of discovery in your little Einstein. All the experiments below are easy to whip up with household items you have on hand. Sit back and watch your blooming scientist delight in the joy of these experiments.

Science Experiments for Kids who Need Supervision

Science Experiments for Babies and Toddlers

Wonder of Water

Fill a basin with water and let the fun begin. Float or dunk objects. Scoop water and pour it into large or small containers. Create waves in the basin. (Just remember to never leave a child unsupervised around water).

Magic of Mud

Combine soil and water. Cover a plate, heavy paper, or piece of cardboard with a thick layer of mud. Make it even and smooth. Have your child press an open hand into the mud. Remove it without smudging the handprint. Airdry it.

Ice, Ice Baby

Put your little learner in a highchair. Place some crushed ice in a plastic cup. She’ll love trying to pick the cubes up and watch them melt and disappear. (Use crushed ice, not ice cubes, to prevent choking).

Highchair Hijinks

Seat baby in a highchair and give her a fresh sponge dipped in water. Show her how to squeeze the sponge and “wash” her tray. Add a drop of baby bath soap to the sponge to add some bubbles to the fun.

Science Experiments for Kids Ages 2-6 (Preschoolers and Kindergartners)

DIY Mini Powerboat

This cardboard boat really is powered by soap. Using these common household items, kids can watch how soap makes the boat move.

When Life Gives You Lemons

Kids can enjoy the fruits of their labor when they make their own fizzing lemonade. Mix a base with an acid to get a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide, which are the bubbles in fizzy beverages.

Mix It Up

This simple color mixing experiment will have kids in awe. Watch the look on their face after they mix two colors and they become a completely different hue.

Car Ramp Science

Take advantage of all those cars around your house. This car ramp experiment can help teach kids about basic forces in motion. Use household items like toilet paper roll tubes or pillows to predict which ramp causes the cars to go slower, faster, further, etc.

Science With Skittles

Use Skittles for a simple science experiment. Line the edge of a plate with the candy. Pour a little warm water inside the plate. Wait and watch as the colors spread to the middle, creating a colorful pattern.

Shaving Cream Art

Shaving cream isn’t just for shaving. Add drops of food coloring to a plate of shaving cream and stir with a spoon. Ask your child what she thinks will happen when you mix the colors. Have your child make different shapes; you can draw the letters in her name.

Egg-cellent

Kids will learn that salt makes water dense, making it easier for an egg to float. They’ll pour water in a glass and add salt. Then, they’ll submerge an egg and see if it floats or sinks.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Kids will love this invisible writing science experiment. They’ll learn that dishwashing detergent prevents water molecules from forming on the mirror. All you need is some dish detergent, water, and a mirror.

Fly Away

Teach kids about air resistance by making a parachute. Create the parachute with a zippered plastic bag or plastic grocery bag. Kids will enjoy releasing the parachute from different spots in your home and watching it float to the ground.

Science Experiments for Kids Ages 6-7 (First Graders)

Magnet Mayhem

Give your child a magnet. Let him discover which objects will stick to the magnet and which ones won’t. Have your budding scientist record his findings.

Peep a Boo

Peeps aren’t just for Easter. You can find them in different shapes throughout the year. See what happens when you cover the marshmallow treat in liquids like water, vinegar, and soda.

Science Experiments for Kids Ages 9 and Older

Glowing Gelatin

This glowing experiment teaches kids about science and is edible, too. With two main ingredients, kids can learn about fluorescent substances in this glowing gelatin project.

Heart Pumping Fun

Kids can see how the heart pumps blood here. This model will teach them about the right atrium and ventricle using a few basic materials.

Swimming Spaghetti

Spaghetti isn’t just for meatballs. Make your favorite pasta shape do tricks with this fun and fizzy experiment. Let kids explain the science as you make the rest of the spaghetti for dinner.

Science Experiments for Kids who Don’t Need Supervision

Science Experiments for Kids Ages 11 and Older

Skin’s Protective Powers

Learn about the skin’s protective power and why we need to wash our hands. Poke holes in a tomato and record findings for a week. Kids will see how mold and bacteria grow.

Energy-Saving Cooking

Kids will see if they can cook pasta even without boiling water, saving time and energy. They’ll get the answer when they complete this energy-saving experiment. (Spoiler alert: It can be done by rehydrating it beforehand.)

Crush the Can

This experiment shows the impact of external and internal temperature changes. All you need is an empty soda can and some cold water to show how atmospheric pressure acts on a body.

Power of Produce

Make a battery using household materials and a piece of fruit or vegetable. Kids can see if one type of fruit or vegetable works better than another.

Color the World

This low-budget project only requires some colored pens or markers, index cards, and a few friends. Kids will learn if specific colors are better for memory and if it helps to write notes in one color over another.

Solar Power

Design a solar oven. Yes, you can! It’s fairly easy to have kids do this experiment with solar energy. They can even use the experiment to help make dinner.

Time by a Potato

Potatoes don’t just make French fries. A potato, yes, a potato, can run a basic LCD clock. You don’t even need a power source or batteries.