Scientific experiments for children

For children, cause and effect games are really stimulating. In this sense, experiments are a great way to have fun and learn science concepts. Best of all, your home can be turned into a real science lab for kids with just a few easy-to-find ingredients.

Activities that engage the senses are often the most interesting for children. Therefore, we can see that in recent years science-based theme parks have been created. In them, children can go through the place without restrictions to touch, smell, listen, even taste. In fact, they are based on simple experiments for children that do not represent any risk and really manage to surprise them.

The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to go to one of these sites to find out what science is for kids. You can prepare some homemade experiments yourself that your child will surely love. They do not imply a significant expense of money and their ingredients are very easy to obtain in any supermarket. As a sample, we bring you 5 very easy and fun experiments for children.

rainbow in a jar

Among the homemade experiments for children, this one cannot be missing, which combines two very attractive elements for children: colors and liquids.

You need a glass jar, preferably tall and not too wide, honey, water, alcohol, green dishwashing liquid, olive oil, water, food-grade dyes (blue or purple and red) and a pipette or dropper.

The child must pour the ingredients one by one, starting with the honey. Taking special care not to touch the edges of the container. Afterwards, he should continue with the dishwashing soap. Then ask the little one to mix a little water with the food coloring and add the result little by little in the jar. To continue, you have to include the olive oil. The next step is important to be done carefully. The red food coloring must be mixed with the alcohol and, unlike the other ingredients that are poured into the center of the container, this must be placed drop by drop with the pipette or dropper and let the liquid run off the edges until it reaches to the other ingredients. The reason is that if you do it from the center, it can go through and mix the other liquids.

The concept that can be learned when doing this activity is the difference in density that exists between the ingredients. Apparently they are all liquids, but the child will be able to discover by touching them that they have different textures, which leads them to behave differently when trying to put them together in the same container.

mystery balloon

If you want to carry out chemistry experiments where the reaction between ingredients surprises children, you can use this one. You just need an empty plastic bottle, a balloon, baking soda, and vinegar.

The way to do it is very simple. The child will only need to put about 100 ml of vinegar in the plastic bottle. Then, inside the balloon and very carefully, you will have to introduce a tablespoon of baking soda. You can make this process easier by using a funnel. 

The next step may be the most complex, but it is not really difficult. You must put the mouth of the balloon in that of the bottle, but be careful that the bicarbonate content does not fall into it. For this reason, we recommend that the balloon is not too small. This way you can bend it during the process. Once you make sure that the entire mouth of the bottle has been covered with the balloon, you can move on to the next point.

Finally, the child must turn the balloon so that the baking soda falls into the vinegar and the reaction occurs.

This is one of the classic experiments for elementary school children that no matter how many times it is done, it is always interesting. With this you can learn that by combining several substances they can react. In this case, carbon dioxide is generated, a gas that inflates the balloon.

magical water

There are many experiments with water, but this one might interest you because of how easy it is to perform. You just need two matching cups, a piece of plastic wrap, and food coloring. You can use a cutout from a bag, for example. 

You will fill one of the glasses to the brim with very cold water; if you can have some melted ice cubes. In the other glass you should put hot water. For this purpose, if you have one of the best electric water heaters on the market, it is time for you to take advantage of it. Otherwise, you can use the microwave or stovetop. We recommend adding the dye to the glass of your choice, to differentiate them. 

Now, cover the glass of cold water with the plastic very well and turn it upside down. The objective is to place this glass with its contents on top of the other one, which has hot water.

Subsequently, and very carefully, remove the piece of plastic that keeps the liquids separated. The child will be able to notice that there is a movement of water inside, which is caused by the activity of the molecules, but also by the difference in temperature.

plant development

If your child hasn’t had a chance to watch a plant sprout, then don’t wait any longer. Among the simplest experiments with plants, you can try this one, which consists of germinating some seeds. Lentils, beans or alfalfa are perhaps the easiest options.

It will be enough for you to leave the seeds soaking overnight and in the following days just keep them moist. With the passage of a few days the shoots will begin to appear and, if you wish, your child can make a small garden with them.

Animated cartoon

To end this count of 5 homemade inventions for children, we present this one that the little ones will love. All you need is a whiteboard marker, a porcelain dinner plate, and some room temperature water.

Ask the child to make a small drawing on the surface of the glass. Then, you will have to pour the water little by little into the dish. If you want to make the moment more interesting, you can offer him a dropper. 

Due to the insolubility of the drawing, it will detach from the plate and will move, which is interesting and even hilarious. That is why it is one of the favorite children’s inventions on the net.

As an important note, we recommend that, when performing each of these easy experiments, you always use an introductory dynamic, where the ingredients are presented and their physical characteristics are analyzed. At the end of the experiment, reflect on the observations that the child can perceive. Otherwise, it could just fall off in a simple act of “amazing magic” that has no explanation, leading to no scientific learning.

To complete the scientific learning of older children, you can also turn to other interesting resources such as Lego Technic sets, which can provide hours of entertainment and fun. What can turn your home into a small robotics laboratory.