Are you struggling to find a way to make science fun for your child? Is the curriculum not holding your child’s attention? Do not fret! There are many science experiments that your family can create with common household materials. These projects will spark the curiosity every child needs in becoming more intrigued and disciplined with scientific studies.
1. Painting on Water
You can make abstract designs in a shallow dish with paint, water, soap, straws, a toothpick, and paper. This creates a masterpiece that can be kept or displayed for years to come and teaches children about surface tension. Surface tension is an important concept to understand as it serves the purpose of clustering tiny molecules together on the surface of the water that can prevent sinking.
2. Solar Oven
Summer has been quickly approaching. Some of you are still experiencing snow; however, the cold front is coming to a close end! What better way to enjoy the summer than to create a solar oven that cooks some of our favorite snacks! All you need is a pizza or shoebox, knife or scissors, sharpies (for decorative purposes), glue, black construction paper, aluminum foil, plastic wrap or bag, and food to heat. This project supplies children with ample points to discuss that fosters critical thinking, the purpose of materials, and appreciation for the sun.
3. Doodles Coming Alive
A few years ago, a stick figure came to life with water and began trending on the internet. People thought it was magic! However, the stick figure was able to move around in water due to dry erase markers being insoluble and less dense. Insoluble means that the substance does not dissolve in water. All you need is a glass or metal dish, a dry erase marker, and water for this mind-blowing experiment.
4. Coin Baths
Many of us have coins lying around – especially a slew of pennies! Grab your copper coins and get to experimenting on which household product cleans your pennies the best. In as little as 1 hour, you should have shiny coins and a fascinated scientist. You can use any acidic solution for this lesson on copper oxide and hydrochloric acid.
5. Scaling Chemistry
You can test the pH levels of numerous household substances. This activity supplies children with the knowledge of acids and bases. These are compounds that makeup solutions and help the job of enzymes due to proper pH levels. Finding out whether a solution is an acid or a base is quite exciting, even more so when tested on everyday household items! You can try anything from milk to laundry detergent. The sky’s the limit with this experiment.
6. Teeth and Sugary Drinks
Eggshells and teeth have one thing in common: calcium. For this experiment, you will need raw eggs (you can hard boil them for younger children) depending on how many drinks you will test, non-sugary and sugary liquids, and cups for testing. This activity will have your child running to the bathroom to brush their teeth after every sip of their drink!
Jessica Weger is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Providing care for the disabled has been a lifelong journey that made Jessica strive to bring aid and awareness with her writing. She has two little boys that keep her on her toes while bringing out the fun in life. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” is true, but she also believes that sometimes it takes a village to be the best we can be. Jessica has a creative writing background with a published collection of poetry and desires to be the glue in piecing together stories that make a difference.
