Top 10 Science Experiments for Young Learners
Nothing says curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity better than tactile learning in the form of stimulating science experiments! Hands-on and sensory rich, science doesn’t need to be complicated.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 science experiments for you to try in the classroom, whilst keeping in mind practicality, educational value, and age-appropriateness to help keep your lessons running smoothly!
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1. GREENHOUSE IN A BOTTLE
What better way to celebrate the summer season than by planting seeds? Students will ultimately learn about what plants need to survive, and older students can write daily observations of what they see. This activity also provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to introduce the concept of responsibility to younger students.
https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/plastic-bottle-greenhouse/
2. MOULDY BREAD
One excellent, and slightly disgusting, experiment for teaching students about the importance of hygiene is the classic mouldy bread investigation. Decide on a variable you’d like to investigate (cleanliness of hands or temperature, for example), and then place slices of bread into 3 different ziplock bags. Take care with this one and be sure to securely fasten the ziplock bags to prevent germs spreading!
https://www.madaboutscience.com.au/shop/science-extra/post/mouldy-bread
3. BOTTLE ROCKETS
Use rocket science to propel your student’s understanding of forces, energy, and motion, with this fun baking soda and vinegar bottle rocket experiment! Brilliant for slightly older kids too, you can ask them to construct and decorate their rockets before take-off.
When baking soda and vinegar mix, carbon dioxide gas is created, which will send your rockets soaring!
https://www.science-sparks.com/5-easy-rockets-kids-can-make/
4. COAT HANGER SCALES
A simple, yet effective, balancing act! How to teach younger students about weight, problem solving, counting, and comparing? Have them create their own scales using a clothing hangar, string and paper cups! By encouraging scientific curiosity, students will have so much fun deciphering which of their toys is heavier and which are lighter.
https://gosciencekids.com/diy-balance-scales-toddlers-preschoolers/
5. POTATO OSMOSIS
Perfect for any ‘living things’ science unit and for teaching students about how and why water moves across semi-permeable membranes. In this case, the potato represents the roots of a plant. In nature, plants create an environment of high salt content so that water moves into the root’s cells, just like it will do for the potato!
https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/potato-osmosis-lab/
6. LEMONS BATTERIES
Now, the science behind this one can get a little complicated, but we’ll try our best to explain... The citric acid in a lemon oxidises zinc, creating free electrons. These electrons move along the wire, resulting in an electric current. You will need a positive and negative terminal to the lemon battery, but fear not, there’s plenty of great videos on the internet explaining this one, so it’s worth checking out for older students who are learning about electricity!
https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/28028/lemon-battery/
7. ICE CREAM IN A BAG
A fun, and edible, experiment fit for any summer’s day! You’ll need 2 plastic Ziplock bags for this one – one large and one small. After placing ice and salt into the larger bag, in the smaller bag, mix vanilla and sugar in 50-50 proportions. Seal the smaller bag and place it into the larger one. Shake! Shake! Shake! After 5 -10 minutes, you should have some edible ice-cream to enjoy!
https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/simple-homemade-ice-cream-in-a-bag-edible-science/
8. OIL SPILL CLEAN UP
This educational science experiment will open students’ eyes to the damaging effects of oil spills on our oceans. Simply mix water and oil into a large tray, whilst asking students how we can clean up the oil. Do paper towels or cotton buds work? How about spoons or pipettes to scoop out the oil? To wrap up this thoughtful experiment, have a discussion with your students about the effects on wildlife and shoreline habitats.
ttps://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/oil-spill-clean-experiment-kids/
9. SANDBOX VOLCANOES
Kids love anything that fizzes, bangs or explodes, so try out this exciting baking soda volcano experiment to get them hooked! You’ll want to keep the actual chemical reaction inside of a water bottle, by mixing water and baking soda. Then ask students to build a volcano using sand around the bottle. When you’re ready, add a cup of vinegar and BANG! An impressive eruption will follow, not to mention the explosion of “wows” and gasps from your students!
https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/best-sandbox-volcano-eruption/
10. WATER CYCLE IN A ZIPLOCK BAG
This experiment slots nicely into any earth sciences unit and provides important information on how water gets to plants, animals, and to us. It also teaches vital vocabulary such as “evaporation” and “condensation”. Students can begin to think critically about how the sun affects the movement of water.
https://ziploc.com/en/Inspiration/Stem-Activities/Ages-9-12/Water-Cycle-Bags