Easy science activities for kids
Six safe experiments you can do at a table with things from the kitchen and the cupboard. Each one lists materials, four steps, what to notice, a simple reason why, an age hint and the part a grown-up does.
Safety first
Children should never taste anything, and never mix cleaning products. Grown-ups handle heat, knives and anything electric. Wash hands afterwards, and check for allergies before using food items or balloons. Stay close with children under 5 and keep small things such as beans, corks and balloon pieces away from mouths. Plastic bags are not toys, so cut a flat piece when an activity needs one. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your child best.
1. Float or sink
Age hint: 3 and up.
Materials: a large bowl of water, a metal key, a cork, a metal spoon, a plastic lid, an orange.
- Line the items up and guess which will float.
- Put one item gently on the water.
- Watch whether it floats or sinks.
- Sort the items into two piles.
What to notice: the lid floats but the key sinks, and some items surprise you.
Why: an item usually floats when it is light for its size compared with water.
Grown-up does this part: choosing items too big to swallow (nothing small enough to fit in a child's fist for under-5s), staying within arm's reach of the water, and mopping up.
2. Paper-towel rainbow
Age hint: 4 and up.
Materials: a paper-towel strip, washable water-based markers, a glass of water.
- Draw thick dots in a row near one end of the strip.
- Fold the other end over a pencil laid across the glass.
- Let the dotted end just touch the water, keeping the dots above it.
- Wait about ten minutes.
What to notice: the water creeps up the paper, and some colours may split into several.
Why: water moves through the paper and carries ink, and the dyes in some markers travel at different speeds.
Grown-up does this part: setting up the glass so it does not tip.
3. Shadow tracking
Age hint: 4 and up.
Materials: a battery torch, a few small toys, a big sheet of paper, a pencil.
- Dim the room and stand a toy on the paper.
- Shine the torch on it from the side.
- Trace the shadow with a pencil.
- Move the torch closer or lower and trace again.
What to notice: the shadow grows when the torch is closer, and stretches when it is low.
Why: light travels in straight lines, and a toy blocks the light behind it.
Grown-up does this part: holding the torch away from faces, and never shining it into eyes.
4. Water-drop magnifier
Age hint: 5 and up.
Materials: a flat piece cut from a clear plastic bag, newspaper, a spoon, a small cup of water.
- Lay a flat piece of clear plastic over some small newspaper print.
- Dip the spoon tip in water.
- Let one small drop fall onto the plastic.
- Look at the print through the drop.
What to notice: the letters under the drop look bigger than the rest.
Why: the curved top of a water drop bends light, so it can act like a simple magnifying glass.
Grown-up does this part: cutting and flattening the plastic piece, keeping whole bags away from faces, and helping with the first drop.
5. A bean in a cup
Age hint: 4 and up.
Materials: a clear plastic cup, paper towel, a dried bean, water.
- Scrunch damp paper towel inside the cup.
- Slide the bean between the towel and the cup wall.
- Put the cup on a bright windowsill.
- Keep the towel damp and look each day.
What to notice: a root appears first, then a shoot, usually within a few days to a couple of weeks.
Why: a seed holds stored food, and water and warmth can wake it up to grow.
Grown-up does this part: choosing the bean, checking allergies, and keeping it out of mouths. Dried beans are a choking risk for under-5s, and raw kidney beans are poisonous if eaten, so a mung bean or chickpea is a safer pick.
6. Static balloon and paper bits
Age hint: 6 and up.
Materials: a balloon, tiny paper bits, a wool jumper or dry hair.
- Tear paper into bits and spread them on a table.
- Rub the balloon on the wool for about ten seconds.
- Hold it just above the bits.
- Watch what jumps.
What to notice: the bits leap up and cling to the balloon, and it may stick to a wall.
Why: rubbing gives the balloon an electric charge that can pull light things toward it.
Grown-up does this part: blowing up the balloon and clearing away any popped pieces. Skip it for latex allergy.
More to do on Rangooo
Learn why India marks National Science Day on 28 February, try the riddles for kids afterwards, take your curiosity outdoors with nature walk activities for kids, keep a sky diary with weather watching activities for kids, find more indoor ideas in rainy day activities for kids, splash safely with water play activities for kids, watch seeds grow with balcony gardening for kids, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.
Questions
What is the easiest science activity for a young child?
Float or sink is a good first one. It needs only a bowl of water and a few small things from around the house, and a grown-up only needs to choose items that are not tiny enough to swallow.
Do these activities need special equipment?
No. Everything comes from a kitchen or a cupboard at home, such as bowls, cups, paper, markers, a torch and a balloon.
What if an activity does not work the first time?
That is normal in science. Change one thing, such as a different marker, a smaller drop or a drier day, and try again. Talking about what happened is part of the learning.
Is it safe to let children taste or smell what they use?
No. Nothing in these activities is for eating or drinking, even the bean. Keep the materials out of mouths and wash hands when you finish.
These are our own simple ideas, written in cautious language. Results vary with materials and weather, so treat the explanations as simple starting points. Always supervise young children. If you spot a mistake, please tell us and we will fix it.