“Make sure Dad's never bored with this DIY catapult that doubles as a desk toy! It's easy to build from common office supplies and fun to use at work or at home.”
Ages 9-16
Desk Catapult | Ages 9-16
How Strong is Paper? Experiment | Ages 3-8
“We have an engineer in our family... she's always playing with pulleys and levers and constructing things. This time we were playing with compression and tension. Let's see what we can learn...”
Ages 3-8
Water Squirter | Ages 5-16
“A squirt gun is a a great example of what happens when you apply pressure to a liquid. In this quick, fun experiment, learn how to make your own miniature water squirter using just two cups, a straw, and some clay!”
Ages 5-16
Underwater Fireworks | Ages 5-11
“With your kitchen as your lab and baking supplies as your ingredients, create your own underwater firework spectacular! These underwater fireworks go off because of density. Density means how much something weighs for a given volume of it. Denser things like iron and stone sink. Less dense things like wood and rubber float.”
Ages 5-11
Conveyor Belt Cinema | Ages 9-16
“Use a small-scale conveyor belt to create a cinematic experience! Download the printables here: background image & still image.”
Ages 9-16
Electric Jellyfish | Ages 5-8
“Learn about creating static electricity with this simple project. Explore more by using this technique to create a living birthday cake with candles, campfire, or wetland scene!”
Ages 5-8
Unpoppable Bubbles | Ages 3-8
Fluffy Slime | Ages 5-16
“Is your slime feeling mucky and dense? Could your slime use a little pep in its step? Try mixing together this special concoction and make fluffy slime!”
Ages 5-16
Lava Lamp Science Project | Ages 5-16
“Make your own colorful, bubbling lamp with this fun science experiment about mixing up unmixable liquids!”
Ages 5-16
Make Your Own Garden | Ages 5-16
“Now that spring is finally here, we've been planting all sorts of seeds on our window sills. From tomatoes to cucumbers, our family has been watching our plants sprout and grow. When my kids wanted to get in on the action, we set up this easy CD garden using wheatgrass seeds. To their delight, the wheatgrass seeds have sprouted in a matter of days. They now take turns tracking and watering their growing garden every day.”
Ages 5-16
Erupting Apples | Ages 3-8
“When you have curious kids running around your house and a free afternoon, why not get a little messy and do some kitchen science? We did ours in the backyard and let the whole thing become a super sensory experience. When they inevitably try and find the remains of their apple in the mound of foam, be sure to ask them what it feels like.”
Ages 3-8
Capillary Action Rainbow | Ages 3-8
“Discover the magic of color mixing and capillary action with this easy and exciting science project!”
Ages 3-8
Fizzing Colors | Ages 3-12
“Turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab with this simple science experiment! You only need three ingredients: baking soda, food coloring, and vinegar. When you combine the ingredients, a chemical reaction occurs and results in a bubbling eruption of fizzing color. Acids – like vinegar – and bases – like baking soda – are special kinds of chemicals that tend to react with each other to form something completely new: carbon dioxide gas. So the bubbles you see are filled with carbon dioxide gas which creates all the foamy fizz!”
Ages 3-12
Celery Experiment | Ages 3-8
“Has your child ever wondered how plants get water from their roots all the way to their leaves? This simple celery experiment shows how colored water travels up a celery stalk!”
Ages 3-8
Integrating Education & Nature
“As educators, we have a unique opportunity to connect children and young adults with nature. Here are some ideas for tying in natural elements to all kinds of curricula.”
Ideas are broken out by category and include Math, Language Arts, Physical Education & Art, Music, and Theater Lessons.
World of Wonders Science Museum
Our friends at World of Wonders Science Museum in downtown Lodi, CA have a page of At Home Resources on their website as well as a YouTube channel full of projects and experiments for kids of all ages.
Egg in Vinegar Experiment | Ages 5-8
“This experiment allows you to see how two common household materials react — eggshell and vinegar. When these materials come in contact, a (safe) chemical reaction takes place and creates new compounds. This easy experiment is great for children to do on their own, and fun to observe how the egg changes over time.”
Ages 5-8
Hot Ice Hand Warmers | Ages 8-16
“Keep your hands warm with this hot ice experiment you can do at home! OK, so it's not really ice, but it really does keep your hands warm. And it's an easy (and safe) experiment you can do in your own kitchen. All you need is baking soda and vinegar to create a little chemistry experiment that comes handy in the cold winter.”
Ages 8-16
Plant Light Maze | Ages 9-16
“Have you ever noticed how plants grow toward the light? Build this simple light maze, and watch the plant grow around the obstacles to reach the light! Try experimenting with different mazes and see how the plant reacts. Can your plant complete its maze?”
Ages 9-16
Gumdrop Engineering
“From Lincoln Logs to Legos, the love of kids building their own structures stands the test of time. Using basic engineering coupled with creativity, kids can use this gumdrop engineering project to make their imaginations come to life while also improving dexterity and motor skills. In the past, we have used blocks and clay to make structures. Why not some holiday-themed candy for this STEM activity? Gumdrops provide the perfect building block for this creative idea.”