I love science. I love teaching it and learning about it. It’s fascinating and wonderful. My goal was always to get my students to love science as well. The best thing about science is the hands-on experiments that teachers can use to explain or model what students are learning. Science is like magic at times and captivating for our students. Today I want to share some elementary science experiments that you can do in your classroom!
Elementary Science Experiments
1. The Magic Milk Experiment:
The first of 10 elementary science experiments is fun and easy. This classic experiment explores surface tension and chemical reactions. By adding drops of food coloring to milk and then a drop of dish soap, students can observe mesmerizing patterns and learn about the interaction between molecules.
2. DIY Weather Station:
Students can create their own mini weather stations using simple materials like a plastic bottle, a straw, and some water. They can observe how changes in air pressure affect the water level, teaching them about atmospheric pressure and weather patterns.
3. Egg Drop Challenge:
Challenge students to design a contraption using limited materials (such as straws, cotton balls, and tape) that can protect an egg from cracking when dropped from various heights. This experiment teaches concepts of gravity, force, and momentum.
I did this assignment every spring with my students. It was always so fun and seeing their amazing designs was priceless. If you’d like to check out the egg drop assignment made for you click here.
4. Solar Oven Cooking:
Construct simple solar ovens using pizza boxes and aluminum foil, and have students experiment with cooking s’mores or melting chocolate. This hands-on activity teaches about the power of the sun and the basic principles of solar energy.
5. Seed Germination Exploration:
Have students plant seeds in different conditions (varying amounts of water, light, and soil types) and observe and record their growth over time. This experiment teaches students about plant life cycles and the factors that influence germination and growth.
The elementary science seed germination experiment is perfect for graphing practice, keeping a scientific journal, and recording findings.
6. Density Tower:
Create colorful density towers using liquids of different densities such as water, oil, and syrup. Students can experiment by adding various objects to see where they will float or sink, helping them understand the concept of density and buoyancy.
7. DIY Lava Lamp:
Using a simple mixture of water, oil, and effervescent tablets (like Alka-Seltzer), students can create their own mesmerizing lava lamps. This experiment demonstrates principles of density, solubility, and chemical reactions.
8. Static Electricity Butterfly:
Students can create static electricity butterflies using simple materials like tissue paper and a balloon. By rubbing the balloon against their hair or clothing and then holding it near the tissue paper butterfly, they can observe the butterfly “flutter” towards the balloon, demonstrating the principles of static electricity.
Another easy idea to demonstrate static electricity is to tie a string to two balloons. Rub a piece of felt along one of the balloons and then see what happens when you hold the balloons near each other by the string.
9. Magnetic Slime:
Mix together magnetic iron oxide powder with liquid starch and school glue to create magnetic slime. Students can explore the properties of magnets and magnetic fields by observing how the slime reacts to different magnetic objects.
10. pH Indicator:
Create homemade pH indicator solutions using red cabbage juice or turmeric powder, and have students test various household substances to determine their acidity or alkalinity. This experiment introduces students to the concept of pH and the importance of chemical indicators.
If you are looking for ideas for teaching sound energy, check out that blog post. For ideas on teaching electricity and magnetism check out this blog post.
Incorporating hands-on elementary science experiments into your lessons is a powerful way to ignite curiosity and a love for science in your students. These activities provide practical, real-world applications for scientific principles and allow students to explore, question, and discover. Whether it’s observing the patterns of magic milk, constructing a solar oven, or testing pH levels, each experiment opens doors to new knowledge and understanding. Start planning your next science experiment today and watch your students light up with excitement as they uncover the magic of science!
