Every parent knows that kids have a natural thirst for exploration, experimentation, and discovery. That’s what makes carrying out your own hands-on science experiments at home such a blast! Keep your little ones entertained and help them learn something new with these easy science projects for kids – all with cheap materials you already have.

When life gives you lemons, make volcanoes

No list of homemade science experiments would be complete without a baking soda volcano. But this project puts a fruity twist on the classic creation by using zesty lemons! It’s a super simple way to teach chemical reactions, and the colorful eruption really adds to the spectacle.

What you need

• Two lemons
• A teaspoon of baking soda
• Red food coloring
• A craft stick
• Dish soap
• A tray
• A cup

Instructions

1. Slice off the bottom of your lemon so it can stand up by itself. Then, cut out the core from the top.
2. Chop your second lemon in half and squeeze the juice into your cup.
3. Stand your cored lemon on your tray. Then, use your craft stick to mash up the insides and bring out the juices. Make sure they stay in the lemon!
4. Add a few drops of red food coloring and a few drops of dish soap inside the lemon. (This helps to make your lemon lava more lifelike.)
5. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the lemon and watch your volcano erupt!
6. When your lemon volcano starts to fizzle out, add some more baking soda, lemon juice, food coloring, and dish so to keep the reaction going.

The science behind lemon volcanoes

Lemons and other citrus fruits contain a substance called citric acid. This reacts with baking soda (called sodium bicarbonate) to make two new substances: carbon dioxide and sodium citrate. When released, these cause the liquid to fizzle and froth!

Blast off with a baking soda bottle rocket

Another classic example of science for kids at home is the spectacular bottle rocket. With incredible power and explosive speed, this experiment allows kids to see the physics of motion in action. Though unless you want to deal with a major cleanup, it’s best to take this one outside!

What you need

• An empty 500ml plastic bottle
• A cork that fits in the neck of the bottle
• Half a paper towel
• A teaspoon of baking soda
• Vinegar
• Three straws
• Tape

Instructions

1. Tape your three straws equally spaced around the plastic bottle to form a tripod that lets the bottle stand upside down.
2. Pour a little less than an inch of vinegar into the bottle.
3. Put your baking soda in the middle of your paper towel and fold it into a small parcel.
4. Choose a hard, flat surface outside as your launch station. Make sure to keep any observers far back, as the rocket will shoot up. (You can even use chalk to draw your own launch station and a safety line.)
5. When you’re ready to launch your rocket, drop the baking soda parcel into the bottle, seal it with the cork, and stand it up on the straws with the neck facing down. Then, stand back! (You need to do all of these things very quickly!)
6. Your rocket will shoot up into the sky, leaving a trail of foam behind it – just like a real rocket!

The science behind baking soda bottle rockets

In chemistry, vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid, while baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is called a base. Common acids and bases react together and neutralize each other.

When this reaction occurs, it releases carbon dioxide gas. As this gas builds up inside the bottle, it creates a lot of pressure. When the pressure is high enough, it forces the cork out of the bottle.

The downward force of the cork creates an upward thrust in the bottle, making it shoot up into the air. This is a great example of Newton’s Third Law of Motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Make a marvelous melody with musical glasses

They say that music is the strongest form of magic. For us, it’s our favorite form of physics! With just a few kitchen essentials, you can make a homemade musical instrument in one of the world’s simplest science projects for kids.

What you need

• Six regular drinking glasses
• Six wine glasses
• Six mason jars
• Water
• A metal spoon
• A craft stick

Instructions

1. For each set of six glasses, fill them with a different amount of water. One should be one-sixth 
2. Lightly tap the rim of each glass with your metal spoon and listen for the sound. Then, try again with your craft stick. You can keep trying this with similar objects of different materials to see how the sound changes.
3. Find a simple song and try to play along on your musical glasses!

The science behind musical glasses

Sound is made when the air around it vibrates. These vibrations travel into our ears, which lets us hear.

Tapping a glass makes it vibrate, which produces a sound. When a glass has little or no water, it vibrates quickly, making a high-pitched sound. The more water a glass has, the slower it vibrates when struck, and the lower the pitch of the sound.

Continue exploring science experiments at home with iSprowt

These easy and awesome science projects are sure to leave your kids wanting more. That’s why we develop plenty of cool hands-on science kits to bring your kids hours upon hours of learning and fun.

Take our iSprowt series, for example. These science projects for kids aged 5-11 let your little ones dive into chemistry, biology and geography using low-mess, eco-friendly materials. And with a superfast 10-minute prep time, they can quickly start exploring new topics like:

• The Universe: Build a solar system model that shows Earth’s place in the universe and discover why the sun and stars look so tiny.
• Renewable Energy: Explore the power of solar and wind energy, and use them to power tiny cars and spinning tops.
• Amazing Chemistry: Make bath bombs and biodegradable plastic toys, find out about kitchen chemistry, and discover the main forms of matter.
• Earth & Volcanoes: Construct a clay model of the Earth and learn how to form earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.

Find more amazing science experiments for kids at home with STEAMbright

Our kits focus on STEAM learning, which stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Adding art to these classic STEM topics promotes creative thinking and problem-solving, and helps kids make more connections between subjects. That way, they learn how to apply their knowledge in imaginative ways to find practical solutions.

The STEAMbright online store has dozens of simple science projects and STEAM activity kits for ages 3 all the way to 18. Shop by age or check out our favorites to find fresh and exciting science experiments for kids at home.